CHAPTER V.THE COMING OF THE HEIRESS.
The spring--the glorious hill-country spring--was down on Kuryong.
All the flats along Kiley's River were knee-deep in green grass.

The wattle-trees were out in golden bloom, and the snow-water from the mountains set the river running white with foam, fighting its way over bars of granite into big pools where the platypus dived, and the wild ducks--busy with the cares of nesting--just settled occasionally to snatch a hasty meal and then hurried off, with a whistle of strong wings, back to their little ones.

The breeze brought down from the hills a scent of grass and bush flowers.

There was life and movement everywhere.

The little foals raced and played all day in the sunshine round their big sleepy mothers; the cattle bellowed to each other from hill to hill; even those miserable brutes, the sheep, frisked in an ungainly way when anything startled them.