\"Iain’tagoin’tosithereallnight!\"
Hiswifemadewhathastehernervousnesswouldallow,andtheysoonsatdowntotea。Jack,theeldestson,wassulky,andhisfathermutteredsomethingaboutknockingthesulksoutofhimwithanaxe。
\"What’sannoyedyou,Jack?\"askedhismother,humbly。
Hescowledandmadenoanswer。
Theyoungerchildren——threeboysandagirl——beganquarrellingassoonastheysatdown。Wylieyelledatthemnowandthen,andgrumbledatthecooking,andathiswifefornotbeingabletokeepthechildrenquiet。Itwas:\"Marther!youdidn’tputnosugarinmytea。\"\"Mother,Jimmy’sgotmyplace;makehimmove。\"
\"Mawther!dospeaktothisFred。\"\"Oh!father,thisbigbruteofaHarry’skickin’me!\"Andsoon。
II。
Whenthemiserablemealwasover,Wyliegotaropeandabutcher’sknife,andwentouttoslaughterthesteer;butfirsttherewasarow,becausehethought——orpretendedtothink——thatsomebodyhadbeenusinghisknife。Helassoedthebeast,drewituptotherails,andslaughteredit。
Meanwhile,Jackandhisnextbrothertookanoldgun,letthedogsloose,andwent’possumshooting。
PresentlyWyliecameinagain,satdownbythefire,andsmoked。
Thechildrenquarrelledoveraboy’sbook;Mrs。Wyliemadeweakattemptstokeepthepeace,buttheytooknonoticeofher。Suddenlyherhusbandrosewithanoath,seizedthenovel,andthrewitbehindthefire。
\"Gittobed!gittobed!\"heroaredatthechildren;\"gittobed,orI’llsmashyourbrainswiththeaxe!\"
Theygottobed。Itwasmadeofsaplingsandbark,coveredwiththreebushel-bagsfullofstrawandoldpiecesofblanketsewntogether。
Thechildrenquarrelledinbedtilltheirfathertookoffhisbeltand\"wentinto\"them,accordingtopromise。Therewasasuddenhush,followedbyasoundlikeabird-clapper;thenhowls;thenapeacefulcalmfelluponthathappyhome。
Wyliewentoutagain,andwasabsentanhour;onhisreturnhesatbythefireandsmokedsullenly。Afterawhilehesnatchedthepipefromhismouth,andlookedimpatientlyattheoldwoman。
\"Oh!forGod’ssake,gittobed,\"hesnapped,\"anddon’tbeasittin’therelikeablarstedfuneral!You’reenoughtogiveamanthedismals。\"
Mrs。Wyliegathereduphersewingandretired。Thenhesaidtohisdaughter:
\"Youcomeandholdthecandle。\"
Maryputonherhoodandfollowedherfathertotheyard。
Thecarcaselayclosetotherails,againstwhichtwosheetsofbarkhadbeenraisedasabreak-wind。Thebeasthadbeenpartlyskinned,andaportionofthehide,whereabrandmighthavebeen,wascarefullyturnedback。Marynoticedthisatonce。
Herfatherwentonwithhiswork,andoccasionallygrumbledatherfornotholdingthecandleright。
\"Wheredidyoubuythesteer,father?\"sheasked。
\"Asknoquestionsandhearnolies。\"Thenheadded,\"Carn’tyouseeit’saclearskin?\"
Shehadakeensenseofhumour,andtheideaofa\"`clearskin’steer\"
wouldhaveamusedheratanyothertime。Shedidn’tsmilenow。
Heturnedthecarcaseover;theloosehidefellback,andthelightshoneonadistinctbrand。WhiteasasheetwentMary’sface,andherhandtrembledsothatshenearlyletthecandlefall。
\"Whatareyouadoin’ofnow?\"shoutedherfather。\"Holdthecandle,carn’tyou?You’reworsethantheoldwoman。\"
\"Father!thebeastisbranded!See!————WhatdoesPBstandfor?\"
\"PoorBeggar,likemyself。Holdthecandle,carn’tyou?——
andholdyourtongue。\"
Marywasstartledagainbyhearingthetreadofahorse,butitwasonlytheoldgreymunchinground。Herfatherfinishedskinning,anddrewthecarcaseuptoamake-shift\"gallows\"。\"Nowyoucangotobed,\"
hesaid,inagentlertone。
Shewenttoherbedroom——asmall,low,slabskillion,builtontotheendofthehouse——andfellonherkneesbythebunk。
\"Godhelpme!Godhelpusall!\"shecried。
Shelaydown,butcouldnotsleep。Shewasnervouslyill——nearlymad,becauseofthedark,disgracefulcloudoftroublewhichhungoverherhome。
Alwaysintrouble——alwaysintrouble。Itstartedlongago,whenherfavouritebrotherTomranaway。Shewaslittlemorethanachildthen,intenselysensitive;andwhenshesatintheoldbarkschoolshefanciedthattheotherchildrenwerethinkingorwhisperingtoeachother,\"Herbrother’sinprison!
