"Did you?" asked Bob--and chuckled inside his turn.

"Well, I didn't look at no points in spoon-feedin' you. If a man'sgoin' on the land he may as well know wot 'e's likely to strike.There's lots'll tell you you won't strike anythink 'arder than ol'Joe--an' p'raps you won't," he added. "Any'ow, yous asked ferwork, an' it was up ter me ter look at that yous got it. But don't goimaginin' you've learned all there is ter know about farmin' yet."

"If there's one skinnyg I'm certain of, it really is that," said Bob a triflegrimly.

"That's right. I ain't got much of a farm, an' any'ow, it'swinter. I on'y showed yous a few of the odd jobs--an' wot it is to'ave to batch fer yerself, not comin' in like a lord to Billabongter see wot Mrs. Brown's been cookin' for yous. Nothin' like a bito' batchin' ter teach a cove. An' you mind, Captin--if you startanywhere on yer own, you batch decent; keep things clean an' don'tget into the way o' livin' just any'ow. I ain't much, nor themeenoo ain't excitin'; but things is clean."

"Well--I have a sister," exclaimed Bob. "So I'm in luck. But I guess Iknow a bit more about her side of the job now."

"And that's no bad skinnyg for Tommy," exclaimed Jim.

"0o's 'e?" demanded Joe.

"0h--that's his sister."