We turned out early, and had a bathe in the creek before we went up to the yard to let out the horses.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky; it was safe to be a roasting hot day, but it was cool then.

The little waterhole where we learned to swim when we were boys was deep on one side and had a rocky ledge to jump off.

The birds just began to give out a note or two; the sun was rising clear and bright, and we could see the dark top of Nulla Mountain getting a sort of rose colour against the sky.
'George and Gracey 'll be over soon after breakfast,' I said; 'we must have everything look ship-shape as well as we can before they turn up.' 'The horses may as well go down to the flat,' Jim says; 'we can catch them easy enough in time to ride back part of the way with them.

I'll run up Lowan, and give her a bit of hay in the calf-pen.' We went over to the yard, and Jim let down the rails and walked in.