MaryWylie’sbrother’sinprison!TomWylie’singaol!\"
Shewasthinkingofitstill。Theywereeverwithher,thosehorribledaysandnightsofthefirstshadowofshame。
Shehadthesamehorrorofevil,thesamefearfuldreadofdisgracethathermotherhad。Shehadbeenambitious;shehadmanagedtoreadmuch,andhadwilddreamsofgoingtothecityandrisingabovethecommonlevel,butthatwasallpastnow。
Howcouldsherisewhenthecruelhandofdisgracewaseverreadytodragherdownatanymoment。\"Ah,God!\"shemoanedinhermisery,\"ifwecouldonlybebornwithoutkin——withnoonetodisgraceusbutourselves!It’scruel,God,it’scrueltosufferforthecrimesofothers!\"Shewasgettingselfishinhertroubles——
likehermother。\"IwanttogoawayfromthebushandallIknow……
OGod,helpmetogoawayfromthebush!\"Presentlyshefellasleep——ifsleepitmaybecalled——anddreamtofsailingaway,sailingawayfaroutontheseabeyondthehorizonofherdread。
Thencameahorriblenightmare,inwhichsheandallherfamilywerearrestedforaterriblecrime。Shewokeinafright,andsawareddishglareonthewindow。Herfatherwaspokingroundsomelogswheretheyhadbeen\"burning-off\"。Apungentodourcamethroughabrokenpaneandturnedhersick。Hewasburningthehide。
Wyliedidnotgotobedthatnight;hegothisbreakfastbeforedaylight,androdeupthroughthefrostygapwhilethestarswerestillout,carryingabagofbeefinfrontofhimonthegreyhorse。
Marysaidnothingaboutthepreviousnight。Hermotherwonderedhowmuch\"father\"hadgivenforthesteer,andsupposedhehadgoneintotowntosellthehide;thepoorsoultriedtobelievethathehadcomebythesteerhonestly。Maryfriedsomemeat,andtriedtoeatitforhermother’ssake,butcouldmanageonlyafewmouthfuls。Mrs。Wyliealsoseemedtohavelostherappetite。
Jackandhisbrother,whohadbeenoutallnight,madeaheartybreakfast。
ThenJimmystartedtopegoutthe’possumskins,whileJackwenttolookforamissingpony。Marywaslefttomilkallthecows,andfeedthecalvesandpigs。
Shortlyafterdinneroneofthechildrenrantothedoor,andcried:
\"Why,mother——here’sthreemountedtrooperscomin’upthegully!\"
\"Oh,myGod!\"criedthemother,sinkingbackinherchairandtremblinglikealeaf。Thechildrenranandhidinthescrub。
Marystoodup,terriblycalm,andwaited。Theeldesttrooperdismounted,cametothedoor,glancedsuspiciouslyattheremainsofthemeal,andabruptlyaskedthedreadedquestion:
\"Mrs。Wylie,where’syourhusband?\"
Shedroppedthetea-cup,fromwhichshehadpretendedtobedrinkingunconcernedly。
\"What?Why,whatdoyouwantmyhusbandfor?\"sheaskedinpitifuldesperation。SHElookedliketheguiltyparty。
\"Oh,youknowwellenough,\"hesneeredimpatiently。
Maryroseandfacedhim。\"Howdareyoutalktomymotherlikethat?\"
shecried。\"IfmypoorbrotherTomwasonlyhere——you——youcoward!\"
Theyoungesttrooperwhisperedsomethingtohissenior,andthen,stungbyasharpretort,said:
\"Well,youneedn’tbeapig。\"
Histwocompanionspassedthroughintothespareskillion,wheretheyfoundsomebeefinacask,andmorealreadysalteddownunderabagontheendofabench;thentheywentoutatthebackandhadalookatthecow-yard。Theyoungertrooperlingeredbehind。
\"I’lltryandgetthemupthegullyonsomeexcuse,\"hewhisperedtoMary。
\"Youplantthehidebeforewecomeback。\"
\"It’stoolate。Lookthere!\"Shepointedthroughthedoorway。
Theothertwowereatthelogswherethefirehadbeen;theburninghidehadstucktothelogsinplaceslikeglue。
\"Wylie’safool,\"remarkedtheoldtrooper。
III。
Jackdisappearedshortlyafterhisfather’sarrestonachargeofhorseandcattle-stealing,andTom,theprodigal,turnedupunexpectedly。
Hewasdifferentfromhisfatherandeldestbrother。
Hehadanopengood-humouredface,andwasverykind-hearted;
butwassubjecttopeculiarfitsofinsanity,duringwhichhedidwildandfoolishthingsforthemereloveofnotoriety。
Hehadtwonatures——onebrightandgood,theothersullenandcriminal。
Ataintofmadnessraninthefamily——camedownfromdrunkenandunprincipledfathersofdeadgenerations;
underdifferentconditions,itmighthavedevelopedintogeniusinoneortwo——inMary,perhaps。
\"Cheerup,oldwoman!\"criedTom,pattinghismotherontheback。
\"We’llbehappyyet。I’vebeenwildandfoolish,Iknow,andgaveyousomeawfultrouble,butthat’salldonewith。
Imeantokeepsteady,andby-and-byewe’llgoawaytoSydneyorQueensland。
Giveusasmile,mother。\"
Hegotsome\"grubbing\"todo,andforsixmonthskeptthefamilyinprovisions。Thenachangecameoverhim。Hebecamemoodyandsullen——
evenbrutal。Hewouldsitforhoursandgrintohimselfwithoutanyapparentcause;thenhewouldstayawayfromhomefordaystogether。
\"Tom’sgoingwrongagain,\"wailedMrs。Wylie。\"He’llgetintotroubleagain,Iknowhewill。Wearedisgracedenoughalready,Godknows。\"
\"You’vedoneyourbest,mother,\"saidMary,\"andcandonomore。
Peoplewillpityus;afterall,thethingitselfisnotsobadastheeverlastingdreadofit。Thiswillbealessonforfather——hewantedone——andmaybehe’llbeabetterman。\"
(Sheknewbetterthanthat。)\"YOUdidyourbest,mother。\"
\"Ah,Mary!youdon’tknowwhatI’vegonethroughthesethirtyyearsinthebushwithyourfather。I’vehadtogodownonmykneesandbegpeoplenottoprosecutehim——andthesamewithyourbrotherTom;
andthisistheendofit。\"
\"Bettertohaveletthemgo,mother;youshouldhaveleftfatherwhenyoufoundoutwhatsortofamanhewas;itwouldhavebeenbetterforall。\"
\"Itwasmydutytostickbyhim,child;hewasmyhusband。
Yourfatherwasalwaysabadman,Mary——abadman;Ifounditouttoolate。
IcouldnottellyouaquarterofwhatIhavesufferedwithhim……
Iwasproud,Mary;Iwantedmychildrentobebetterthanothers……
