The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-07-28
AN AUSTRALIAN STORY.
lNi nce

lsA ' 5zsfs
 IL had been scorching hot for period ot two months. and. although it was the middle ot January. there seemed 10 he li,- tle hope of any cooler weather-for the present at all event; for the place was q small bush-house in Australia, over two hundred and fifty miles south of Sydney. and about ten from the Mary burnong. or, as 1t is called. the Snowy river of Gippsland-the time, the early days of ihe colony.
 Old settlers said ,ha, in all their exper- ence they did no, remember so dry ! sea son, for no rain worth mentioning had fallen since tine end of October. and the aights had been almost dewless. No vember had set in with hot winds which Jeff the grass dry as stubble. December brought no change for the be,ter-lf any thing for the worse for all the creeks. except such as were srow-fed. were dried ap. ;heir muddy bottom baked IS hard as ear;henware. and the banks of the river. .he stream of which was om.nously nar- Iowed. were crowded with hocks and herds gathered from the stations and runs for miles around.
 The atmosphere was stirling the b;rds ~ sng paroque;s. were silent: a metallic sheen simmcred in the air. which was pungen, with the smell of burning wood and hcrbage. for on the northern horizon she bushtires Jared continually. filling she sky with heavy gray clouds of smoke. which, al a grea, altitude. hoated laiily so the south. a, times totally obscuring she fierce rays of the sun. and a, nigh. ycfiec,ins from their opaque masses the red and copper-colored lights ofthe wide spreading flames which were gradually creeping nearer and nearer.
 The little 5rsh-hoase. ranked by hut, ascd for cooking purposes. stood alone n park-hke space of yellow grass. n which were c,umps of deep shadowed hgh, wood and black wa,,les. with here and there the burned stump of tree. and, like most dwellings of is kiud. was constructed of rough slabs of timber xailed to uprishts which were the poles sf ftrees hxed in the ground. l; was d. vfded into two apartments. the larger a common lIving-yoom, a. one end oi which was an open fireplace long rough table. surrounded by square logs of wood. used as seats. occupied the mid de, and agains, the wall opposite to the doorway, which was GU, in one of the los sides. were three or four bed-places like the hunks on board ship. \ door opened into the other apartment, from the room pst described. and this apar,men, was more comfortable in appearance. having boarded floor. and containing a tent eedstead, table. chairs. and other usual articles ot furniture.
 Two men, the only occupants of he house, were seated in the outer apart meni smoking bu; for the las, hali-hour or so not word had passed between them. each being apparently los; in his own reflections. and those not of the mos, agreeable description. Both were dressed iE the ordinary costume oi the sheep. farmers and s,ockmen of the country consisting oflow-crowned 6road-brimmed hats, flannel shirts loosely confined a, the neck by silk tie, cord brooches consid- erabiy the worse for wear. and stout top. boots reaching to the knee.
 The taller. Rober, Hepburn, vas a dark, swar,hy, strong-buil, man of ,w en,y. five. with a frank open oounsenance. bold dark-blue eyes with smile in them short black hair, and a handsome close curling beard. One felt ins,inctively tha, tsS NdS Il Htdti to oC NustSA. anu tuat Wttn his dash and vigor-for the firm we'll. shaped mouth. with its strong white eeeth, betokened energy and resolution Ae was sure to make his way in the world and was a most desirable person for a "cham" in the bush of Australia Robert Hepburn was all this: we'll ed. ucaied, he had taken his degree a, a Scotch university, where he had kep' his terms on little oatmeal" and was of generous and confiding disposition
 His companion, Arthur Hepburn. was some four years younger, and presented a marked contrast with his stalwart cousin flor such was the relationship between them. Robert, i, was said in the old country, was regular Hepburn. one ol Aeold stock. an undoub,ed descendan,