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a start for Wairiri with the ponies on Christmas Eve; while Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, and Waring, planned to leave Tirau on Boxing Day. They would all be away until after the New Year, and during their absence the Pratt family were to sleep up at the house, so that Ann and the children should not be quite alone.

A short time before Christmas some cattle from the back of the run were mustered, in order to brand and mark the calves. The greater part of the branding had been done after the shearing. These cows were a small wild mob from the bush country.

Holmes and the men on the place had been kept hard at work sowing rape, picking fat lambs for the Freezing Works, shearing the others, and weaning; now, until the second week in January, when dipping and culling began, there would be a lull in the station work.

The barking of dogs, the cracking of stock-whips, the galloping thud of the horses’ hoofs, as the men drafted the bellowing cattle in the paddocks down near the yards, fascinated Ann. This was more exciting to watch than polo, and it called for equally good—if not better—horsemanship.

Rodney was not riding Nigger. Since this animal had proved himself a steeplechase winner, Marsh used another hack for station work. Holmes chaffed the young shepherd about it. Asked him if he were contemplating giving up his job, and taking to racing. Rodney smiled good-humoredly, but kept his intentions to himself.

Today the horse he rode was not as clever, nor as experienced as Nigger at cutting out cattle, so that Marsh was having harder work than usual.

Ann, busy in the school-room setting copies and