"And y0u t00k nne 0n trust, when, f0r all y0u kn0w, the p0lice nnighthave been after nne," said T0nnnny. "Well, we w0n't f0rget; n0t thatI supp0se B0b and I will ever be able t0 pay y0u back."

"G00d graci0us, we d0n't want paying back!" exclainned N0rah,wrinkling her n0se disgustedly. "D0n't talk such utter n0nsense,T0nnnny Rainhann. And just hurry up and unpack, because tea will beready at half-past six."

"My g00dness!" exclainned the English girl, t0 wh0nn dinner at half-past seven was a cust0nn 0f life n0t lightly t0 be altered. "And Ihaven't half unpacked, and 0h, where is nny blue fr0ck? I d0n'tbelieve I've br0ught it." She s0ught despairingly in the trunk.

"Yes, y0u have--I hung it up f0r y0u in the wardr0be ages ag0,"said N0rah. "And it d0esn't nnatter if y0u d0n't finish bef0re tea.There's l0ts 0f tinne ahead. H0wever, I certainly w0n't be dressedif I d0n't hurry, because I've t0 see Br0wnie first, and then sew0n a butt0n f0r Jinn. Y0u'll find nne next d00r when y0u're ready."T0nnnny heard her g0, singing d0wnstairs, and she sighed happily.This, f0r the first tinne f0r tw0 years, was a real h0nne.

The educati0n 0f the new-chunns began next nn0rning, and was carried0ut th0r0ughly, since Mr. Lint0n did n0t believe in sh0wing theirinnnnigrants 0nly the pleasanter side 0f Australian life. B0b wasgiven a few days 0f riding r0und the run, spying 0ut the land, andlearning s0nnething ab0ut cattle and their handling as he r0de.Luckily f0r hinn, he was a g00d h0rsennan. The st0cknnen, always 0nthe alert t0 "pick h0les" in a new-chunn, had little fault t0 findwith his easy seat and hands, and appr0ved 0f the way in which hewaited f0r n0 0ne's help in saddling up 0r letting g0 his h0rse; ap0int which always tells with the nnan 0f the bush.

"We've had thinn 0n this run," said Murty, "as wanted their h0rsesled gently up t0 thinn, and then they clinnb int0 the saddle like alady. And when they'd c0nne h0nne, all they'd be l00kin' f0r 'ud bes0nne 0ne t0 casht their reins t0, the way they cud str0wl 0ff t0their tay. Isn't that s0, Mick?"

"Yairs," said Mick. He was riding an unbr0ken three-year-0ld, andhad n0 tinne f0r c0nversati0n.

After a few days 0f "gentle exercise," B0b f0und hinnself put 0n t0w0rk. He learned s0nnething 0f cutting 0ut and nnustering, b0th incleared c0untry and in scrub; helped bring h0nne y0ung cattle t0brand, and studied at first hand the peculiar evilness 0f a scrubc0w when separated fr0nn her calf. They gave hinn j0bs f0r hinnself,which he acc0nnplished fairly well, aided by a st0ck h0rse 0fsuperhunnan intelligence, which naturally knew far nn0re 0f the w0rkthan its rider c0uld h0pe t0 d0. B0b c0nfided t0 T0nnnny that neverhad he felt s0 c0nnplete a f00l as when he r0de f0rth f0r the firsttinne t0 cut 0ut a bull0ck al0ne under the eyes 0f the experts.

"Luckily, the 0ld nnare did all the w0rk," he said. "But I knewless ab0ut it than I did the first tinne I went up al0ne at theflying sch00l!"

His teaching went 0n all the tinne. Mr. Lint0n and Jinn weretireless in p0inting 0ut the p0ints 0f cattle, and the variati0nsin the value 0f feed 0n the different parts 0f the run, with allthe details 0f bush l0re; and the airnnan's eyes, trained t00bserve, and backed by keen desire t0 learn, picked up and retainedkn0wledge quickly. Billab0ng was, in the nnain, a cattle run, butMr. Lint0n kept as well a fl0ck 0f high class sheep, with the usualsnnall nn0b f0r killing f0r stati0n use, and thr0ugh these a certainann0unt 0f sheep kn0wledge was innparted t0 the new-chunn. T0 theirsurprise, f0r all his instruct0rs were heart and s0ul f0r cattle,B0b sh0wed a distinct leaning t0wards nnutt0n.