"I propose to ride first to Jessie's home. We shall drop in there just about dinner-time."
"How jolly! We've seen her several times since we saw you. She comes down here about once a year. She's left Wylmington School ever so long, and has gone as second teacher in a girls' school in Launceston, so I don't expect we'll find her."
"You forget it will be her holiday time too. I often hear from her, and she seems to have grown quite strong."
"Yes, and Aunt Betty says she's pretty," said Jack, who had no opinion of his own about girls' looks at present.
The ride for the first eight miles was entirely normal, along beautifully engineered roads which climbed ever up and up by zig-zag courses through the hill forests to Wylmington. Beyond were the falls which in summer-time were a favourite resort for picnic parties, but, leaving them to the right, Tom followed one of the bush roads bearing to the left, which was nothing more than a cart track, in some places almost overgrown, and in others, where more clearing had been done, opened out into a glorious view of surrounding hills. As they rode along Tom told Jack of his experience the last time he had passed that way in a gale of wind and rain, and how he had been weather-bound for the night at Woodlands, Jessie's home.
"We won't stop there to-night, will we?" asked Jack, whose one idea was to put as great a distance between himself and home as possible.
"Oh, no, I want to get on to the next homestead, about ten miles further on, but it will be slow going, as there is little more than a bridle-track to travel by, and we could easily lose our way."
"What fun! I hope we shall."
"I don't," said Tom. "It's no laughing matter to be lost in the bush. It's a very lonesome spot we are going to, and we shall probably sleep in a shakedown in the barn."
Jack gave a joyous laugh of anticipation, but here they were in sight of Woodlands, and he sprang from his pony to open the gate which separated the home clearing from the bush. Before they rode up to the door Jessie had caught a glimpse of them and came running towards them with a radiant face. She had changed from a girl to a young woman and a pretty young woman too, Tom thought, as he dismounted and one of the boys came forward to take his horse.