It’smyfault;it’sajudgment……Iwantedtomakemychildrenbetterthanothers……Iwassoproud,Mary。\"
Maryhadasweetheart,adrover,whowassupposedtobeinQueensland。
Hehadpromisedtomarryher,andtakeherandhermotherawaywhenhereturned;atleast,shehadpromisedtomarryhimonthatcondition。
Hehadnowbeenabsentonhislatesttripfornearlysixmonths,andtherewasnonewsfromhim。Shegotacopyofacountrypapertolookforthe\"stockpassings\";butastartlingheadlinecaughthereye:
IMPUDENTATTEMPTATROBBERYUNDERARMS。
————
\"AdroverknowntothepoliceasFrederickDunn,aliasDrew,wasarrestedlastweekat————\"
Shereadtothebitterend,andburnedthepaper。Andtheshadowofanothertrouble,darkeranddrearierthanalltherest,wasuponher。
SothelittleoutcastfamilyinLongGullyexistedforseveralmonths,seeingnoonesaveasympatheticoldsplitterwhowouldcomeandsmokehispipebythefireofnights,andtrytoconvincetheoldwomanthatmattersmighthavebeenworse,andthatshewouldn’tworrysomuchifsheknewthetroublesofsomeofourbiggestfamilies,andthatthingswouldcomeoutallrightandthelessonwoulddoWyliegood。
Also,thatTomwasadifferentboyaltogether,andhadmoresensethantogowrongagain。\"Itwasnothing,\"hesaid,\"nothing;
theydidn’tknowwhattroublewas。\"
Butoneday,whenMaryandhermotherwerealone,thetrooperscameagain。
\"Mrs。Wylie,where’syoursonTom?\"theyasked。
Shesatstill。Shedidn’tevencry,\"Oh,myGod!\"
\"Don’tbefrightened,Mrs。Wylie,\"saidoneofthetroopers,gently。
\"Itain’tformuchanyway,andmaybeTom’llbeabletoclearhimself。\"
Marysankonherkneesbyhermother’sside,crying\"Speaktome,mother。
Oh,myGod,she’sdying!Speakformysake,mother。Don’tdie,mother;
it’sallamistake。Don’tdieandleavemeherealone。\"
Butthepooroldwomanwasdead……
Wyliecameouttowardstheendoftheyear,andafewweekslaterhebroughthomea——anotherwoman。
IV。
BobBentley,generalhawker,wascampingundersomerocksbythemainroad,nearthefootofLongGully。Hismatewasfastasleepunderthetiltedtrap。
Bobstoodwithhisbacktothefire,hispipeinhismouth,andhishandsclaspedbehindhim。Thefirelituptheundersidesofthebranchesabove;
anativebearsatinaforkblinkingdownatit,whilethemoonabovehimshowedeveryhaironhisears。Fromamongthetreescamethepleasantjingleofhobble-chains,theslowtreadofhoofs,andthe\"crunch,crunch\"atthegrass,asthehorsesmovedaboutandgrazed,nowinmoonlight,nowinthesoftshadows。\"OldThunder\",abigblackdogofnoparticularbreed,gaveameaninglookathismaster,andstarteduptheridge,followedbyseveralsmallerdogs。SoonBobheardfromthehillsidethe\"hy-yi-hi,whomp,whomp,whomp!\"ofoldThunder,andtheyop-yop-yoppingofthesmallerfry——theyhadtree’da’possum。
Bobthrewhimselfonthegrass,andpretendedtobeasleep。
Therewasasoundasofasizeableboulderrollingdownthehill,andpresentlyThundertrottedroundthefiretoseeifhismasterwouldcome。
Bobsnored。Thedoglookedsuspiciouslyathim,trottedroundonceortwice,andasalastresourcegavehimtwogreatslobberylicksacrosstheface。
Bobgotupwithagood-naturedoath。
\"Well,oldparty,\"hesaidtoThunder,\"you’reathunderingoldnuisance;
butIs’poseyouwon’tbesatisfiedtillIcome。\"Hegotagunfromthewaggonette,loadedit,andstarteduptheridge;
oldThunderrushingtoandfrotoshowtheway——asiftherowtheotherdogsweremakingwasn’tenoughtoguidehismaster。
WhenBobreturnedwiththe’possumshewasstartledtoseeawomaninthecamp。Shewassittingonalogbythefire,withherelbowsonherkneesandherfaceinherhands。
\"Why——whatthedev——whoareyou?\"
Thegirlraisedawhitedesperatefacetohim。ItwasMaryWylie。
\"Myfatherand——andthewoman——they’redrinking——theyturnedmeout!
theyturnedmeout。\"
\"Didtheynow?I’msorryforthat。WhatcanIdoforyou?……
She’smadsureenough,\"hethoughttohimself;\"Ithoughtitwasaghost。\"
\"Idon’tknow,\"shewailed,\"Idon’tknow。You’reaman,andI’mahelplessgirl。Theyturnedmeout!Mymother’sdead,andmybrothersgoneaway。Look!Lookhere!\"pointingtoabruiseonherforehead。\"Thewomandidthat。Myownfatherstoodbyandsawitdone——saiditservedmeright!Oh,myGod!\"
\"Whatwoman?Tellmeallaboutit。\"
\"Thewomanfatherbroughthome!……Iwanttogoawayfromthebush!
Oh!forGod’ssaketakemeawayfromthebush!……Anything!anything!
——youknow!——onlytakemeawayfromthebush!\"
Bobandhismate——whohadbeenroused——didtheirbesttosootheher;
butsuddenly,withoutamoment’swarning,shesprangtoherfeetandscrambledtothetopoftherockoverhangingthecamp。
Shestoodforamomentinthebrightmoonlight,gazingintentlydownthevacantroad。
\"Heretheycome!\"shecried,pointingdowntheroad。\"Heretheycome——
thetroopers!Icanseetheircap-peaksglisteninginthemoonlight!……
I’mgoingaway!Mother’sgone。I’mgoingnow!——Good-bye!——Good-bye!
I’mgoingawayfromthebush!\"
ThensheranthroughthetreestowardsthefootofLongGully。
Bobandhismatefollowed;but,beingunacquaintedwiththelocality,theylosther。
Sherantotheedgeofagranitecliffonthehighersideofthedeepestoftherockywaterholes。Therewasaheavysplash,andthreestartledkangaroos,whohadbeendrinking,leaptbackandspedaway,likethreegreyghosts,uptheridgetowardsthemoonlitpeak。
Mitchellonthe\"Sex\"andOther\"Problems\"
\"Iagreewith`T’inlastweek’s`Bulletin’,\"saidMitchell,aftercogitatingsometimeoverthelastdropofteainhispannikin,heldatvariousangles,\"aboutwhattheycallthe`SexProblem’。
There’snoproblem,really,exceptCreation,andthat’snotouraffair;
wecan’tsolveit,andwe’venorighttomakeaproblemoutofitforourselvestopuzzleover,andwastethelittletimethatisgivenusabout。It’swethatmaketheproblems,notCreation。
