stony ridges all round. There must have been three or four hundred of them,
only a man and a boy riding round and wheeling them every now and then.
Their horses were pretty well knocked up. I knew father at once,
and the old chestnut mare he used to ride -- an animal with legs like timbers
and a mule rump; but you couldn't tire her, and no beast that ever was calved
could get away from her. The boy was a half-caste that father
had picked up somewhere; he was as good as two men any day.

`So you've come at last,' growled father, `and a good thing too.
I didn't expect to be here till to-morrow morning. The dog came home,
I suppose -- that's what brought you here, wasn't it?
I thought the infernal cattle would beat Warrigal and me,
and we'd have all our trouble for nothing.'

`Whose cattle are they, and what are you going to do with them?'

`Never you mind; ask no questions, and you'll see all about it to-morrow.
I'll go and take a snooze now; I've had no sleep for three nights.'

With our fresh horses and riding round so we kept the cattle easily enough.
We did not tell Warrigal he might go to rest, not thinking
a half-caste brat like him wanted any. He didn't say anything,
but went to sleep on his horse, which walked in and out among the angry cattle
as he sat on the saddle with his head down on the horse's neck.
They sniffed at him once or twice, some of the old cows,
but none of them horned him; and daylight came rather quicker
than one would think.

Then we saw whose cattle they were; they had all Hunter's and Falkland's
brands on, which showed that they belonged to Banda and Elingamah stations.