Part 14 (1/2)
”We are,” she answered, with a boondering nervously if he were a bushranger, of which she had read so e and yet had not set eyes on since landing
”Which is Dalrymple Plu a ferocious gaze on Rupert, who flushed and turned a trifle pale, wondering what could be theround fro and trying to compose blank verse about Australian roadside scenery, but not succeeding over-well
”Why, you are only a kid!” exclai back a step and surveying Rumple with an expression of bewildered surprise
”It is a fault that will nity that Sylvia, as sitting behind Nealie in the wagon, gurgled and choked
The red-shi+rted person threw back his head with a great burst of laughter, then, thrusting out a brown, hairy hand, cried eagerly: ”Well, you are plucky anyhow, every ounce of you! Shake, will you? I'ht proud to make your acquaintance, sir, and if you have coot to say is that we are proud to have you a us”
This was quite too ht she had a bone in her throat, and patted her with great concern
But Ruht that he was being laughed at, and it h, as a rule, he was remarkably even-tempered
”Perhaps I should understand better if you explained your business without his chest in what Nealie called his best pigeon aze at the fence on the other side of the road, so that the stranger should not see that she was laughing so entleman that stalked the cattle thieves out by Russell Downs, and kept the clear aith five hundred head of my cattle; and if that is not cause for thankfulness I don't knohat is,” said theaway at his hand much as if it were a pump handle and the water was hard to fetch
”Oh, they were your cattle that staht!” exclaimed Nealie, while Ru so much appreciated
”No, Miss, I should say it was the other lot, which belong to Tom Jones of Hobson's Bottoes you had better send it in to hi that he is much better off than I am, and his cattle are the wildest lot in the New South Wales boundary,”
said the red-shi+rted person, with such an air of wriggling out of it that the whole seven burst into a shout of laughter, and then proized for their apparent rudeness
But he waved his hand in an airy fashi+on, and begged theood to see young things so lively,” he exclaiht and left, as if he had received an ovation ”My nah I never saw old Ireland, and am never likely to”
”We are very pleased to han, and we are quite sure that it on over, so ill give his address to Messrs Peek & Wallis, if there is any coon when it is returned to the owners,” said Nealie; and then she asked in an interested tone; ”But how did you hear anything about it? Were you helping to drive the cattle?”
”No; if I had been I would have taken good care that there was a better watch set,” replied Tihan ”I couldn't leave because h the police, who senter of other people's property, and that I should have doubtless lost the greater part of ood and all if it had not been for a Mr Dalry to the police There is one comfort about it, and that is that Toood to be taken down a peg or two And nohat can I do for you, ladies and gentleht tell us which is the best place in Pomeroy to buy food, for our provision box is nearly es are so dear in these country places,” said Nealie rather wistfully, for hervery low, and there was always present with her the dread that she would not have enough to keep the until they reached Ha with ton's; he is about as reasonable as anyone in Pos that may help me to pull his prices down a bit for you, and they will stand a little paring off at lad to pay his debt of gratitude in this fashi+on, since the cost would fall upon soht to have soe it,”
said Nealie rather anxiously She knew that it was the poorest sort of econorateful as well, seeing what a useful beast it had been But corn for horses was a treh which they had passed, and food for Rockefeller had beco item in the expenses
”Want sohan in a breezy tone ”Well, I don't know as I can't let you have half a bushel free, gratis, and for nothing, as they say in the old country My wagon is in the to, I believe, and the corn is in it safe enough, unless someone has stolen it, which isn't likely”
A queer, choky feeling ca theon ahead
How kind people were to them! Of course she did not know that in cohan should have paid Run for the service rendered in caring for the cattle, and that he also should have paid so of the wagon Ignorance was certainly bliss in her case, and she esteemed the Irish his level best to shuffle out of his obligations
However, he beat Gil Addington's prices down to a figure so low that Nealie worried considerably as to whether she would not be a party to a fraud if she took the goods at Mr Callaghan's valuation, and was not even consoled when he whispered to her in a loud aside that Gil was quite sharp enough to make the next custo comfort to find the provision box full once h corn to last Rocky to the end of the journey, and to feel that she had still a little money left in her purse On shi+pboard there had see she had carried a very heavy load indeed
There were a good many h they had a very good map of the route, which Mr Wallis had marked for theone miles out of their way in consequence And in a journey like theirs such things tell seriously in the ain, and everyone, including the horse, was feeling the effects, while Rupert and Ducky, the most delicate of the party, were al to his wont, made no complaint at all, but Ducky, who had less self-control, enquired fifty times a day how soon it would be before they could live in a nice cool house again, and have beds with sheets to them
Sylvia did her ut the ears of Nealie, for surely the elder sister had h of worry and care Sylvia had never troubled herself about things of this sort in the days at Beechleigh, when she had been as irresponsible in her way as either Don or Billykins, but the long journey and the sense of responsibility in being so peculiarly on their own had steadied her and developed her character in quite a wonderful ed Ducky up a little shelter at the back of the wagon, because it was cooler there, and the dust was less Then she would walk behind for s to interest the petulant little , while Rupert sat on the front seat and drove