" You don't say he's got the whole mob mouthed and
reined and schooled in all the paces ? " he gasped ; but
Jack put aside the word of praise. " There's writing and
spelling yet," he said, and Dan, with his interest in book-
learning reviving, watched the square chin setting squarer,
and was bewildered. " Seems to have struck a mob of
brumbies," he commented.
But before Jack could " get properly going " with the
brumbies, two travellers rode into the homestead, support-
ing between them a third rider, a man picked up off the
track delirious with fever, and foodless ; and at the sight
of his ghastly face our hearts stood still with fear. But
the man weis one cf the Scots — another Mac — of the race
that loves a good fight, and his plucky heart stood by
him so well that within twenty-four hours he was lying
contentedly in the shade of the Quarters, looking on, while
the homestead shared the Fizzer's welcome with Mac and
Tam and a traveller or two.
Out of the south came the Fizzer, lopping once more
in his saddle, with the year's dry stages behind him, and
the set Unes all gone from his shoulders, shouting
as he came : " Hullo 1 What ho I Here's a crowd of us 1 "
but on his return trip the Fizzer was a man of leisure,
and we had to wait for news until his camp was
fixed up.