Wemake’em,andtheyonlysmotherus;they’llsmothertheworldintheendifwedon’tlookout。Anythingthatcanbeargued,forandagainst,fromhalfadozendifferentpointsofview——andmostthingsthatmenargueovercanbe——andanythingthathasbeenarguedaboutforthousandsofyears(asmostthingshave)isworsethanprofitless;
itwastestheworld’stimeandours,andoftenwrecksoldmateships。
Seemstomethedeeperyouread,think,talk,orwriteaboutthingsthatendinism,thelesssatisfactorytheresult;themorelikelyyouaretogetbushedanddissatisfiedwiththeworld。Andthemoreyoukeeponthesurfaceofplainthings,theplainerthesailing——
themorecomfortableforyouandeverybodyelse。We’vealwaysgottocometothesurfacetobreathe,intheend,inanycase;
we’remeanttoliveonthesurface,andwemightaswellstaythereandlookafteritandourselvesforallthegoodwedodivingdownafterfishthataren’tthere,exceptinourimagination。
Andsomeof’emareverydeadfish,too——the`SexProblem’,forinstance。
Whenwefalloffthesurfaceoftheearthitwillbetimeenoughtomakeaproblemoutofthefactthatwecouldn’tstickon。
I’maFederalPro-traderinthiscountry;I’maFederalistbecauseIthinkFederationistheplainandnaturalcourseforAustralia,andI’maFree-tectionistbecauseI’minfavourofsinkinganyquestion,oranytwothings,thatenlightenedpeoplecanargueandfightover,andtry,oneaftertheother,forfiftyyearswithoutbeingabletocometoadecisionabout,orprovewhichisbestforthewelfareofthecountry。
Itonlywastesayoungcountry’stime,andkeepsitofftherighttrack。
Federationisn’taproblem——it’saplainfact——buttheymakeaproblemoutofeverypaneltheyhavetopushdownintherottenoldboundaryfences。\"
\"Personalinterests,\"suggestedJoe。
\"Ofcourse。It’spersonalinterestofthewrongsortthatmakesalltheproblems。Youcantracethesexproblemtopeoplewhotradeinunhealthypersonalinterests。
Ibelieveinpersonalinterestsoftherightsort——trueindividualism。
Ifwealllookedafterourselves,andourwivesandfamilies——ifwehaveany——intheproperway,theworldwouldbeallright。
Wewastetoomuchtimelookingaftereachother。
\"Now,supposingwe’retravellingandhavetogetashedandmakeachequeso’stobeabletosendafewquidhome,assoonaswecan,tothemissus,ortheoldfolks,andthenextwateristwentymilesahead。
Ifwesatdownandarguedoverasocialproblemtilldoomsday,wewouldn’tgettothetank;we’ddieofthirst,andthemissusandkids,ortheoldfolks,wouldbesoldupandturnedoutintothestreets,andhavetofallbackona`homeofhope’,orwaittheirturnattheBenevolentAsylumwithbagsforbrokenvictuals。I’veseenthat,andIdon’twantanybodybelongingtometohavetodoit。
\"Remindsmethatwhenapoor,desertedgirlgoestoa`home’theydon’tmakeaproblemofher——theydotheirbestforherandtrytogetherrighted。
Andthepriests,too:ifthere’sanythinginthesexoranyotherproblem——anythingthathasn’tbeenthreshedout——they’rethementhat’llknowit。
I’mnotaCatholic,butIknowthis:thatifagirlthat’sbeenleftbyone——nomatterwhatChurchshebelongsto——goestothepriest,they’llworkallthepointstheyknow(andtheyknow’emall)togetherrighted,and,ifthechap,orhispeople,won’tcomeuptothescratch,FatherRyan’llfrightenhelloutof’em。Ican’tsayasmuchforourownChurches。\"
\"Butyou’reinfavourofsocialismanddemocracy?\"askedJoe。
\"OfcourseIam。Buttheworldwon’tdoanygoodarguingoverit。
Thepeoplewillhavetogetupandwalk,and,what’smore,sticktogether——andIdon’tthinkthey’lleverdothat——itain’tinhumannature。
Socialism,ordemocracy,wasallrightinthiscountrytillitgotfashionableandwasmadeafadoraproblemof。
Thenitgotsmotheredprettyquick。Andafadoraproblemalwaysbreedsahostofparasitesorhangers-on。Why,assoonasIsawtheadvancedidealistfools——they’regenerallythemiddle-class,shabby-genteelfamiliesthatcatchSpiritualismandTheosophyandthosesortofcomplaints,attheendoftheepidemic——thatcatchonatthetail-endofthingsandthinkthey’vecaughtsomethingbrand,shining,new;——assoonasIsawthem,andtheproblemspielersandnotoriety-huntersofbothsexes,beginningtohangroundAustralianUnionism,Iknewitwasdoomed。
Andsoitwas。Thestraightmenweredisgusted,ordrivenout。
Therearewomenwhohangonforthesamereasonthatagirlwillsometimesgointothedockandswearaninnocentman’slifeaway。
Butassoonastheyseethatthecauseisdying,theydropitatonce,andwaitforanother。Theycomelikebloodydingoesroundacalf,andonlyleavethebones。They’reaboutasdemocraticasthecrows。
Andtherotten`sex-problem’sortofthingisthecauseofitall;
itpoisonsweakminds——andstrongonestoosometimes。
\"Why,youcouldmakeaproblemoutofEpsomsalts。YoumightargueastowhyhumanbeingswantEpsomsalts,andtrytotracethecausesthatleduptoit。Idon’tlikethetasteofEpsomsalts——it’snastyinthemouth——butwhenIfeelthatwayItake’em,andIfeelbetterafterwards;andthat’sgoodenoughforme。
Wemightarguethatblackiswhite,andwhiteisblack,andneitherof’emisanything,andnothingiseverything;
andawoman’samanandaman’sawoman,andit’sreallythemanthathastheyoungsters,onlyweimagineit’sthewomanbecausesheimaginesthatshehasallthepainandtrouble,andthedoctorisundertheimpressionthathe’sattendingtoher,nottheman,andthemanthinkssotoobecauseheimagineshe’swalkingupanddownoutside,andslippingintothecornerpubnowandthenforaniptokeephiscourageup,waiting,whenit’shiswifethat’sdoingthatallthetime;wemightarguethatit’sallforceofimagination,andthatimaginationisanunknownforce,andthattheunknownisnothing。But,whenwe’vesettledallthattoourownsatisfaction,howmuchfurtheraheadarewe?
