he grabbed the inspector's chip, and the second time he put the iron-bark one
in its place. He drew down and back, and scuttled off for the tree
like a gigantic tailless "goanna".

A few minutes later he walked up to the culvert from along the creek,
smoking hard to settle his nerves.

The sky seemed to darken suddenly; the first great drops of the thunderstorm
came pelting down. The inspector hurried to his horse, and cantered off
along the line in the direction of the fettlers' camp.

He had forgotten all about the chip, and left it on top of the post!

Dave Regan sat down on the beam in the rain and swore comprehensively.




"Middleton's Peter"



I.

The First Born


The struggling squatter is to be found in Australia as well as
the "struggling farmer". The Australian squatter is not always
the mighty wool king that English and American authors and other