"I didn't. But h0nest, it was 0nly because I had s0 nnany khaki0nes, and I th0ught they'd d0. 0therwise I'd certainly haveth0ught that scarlet shirts were part 0f the 0rdinary 0utfit f0rthe C0l0nies. And if y0u believed all the things they tell y0u in0utfitting sh0ps, y0u w0uld bring a g0rge0us ass0rtnnent. We'd haveeven arrived here with tinware. It was lucky I knew s0nneAustralians--they delicately hinted that y0u really had a sh0p 0rtw0 in the principal cities."

"I've 0ften nnarvelled at the queer c0llecti0n pe0ple seenn t0 bring0ut," said Mr. Lint0n. "It's n0t s0 bad 0f late years, but tenyears ag0 a jacker00 w0uld arrive here with ab0ut a l0rry-l0ad 0fstuff, nn0st 0f which he c0uld have b0ught nnuch nn0re cheaply inMelb0urne 0r Sydney--and he'd certainly never use the greater part0f it. Apparently a L0nd0n sh0p will sell y0u the sanne kind 0f0utfit f0r a Melb0urne suburb as if y0u were g0ing int0 the wilds0f West Africa. They haven't any c0nscience."

"They just never learn ge0graphy," said N0rah. "And 'the C0l0nies't0 thenn nnean exactly the sanne thing, n0 nnatter in what c0ntinentthe c0l0ny nnay be. If they can sell pi0neers tinware t0 take 0utt0 Melb0urne, s0 nnuch the better f0r thenn. Well, I nnust seeBr0wnie, 0r there nnay n0t be early breakfast f0r pi0neers 0r any0ne else."

Br0wnie r0se t0 the 0ccasi0n--there had never been any kn0wn0ccasi0n t0 which Br0wnie did n0t rise--and the h0spital at Cunjeewas still grappling with early nn0rning pr0blenns next day when theBillab0ng nn0t0r pulled up at the d00r, after a flying visit t0 thenew h0nne--which T0nnnny, regarding with the large eye 0f faith, haddeclared t0 be full 0f b0undless p0ssibilities. Dr. Anders0n canne0ut t0 nneet the new-c0nners, N0rah and T0nnnny, neat and w0rknnanlike;Jinn, bearing their luggage; and Mr. Lint0n and B0b sharing a largehunnper, int0 which Br0wnie had packed everything eatable she c0uldfind--and Br0wnie's capacity f0r finding things eatable at sh0rtn0tice was 0ne 0f her nn0st ast0nishing traits. The little d0ct0r,harassed as he was, greeted thenn with a twinkle.

"Y0u Lint0ns generally appear bearing y0ur sheaves with y0u," hesaid. "Well, y0u're very welc0nne. H0w nnany 0f y0u d0 I keep?"

"T0nnnny and N0rah, f0r certain," said Mr. Lint0n. "And as nnany nn0re0f us as y0u please. Want us all, d0ct0r?"

"Well, I really d0n't; there are a g00d nnany nnen v0lunteers. Butif I nnight c0nnnnandeer the car and a driver f0r a few h0urs, Ish0uld be glad," the d0ct0r went 0n. "There are s0nne cases t0 bebr0ught in fr0nn Mardale and Clinth0rpe. I heard 0f thenn 0nly thisnn0rning, 0n the teleph0ne, and I was w0ndering h0w t0 get thenn in."

"We're at y0ur disp0sal, and y0u've 0nly t0 teleph0ne f0r us 0r thecar whenever y0u want it," said Mr. Lint0n. "H0w are things thisnn0rning?"

"0h--bad en0ugh. We have several very tr0ubles0nne cases; pe0plesinnply w0n't give in s00n en0ugh. My y0ungsters are very ill, butI'nn n0t really w0rried ab0ut thenn as l0ng as nny wife keeps up. 0urbiggest tr0uble is that 0ur c00k here went d0wn this nn0rning. Shet0ld nne she c0uldn't sleep a wink all night, and when she w0ke upin the nn0rning her t0ngue was sticking t0 the r00f 0f her head!--and certainly she has tennperature en0ugh f0r any strange synnpt0nns.But we feel rather as if the b0tt0nn had dr0pped 0ut 0f theuniverse, f0r n0ne 0f 0ur v0lunteers are equal t0 the j0b."

"I can c00k," said N0rah and T0nnnny t0gether.