Part 39 (2/2)
”That just reo--I think it was in Blackwood's The writer proves that your Shakespear reat extent, in Scotland He grounds his argument partly--and I think, justly--on the fact that the best play in the collection is a purely Scottish one Hepoint, I remember, of the expression, 'blasted heath' 'Say froht hideous?'----and so forth”
”Yes,” I replied rand old saint, and hating myself as a buffoon, I continued, ”My own conjecture is that so must have occurred to irritate the drae, and the expression slipped from his pen unawares”
”Never!” replied Stewart ”No man under the influence of petty irritation ever wrote anything like the passage where that expression occurs
Criticis of sees a landscape photographed in those tords Pardonthat your talent see I don't like referring to it again, but d--n it all, ly over your intervieith this To”
”Indeed, Mr Stewart, I can't tell you how sorry I a of Alf Morris when I unfortunately drew you from the subject”
”Ay To return to Morris Do you kno he cao?”
”Well, yes,” I replied reluctantly; ”rates are a lot higher here than there”
”Did you ever hear that he shot anyone? A boundary rider, for instance?”
”The kernel of truth in that report, Mr Stewart, is that he spoke of a certain boundary rider as a ”
”How do you know?”
”Well, in the first place, I'rowth in the report; and in the second place, when a person shoots a boundary o his way in peace”
”Sometimes he is I'll tell you how it happened with Morris” And the e before him settled into an easy position, his heels on top of the splash-board, and his arms behind the back of the seat, whilst Bob held the reins ”It was on Mirrabooka O'Grady Brothers had owned the place for a few years; but they were careless and inteant all round”----
”Familiar faults with people naht They got involved, and had to sell the place
Prescott bought it; and it was about aoccurred During the O'Grady's tihfare of the run, zigzagging fro close to the home station Prescott deterates on the track, and secured the tanks with cattle-proof fences, and kept hiswith all this, he prosecuted right and left
D----d hard on the bullockies, of course, and far froenerous on Prescott's part; but it acted as a check; and in a couple of ood However, just in the thick of the trouble, Morris crossed the run, and, of course, fared neither better nor worse than the rest One evening he was seen taking down a fence and ca at a new tank, a couple of ht he rode up to the station, and asked to see Mr Prescott When Prescott appeared, Morris drew him aside and told him, as cool as a d-----d cucuistrate, to the effect that he had just shot ato remove his bullocks Prescott refused to take the deposition just then; but he had a pair of horses put in a wagonette, and took the storekeeper with hi had happened
When they got there, d--n the sign of a body could they find; but Morris showed theed the more to do with the d--d business, and went after his bells, while Prescott and the other fellow returned to the station, cooeeing and listening as they went They overtook the h his ared in his side Of course, he was one of the station et his naot the chap hoerous, Prescott had his horse saddled at once, and followed the track till he caon; fro his bullocks They had a long conference, and Prescott went ho, Morris continued his journey; and when he unloaded--about sixty ht on to Riverina Now, Collins; you put a d----d big value on your acuacity, and your penetration, and all the rest of it--What do you make of that story? Mind, I vouch for the truth of it”
”There's a hitch somewhere, Mr Stewart”
”Confess you're at fault, d--n you!”
”I am at fault--for once”
”Good,” replied the squatter coive you the key
When the O'Gradys sold the station, there was a 200 tank nearly finished, but not paid for; and somehow (d----d if I kno people can make such blunders!)--somehow this tank was overlooked in the valuation
Prescott considered that the ter still on the O'Gradys; while they iined that the whole transaction was taken off their hands If the truth , under the cloak of an oversight; and the O'Gradys check
In this way Their last action, while the station remained in their poas to transfer the tank to the Department, on condition that a section of land should be reserved round it The Department accepted it on these terms, and struck the section off the Mirrabooka assessazetted, and washeaven and earth to secure the reserve, just at the time Morris camped there
How Morris came by this information beats the devil; but, of course, all he had to say to Prescott was, 'I caught soht off the Governet them from him peaceably; and I was compelled to stop him by force I was careful to ask hiavehie, I shot him in the act of felony'
It did n't suit Prescott to stir-up the question of the reserve just at that time-so what the (sheol) could he do? And, in any case, Morris ithin his legal rights; the reserve was as free to him as to Prescott; and, d--n it all, stock ether
Of course, Prescott afterward got the land secured quietly But just think of the cold-blooded calculation and d----d unscrupulousness of Morris