were glad when Hans summoned them to another meal, this time of one
of the sheep. Then Mr. Hardy, and the boys, taking their mugs of
tea, retired into the shelter prepared for them, and sat and talked
over the events of the day, and as to the work for to-morrow; and
then, wrapping themselves up in their blankets, lay down to sleep,
listening for some time dreamily to the hum of conversation of the
men, who were sitting smoking round the fire, and to the hoarse
roar of the innumerable frogs in the stream below.

In the morning they were up and abroad with daylight, and a cup of
hot coffee and a piece of bread prepared them for work. Mr. Hardy,
his boys, and the Yankee set-to upon the framework of the two huts;
while the others went down to the stream and cut a quantity of
long, coarse rushes, which they made into bundles, and brought up
to the place of the house in a bullock cart. The framework for the
huts, which were each about fifteen feet square, was all ready
fitted and numbered: it took, therefore, a very short time to
erect; and when one was done Mr. Hardy and the Yankee set-to to
erect the other at a distance of from forty to fifty yards, while
Charley and Hubert drove in the nails and secured the work already
done.

By dinner-time the work was complete, and a perfect stack of rushes
had been raised in readiness. A great number of long rods had been
cut from the bushes, and as the most of them were as flexible and
tough as willows they were well suited for the purpose.

After dinner the whole party united their labor to get one of the
huts finished. The rods were split in two, and were nailed at
intervals across the rafters of the roof. Upon them the long rushes