Preface
Ofthestoriesinthisvolumemanyhavealreadyappearedinthecolumnsof[variousperiodicals]，whileseveralnowappearinprintforthefirsttime。
H。L。
Sydney，June9th，1900。
ContentsTheShanty-Keeper’sWifeAGentlemanSharperandSteelmanSharperAnIncidentatStiffner’sTheHeroofRedclayTheDarlingRiverACasefortheOracleADaughterofMaorilandNewYear’sNightBlackJoeTheyWaitontheWharfinBlackSeeingtheLastofYouTwoBoysatGrinderBrothers’
TheSelector’sDaughterMitchellonthe\"Sex\"andOther\"Problems\"
TheMaster’sMistakeTheStoryoftheOracleOvertheSliprailsTheShanty-Keeper’sWifeTherewereaboutadozenofusjammedintothecoach，ontheboxseatandhangingontotheroofandtailboardasbestwecould。
Wewereshearers，bagmen，agents，asquatter，acockatoo，theusualjoker——
andoneortwoprofessionalspielers，perhaps。Weweretiredandstiffandnearlyfrozen——toocoldtotalkandtooirritabletorisktheinevitableargumentwhichaninterchangeofideaswouldhaveledupto。Wehadbeenlookingforwardforhours，itseemed，tothepubwhereweweretochangehorses。Forthelasthourortwoallthatourunitedeffortshadbeenabletogetoutofthedriverwasagrunttotheeffectthatitwas\"’boutacoupleo’miles。\"
Thenhesaid，orgrunted，\"’Tain’tfurnow，\"acoupleoftimes，andrefusedtocommithimselfanyfurther;heseemedgrumpyabouthavingcommittedhimselfthatfar。
Hewasoneofthosemenwhotakeeverythingindeadearnest;whoregardanyexpressionofideasoutsidetheirownsphereoflifeastrivial，or，indeed，ifaddresseddirectlytothem，asoffensive;who，infact，aredarklysuspiciousofanythingintheshapeofajokeorlaughonthepartofanoutsiderintheirownparticulardust-hole。Heseemedtobealwaysthinking，andthinkingalot;whenhishandswerenotbothengaged，hewouldtilthishatforwardandscratchthebaseofhisskullwithhislittlefinger，andlethisjawhang。Buthisintellectualpowersweremostlyconcentratedonadoubtfulswingle-tree，amisfittingcollar，orthattherebayorpiebald（ontheoffornearside）withthesoreshoulder。
Casuallettersorpapers，tobedeliveredontheroad，werematterswhichtroubledhimvaguely，butconstantly——
liketheabstractideasofhispassengers。
Thejokerofourpartywasahumouristofthedryorder，andhadbeenslylytakingrisesoutofthedriverforthelasttwoorthreestages。
Butthedriveronlybrooded。Hewasn’ttheonetotellyoustraightifyouoffendedhim，orifhefanciedyouoffendedhim，andthusgainyourrespect，orpreventamisunderstandingwhichwouldresultinlife-longenmity。Hemightmeetyouinafteryearswhenyouhadforgottenallaboutyourtrespass——ifindeedyouhadeverbeenconsciousofit——and\"stoush\"youunexpectedlyontheear。
Alsoyoumightregardhimasyourfriend，onoccasion，andyethewouldstandbyandhearaperfectstrangertellyouthemostoutrageouslies，toyourhurt，andknowthatthestrangerwastellinglies，andneverputyouuptoit。Itwouldneverenterhisheadtodoso。Itwouldn’tbeanyaffairofhis——onlyanabstractquestion。
Itgrewdarkerandcolder。Theraincameasifthefrozensouthwerespittingatyourfaceandneckandhands，andourfeetgrewasbigascamel’s，andwentdead，andwemightaswellhavestampedthefootboardswithwoodenlegsforallthefeelingwegotintoours。Buttheyweremorecomfortablethatway，forthetoesdidn’tcurlupandpainsomuch，nordidourcornsstickoutsohardagainsttheleather，andshoot。
Welookedouteagerlyforsomeclearing，orfence，orlight——somesignoftheshantywhereweweretochangehorses——buttherewasnothingsaveblacknessallround。Thelong，straight，clearedroadwasnolongerrelievedbytheghostlypatchoflight，farahead，wheretheborderingtree-wallscametogetherinperspectiveandframedtheether。Weweredowninthebedofthebush。
Wepicturedahavenofrestwithasuspendedlampburninginthefrostyairoutsideandabiglogfireinacosyparlouroffthebar，andalongtablesetforsupper。Butthisisalandofcontradictions;
waysideshantiesturnupunexpectedlyandinthemostunreasonableplaces，andare，aslikelyasnot，preparedforabanquetwhenyouarenothungryandcan’twait，andascoldanddarkasabushman’sgravewhenyouareandcan。
Suddenlythedriversaid：\"We’retherenow。\"Hesaidthisasifhehaddrivenustothescaffoldtobehanged，andwasfiercelygladthathe’dgotustheresafelyatlast。Welookedbutsawnothing;
thenalightappearedaheadandseemedtocometowardsus;
andpresentlywesawthatitwasalanternheldupbyamaninaslouchhat，withadarkbushybeard，andathree-bushelbagaroundhisshoulders。
Hehelduphisotherhand，andsaidsomethingtothedriverinatonethatmighthavebeenusedbytheleaderofasearchpartywhohadjustfoundthebody。Thedriverstoppedandthenwentonslowly。
\"What’sup？\"weasked。\"What’sthetrouble？\"
\"Oh，it’sallright，\"saidthedriver。
\"Thepublican’swifeissick，\"somebodysaid，\"andhewantsustocomequietly。\"
Theusuallittleslabandbarkshantywassuggestedinthegloom，withabigbarkstableloominginthebackground。Weclimbeddownlikesomanycripples。Assoonaswebegantofeelourlegsandbesurewehadtherightonesandtheproperallowanceoffeet，wehelped，asquietlyaspossible，totakethehorsesoutandroundtothestable。
\"Issheverybad？\"weaskedthepublican，showingasmuchconcernaswecould。
\"Yes，\"hesaid，inasubduedvoiceofaroughmanwhohadspentseveralanxious，sleeplessnightsbythesickbedofadearone。
\"But，Godwilling，Ithinkwe’llpullherthrough。\"
Thusencouragedwesaid，sympathetically：\"We’reverysorrytotroubleyou，butIsupposewecouldmanagetogetadrinkandabittoeat？\"
\"Well，\"hesaid，\"there’snothingtoeatinthehouse，andI’veonlygotrumandmilk。Youcanhavethatifyoulike。\"
Oneofthepilgrimsbrokeouthere。
\"Wellofallthepubs，\"hebegan，\"thatI’veever——\"
\"Hush-sh-sh！\"saidthepublican。
Thepilgrimscowledandretiredtotherear。Youcan’texpressyourfeelingsfreelywhenthere’sawomandyingclosehandy。
\"Well，whosaysrumandmilk？\"askedthejoker，inalowvoice。
\"Waithere，\"saidthepublican，anddisappearedintothelittlefrontpassage。
Presentlyalightshowedthroughawindow，withascratchedandfly-bittenBandAontwopanes，andamutilatedRonthethird，whichwasbroken。
Adooropened，andwesneakedintothebar。Itwaslikehavingdrinksafterhourswherethepolicearestrictandindependent。
Whenwecameoutthedriverwasscratchinghisheadandlookingattheharnessontheverandahfloor。
\"Youfellows’llhaveterputinthetimeforanhourorso。
Thehorsesisoutbacksomewheres，\"andheindicatedtheinteriorofAustraliawithasidejerkofhishead，\"andtheboyain’tbackwith’emyet。\"
\"Butdashitall，\"saidthePilgrim，\"meandmymate————\"
\"Hush！\"saidthepublican。
\"Howlongarethehorseslikelytobe？\"weaskedthedriver。
