CHAPTER XII.MR.BLAKE BREAKS HIS ENGAGEMENT.
On Monday, Hugh, Poss, and Binjie had to go out to an outlying paddock to draft a lot of station-sheep from a mob of travelling-sheep.

As this meant a long, hard job, the three breakfasted by candlelight--a good old fashion, this, but rather forgotten lately--and Blake also turned out for early breakfast, as he wanted to get his drive to Tarrong over while the weather was cool.

Of the women-folk, Ellen alone was up, boiling eggs, and making tea on a spirit-lamp; laughing and chattering meanwhile, and keeping them all amused; while outside in the frosty dawn, the stable boy shivered as he tightened the girths round the ribs of three very touchy horses.

Poss and Binjie were each riding a station horse to "take the flashness out of him," and Binjie's horse tried to buck him off, but might as well have tried to shed his own skin; so he bolted instead, and disappeared with a snort and a rattle of hoofs over the hill.

The others followed, with their horses very much inclined to go through the same performance.
After they had gone, Ellen Harriott and Blake were left alone in the breakfast-room.