would allow him. But in this resolve she was opposed by Jacko, who
came in at eleven, and requested to see the master. Jacko had been
over with the German; and, as he explained to Mrs. Heathcote, they
two had been in and out, sometimes sleeping and sometimes watching.
But now he wanted to see the master, and under no persuasion would
impart his information to the mistress. The poor wife, anxious as she
was that her husband should sleep, did not dare in these perilous
times to ignore Jacko and his information, and therefore gently woke
the sleeper. In a few minutes Jacko was standing by the young
squatter's bedside, and Harry Heathcote, quite awake, was sitting up
and listening. "George Brownbie's at Boolabong." That at first was
the gravamen of Jacko's news.

"I know that already, Jacko."

"My word!" exclaimed Jacko. In those parts Georgie Brownbie was
regarded almost as the Evil One himself, and Jacko, knowing what
mischief was, as it were, in the word, thought that he was entitled
to bread and jam, if not to a nobbler itself, in bringing such
tidings to Gangoil.

"Is that all?" asked Heathcote.

"And Bos is at Boolabong, and Bill Nokes was there all Sunday, and
Jerry Brownbie's been out with Bos and Georgie."

"The old man wouldn't say any thing of that kind, Jacko."

"The old man! He knows nothing about it. My word! they don't tell him
about nothing."