\"Dunno，\"hegrunted。\"Mightbethreeorfourhours。It’sallaccordin’。\"
\"Now，lookhere，\"saidthePilgrim，\"meandmymatewantercatchthetrain。\"
\"Hush-sh-sh！\"fromthepublicaninafiercewhisper。
\"Well，boss，\"saidthejoker，\"canyouletushavebeds，then？
Idon’twanttofreezehereallnight，anyway。\"
\"Yes，\"saidthelandlord，\"Icandothat，butsomeofyouwillhavetosleepdoubleandsomeofyou’llhavetotakeitoutofthesofas，andoneortwo’llhavetomakeashakedownonthefloor。
There’splentyofbagsinthestable，andyou’vegotrugsandcoatswithyou。
Fixitupamongstyourselves。\"
\"Butlookhere！\"interruptedthePilgrim，desperately，\"wecan’taffordtowait！We’reonly`battlers’，meandmymate，pickin’upcrumbsbythewayside。We’vegottocatchthe————\"
\"Hush！\"saidthepublican，savagely。\"Youfool，didn’tItellyoumymissuswasbad？Iwon’thaveanynoise。\"
\"Butlookhere，\"protestedthePilgrim，\"wemustcatchthetrainatDeadCamel————\"
\"You’llcatchmybootpresently，\"saidthepublican，withasavageoath，\"andgofurtherthanDeadCamel。Iwon’thavemymissusdisturbedforyouoranyotherman！Justyoushutuporgetout，andtakeyourbloomingmatewithyou。\"
WelostpatiencewiththePilgrimandsternlytookhimaside。
\"Now，forGod’ssake，holdyourjaw，\"wesaid。\"Haven’tyougotanyconsiderationatall？Can’tyouseetheman’swifeisill——dyingperhaps——andhenearlyworriedoffhishead？\"
ThePilgrimandhismatewerescraggylittlebipedsofthecitypushvariety，sotheyweresuppressed。
\"Well，\"yawnedthejoker，\"I’mnotgoingtoroostonastumpallnight。
I’mgoingtoturnin。\"
\"It’llbeeighteenpenceeach，\"hintedthelandlord。\"Youcansettlenowifyouliketosavetime。\"
Wetookthehint，andhadanotherdrink。Idon’tknowhowwe\"fixeditupamongstourselves，\"butwegotsettleddownsomehow。
Therewasalotofmysteriouswhisperingandscufflingroundbythelightofacoupleofdirtygreasybitsofcandle。
Fortunatelywedarednotspeakloudenoughtohavearow，thoughmostofuswerebythistimeinthehumourtopickaquarrelwithalong-lostbrother。
TheJokergotthebestbed，asgood-humoured，good-naturedchapsgenerallydo，withoutseemingtotryforit。Thegrowlerofthepartygotthefloorandchaffbags，asselfishmenmostlydo——
withoutseemingtotryforiteither。Itookitoutofoneofthe\"sofas\"，orratherthatsofatookitoutofme。Itwasshortandnarrowanddownbythehead，withaleaningtoonecornerontheoutside，andhadmorenailsandbitsofgin-casethanoriginalsofainit。
Ihadbeenasleepforthreeseconds，itseemed，whensomebodyshookmebytheshoulderandsaid：
\"Takeyerseats。\"
WhenIgotout，thedriverwasonthebox，andtheothersweregettingrumandmilkinsidethemselves（andinbottles）
beforetakingtheirseats。
Itwascolderanddarkerthanbefore，andtheSouthPoleseemednearer，andprettysoon，butfortherum，weshouldhavebeeninaworsefixthanbefore。
Therewasaspellofgrumbling。Presentlysomeonesaid：
\"Idon’tbelievethemhorseswaslostatall。IwasroundbehindthestablebeforeIwenttobed，andseenhorsesthere;andiftheywasn’tthemsamehorsesthere，I’lleat’emraw！\"
\"Wouldyer？\"saidthedriver，inadisinterestedtone。
\"Iwould，\"saidthepassenger。Then，withasuddenferocity，\"andyoutoo！\"
Thedriversaidnothing。Itwasanabstractquestionwhichdidn’tinteresthim。
Wesawthatwewereondelicateground，andchangedthesubjectforawhile。
Thensomeoneelsesaid：
\"Iwonderwherehismissuswas？Ididn’tseeanysignsofherabout，oranyotherwomanabouttheplace，andwewasprettywellalloverit。\"
\"Musthavekeptherinthestable，\"suggestedtheJoker。
\"No，shewasn’t，forScottyandthatchapontheroofwasthereafterbags。\"
\"Shemighthavebeenintheloft，\"reflectedtheJoker。
\"Therewasnoloft，\"putinavoicefromthetopofthecoach。
\"Isay，Mister——Misterman，\"saidtheJokersuddenlytothedriver，\"Washismissussickatall？\"
\"Idunno，\"repliedthedriver。\"Shemighthavebeen。Hesaidso，anyway。
Iain’tgotnocalltocallamanaliar。\"
\"Seehere，\"saidthecannibalisticindividualtothedriver，inthetoneofamanwhohasmadeuphismindforarow，\"hasthatshanty-keepergotawifeatall？\"
\"Ibelievehehas。\"
\"Andisshelivingwithhim？\"
\"No，sheain’t——ifyerwanterknow。\"
\"Thenwhereisshe？\"
\"Idunno。HowamItoknow？Shelefthimthreeorfouryearsago。ShewasinSydneylasttimeIheardofher。Itain’tnoaffairofmine，anyways。\"
\"Andisthereanywomanabouttheplaceatall，driver？\"
inquiredaprofessionalwandererreflectively。
\"No——notthatIknowson。Thereuseterbeaoldblackgincomepotteringroundsometimes，butIain’tseenherlately。\"
\"Andexcuseme，driver，butisthereanyoneroundthereatall？\"
enquiredtheprofessionalwanderer，withtheairofaconscientiouswriter，collectingmaterialforanAustraliannovelfromlife，withaneyetodetail。
\"Naw，\"saidthedriver——andrecollectingthathewasexpectedtobecivilandobligingtohisemployers’patrons，headdedinsurlyapology，\"Onlythebossandthestableman，thatIknowsof。\"
Thenrepentingoftheapology，heassertedhismanhoodagain，andasked，inatonecalculatedtoriskabreachofthepeace，\"Anymorequestions，gentlemen——whiletheshop’sopen？\"
Therewasalongpause。
\"Driver，\"askedthePilgrimappealingly，\"wasthemhorseslostatall？\"
\"Idunno，\"saidthedriver。\"Hesaidtheywas。He’sgotthelookingafterthem。Itwasnothingtodowithme。\"……
\"Twelvedrinksatsixpenceadrink\"——saidtheJoker，asifcalculatingtohimself——\"that’ssixbob，and，sayonanaverage，fourshouts——that’sonepoundfour。Twelvebedsateighteenpenceabed——
that’seighteenshillings;andsaytenbobinvariousdrinksandthestuffwebroughtwithus，that’stwopoundtwelve。
Thatpublicandidn’tdosobadoutofusintwohours。\"
Wewonderedhowmuchthedrivergotoutofit，butthoughtitbestnottoaskhim……
Wedidn’tsaymuchfortherestofthejourney。Therewastheusualmanwhothoughtasmuchandknewallaboutitfromthefirst，buthewasn’tappreciated。Wesuppressedhim。Oneortwowantedtogobackand\"stoush\"thatlandlord，andthedriverstoppedthecoachcheerfullyattheirrequest;buttheysaidthey’dcomeacrosshimagainandallowedthemselvestobepersuadedoutofit。
Itmadeusfeelbadtothinkhowwehadallowedourselvestobedelayed，androbbed，andhadsneakedroundontiptoe，andhowwehadsatontheinoffensivePilgrimandhismate，andallonaccountofasickwifewhodidn’texist。
ThecoacharrivedatDeadCamelinanatmosphereofmutualsuspicionanddistrust，andwespreadourselvesoverthetrainanddeparted。
AGentlemanSharperandSteelmanSharperSteelmanandSmithhadbeenstayingatthehotelforseveraldaysinthedressandcharacterofbushiesdownforwhattheyconsideredaspree。