Intheendwe’llcometotheconclusionthatweain’talive,andneverexisted,andthenwe’llleaveoffbothering,andtheworldwillgoonjustthesame。\"
\"Whataboutscience?\"askedJoe。
\"Scienceain’t`sexproblems’;it’sfacts……Now,Idon’tmindSpiritualismandthosesortofthings;theymighthelptobreakthemonotony,andcan’tdomuchharm。Butthe`sexproblem’,asit’swrittenaboutto-day,does;it’sdangerousanddirty,andit’stimetosettleitwithaclub。Scienceandeducation,ifleftalone,willlookaftersexfacts。
\"Youcan’tgetanythingoutofthe`sexproblem’,nomatterhowyouargue。
IntheoldBibletimestheyhadhalfadozenwiveseach,butwedon’tknowforcertainhowTHEYgoton。TheMormonstrieditagain,andseemedtogetonallrighttillweinterfered。Wedon’tseemtobeabletogetonwithonewifenow——atleast,accordingtothe`sexproblem’。
The`sexproblem’troubledtheTurkssomuchthattheytriedthree。
Lotsofustrytosettleitbyknockingroundpromiscuously,andthatleadstoactionsformaintenanceandbreachofpromisecases,andallsortsoftrouble。Ourblackssettlethe`sexproblem’withaclub,andsofarIhaven’theardanycomplaintsfromthem……
\"Takehereditarycausesandsurroundingcircumstances,forinstance。
Inordertounderstandorjudgeamanright,youwouldneedtoliveunderthesameroofwithhimfromchildhood,andunderthesameroofs,ortents,withhisparents,rightbacktoAdam,andthenyou’dbeblockedforwantofmoreancestorsthroughwhichtotracethecausesthatledtoAbel——ImeanCain——goingonashedid。
What’stheuseorsenseofit?Youmightargueawayinanydirectionforamillionmilesandamillionyearsbackintothepast,butyou’vegottocomebacktowhereyouareifyouwishtodoanygoodforyourself,oranyoneelse。
\"Sometimesittakesyoualongwhiletogetbacktowhereyouare——
sometimesyouneverdoit。Why,whenthosecontroversieswerestartedinthe`Bulletin’aboutthekangaroosandotherthings,IthoughtIknewsomethingaboutthebush。NowI’mdamnedifI’msureIcouldtellakangaroofromawombat。
\"Tryingtofindoutthingsisthecauseofalltheworkandtroubleinthisworld。ItwasEve’sfaultinthefirstplace——orAdam’s,rather,becauseitmightbearguedthatheshouldhavebeenmaster。
Somemenaretoolazytobemastersintheirownhomes,andruntheshowproperly;somearetoocareless,andsometoodrunkmostoftheirtime,andsometooweak。IfAdamandEvehadn’ttriedtofindoutthingsthere’dhavebeennotoilandtroubleintheworldto-day;there’dhavebeennobloatedcapitalists,andnohorny-handedworkingmen,andnopolitics,nofreetradeandprotection——andnoclothes。Thewomannextdoorwouldn’tbeabletopickholesinyourwife’swashingontheline。We’dhavebeenallrunningaboutinabigGardenofEdenwithnothingon,andnothingtodoexceptloaf,andmakelove,andlark,andlaugh,andplaypracticaljokesoneachother。\"
Joegrinned。
\"Thatwouldhavebeenglorious。Wouldn’tit,Joe?There’dhavebeenno`sexproblem’then。\"
TheMaster’sMistakeWilliamSpencerstayedawayfromschoolthathotday,and\"wentswimming\"。ThemasterwroteanotetoWilliam’sfather,andgaveittoWilliam’sbrotherJoetocarryhome。
\"You’llgivethattoyourfatherto-night,Joseph。\"
\"Yes,sir。\"
BillwaitedforJoenearthegap,andwalkedhomewithhim。
\"Is’poseyou’vegotanoteforfather。\"
\"Yes,\"saidJoe。
\"Is’poseyouknowwhat’sinit?\"
\"Ye——yes。Oh,whydidyoustopaway,Bill?\"
\"Youdon’tmeantosaythatyou’redirtymeanenoughtogiveittofather?Hey?\"
\"Imust,Will。Ipromisedthemaster。\"
\"Heneedn’tneverknow。\"
\"Oh,yes,hewill。He’scomingovertoourplaceonSaturday,andhe’ssuretoaskmeto-morrow。\"
Pause。
\"Lookhere,Joe!\"saidBill,\"Idon’twanttogetahidingandgowithoutsupperto-night。Ipromisedtogo’possumingwithJohnnyNowlett,andhe’sgoingtogivemeafireoutofhisgun。
Youcancome,too。Idon’twanttocopoutonitto-night——
ifIdoI’llrunawayfromhomeagain,sothere。\"
Billwalkedonabitinmoody,Joeintroubled,silence。
Billtriedagain:hethreatened,argued,andpleaded,butJoewasfirm。
\"Themastertrustedme,Will,\"hesaid。
\"Joe,\"saidBillatlast,afteralongpause,\"Iwouldn’tdoittoyou。\"
Joewastroubled。
\"Iwouldn’tdoittoyou,Joe。\"
JoethoughthowBillhadstoodupandfoughtforhimonlylastweek。
\"I’dtearthenoteinbits;I’dtellahundredlies;
I’dtakeadozenhidingsfirst,Joe——Iwould。\"
Joewasgreatlytroubled。Hischestheaved,andthetearscametohiseyes。
\"I’ddomorethanthatforyou,Joe,andyouknowit。\"
Joeknewit。Theywerecrossingtheoldgoldfieldnow。
Therewasashaftclosetothepath;ithadfallenin,funnel-shaped,atthetop,butwasstillthirtyorfortyfeetdeep;
someoldlogswerejammedacrossaboutfivefeetdown。
Joesuddenlysnatchedthenotefromhispocketandthrewitin。
Itflutteredtotheothersideandrestedonapieceoftheoldtimber。
Billsawit,butsaidnothing,and,seeingtheirfathercominghomefromwork,theyhurriedon。
Joewasdeepintroublenow。Billtriedtocomfortandcheerhim,butitwasnouse。Billpromisednevertorunawayfromhomeanymore,togotoschooleveryday,andnevertofight,orsteal,ortelllies。
ButJoehadbetrayedhistrustforthefirsttimeinhislife,andwouldn’tbecomforted。
SometimeinthenightBillwoke,andfoundJoesittingupinbedcrying。
\"Why,what’sthematter,Joe?\"
\"Ineverdoneameanthinglikethatbefore,\"sobbedJoe。\"IwishedI’dchuckedmeselfdowntheshaftinstead。Themastertrustedme,Will;
an’now,ifheasksmeto-morrow,I’llhavetotellalie。\"
\"Thentellthetruth,Joe,an’takethehidin’;it’llsoonbeover——
justacoupleofcutswiththecaneandit’llbeallover。\"
\"Oh,no,itwon’t。Hewon’tnevertrustmeanymore。I’veneverbeencanedinthatschoolyet,Will,andifIamI’llnevergoagain。
Oh!whywillyourunawayfromhome,Will,andplaythewag,andsteal,andgetusallintosuchtrouble?Youdon’tknowhowmothertakesonaboutit——youdon’tknowhowithurtsfather!I’vedeceivedthemaster,andmotherandfatherto-day,justbecauseyou’reso——soselfish,\"
andhelaiddownandcriedhimselftosleep。
Billlayawakeandthoughttilldaylight;thenhegotupquietly,putonhisclothes,andstoleawayfromthehouseandacrosstheflat,followedbythedog,whothoughtitwasa’possum-huntingexpedition。
Billwishedthedogwouldnotbequitesodemonstrative,atleastuntiltheygotawayfromthehouse。Hewentstraighttotheshaft,lethimselfdowncarefullyontooneoftheoldlogs,andstoopedtopickupthenote,gleamingwhiteinthesicklysummerdaylight。
Thentherottentimbergavewaysuddenly,withoutamoment’swarning……
Theyfoundhimthatmorningataboutnineo’clock。Thedogattractedtheattentionofanoldfossickerpassingtohiswork。TheletterwasgrippedinBill’srighthandwhentheybroughthimup。Theytookhimhome,andthefatherwentforadoctor。Billcametohimselfalittlejustbeforethelast,andsaid:\"Mother!Iwasn’trunningaway,mother——tellfatherthat——I——Iwantedtotryandcatcha’possumontheground……Where’sJoe?IwantJoe。Goout,mother,aminute,andsendJoe。\"
\"HereIam,Bill,\"saidJoe,inachoking,terrifiedvoice。
\"Hasthemasterbeenyet?\"
\"No。\"
\"Benddown,Joe。Iwentforthenote,andthelogsgaveway。
Imeanttobebackbeforetheywasup。Idroppeditdowninsidethebed;
youwatchyourchanceandgetit;andsayyouforgotitlastnight——sayyoudidn’tliketogiveit——thatwon’tbealie。
TellthemasterI’m——I’msorry——tellthemasternevertosendnonotesnomore——exceptbygirls——that’sall……Mother!
