Back To Billabong, page 89 by Mary Grant Bruce
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al. I suppose the honest man is sleeping off the effects of a heavy lunch."
"If he knew what hearty remarks are being made about him by over two hundred angry people, it might disturb his rest," said Wally Meadows. "Come along and see them--you're only on the fringe of the crowd here."
"Wally's been acting as nursemaid for the last half hour," Jim said, as they made their way along the pier. "He rescued a curly- haired kid from a watery grave--at least, it would have been in if he hadn't caught it by the hind leg--and after that the kid refused to let him go."
"He was quite a jolly kid," said Wally. "Only he seems to have quicksilver in him, instead of blood. I'm sorry for his mother-- she'll have a packed time for the next five weeks." He sighed. "Hide me, Norah--there he is now!"
The curly-haired one proved to be little Tim Burton, who detached himself from his mother on catching sight of Wally, and trotted across to him with a shrill cry of "There's mine officer!"--whereat Wally swung him up on his shoulder, to his infinite delight. Mrs. Burton hurried up to claim her offspring, and was made known to every one by Cecilia.
"It's such an awful wait," she said wearily. "We came here soon after two o'clock, thinking we would get the children on board early for their afternoon sleep; now it's after four, and we have stood here ever since. It's too tantalizing with the ship looking at us, and the poor babies are so tired. Still, I'm not the worst off. Look at that poor girl."
She pointed out a white-faced girl who was sitting in a drooping attitude on a very dirty wooden case. She was dainty and refined in appearance; and looking at her, one felt that the filthy case was the most welcome thing she had found that afternoon. Her husband, an officer scarcely more than a boy, stood beside, trying vainly to hush the cries of a tiny baby. She put up her arms wearily as they looked at her.
"Oh, give her to me, Harry." She took the little bundle and crooned over it; and the b