ThegentlemansharperfromtheOtherSidehadbeenhangingroundthemforthreedaysnow。Steelmanwasthemoresociable，and，toallappearances，thegreenerofthetwobushmates;butseemedrathertoomuchundertheinfluenceofSmith，whowasreserved，suspicious，self-contained，orsulky。HealmostscowledatGentlemanSharper’s\"Good-morning！\"and\"Fineday！\"，repliedinmonosyllablesandturnedhalfawaywithanuneasy，sullen，resentfulhumpofhisshoulderandshuffleofhisfeet。
SteelmantookSmithforastrollontheround，baldtussockhillssurroundingthecity，andrehearsedhimforthelastactuntilaftersundown。
GentlemanSharperwaslounging，withacigar，ontheendofthebalcony，wherehehadbeencontentedlycontemplatingthebeautifuldeathofday。
Hiscalm，classicfeaturesbegantowhiten（andsharpen）
inthefrostymoonlight。
SteelmanandSmithsatondeck-chairsbehindahalf-screenoffernsontheotherendofthebalcony，smokedtheirafter-dinnersmoke，andtalkedinsubduedtonesasbefittedthetimeandthescene——
great，softened，mistyhillsinasemicircle，andthewaterandharbourlightsinmoonlight。
Theotherboarderswereloiteringoverdinner，intheirrooms，orgoneout;
thethreewerealoneonthebalcony，whichwasarearone。
GentlemanSharpermovedhisposition，carelessly，noiselessly，yetquickly，untilheleanedontherailclosetothefernsandcouldoverheareverywordthebushiessaid。Hehaddroppedhiscigaroverboard，andhisscentedhandkerchiefbehindafern-potenroute。
\"Buthelooksallright，andactsallright，andtalksallright——
andshoutsallright，\"protestedSteelman。\"He’snotstumped，forIsawtwentyorthirtysovereignswhenheshouted;
andhedoesn’tseemtocareadamnwhetherwestandinwithhimornot。\"
\"Thereyouare！That’sjustwhereitis！\"saidSmith，withsomelogic，butinatoneawifeusesinargument（whichtone，bytheway，especiallyifbackedbylogicorcommonsense，makesamanwildsoonerthananythingelseinthisworldoftroubles）。
Steelmanjerkedhischairhalf-roundindisgust。\"That’syou！\"hesnorted，\"alwayssuspicious！Alwayssuspiciousofeverybodyandeverything！
IfIfoundmyselfshotintoaworldwhereIcouldn’ttrustanybodyI’dshootmyselfoutofit。Lifewouldbeworsethannotworthliving。
Smith，you’llnevermakemoney，exceptbyhardgraft——hard，bullocking，nigger-drivinggraftlikewehadonthatdamnedrailwaysectionforthelastsixmonths，uptoourkneesinwaterallwinter，andallforapaltrychequeofone-fifty——twentyofthatgonealready。
Howdoyouexpecttomakemoneyinthiscountryifyouwon’ttakeanythingforgranted，excepthardcash？Itellyou，Smith，there’sathousandpoundslostforeveryonegainedorsavedbytrustingtoolittle。HowdidVanderbiltand————\"
Steelmanelaboratedtoaclimax，slippingaglancewarily，onceortwice，outofthetailofhiseyethroughtheferns，lowdown。
\"Thereneverwasafortunemadethatwasn’tmadebychancingit。\"
HenudgedSmithtocometothepoint。PresentlySmithasked，sulkily：
\"Well，whatwashesaying？\"
\"IthoughtItoldyou！Hesayshe’sbehindthescenesinthisgoldboom，and，ifhehadahundredpoundsreadycashto-morrow，he’dmakethreeofitbeforeSaturday。Hesaidhecouldputone-fiftytoone-fifty。\"
\"Andisn’theworththreehundred？\"
\"Didn’tItellyou，\"demandedSteelman，withanimpatientring，andspeakingrapidly，\"thathelosthismailinthewreckofthe`Tasman’？
Youknowshewentdownthedaybeforeyesterday，andthedivershaven’tgotatthemailsyet。\"
\"Yes……Butwhydoesn’thewiretoSydneyforsomestuff？\"
\"I’m————！Well，IsupposeI’llhavetohavepatiencewithabornnatural。
Lookhere，Smith，thefactofthematteristhathe’sasortofblack-sheep——
sentoutontheremittancesystem，ifthetruthisknown，andwithlettersofintroductiontosomebig-bugsouthere——
thatexplainshowhegetstoknowthesewire-pullersbehindtheboom。
HispeoplehaveprobablygotthequarterlyallowancebusinessfixedhardandtightwithabankoralawyerinSydney;
andthere’llhavetobeenquiriesaboutthelost`draft’
（ashecallsacheque）andaletterormaybeacablehometoEngland;
anditmighttakeweeks。\"
\"Yes，\"saidSmith，hesitatingly。\"Thatallsoundsrightenough。
But\"——withaninspiration——\"whydon’thegotooneofthesebig-bugboomstersheknows——thathegotlettersofintroductionto——
andgethimtofixhimup？\"
\"Oh，Lord！\"exclaimedSteelman，hopelessly。\"Listentohim！
Can’tyouseethatthey’rethelastmenhewantstoletintohisgame？
Why，hewantstouseTHEM！They’rethemugsasfarasheisconcerned！\"
\"Oh——Isee！\"saidSmith，afterhesitating，andratherslowly——
asifhehadn’tquitefinishedseeingyet。
Steelmanglancedfurtivelyatthefern-screen，andnudgedSmithagain。
\"Hesaidifhehadthreehundred，he’ddoubleitbySaturday？\"
\"That’swhathesaid，\"repliedSteelman，seemingbyhistonetobelosinginterestintheconversation。
\"And……well，ifhehadahundredhecoulddoublethat，Isuppose。\"
\"Yes。Whatareyoudrivingatnow？\"
\"Ifhehadtwenty————\"
\"Oh，God！I’msickofyou，Smith。Whatthe————！\"
\"Holdon。Letmefinish。IwasonlygoingtosaythatI’mwillingtoputupafiver，andyouputupanotherfiver，andifhedoublesthatforusthenwecantalkaboutstandinginwithhimwithahundred——
providedhecanshowhishundred。\"
AftersomesnarlingSteelmansaid：\"Well，I’lltryhim！
Nowareyousatisfied？\"……
\"He’smovedoffnow，\"headdedinawhisper;\"butstayhereandtalkabitlonger。\"
PassingthroughthehalltheysawGentlemanSharperstandingcarelesslybythedooroftheprivatebar。Hejerkedhisheadinthedirectionofdrinks。
Steelmanacceptedtheinvitation——Smithpassedon。
SteelmantooktheopportunitytowhispertotheSharper——
\"I’vebeentalkingthatoverwithmymate，and————\"
\"Comeforastroll，\"suggestedtheprofessional。
\"Idon’tmind，\"saidSteelman。
\"Haveacigar？\"andtheypassedout。
WhentheyreturnedSteelmanwentstraighttotheroomheoccupiedwithSmith。
\"Howmuchstuffhavewegot，Smith？\"
\"Ninepoundsseventeenandthreepence。\"
Steelmangaveanexclamationofdisapprovalwiththatstateoffinancialaffairs。Hethoughtasecond。\"Iknowthebarmanhere，andIthinkheknowsme。I’llchewhislugforabobormaybeaquid。\"
TwentyminuteslaterhewenttoGentlemanSharper’sroomwithtenpounds——inverydirtyBankofNewZealandnotes——suchasthosewithwhichbushcontractorspaytheirmen。
Twomorningslaterthesharpersuggestedastroll。Steelmanwentwithhim，withafacecarefullymadeuptoheartheworst。
Afterwalkingahundredyardsinasilencewhichmighthavebeenominous——andwascertainlypregnant——thesharpersaid：
\"Well……Itriedthewater。\"
\"Yes！\"saidSteelmaninanervoustone。\"Andhowdidyoufindit？\"
\"JustaswarmasIthought。Warmforabigsplash。\"
\"How？Didyoulosethetenquid？\"
\"Loseit！Whatdidyoutakemefor？IputtentoyourtenasItoldyouIwould。Ilanded50Pounds————\"
\"Fiftypoundsfortwenty？\"
