The boy was apparently oblivious of everything but the parrots up aloft, and it was not till after he had had his shot that he returned the young man's salutation.

Then he took a seat astride the log and offered some commonplace information about a nest of joeys in a neighboring tree and a tame magpie that had escaped, and was teaching all the other magpies in Wilson's paddocks to whistle a jig and curse like a drover.

But he got down to his point rather suddenly after all.
'Say, Harry, was you goin' to lambaste Tinribs ?' Tinribs?
'Yes, old Shine--this mornin', you know.' Harry looked into the boy's eye and lied, but Dick was not deceived.
''Twould a-served him good,' he said thoughtfully; 'but you oughter get on to him when Miss Shine ain't about.

She's terrible good an' all that--better 'n Miss Keeley, don't you think ?' Miss Keeley was a golden-haired, high-complexioned, and frivolous young lady who had enjoyed a brief but brilliant career as barmaid at the Drovers' Arms.

Harry had never seen her, but expressed an opinion entirely in favour of Christina Shine.
'But her father,' continued Dick, with an eloquent grimace, 'he's dicky! 'What've you got against him ?' 'I do' know.