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           Fee,MeggieandStudiscoveredthedifferencesbetweenrunningahouseinNewZealandandlivingintheheadstockman’sresidenceonDrogheda;therewasatacitunderstandingtheywouldneverdisturbMaryCarsonherself,butherhousekeeperandhermaidswerejustaseagertohelpthewomenasherstationhandsweretohelpthemen.

           Droghedawas,everyonelearned,aworldinitself,socutofffromcivilizationthatafterawhileevenGillanbonebecamenomorethananamewithremotememories.WithintheboundsofthegreatHomePaddocklaystables,asmithy,garages,innumerableshedsstoringeverythingfromfeedtomachinery,dogkennelsandruns,alabyrinthinemazeofstockyards,amammothshearingshedwiththestaggeringnumberoftwenty-sixstandsinit,andyetanotherjigsawpuzzleofyardsbehindit.Therewerefowlruns,pigpens,cowbailsandadairy,quartersforthetwenty-sixshearers,smallshacksfortherouseabouts,twoother,smaller,housesliketheirownforstockmen,ajackaroos’barracks,aslaughteryard,andwoodheaps.

           Allthissatinjustaboutthemiddleofatreelesscirclewhosediametermeasuredthreemiles:theHomePaddock.Onlyatthepointwheretheheadstockman’shouselaydidtheconglomerationofbuildingsalmosttouchtheforestsbeyond.However,thereweremanytreesaroundthesheds,yardsandanimalruns,toprovidewelcomeandnecessaryshade;mostlypeppertrees,huge,hardy,denseandsleepilylovely.BeyondinthelonggrassoftheHomePaddock,horsesandmilchcowsgrazeddrowsily.