\"That’sthetuneofit——andnotmuchofatune，either。MyGod！
IfI’donlyhadthatthousandofminebyme，orevenhalfofit，I’dhavemadeapile！\"
\"Fiftypoundsfortwenty！\"criedSteelmanexcitedly。\"Why，that’sgrand！
Andtothinkwechapshavebeengraftinglikeniggersallourlives！
ByGod，we’llstandinwithyouforallwe’vegot！\"
\"There’smyhandonit，\"astheyreachedthehotel。
\"IfyoucometomyroomI’llgiveyouthe25Poundsnow，ifyoulike。\"
\"Oh，that’sallright，\"exclaimedSteelmanimpulsively;
\"youmustn’tthinkIdon’t————\"
\"That’sallright。Don’tyousayanymoreaboutit。You’dbesthavethestuffto-nighttoshowyourmate。\"
\"Perhapsso;he’sasuspiciousfool，butImadeabargainwithhimaboutourlastcheque。Hecanhangontothestuff，andIcan’t。
IfI’dbeenonmyownI’dhaveblueditaweekago。TellyouwhatI’lldo——
we’llcallourshare（Smith’sandmine）twentyquid。Youtaketheoddfiverforyourtrouble。\"
\"Thatlooksfairenough。We’llcallittwentyguineastoyouandyourmate。
We’llwanthim，youknow。\"
InhisownandSmith’sroomSteelmanthoughtfullycountedtwenty-onesovereignsonthetoilet-tablecover，andleftthemthereinapile。
Hestretchedhimself，scratchedbehindhisear，andblinkedatthemoneyabstractedly。Thenheasked，asifthethoughtjustoccurredtohim：\"Bytheway，Smith，doyouseethoseyellowboys？\"
Smithsaw。Hehadbeensittingonthebedwithastudiouslyvacantexpression。ItwasSmith’spolicynottoseem，exceptbyrequest，totakeanyinterestin，or，infact，tobeawareofanythingunusualthatSteelmanmightbedoing——frompatchinghispantstoreadingpoetry。
\"There’stwenty-onesovereignsthere！\"remarkedSteelmancasually。
\"Yes？\"
\"Tenof’em’syours。\"
\"Thankyer，Steely。\"
\"And，\"addedSteelman，solemnlyandgrimly，\"ifyougettakendownfor’em，orlose’emoutofthetop-holeinyourpocket，orspendsomuchasashillinginriotousliving，I’llstoushyou，Smith。\"
Smithdidn’tseeminterested。Theysatonthebedsoppositeeachotherfortwoorthreeminutes，insomethingoftheatmospherethatpervadesthingswhenconversationhaspeteredoutandthedinner-bellisexpectedtoring。
Smithscrewedhisfaceandsqueezedapimpleonhisthroat;
Steelmanabsentlycountedthefliesonthewall。PresentlySteelman，withayawningsigh，laybackonthepillowwithhishandsclaspedunderhishead。
\"Bettertakeafewquid，Smith，andgetthatsuityouwerelookingattheotherday。Getacoupleofshirtsandcollars，andsomesocks;
bettergetahatwhileyou’reatit——yoursisadisgracetoyourbenefactor。
And，Isay，gotoachemistandgetsomecoughstuffforthatchurchyarderofyours——we’vegotnouseforitjustnow，anditmakesmesentimental。I’llgiveyouacoughwhenyouwantone。
Bringmeasyphonofsoda，somefruit，andatract。\"
\"Awhat？\"
\"Atract。Goon。Startyourboots。\"
WhileSmithwasgone，Steelmanpacedtheroomwithastrange，worried，hauntedexpression。Hedividedthegoldthatwasleft——（Smithhadtakenfourpounds）——andputtensovereignsinapileontheextremecornerofthetable。Thenhewalkedupanddown，upanddowntheroom，armstightlyfolded，andforeheadknittedpainfully，pausingabruptlynowandthenbythetabletostareatthegold，untilheheardSmith’sstep。Thenhisfacecleared;
hesatdownandcountedflies。
Smithwasundoingandinspectingtheparcels，havingplacedthesyphonandfruitonthetable。BehindhisbackSteelmanhurriedlyopenedaleatherpocketbookandglancedattheportraitofawomanandchildandatthedateofapost-officeorderreceipt。
\"Smith，\"saidSteelman，\"we’retwohonest，ignorant，greencoves;
hard-workingchapsfromthebush。\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Itdoesn’tmatterwhetherweareornot——weareasfarastheworldisconcerned。Nowwe’vegraftedlikebullocks，inheatandwet，forsixmonths，andmadeahundredandfifty，andcomedowntohaveabitofaholidaybeforegoingbacktobullockforanothersixmonthsorayear。Isn’tthatso，Smith？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Youcouldtakeyouroathonit？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Well，itdoesn’tmatterifitissoornot——itISso，sofarastheworldisconcerned。Nowwe’vepaidourwaystraight。
We’vealwaysbeenprettystraightanyway，evenifweareapairofvagabonds，andIdon’thalflikethisnewbusiness;butithadtobedone。
IfIhadn’ttakendownthatsharperyou’dhavelostconfidenceinmeandwouldn’thavebeenabletomaskyourfeelings，andI’dhavehadtostoushyou。We’retwohard-working，innocentbushies，downforaninnocentspree，andwerunagainstacold-bloodedprofessionalsharper，apaltrysneakandacoward，who’sgotneitherthebrainsnortheplucktoworkinthestationoflifehetogshimselffor。Hetriestodousoutofourhard-earnedlittlehundredandfifty——nomatterwhetherwehaditornot——andI’mobligedtotakehimdown。
Servehimrightforacrawler。Youhaven’ttheleastideawhatI’mdrivingat，Smith，andthat’sthebestofit。
I’vedrivenanailofmylifehome，andnopincersevermadewillgetitout。\"
\"Why，Steely，what’sthematterwithyou？\"
Steelmanrose，tookupthepileoftensovereigns，andplaceditneatlyontopoftherest。
\"Putthestuffaway，Smith。\"
Afterbreakfastnextmorning，GentlemanSharperhungroundabit，andthensuggestedastroll。ButSteelmanthoughttheweatherlookedtoobad，sotheywentonthebalconyforasmoke。Theytalkedoftheweather，wrecks，andthings，Steelmanleaningwithhiselbowsonthebalconyrail，andSharpersociablyandconfidentlyinthesamepositionclosebesidehim。
Buttheprofessionalwasevidentlygrowinguneasyinhismind;
hissideoftheconversationgrewawkwardanddisjointed，andhemadetheblunderofdriftingintoanembarrassingsilencebeforecomingtothepoint。Hetookoneelbowfromtherail，andsaid，withabunglingattemptatcarelessnesswhichwasmademoretransparentbytheawkwardpausebeforeit：
\"Ah，well，Imustseetomycorrespondence。Bytheway，whencouldyoumakeitconvenienttoletmehavethathundred？
Thesharesarestartingupthelastrisenow，andwe’vegotnotimetoloseifwewanttodoubleit。\"
Steelmanturnedhisfacetohimandwinkedonce——averyhard，tight，coldwink——awinkinwhichtherewasnohumour：suchawinkasSteelmanhadoncewinkedatahalf-drunkenbullywhowasgoingtohavealarkwithSmith。
Thesharperwasoneofthosemenwhopullthemselvestogetherinabadcause，astheystaggerfromtheblow。Buthewantedtothinkthistime。
LateronheapproachedSteelmanquietlyandproposedpartnership。
ButSteelmangavehimtounderstand（asbetweenthemselves）
thathewasn’ttakingonanypupilsjustthen。
AnIncidentatStiffner’sTheycalledhim\"Stiffner\"becauseheused，longbefore，togetalivingbypoisoningwilddogsneartheQueenslandborder。