Taketheblanketsoffme——I’mdyin’。\"
TheStoryoftheOracle\"Weyoungfellows,\"said\"SympathyJoe\"toMitchell,aftertea,intheirfirstcampwesttheriver——\"andyouandIAREyoungfellows,comparatively——thinkweknowtheworld。Thereareplentyofyoungchapsknockingroundinthiscountrywhoreckonthey’vebeenthroughitallbeforethey’rethirty。I’vemetcynicsandmen-o’-the-world,agedtwenty-oneorthereabouts,who’veneverbeenfurtherthanatriptoSydney。Theytalkabout`thisworld’asifthey’dknockedaroundinhalf-a-dozenotherworldsbeforetheycameacrosshere——
andtheyarejustasoff-handaboutitasolderAustraliansarewhentheytalkaboutthiscolonyascomparedwiththeothers。Theysay:
`Myoath!——samehere。’`I’vebeenthere。’`Myoath!——you’reright。’
`Takeitfromme!’andallthatsortofthing。Theyunderstandwomen,andhaveacontemptfor’em;andchapsthatdon’ttalkastheytalk,ordoastheydo,orseeastheysee,areeithersoftorratty。
Agoodmanyreckonthat`lifeain’tblankywellworthlivin’’;
sometimestheyfeelsoblankysomehowthattheywouldn’tgiveablankwhethertheychuckeditornot;butthatsortneverchuckit。
It’smostlythequietmenthatdothat,andifthey’vegotanycomplaintstomakeagainsttheworldtheymake’emattheheadstation。
Why,I’veknownhealthy,single,youngfellowsundertwenty-fivewhodranktodrowntheirtroubles——somebecausetheyreckonedtheworlddidn’tunderstandnorappreciate’em——asifitCOULD!\"
\"Iftheworlddon’tunderstandorappreciateyou,\"saidMitchellsolemnly,ashereachedforaburningsticktolighthispipe——\"MAKEit!\"
\"TodrownTHEIRtroubles!\"continuedJoe,inatoneofimpatientcontempt。
\"TheOraclemustbewellontowardsthesixties;hecantakehisglasswithanyman,butyouneversawhimdrunk。\"
\"What’stheOracletodowithit?\"
\"Didyoueverhearhishistory?\"
\"No。Doyouknowit?\"
\"Yes,thoughIdon’tthinkhehasanyideathatIdo。Now,weweretalkingabouttheOraclealittlewhileago。Weknowhe’sanoldass;
agoodmanyoutsidersconsiderthathe’sabitsoftorratty,and,aswe’relikelytobematestogetherforsometimeonthatfencingcontract,ifwegetit,youmightaswellknowwhatsortofamanheisandwas,so’syouwon’tgetuneasyabouthimifhegetsdeafforawhilewhenyou’retalking,ordoesfunnythingswithhispipeorpint-pot,orwalksupanddownbyhimselfforanhourorsoaftertea,orsitsonalogwithhisheadinhishands,orleansonthefenceinthegloamingandkeepslookinginablanksortofway,straightahead,acrosstheclearing。
Forhe’sgazingatsomethingathousandmilesacrosscountry,south-east,andabouttwentyyearsbackintothepast,andnodoubtheseeshimself(asayoungman),andaGippslandgirl,spooningunderthestarsalongbetweenthehop-gardensandtheMitchellRiver。
And,ifyougetholtofafiddleoraconcertina,don’trasporswanktoomuchonoldtunes,whenhe’sround,fortheOraclecan’tstandit。
Playsomethinglively。He’llbedownthereatthatsurveyor’scampyarningtillallhours,sowe’llhaveplentyoftimeforthestory——
butdon’tyouevergivehimahintthatyouknow。
\"Mypeopleknewhimwell;Igotmostofthestoryfromthem——
mostlyfromUncleBob,whoknewhimbetterthanany。Therestleakedoutthroughthewomen——youknowhowthingsleakoutamongstwomen?\"
Mitchelldroppedhisheadandscratchedthebackofit。HEknew。
\"ItwasontheCudgegongRiver。MyUncleBobwasmateswithhimononeofthose`rushes’alongthere——the`Pipeclay’,Ithinkitwas,orthe`LogPaddock’。TheOraclewasayoungmanthen,ofcourse,andsowasUncleBob(hewasamatchformostmen)。YouseetheOraclenow,andyoucanimaginewhathewaswhenhewasayoungman。
Oversixfeet,andasstraightasasapling,UncleBobsaid,clean-limbed,andasfreshastheymademeninthosedays;
carriedhishandsbehindhim,ashedoesnow,whenhehasn’tgottheswag——
buthisshoulderswerebackinthosedays。Ofcoursehewasn’ttheOraclethen;hewasyoungTomMarshall——butthatdoesn’tmatter。
Everybodylikedhim——especiallywomenandchildren。
Hewasabithappy-go-luckyandcareless,buthedidn’tknowanythingabout`thisworld’,anddidn’tbotheraboutit;hehadn’t`beenthere’。
`Andhisheartwasasgoodasgold,’myauntusedtosay。
Hedidn’tunderstandwomenasweyoungfellowsdonowadays,andthereforehehadn’tanycontemptfor’em。Perhapsheunderstood,andunderstands,thembetterthananyofus,withoutknowingit。
Anyway,youknow,he’salwaysgentleandkindwhereawomanorchildisconcerned,anddoesn’tliketohearustalkaboutwomenaswedosometimes。
\"Therewasagirlonthegoldfields——afinelumpofablonde,andprettygay。ShecamefromSydney,Ithink,withherpeople,whokeptshantiesonthefields。Shehadasplendidvoice,andusedtosing`Madeline’。Theremighthavebeenoneortwobadwomenbeforethat,intheOracle’sworld,butnocold-blooded,designingones。
Hecallsthebadones`unfortunate’。
\"PerhapsitwasTom’slooks,orhisfreshness,orhisinnocence,orsoftness——oralltogether——thatattractedher。Anyway,hegotmixedupwithherbeforethegoldfieldpeteredout。
\"NodoubtittookalongwhileforthefactstoworkintoTom’sheadthatagirlmightsinglikeshedidandyetbethoroughlyunprincipled。
TheOraclewasalwaysslowatcomingtoadecision,butwhenhedoesit’sgenerallytherightone。Anyway,youcantakethatforgranted,foryouwon’tmovehim。
