THE ROMANCE OF RUNNIBEDE 19
my nose, turned my head away to emphasise the falsehood,
‘oThat’s a fib, teacher,’’ indignantly from Dorothy, ““Torpot smells cleaner than he does,’ and in proof she put her nose close to Tar-pot and sniffed noisily.
‘Attention, the lot of you,’’ commanded big Mary, ‘‘and don’t let me hear any more of your nonscuse, me noble Ted and Jim (Jim was my name), or I'll box the ears of the two of vou myself, with- out waiting for vour father to do it.”’
“They want it, too,”’ and Dorothy, sister-like, serewed a mouth at Ted and me. Poor Dorothy! It was only a couple of weeks later when she had to run for her life From the myall trees to the big house toe escape from the old black gin—mother of the two abo, kids. Our lessons continued for another hour or so, when the faint echo of a stock whip crack rumbled into the roam, Ted eanght the sound and looked at me, epen-moutled. I losked qnickly at teers
Two more echoes in quick succession, and sound- ing nearer.
“That's them!’* And Ted and I. disregarding Miss Mary Rumble, cocked our ears and listened,
A volley of stockwhip eraecks then rang out. stir- ring us more than the guns of Waterloo stirred the Beussels ball party. I can see Ted even now, jumping over the desk, and mysclf jumpine after him, and hoth of us scrambling far onr hats.
“Wave yon young wretches heen eating indigo and gone mad, too, Hke the cattle?’’ was all T can remember Mary saying as we bounded out the door