Thenamestucktohimcloserthanmisfortunedid，forwhenherosetotheproudandindependentpositionoflandlordandsoleproprietorofanout-backpubhewasStiffnerstill，andhisplacewas\"Stiffner’s\"——
widelyknown。
Theydosaythatthenameceasednottobeapplicable——thatitfittedevenbetterthanintheolddingodays，but——well，theydosayso。
Allwecansayisthatwhenashearerarrivedwithacheque，andhadadrinkortwo，hewasalmostinvariablyseizedwithadesiretocamponthepremisesforgood，spendhischequeintheshortestpossibletime，andforciblyshoutforeverythingwithinhail——includingtheChinamancookandStiffner’sdisreputableoldram。
Theshantywasoftheusualkind，andthesceneryisaseasilydisposedof。
Therewasagreatgreyplainstretchingawayfromthedoorinfront，andamulgascrubfromtherear;andinthatscrub，notfiftyyardsfromthekitchendoor，werehalfadozennamelessgraves。
Stiffnerwasalwaysdrunk，andStiffner’swife——ahard-featuredAmazon——
wasboss。Thechildrenwerebroughtupinadetachedcottage，underthecareofa\"governess\"。
Stiffnerhadabarmaidasabaitforchequemen。ShecamefromSydney，theysaid，andhernamewasAlice。Shewastall，boyishlyhandsome，andcharacterless;herfiguremightbedescribedas\"fine\"or\"strapping\"，butherfacewasverycold——nearlycolourless。Shewasoneofthoseselfishlysensualwomen——thinlips，andhard，almostvacantgreyeyes;
nothoughtofanythingbutherownpleasures，nonefortheman’s。
Someshearerswouldroughlycallher\"asquatter’sgirl\"。
Butshe\"drew\";shewashandsomewherewomenarescarce——veryhandsome，thoughtatall，melancholy-lookingjackeroo，whoseevilspirithaddrawnhimtoStiffner’sandthelastshillingoutofhispocket。
Overthegreatgreyplain，aboutafortnightbefore，hadcome\"OldDanny\"，astationhand，forhissemi-annualspree，andone\"YankeeJack\"andhismate，shearerswithhorses，travellingforgrass;and，aboutaweeklater，theSydneyjackeroo。Therewasalsoasprinklingofassortedswagmen，whocameinthroughthescrubandwentoutacrosstheplain，orcameinovertheplainandwentawaythroughthescrub，accordingtowhichwaytheirnosesledthemforthetimebeing。
Therewasalso，foroneday，atall，frecklednative（sonofaneighbouring\"cocky\"），withoutathoughtbeyondthenarrowhorizonwithinwhichhelived。Hehadaverybigopinionofhimselfinaverysmallmind。Heswaggeredintothebreakfast-roomandroundthetabletohisplacewithanexpressionofignorantcontemptonhisphiz，hissnubnoseintheairandhisunderlipout。
Butduringthemealhecondescendedtoaskthelandlordifhe’dnoticedthattherehorsethatchapwasridin’yesterday;
andStiffnerhavingintimatedthathehad，thenativeentertainedthecompanywithhisopinionofthathorse，andofacertain\"youngster\"
hewasbreakinginathome，anddiversotherhorses，mostlyhisorhisfather’s，andofacertaincattleslut，&c……
Hespokeatthelandlord，buttothecompany，mostofthetime。
Afterbreakfastheswaggeredroundsomemore，butcondescendedto\"shove\"hishandintohistrousers，\"pull\"outa\"bob\"and\"chuck\"itintothe（blanky）hatforapool。Thosewordsexpressthethingbetterthananyotherswecanthinkof。Finally，hesaidhemustbeoff;
and，therebeingnooppositiontohisdeparture，hechuckedhissaddleontohishorse，chuckedhimselfintothesaddle，said\"s’long，\"
andslitheredoff。Andnoonemissedhim。
Dannyhadbeenthereafortnight，andconsequentlyhispersonalappearancewasnotnowworthdescribing——itwasbetterleftalone，forthehonourofthebush。Hishobbywasthathewasthe\"stranger’sfriend\"，asheputit。He’dwelcome\"thestranger\"
andchumwithhim，andshoutforhimtoanunlimitedextent，andsympathisewithhim，hearofjobsora\"show\"forhim，assurehimtwentytimesadaythathewashisfriend，givehimhintsandadvicemoreorlessworthless，makehimdrunkifpossible，andkeephimsowhilethechequelasted;inshort，Dannywoulddoalmostanythingforthestrangerexceptlendhimashilling，orgivehimsomerationstocarryhimon。He’dpromisethatmanytimesaday，buthe’dsoonerspendfivepoundsondrinkforamanthangivehimafarthing。
Danny’schequewasnearlygone，anditwastimehewasgonetoo;infact，hehadreceived，andwasstillreceiving，varioushintstothateffect，someofthemdecidedlypointed，especiallythemorerecentones。
ButDannywasoflatebecomingfoolishlyobstinateinhissprees，andlessdisposedto\"git\"whenalandlordhaddonewithhim。
Hesawthehintsplainlyenough，buthadevidentlymadeuphismindtobedoggedlyirresponsive。Itisamistaketothinkthatdrinkalwaysdullsaman’sfeelings。Somenaturesareallthemorekeenlysensitivewhenalcoholicallypoisoned。
Dannywasalwaysfrontmanattheshantywhilehischequewasfresh——
atleast，sohewasgiventounderstand，andsoheapparentlyunderstood。
Hewasthenallowedtosayanddowhathelikedalmost，eventomaulingthebarmaidabout。Therewasscarcelyanylimittothefreeandeasymannerinwhichyoucouldtreather，solongasyourmoneylasted。Shewouldn’tbeoffended;itwasn’tbusinesstobeso——\"didn’tpay。\"But，assoonasyourtitletothechequecouldbedecentlyshelved，youhadtotreatherlikealady。Dannyknewthis——nonebetter;buthehadbeentreatedwithtoomuchlatitude，andrushedtohisdestruction。
ItwasSundayafternoon，butthatmadenodifferenceinthingsattheshanty。
Dinnerwasjustover。Themenwereinthemeanlittleparlouroffthebar，interestedinagameofcards，andAlicesatinonecornersewing。
Dannywas\"actingthegoat\"roundthefireplace;asill-luckwouldhaveit，hisattentionwasdrawntoabasketofcleanlinenwhichstoodonthesidetable，andfromit，withsundrywinksandgrimaces，hegingerlyliftedacertaingarmentofladies’underwear——
toputthematterdecently。Hehelditupbetweenhisforefingersandthumbs，andcrackedarough，foolishjoke——nomatterwhatitwas。
Thelaughdidn’tlastlong。Alicesprangtoherfeet，flingingherworkaside，andstruckastageattitude——
herrightarmthrownoutandtheforefingerpointingrigidly，andrathercrookedly，towardsthedoor。
\"Leavetheroom！\"shesnappedatDanny。\"Leavetheroom！
Howdareyoutalklikethatbeforeme-e-ee！\"
Dannymadeastepandpausedirresolutely。Hewassoberenoughtofeelthehumiliationofhisposition，andhavingoncebeenamanofspirit，andhavingstilltheremnantsofmanhoodabouthim，hedidfeelit。
Hegaveonepitiful，appealinglookatherface，butsawnomercythere。
Shestampedherfootagain，jabbedherforefingeratthedoor，andsaid，\"Go-o-o！\"inatonethatstartledthemajorityofthecompanynearlyasmuchasitdidDanny。ThenYankeeJackthrewdownhiscards，rosefromthetable，laidhisstrong，shapelyrighthand——notroughly——
onDanny’sraggedshoulder，andengineeredthedrunkgentlythroughthedoor。
\"You’sbettergooutforawhile，Danny，\"hesaid;\"therewasn’tmuchharminwhatyousaid，butyourcheque’sgone，andthatmakesallthedifference。
