"Can you shepherd sheep?"
"Yel."
"You saw that hut along the track, where there were some sheep in a yard?"
"Yel."
"You go back there, and put the sheep out in the morning, and put them in at night."
"Yel."
"By and by I send you some ration."
"Yel."
"Well, stop yellin' and get."
"Yel."
"Get—go back."
"Yel." And China toiled and ploughed through the dust towards the hut.
Presently Billy, the black boy, came riding home.
"I say, Billy."
"Yahs, boss."
"Don't take the saddle off yet. I want you to take some tucker along to the Mile Hut, and give it to the new shepherd you'll see there. Go to the storekeeper, and he'll give you a bag of ration."
"Yahs, boss."
But in about three-quarters of an hour Billy was back, and he brought the rations back with him.
" Wotinel, now, Billy? Didn't you see the new shepherd? "
"No, boss."
"Didn't you see anybody there at the hut?"
"No, boss."
"——it. Didn't you see a Chinaman there?"
