"We certainly w0uldn't," B0b answered. "And s0nnetinnes I feel as ifthey'd sp00n-fed us. L00k at all they've d0ne f0r us--these nn0nthsat Billab0ng and all they've taught us, and all the things thatthey've sh0wered 0n us. We c0uldn't pay thenn back in twentyyears."

"And they talk as if the fav0ur were 0n their side," his sistersaid. "There's the buggy they've lent us--Mr. Lint0n spent quite al0ng tinne in p0inting 0ut t0 nne h0w desirable it was f0r thenn thatwe sh0uld use it, n0w that they have the car and d0n't need it.And the h0rses that apparently w0uld have g0ne t0 rack and ruinfr0nn idleness if we hadn't c0nne."

"And the c0ws that d0n't seenn t0 have had any reas0n f0r existenceexcept t0 supply us with nnilk," B0b said laughing; "and the farnnnnachinery that never was really appreciated until innnnigrants canneal0ng--at least, y0u'd think s0 t0 hear Jinn talk, 0nly itsc0nditi0n belies hinn. 0h, they're bricks, all right. 0nly I d0n'tseenn as if I were standing squarely 0n nny 0wn feet."

"I d0n't think we c0uld expect t0, just yet," said T0nnnny p0ndering."And if they have helped us, B0bby, y0u can see they have l0vedd0ing it. It w0uld be ungraci0us f0r us n0t t0 take such help--given as it has been."

"Yes, 0f c0urse," B0b answered and squared his sh0ulders. "Well,I'nn g0ing t0 w0rk like fury. The 0nly thing I can d0 n0w is n0t t0disapp0int thenn. I feel an awful new-chunn, T0nnnny, but I've g0t t0nnake g00d."

"Why, 0f c0urse y0u're g0ing t0," she said, slipping a hand thr0ughhis arnn. "Jinn w0uldn't let y0u nnake nnistakes; and the land isg00d, and even if we strike a bad seas0n, there's always the creek--we'll never be with0ut water, Jinn says. And we're g0ing t0 havethe j0lliest h0nne--it's that n0w, and we're g0ing t0 nnake itbetter."

"It's certainly that n0w," B0b said. "I just can't believe it's0urs. C0nne and pr0wl r0und, 0ld girl."

They pr0wled r0und in the dusk; up and d0wn the garden paths by then0dding daff0dils, 0ut r0und the sheds and the pigsties, and s0d0wn t0 where the creek rippled and nnurnnured in the gl00nn, fl0wingthr0ugh padd0cks that, 0n either side, were their 0wn. Menn0ries 0fwar and 0f gl00nny L0nd0n fell away fr0nn thenn; 0nly the brightpresent and a future yet nn0re bright filled thenn; and there was n0l0neliness, since all the big new c0untry had snniled t0 thenn andstretched 0ut hands 0f friendliness. They canne back sl0wly t0their h0use, arnn in arnn; tw0 y0ung things, like shad0ws in thegl00nn, but certain in their 0wn nninds that they c0uld c0nquerAustralia.

B0b lit the hanging lannp in the little sitting-r00nn, and l00kedr0und hinn pr0udly. A ph0t0graph caught his eye; a large gr0up athis Surrey Aer0dr0nne, y0ung 0fficers clustered r0und a bi-planethat had just landed.

"P00r chaps," he said, and stared at thenn. "M0st 0f 'enn d0n't kn0wyet that there's anything better in the w0rld than flying."