It’stimeyouwentbacktothestation。You’vegottobecarefulwhatyousaynow。\"
WhenJackreturnedtotheparlourthebarmaidhadasmileforhim;
buthedidn’ttakeit。Hewentandstoodbeforethefire，withhisfootrestingonthefenderandhiselbowonthemantelshelf，andlookedblacklyataprintagainstthewallbeforehisface。
\"Theoldbeast！\"saidAlice，referringtoDanny。\"Heoughttobekickedofftheplace！\"
\"HE’SASGOODASYOU！\"
ThevoicewasJack’s;heflungthestaboverhisshoulder，andwithitalookthatcarriedallthecontempthefelt。
Shegasped，lookedblanklyfromfacetoface，andwitheringlyatthebackofJack’shead;butthatdidn’tchangecolourorcurltheleasttriflelessclosely。
\"Didyouhearthat？\"shecried，appealingtoanyone。
\"You’reaniceloto’men，youare，tositthereandhearawomaninsulted，andnotoneofyoumanenoughtotakeherpart——cowards！\"
TheSydneyjackerooroseimpulsively，butJackglancedathim，andhesatdownagain。Shecoveredherfacewithherhandsandranhystericallytoherroom。
Thatafternoonanotherbushmanarrivedwithacheque，andshoutedfivetimesrunningatapoundashout，andatintervalsduringtherestofthedaywhentheyweren’tfightingorgambling。
Alicehad\"gotoverhertemper\"seemingly，andwasevenkindtothehumbleandcontriteDanny，whobecamepainfullyparticularwithhis\"Thanky，Alice\"——andafterwardsoffensivewithhisunnecessarilyfrequentthreatstosmashthefirstmanwhoinsultedher。
ButletusdrawthecurtainclosebeforethatSundayafternoonatStiffner’s，andholdittight。BehinditthegreatcurseoftheWestisinevidence，thechieftroubleofunionism——drink，initsmostselfish，barren，anduselessform……
AllwasquietatStiffner’s。Itwasaftermidnight，andStiffnerlaydead-drunkonthebroadofhisbackonthelongmoonlitverandah，withallhispatronsasleeparoundhiminvariousgrotesquepositions。
Stiffner’sraggedgreyheadwasonacushion，andabroadmaudlinsmileonhisred，drink-soddenface，thelowerhalfofwhichwasborderedbyadirtygreybeard，likethatofafrilledlizard。Theredhandkerchieftwistedroundhisneckhadaghastlyeffectinthebrightmoonlight，makinghimlookasifhisthroatwascut。Thesmilewastheonehewenttosleepwithwhenhiswifeslippedthecushionunderhisheadandthoughtfullyremovedtheloosechangefromabouthisperson。
NearhimlayaheapthatwasDanny，andspreadoverthebareboardsweretheothers，somewithheadspillowedontheirswags，andeverymanaboutasdrunkashisneighbour。YankeeJacklayacrossthedoorofthebarmaid’sbedroom，withonearmbentunderhishead，theotherlyinglimponthedoorstep，hishandsomefaceturnedouttothebrightmoonlight。The\"family\"weresoundasleepinthedetachedcottage，andAlice——theonlycapablepersononthepremises——waslefttoputoutthelampsand\"shutup\"forthenight。
Sheextinguishedthelightinthebar，cameout，lockedthedoor，andpickedherwayamongandoverthedrunkardstotheendoftheverandah。
Sheclaspedherhandsbehindherhead，stretchedherself，andyawned，andthenstoodforafewmomentslookingoutintothenight，whichsoftenedtheraggedlineofmulgatorightandleft，andveiledtheawfulhorizonofthatgreatplainwithwhichthe\"traveller\"commenced，orended，thethirty-mile\"drystretch\"。
Thenshemovedtowardsherowndoor;beforeitshehaltedandstood，withfoldedarms，lookingdownatthedrunkenAdonisatherfeet。
Shebreathedalongbreathwithasighinit，wentroundtotheback，andpresentlyreturnedwithabuggy-cushion，whichsheslippedunderhishead——herfaceclosetohis——veryclose。Thenshemovedhisarmsgentlyoffthethreshold，steppedacrosshimintoherroom，andlockedthedoorbehindher。
Therewasanuneasymovementintheheapthatstood，orlay，forDanny。
Itstretchedout，turnedover，struggledtoitshandsandknees，andbecameanobject。Thenitcrawledtothewall，againstwhichitslowlyandpainfullyup-endeditself，andstoodblinkingroundforthewater-bag，whichhungfromtheverandahraftersinalinewithitsshapelessrednose。Itstaggeredforward，heldonbythecords，feltroundtheedgeofthebagforthetot，anddrankaboutaquartofwater。Thenitstaggeredbackagainstthewall，stoodforamomentmutteringandpassingitshandaimlesslyoveritspoorruinedhead，andfinallycollapsedintoashapelessrum-smellingheapandsleptoncemore。
Thejackerooattheendoftheverandahhadawakenedfromhisdrunkensleep，buthadnotmoved。Helayhuddledonhisside，withhisheadontheswag;
thewholelengthoftheverandahwasbeforehim;hiseyeswerewideopen，buthisfacewasintheshade。Nowherosepainfullyandstoodonthegroundoutside，withhishandsinhispockets，andgazedoutovertheopenforawhile。Hebreathedalongbreath，too——
withagroaninit。Thenheliftedhisswagquietlyfromtheendofthefloor，shoulderedit，tookuphiswater-bagandbilly，andsneakedovertheroad，awayfromtheplace，likeathief。
Hestruckacrosstheplain，andtrampedon，hourafterhour，mileaftermile，tillthebrightmoonwentdownwithabrightstarinattendanceandtheotherbrightstarswaned，andheenteredthetimberandtrampedthroughittothe\"clearedroad\"，whichstretchedfarandwidefortwentymilesbeforehim，withghostlylittledust-cloudsatshortintervalsahead，wherethefrightenedrabbitscrossedit。
Andstillhewentdoggedlyon，withtheghastlydaylightonhim——
likeaswagman’sghostoutlate。Andamongrelfollowedfaithfullyallthetimeunnoticed，andwondering，perhaps，athismaster。
\"Whatwasyerdoin’tothatgirlyesterday？\"askedDannyofYankeeJacknextevening，astheycampedonthefarsideoftheplain。
\"Whatwasyouchapssayin’toAlice？Iheerdhercryin’inherroomlastnight。\"
Buttheyreckonedthathehadbeentoodrunktohearanythingexceptaninvitationtocomeandhaveanotherdrink;andsoitpassed。
TheHeroofRedclayThe\"boss-over-the-board\"wasleaningwithhisbacktothewallbetweentwoshoots，readingareferencehandedtohimbyagreen-handapplyingforworkaspicker-uporwoolroller——ashedrouseabout。
Itwasterriblyhot。Iwasslippingpasttotherolling-tables，carryingthreefleecestosaveajourney;wewereonlysupposedtocarrytwo。
Thebossstoppedme：
\"You’vegotthreefleecesthere，youngman？\"
\"Yes。\"
NotwithstandingthefactthatIhadjustslippedalightraggedfleeceintothebelly-wooland\"bits\"basket，Ifeltdeeplyinjured，andrighteouslyandfiercelyindignantatbeingpulledup。
Itwasafearfullyhotday。
\"IfIcatchyoucarryingthreefleecesagain，\"saidthebossquietly，\"I’llgiveyouthesack。\"
\"I’lltakeitnowifyoulike，\"Isaid。
Henodded。\"Youcangoonpicking-upinthisman’splace，\"
hesaidtothejackeroo，whosereferenceshowedhimtobeanon-unionman——
a\"free-labourer\"，asthepastoralistshadit，or，inplainshedterms，\"ablankyscab\"。Hewasnowinthecomfortablepositionofanon-unionistinaunionshedwhohadjumpedintoasackedman’splace。
