“Let’s have a hit at it,” cried Eva, and she took the tomahawk and bashed into the stone. Then they heard the thud of horses’ hoofs up on the bank, and Eva dropped the tomahawk and looked up as Big Tom rode to the top of the bank.
“Hullo! making mud pies?” he cried, as he dismounted.
“Ye-es,” shouted Willie, and they all exchanged telegraphic glances. They mustn’t let Big Tom into the secret. They mustn’t let anyone know until gold was discovered, and those wonderful Sydney men had examined it and told them what it was worth. Then they would tell their wonderful news, and then the rush to the gold-fields would begin!
“Yes, the sand’s lovely down here,” cried Eva.
“Oh, lovely!” said Doris.
“Lovely!” echoed Willie.
“Lubly tand!” cried Baby.
“Nearly as good as the sand on the beaches, eh, young man?” said Tom, as he came down the bank.
“Ye-es,” said Willie, as he made a sign to Eva to sit on the tomahawk, and she hastily hid it in the sand and then sat on it.
“Yes, it’s nearly as good,” went on Willie. “I mean I believe it’s better, Tom; it’s real yellow, and the beach sand is white.”