\"Idon’tknowwhetherhefoundoutthatshewasn’tallthatshepretentedtobetohim,orwhethertheyquarrelled,orwhethershechuckedhimoverforaluckydigger。Tomneverhadanyluckonthegoldfields。Anyway,heleftandwentovertotheVictorianside,wherehispeoplewere,andwentupGippslandway。Itwasthereforthefirsttimeinhislifethathegotwhatyouwouldcall`properlygoneonagirl’;hegothardhit——hemethisfate。
\"HernamewasBerthaBredt,Iremember。AuntBobsawherafterwards。
AuntBobusedtosaythatshewas`agirlasGodmadeher’——agood,true,womanlygirl——oneofthosesortofgirlsthatonlyloveonce。
Tomgotonwithherfather,whowaspackinghorsesthroughtherangestothenewgoldfields——itwasroughcountryandtherewerenoroads;
theyhadtopackeverythingthereinthosedays,andtherewasmoneyinit。
Thegirl’sfathertooktoTom——asalmosteverybodyelsedid——
and,asfarasthegirlwasconcerned,Ithinkitwasacaseofloveatfirstsight。Theyonlykneweachotherforaboutsixmonths,andwereonly`courting’(astheycalleditthen)
forthreeorfourmonthsaltogether,butshewasthatsortofgirlthatcanloveamanforsixweeksandlosehimforever,andyetgoonlovinghimtotheendofherlife——anddiewithhisnameonherlips。
\"Well,thingswerebrighteningupeverywayforTom,andheandhissweetheartwerebeginningtotalkabouttheirownlittlehomeinfuture,whentherecamealetterfromthe`Madeline’girlinNewSouthWales。
\"Shewasinterribletrouble。Herbabywastobeborninamonth。
Herpeoplehadkickedherout,andshewasindangerofstarving。
Shebeggedandprayedofhimtocomebackandmarryher,ifonlyforhischild’ssake。Hecouldgothen,andbefree;
shewouldnevertroublehimanymore——onlycomeandmarryherforthechild’ssake。
\"TheOracledoesn’tknowwherehelostthatletter,butIdo。
Itwasburntafterwardsbyawoman,whowasmorethanamothertohiminhistrouble——AuntBob。Shethoughthemightcarryitroundwiththerestofhispapers,inhisswag,foryears,andcomeacrossitunexpectedlywhenhewascampedbyhimselfinthebushandfeelingdull。
Itwouldn’thavedonehimanygoodthen。
\"Hemusthavefoughtthehardestfightinhislifewhenhegotthatletter。
Nodoubthewalkedtoandfro,toandfro,allnight,withhishandsbehindhim,andhiseyesontheground,ashedoesnowsometimes。
Walkingupanddownhelpsyoutofightathingout。
\"Nodoubthethoughtofthingsprettywellashethinksnow:
thepoorgirl’sshameoneverytongue,andbelledroundthedistrictbyeveryhaginthetownship;andshelookeduponbywomenasbeingasbadasanymanwhoeverwenttoBathurstintheolddays,handcuffedbetweentwotroopers。Thereissympathy,apipeandtobacco,acheeringword,and,maybe,awhiskynowandthen,forthecriminalonhisjourney;butthereisnomercy,atleastasfaraswomenareconcerned,forthepoorfoolishgirl,whohastosneakoutthebackwayandroundbybackstreetsandlanesafterdark,withacloakontohideherfigure。
\"Tomsentwhatmoneyhethoughthecouldspare,andnextdayhewenttothegirlhelovedandwholovedhim,andtoldherthetruth,andshowedhertheletter。Shewasonlyagirl——butthesortofgirlyouCOULDgotoinacrisislikethat。Hehadmadeuphismindtodotherightthing,andshelovedhimallthemoreforit。
Andsotheyparted。
\"WhenTomreached`Pipeclay’,thegirl’srelations,thatshewasstoppingwith,hadaparsonreadiedup,andtheyweremarriedthesameday。\"
\"Andwhathappenedafterthat?\"askedMitchell。
\"Nothinghappenedforthreeorfourmonths;thenthechildwasborn。
Itwasn’this!\"
Mitchellstoodupwithanoath。
\"Thegirlwasthoroughlybad。She’dbeencarryingonwithGodknowshowmanymen,bothbeforeandaftershetrappedTom。\"
\"Andwhatdidhedothen?\"
\"Well,youknowhowtheOraclearguesoverthings,andIsupposehewasasbiganoldfoolthenasheisnow。Hethinksthat,asmostmenwoulddeceivewomeniftheycould,whenonemangetscaught,he’sgotnocalltosquealaboutit;he’sbound,becauseofthesinsofmeningeneralagainstwomen,tomakethebestofit。Whatisoneman’swrongcountedagainstthewrongsofhundredsofunfortunategirls。
\"It’sanuncommonwayofarguing——likemostoftheOracle’sideas——
butitseemstolookallrightatfirstsight。
\"Perhapshethoughtshe’dgostraight;perhapssheconvincedhimthathewasthecauseofherfirstfall;anywayhestucktoherformorethanayear,andintendedtotakeherawayfromthatplaceassoonashe’dscrapedenoughmoneytogether。Itmighthavegoneonuptillnow,ifthefatherofthechild——abigblackIrishmannamedRedmond——hadn’tcomesneakingbackattheendofayear。
He——well,hecamehangingroundMrs。MarshallwhileTomwasawayatwork——
andsheencouragedhim。AndTomwasforcedtoseeit。
\"Tomwantedtofightouthisownbattlewithoutinterference,butthechapswouldn’tlethim——theyreckonedthathe’dstandverylittleshowagainstRedmond,whowasaveryroughcustomerandafightingman。
MyuncleBob,whowastherestill,fixeditupthisway:
TheOraclewastofightRedmond,andiftheOraclegotlickedUncleBobwastotakeRedmondon。IfRedmondwhippedUncleBob,thatwastosettleit;butifUncleBobthrashedRedmond,thenhewasalsotofightRedmond’smate,anotherbig,roughPaddynamedDuigan。
Thentheaffairwouldbefinished——nomatterwhichwaythelastboutwent。
Yousee,UncleBobwasreckonedmoreofamatchforRedmondthantheOraclewas,sothethinglookedfairenough——atfirstsight。
