fine gum-trees that enlivened the sombre colouring of the landscape with their great white stems and luxuriance of green foliage, that it was a well-watered region, and land that in ordinary seasons would grow anything.
Allan Lindsay rode slowly, for two reasons: the first and best was that his horse was tired, and had been frightened by a violent storm of thunder and lightning, which had rolled and flashed all the afternoon; and the second was, that he was taking that leisurely and critical survey of the country which is natural when a man returns from a land-sale through the property which he has just bought. Though he had not been a purchaser on his own account, as he was not yet twenty years of age, he had been entrusted by his father to bid for him, and he had even gone a little beyond the limit which the old experienced colonist had set. But as he looked affectionately on the open, slightly undulating country, he felt that his father would have been more disappointed if he had let their neighbour, Mr. Hammond, outbid him, than he could possibly be at the little extra price that was to be paid.
"Yes," said Allan half aloud, "this land is worth more to us than to Mr. Hammond; and if we have early rains, as I thought we should have with this storm, it will look first-rate in a month
