"Did seem too hard, didn't it? But somehow I couldn't help feeling all
the time that he wouldn't serve us so bad as that. So different like to
Mrs John, eh?"
"Hush! Here he comes back." For there was a firm heavy step that was
like a march, and the door was thrown open.
"Ah, my lads, all in the dark? I had forgotten the light."
He struck a match, and lit a large oil-lamp, and sent a bright pleasant
glow through the place, which, from looking weird and strange, now had a
warm and home-like aspect.
"You'll like to get to bed soon. Pretty tired, I expect. I am too. We
are early people here. Early to bed and early to rise; you know the
rest of the proverb. You'll sleep in the strangers' place tonight;
to-morrow we'll see what we can do. Mine is a bachelor home, but we
have women here. Some of my men have wives, but they are Indian.
Rather a wild place to bring my sister to--eh, Mayne?"