Somehowtheluridsympathyofthemenirritatedmeworsethantheboss-over-the-boardhaddone。Itmusthavebeenonaccountoftheheat，asMitchellsays。Iwassickoftheshedandthelife。
Itwaswithinacoupleofdaysofcut-out，soItoldMitchell——whowasshearing——thatI’dcampuptheBillabongandwaitforhim;
gotmycheque，rolledupmyswag，gotthreedays’tuckerfromthecook，saidso-longtohim，andtrampedwhilethemenwereintheshed。
IcampedattheheadoftheBillabongwherethetrackbranched，onebranchrunningtoBourke，uptheriver，andtheotherouttowardstheParoo——andhell。
Aboutteno’clockthethirdmorningMitchellcamealongwithhischequeandhisswag，andanewsheep-pup，andhisquietgrin;
andIwasn’ttoopleasedtoseethathehadashearercalled\"theLachlan\"
withhim。
TheLachlanwasn’tpopularattheshed。Hewasabrooding，unsociablesortofman，anditdidn’tmakeanydifferencetothechapswhetherhehadaunionticketornot。Itwasprettywellknownintheshed——therewerethreeorfourchapsfromthedistricthewasrearedin——
thathe’ddonefiveyearshardforburglary。WhatsurprisedmewasthatJackMitchellseemedthickwithhim;often，whentheLachlanwassittingbroodingandsmokingbyhimselfoutsidethehutaftersunset，Mitchellwouldperchonhisheelsalongsidehimandyarn。
ButnooneelsetooknoticeofanythingMitchelldidoutofthecommon。
\"Bettercampwithustillthecooloftheevening，\"saidMitchelltotheLachlan，astheyslippedtheirswags。\"Plentytimeforyoutostartaftersundown，ifyou’regoingtotravelto-night。\"
SotheLachlanwasgoingtotravelallnightandonadifferenttrack。
Ifeltmorecomfortable，andputthebillyon。Ididnotcaresomuchwhathe’dbeenorhaddone，butIwasgreenandsoftyet，andhispresenceembarrassedme。
Theytalkedshearing，sheds，tracks，andalittleunionism——
theLachlanspeakinginaquietvoiceandwithalotofsound，commonsense，itseemedtome。Hewastallandgaunt，andmighthavebeenthirty，orevenwellonintheforties。Hiseyesweredarkbrownanddeepset，andhadsomethingofthedead-earnestsadexpressionyousawintheeyesofunionleadersandsecretaries——thestraightmenofthestrikesof’90and’91。IfanciedonceortwiceIsawinhiseyesthesuddenfurtivelookofthe\"badegg\"whenamountedtrooperisspottedneartheshed;butperhapsthiswasprejudice。
AndwithitalltherewasabouttheLachlansomethingofthemanwhohaslostallhehadandthechancesofallhewaseverlikelytohave，andispastfeeling，orcaring，orflaringup——pastgettingmadaboutanything——something，allthesame，thatwarnedmennottomakefreewithhim。
HeandMitchellfishedalongtheBillabongalltheafternoon;
Ifishedalittle，andlayaboutthecampandread。IhadaninstinctthattheLachlansawIdidn’tcottonontohiscampingwithus，thoughhewasn’tthesortofmantoshowwhathesaworfelt。
Aftertea，andasmokeatsunset，heshoulderedhisswag，noddedtomeasifIwasanaccidentalbutrespectfulstrangeratafuneralthatbelongedtohim，andtooktheoutsidetrack。
Mitchellwalkedalongthetrackwithhimforamileorso，whileIpokedroundandgotsomeboughsdownforabed，andfedandstudiedthecolliepupthatJackhadboughtfromtheshearers’cook。
Isawthemstopandshakehandsoutonthedustyclearing，andtheyseemedtotakealongtimeaboutit;thenMitchellstartedback，andtheotherbegantodwindledowntoablackpegandthentoadotonthesandyplain，thathadjustahintofduskanddreamyfar-awaygloamingonitbetweenthechangefromglaringdaytohard，bare，broadmoonlight。
IthoughtMitchellwassulky，orhadgottheblues，whenhecameback;
helayonhiselbowsmoking，withhisfaceturnedfromthecamptowardstheplain。AfterabitIgotwild——ifMitchellwasgoingtogoonlikethathemightaswellhavetakenhisswagandgonewiththeLachlan。Idon’tknowexactlywhatwasthematterwithmethatday，andatlastImadeupmymindtobringthethingtoahead。
\"YouseemmightythickwiththeLachlan，\"Isaid。
\"Well，what’sthematterwiththat？\"askedMitchell。\"Itain’tthefirstfelonI’vebeenonspeakingtermswith。Iborrowedhalf-a-caseroffamurdereronce，whenIwasinaholeandhadnooneelsetogoto;
andthemurdererhadn’tservedhistime，neither。I’vegotnothingagainsttheLachlan，exceptthathe’sawhitemanandbearsafaintfamilyresemblancetoacertainbranchofmytribe。\"
Irolledoutmyswagontheboughs，gotmypipe，tobacco，andmatcheshandyinthecrownofasparehat，andlaydown。
Mitchellgotup，re-lithispipeatthefire，andmoonedroundforawhile，withhishandsbehindhim，kickingsticksoutoftheroad，lookingoutovertheplain，downalongtheBillabong，andupthroughthemulgabranchesatthestars;thenhecomfortedthepupabit，shovedthefiretogetherwithhistoe，stoodthetea-billyonthecoals，andcameandsquattedonthesandbymyhead。
\"Joe！I’lltellyouayarn。\"
\"Allright;fireaway！HasitgotanythingtodowiththeLachlan？\"
\"No。It’sgotnothingtodowiththeLachlannow;butit’saboutachapheknew。Don’tyoueverbreatheawordofthistotheLachlanoranyone，orhe’llgetontome。\"
\"Allright。Goahead。\"
\"YouknowI’vebeenagoodmanythingsinmytime。Ididadealofhouse-paintingatonetime;Iwasaprettysmartbrushhand，andmademoneyatit。Well，IhadarunofworkataplacecalledRedclay，ontheLachlanside。Youknowthesortoftown——twopubs，ageneralstore，apostoffice，ablacksmith’sshop，apolicestation，abranchbank，andadozenprivateweatherboardboxesonpiles，withgalvanized-irontops，besidesthehumpies。Therewasapaperthere，too，calledthe`RedclayAdvertiser’（withwhichwasincorporatedthe`GeebungChronicle’），andaRomanCatholicchurch，aChurchofEngland，andaWesleyanchapel。Nowyouseemoreofprivatelifeinthehouse-paintinglinethaninanyother——barplumbingandgasfitting;
butI’lltellyouaboutmyhouse-paintingexperiencessomeothertime。
\"TherewasayoungchapnamedJackDreweditingthe`Advertiser’then。
Hebelongedtothedistrict，buthadbeensenttoSydneytoagrammarschoolwhenhewasaboy。Hewasbetweentwenty-fiveandthirty;
hadknockedroundagooddeal，andgonethepaceinSydney。
Hegotonasaboyreporterononeofthebigdailies;
hehadbrainsandcouldwriteringsroundagoodmany，buthegotinwithacrowdthatcalledthemselves`Bohemians’，andthedrinkgotaholdonhim。Thepaperstucktohimaslongasitcould（forthesakeofhisbrains），buttheyhadtosackhimatlast。
\"Hewentoutback，asmostofthemdo，totryandworkouttheirsalvation，andknockedroundamongstthesheds。He`pickedup’inoneshedwhereIwasshearing，andwecarriedswagstogetherforacoupleofmonths。
ThenhewentbacktotheLachlanside，andprospectedamongsttheoldfieldsroundtherewithhiselderbrotherTom，whowasalltherewasleftofhisfamily。Tom，bytheway，brokehisheartdiggingJackoutofacaveinadrivetheywereworking，anddiedafewminutesaftertherescue。*Butthat’sanotheryarn。
