‘I believe it might be worked,’ said Bill Freeman, the second brother, an astute personage, who thought that they might now begin to be persuaded into accepting their good fortune. ‘Certainly it’s thundering hot, and a long way over these blank plains. But likely Mr. Neuchamp will have a bit of bush work or fencing ready for us when we come up. It’s poor work laying out all our bit of money on a bit of land and have nothing to fall back upon.’ ‘I daresay I shall have something going on,’ said Ernest, who, now that he was possessed by the ‘improvement’ demon, saw in his mind’s eye many new buildings and fencings _absolutely necessary_. ‘Of course you will have the preference when any such is given out.’ ‘Then it will be all right, sir,’ said Abraham Freeman, ‘and when we take up the land, you’ll be ready to advance the eighty pounds for the deposit on each half section. We can pay it back in work and carriage by degrees like.’ ‘Oh, of course we can pay it back in a year or so,’ said Bill. ‘Certainly; I said so when I mentioned the subject first,’ said Ernest, ‘and I shall be prepared to carry out my promise.’ ‘Then, after the crops are cut,’ said Abraham Freeman, unable to repress a slight look of satisfaction, not to say exultation, ‘we’ll make a start up, and bring our few cattle with us. They’re crawling, quiet things, and won’t give no trouble to any one.’ ‘Very well, that is settled,’ said Ernest, concluding the interview―satisfied that he had secured the nucleus of a contented and substantial tenantry, more common in England than in Australia. So the namesake of the great Sheik Ibraheem, who first depastured his stock upon the waste lands of the period, departed with his brethren and oxen. Mr. Neuchamp, with a feeling of conscious success, related his achievement to Banks and Jack Windsor. Somewhat to his disappointment the former made no remark, and the one made by the latter consisted of certain mutterings suspiciously resembling profuse oaths, ending with a declaration that ‘he’d have seen Abe and Bill Freeman, not to mention that planting rascal Joe, jolly well―― first.’