"Well, it’s nothin’ much," ’Possum said, reluctantly: to tell Garth stories was one thing, but it was quite another to be forced to retail them to Garth’s parents.  "Joe went off on his own into the Bush one afternoon—on’y four, he was—an’ next thing I knew was, it was near dark, an’ no Joe.  Dad was out in the boat that night, so I left word for him, an’ put all the other kids to bed an’ made the fire safe, an’ started off."