JackDrewhadabadspreeafterthat;thenhewenttoSydneyagain，gotonhisoldpaper，wenttothedogs，andaParliamentarypushthatownedsomecityfly-blistersandcountrypaperssenthimuptoeditthe`Advertiser’attwoquidaweek。
Hedrankagain，andnowonder——youdon’tknowwhatitistoruna`GeebungAdvocate’or`MudgeeBudgeeChronicle’，andlivethere。
HewasaboutthesamebuildastheLachlan，butstouter，andhadsomethingthesamekindofeyes;buthewasordinarilyascarelessanddevil-may-careastheLachlanisgrumpyandquiet。
——
*See\"WhentheSunWentDown\"，in\"WhiletheBillyBoils\"。
——
\"Therewasadoctorthere，calledDr。Lebinski。TheysaidhewasaPolishexile。Hewasfiftyorsixty，atallman，withthesetofanoldsoldierwhenhestoodstraight;
buthemostlywalkedwithhishandsbehindhim，studyingtheground。
JackDrewcaughtthattrickoffhimtowardstheend。Theywerechumsinagloomyway，andkepttothemselves——theyweretheonlytwomenwithbrainsinthattown。Theydrankandfoughtthedrinktogether。
TheDoctorwastoogloomyandimpatientoverlittlethingstobepopular。
JackDrewtalkedtoostraightinthepaper，andinspiteofhisproprietors——aboutpubspielingandsuchthings——andwastoosarcasticinhisprogresscommittee，towncouncil，andtoadyreceptionreports。
TheDoctorhadahawk’snose，pointedgrizzledbeardandmoustache，andsteely-greyeyeswithahauntedlookinthemsometimes（especiallywhenheglancedatyousideways），asifheloathedhisfellowmen，andcouldn’talwayshideit;orasifyouwerethespiritofmorphiaoropium，oradeadgirlhe’dwrongedinhisyouth——orwhateverhisdevilwas，besidedrink。Hewasclever，anddrinkhadbroughthimdowntoRedclay。
\"ThebankmanagerwasaheavysnobnamedBrowne。Hecomplainedofbeingabitdullofhearinginoneear——afteryou’dyelledathimthreeorfourtimes;sometimesI’vethoughthewasasdeafasabook-keeperinboth。Hehadawifeandyoungsters，buttheywereawayonavisitwhileIwasworkinginRedclay。
Hisniece——or，rather，hiswife’sniece——agirlnamedRuthWilson，didthehousekeeping。Shewasanorphan，adoptedbyheraunt，andwasgeneralslaveyandscape-goattothefamily——especiallytothebrats，asisoftenthecase。Shewasratherpretty，andlady-like，andkepttoherself。ThewomenandgirlscalledherMissWilson，anddidn’tlikeher。Mostofthesinglemen——andsomeofthemarriedones，perhaps——weregoneonher，buthadn’tthebrainsortheplucktobearupandtrytheirluck。Iwasgoneworsethanany，Ithink，buthadtoomuchexperienceorcommonsense。Shewasverygoodtome——
usedtohandmeoutcupsofteaandplatesofsandwiches，orbreadandbutter，orcake，morningsandafternoonsthewholetimeIwaspaintingthebank。
TheDoctorhadknownherpeopleandwasverykindtoher。
Shewasabouttheonlywoman——forshewasmorewomanthangirl——
thathe’dbrightenupandtalkfor。NeitherhenorJackDrewwereparticularlyfriendlywithBrowneorhispush。
\"Thebanker，thestorekeeper，oneofthepublicans，thebutcher（apopularmanwithhishandsinhispockets，hishatonthebackofhishead，andnothinginit），thepostmaster，andhistoady，thelightningsquirter，werethescrub-aristocracy。Therestwerecrawlers，mostlypubspielersandbushlarrikins，andthewomenwerehagsandlarrikinesses。
Thetownlivedoncheque-menfromthesurroundingbush。
Itwasanicelittleplace，takingitallround。
\"Irememberaballatthelocaltownhall，wherethescrubaristocratstookoneendoftheroomtodanceinandtheordinaryscumtheother。
Itwasasavinginmusic。SomedayanAustralianwriterwillcomealongwho’llremindthecriticsandreadersofDickens，Carlyle，andThackeraymixed，andhe’lldojusticetotheselittlecustomsofoursinthelittlesettled-districttownsofDemocraticAustralia。
ThissortofthingcametoaheadoneNewYear’sNightatRedclay，whentherewasa`public’ballandpeaceonearthandgoodwilltowardsallmen——mostlyonaccountofarailwaytoRedclaybeingsurveyed。
Wewereallthere。They’dgottheDoc。outofhisshelltoactasM。C。
\"Oneofthearistocratswasthedaughterofthelocalstorekeeper;
shebelongedtothelawn-tennisclique，andtheyWEREselect。
Forsomereasonorother——becauseshelookeduponMissWilsonasaslavey，oronaccountofafanciedslight，ortheheatworkingonignorance，oronaccountofsomethingthatcomesovergirlsandwomenthatnosonofsincanaccountfor——thisMissTea-’n’-sugartossedherheadandrefusedMissWilson’shandinthefirstsetandsobroketheladies’chainandthedance。Thentherewasato-do。
TheDoctorhelduphishandtostopthemusic，andsaid，veryquietly，thathemustcalluponMissSo-and-sotoapologisetoMissWilson——
orresignthechair。Afteralotoffussthegirldidapologiseinasnappywaythatwasanotherinsult。JackDrewgaveMissWilsonhisarmandmarchedheroffwithoutaword——Isawshewasalmostcrying。
Someonesaid，`Oh，let’sgoonwiththedance。’TheDoctorflashedroundonthem，buttheyweretoopaltryforhim，soheturnedonhisheelandwentoutwithoutaword。
ButIwasbeneaththemagaininsocialstanding，sotherewasnothingtopreventmefrommakingafewwell-chosenremarksonthingsingeneral——
whichIdid;andbrokeupthatball，andbrokesomeheadsafterwards，andgotmyselfagooddealofhatredandrespect，andtwosweethearts;
andlostallthejobsIwaslikelytoget，exceptatthebank，theDoctor’s，andtheRoyal。
\"Onedayitwasraining——generalrainforaweek。Rain，rain，rain，overridgeandscrubandgalvanisedironandintothedismalcreeks。
I’ddoneallmyinsidework，exceptabitundertheDoctor’sverandah，wherehe’dbeenhavingsomepatchingandalteringdoneroundtheglassdoorsofhissurgery，whereheconsultedhispatients。
Ididn’twanttolosetime。ItwasaMondayandnodayfortheRoyal，andtherewasnodust，soitwasagooddayforvarnishing。
ItookapotandbrushandwentalongtogivetheDoctor’sdoorsacoatofvarnish。TheDoctorandDrewwereinsidewithafire，drinkingwhiskyandsmoking，butIdidn’tknowthatwhenIstartedwork。
Therainroaredontheironrooflikethesea。Allofasuddenitheldupforaminute，andIheardtheirvoices。Thedoctorhadbeenshoutingonaccountoftherain，andforgottolowerhisvoice。
`Lookhere，JackDrew，’hesaid，`thereareonlytwothingsforyoutodoifyouhaveanyregardforthatgirl;oneistostopthis’
（theliquorIsupposehemeant）`andpullyourselftogether;
andIdon’tthinkyou’lldothat——Iknowmen。Theotheristothrowupthe`Advertiser’——it’sdoingyounogood——andclearout。’
`Iwon’tdothat，’saysDrew。`Thenshootyourself，’saidtheDoctor。
`（There’sanotherflaskinthecupboard）。Youknowwhatthisholeislike……She’sagoodtruegirl——agirlasGodmadeher。
Iknewherfatherandmother，andItellyou，Jack，I’dsoonerseeherdeadthan……’Theroofroaredagain。Ifeltabitdelicateaboutthebusinessanddidn’tliketodisturbthem，soIknockedofffortheday。