\"Redmondhadhismate,Duigan,andoneortwoothersoftheroughgangthatusedtoterrorisethefieldsroundthereintheroaringdaysofGulgong。
TheOraclehadUncleBob,ofcourse,andlongDaveRegan,thedrover——
agood-hearted,sawnykindofchapthat’dbreakthedevil’sownbuck-jumper,orsmashhim,orgetsmashedhimself——andlittleJimmyNowlett,thebullocky,andoneortwooftheold,better-classdiggersthatwereleftonthefield。
\"There’saclearspaceamongthesaplingsinSpecimenGully,wheretheyusedtopitchcircuses;andhere,inthecoolofasummerevening,thetwomenstoodfacetoface。Redmondwasarough,roaring,foul-mouthedman;hestrippedtohisshirt,androaredlikeabull,andswore,andsneered,andwantedtotakethewholeofTom’scrowdwhilehewasatit,andmakeonecleanjobof’em。Couldn’twastetimefightingthemalloneaftertheother,becausehewantedtogetawaytothenewrushatCattleCreeknextday。Thefoolhadbeendrinkingshanty-whisky。
\"Tomstoodupinhisclean,whitemolesandwhiteflannelshirt——oneofthosesortwithnosleeves,thatgivethearmsplay。
HehadasortofsetexpressionandalookinhiseyesthatUncleBob——nornoneofthem——hadeverseentherebefore。
`Giveusplentyof————room!’roaredRedmond;`oneofusisgoingtohell,now!Thisisgoingtobeafighttoa————finish,anda————shortone!’Anditwas!\"Joepaused。
\"Goon,\"saidMitchell——\"goon!\"
Joedrewalongbreath。
\"TheOraclenevergotamark!Hewastop-dogrightfromthestart。
PerhapsitwashisstrengththatRedmondhadunderrated,orhiswantofsciencethatpuzzledhim,ortheawfulsilenceofthemanthatfrightenedhim(itmadeevenUncleBobuneasy)。Or,perhaps,itwasProvidence(itwasagloriouschanceforProvidence),but,anyway,asIsay,theOraclenevergotamark,exceptonhisknuckles。
AfterafewroundsRedmondfunkedandwantedtogivein,butthechapswouldn’tlethim——notevenhisownmates——exceptDuigan。
Theymadehimtakeitaslongashecouldstandonhisfeet。
Heevenshammedtobeknockedout,androaredoutsomethingabouthavingbrokenhis————ankle——butitwasnouse。AndtheOracle!
Thechapsthatknewthoughtthathe’drefusetofight,andneverhitamanthathadgivenin。Buthedid。Hejuststoodtherewiththatquietlookinhiseyesandwaited,and,whenhedidhit,therewasn’tanynecessityforRedmondtoPRETENDtobeknockeddown。
You’llseeaglintofthatoldlightintheOracle’seyesevennow,onceinawhile;andwhenyoudoit’sasignthatyouorsomeonearegoingtoofar,andhadbetterpullup,forit’saredlightontheline,oldasheis。
\"Now,JimmyNowlettwasanuggetylittlefellow,hardascastiron,good-hearted,butveryexcitable;andwhenthebashedRedmondwasbeingcartedoff(poorUncleBobwasalwaysprettyhigh-strung,andwassittingonalogsobbinglikeagreatchildfromthereaction),DuiganmadesomesneeringremarkthatonlyJimmyNowlettcaught,andinaninstanthewasupandatDuigan。
\"PerhapsDuiganwasdemoralisedbyhismate’sdefeat,orbythesuddennessoftheattack;but,atallevents,hegotahiding,too。
UncleBobusedtosaythatitwasthefunniestthingheeversawinhislife。
Jimmykeptyelling:`Letmegetathim!BytheLord,letmegetathim!’
Andnobodywasattemptingtostophim,heWASgettingathimallthetime——
andproperly,too;and,whenhe’dknockedDuigandown,he’ddanceroundhimandcallonhimtogetup;andeverytimehejumpedorbounced,he’dsqueaklikeanindia-rubberball,UncleBobsaid,andhewouldnearlybursthisboilertryingtolugthebigmanontohisfeetso’shecouldknockhimdownagain。IttooktwoofJimmy’smatesalltheirtimetolamhimdownintoacomparativelyreasonablestateofmindafterthefightwasover。
\"TheOracleleftforSydneynextday,andUncleBobwentwithhim。
HestayedatUncleBob’splaceforsometime。Hegotveryquiet,theysaid,andgentle;heusedtoplaywiththechildren,andtheygotmightyfondofhim。Theoldfolksthoughthisheartwasbroken,butitwentthroughadeepersorrowstillafterthatanditain’tbrokenyet。
Ittakesalottobreaktheheartofaman。\"
\"Andhiswife,\"askedMitchell——\"whatbecameofher?\"
\"Idon’tthinkheeversawheragain。Shedroppeddownprettylowafterhelefther——I’veheardshe’slivingsomewherequietly。
TheOracle’sbeensendingsomeonemoneyeversinceIknewhim,andIknowit’sawoman。Isupposeit’sshe。Heisn’tthesortofamantoseeawomanstarve——especiallyawomanhehadeverhadanythingtodowith。\"
\"AndtheGippslandgirl?\"askedMitchell。
\"That’stheworstpartofitall,Ithink。TheOraclewentupNorthsomewhere。InthecourseofayearortwohisaffairgotoverGippslandwaythroughamateofhiswholivedoverthere,andatlastthestorygottotheearsofthisgirl,BerthaBredt。
Shemusthavewrittenadozenletterstohim,AuntBobsaid。
Sheknewwhatwasin’em,but,ofcourse,she’dnevertellus。
TheOracleonlywroteoneinreply。Then,whatmustthegirldobutclearoutfromhomeandmakeherwayovertoSydney——
toAuntBob’splace,lookingforTom。Shenevergotanyfurther。
Shetookill——brain-fever,orbrokenheart,orsomethingofthatsort。
Allthetimeshewasdownhercrywas——`Iwanttoseehim!
IwanttofindTom!IonlywanttoseeTom!’
\"Whentheysawshewasdying,AuntBobwiredtotheOracletocome——
andhecame。WhenthegirlsawitwasTomsittingbythebed,shejustgaveonelonglookinhisface,putherarmsroundhisneck,andlaidherheadonhisshoulder——anddied……HerecomestheOraclenow。\"
Mitchellliftedthetea-billyontothecoals。