Part 41 (1/2)
Daylight had now ht; and the place was no longer solitary Dozens of cattle were scattered round, harvesting the fine crop of grass; and Thoht, I had rass, where a fire could be kindled without offending the public eye; and to this spot the four of us repaired to see about some supper
Before the first match was struck, a sound of subdued voices behind us notified the co of two more interlopers
One of these was Stevenson, a tank-sinker, now on his way northith twenty-two fresh horses--fresh, by the way, only in respect of their new branch of industry, for the draft was made-up entirely of condemned coachers from Hay, and broken-down cab-horses froht his two ten-horse teams
A thrifty, honest, sociable felloas; yet nothing but the integrity of narrative could possibly move me to repeat his na The first time I had addressed him by name--many years before--a sense of delicacy had impelled me to shorten the vowel, also to slur the first syllable, whilst placing a strong accent on the second
But he had corrected me, just as promptly as Mr Smythe would have done if I had called him Smith, and far more civilly He had even softened the ad that his strictness arose from a justifiable fa been man-o'-war captains, and one an admiral--in which cases, the name would certainly seem appropriate But some Continental surnames are sad indeed
The roll-call of Germany furnishes, perhaps, the most unhappy examples
There are bona fide Ger, except in a shearers' hut or a gentle-roo to the bullock drivers'
look of inquiry And he also applied hi of a small fire
”Jis' missed my ole ca the arena with a billy in one hand and a s in the other ”I was makin' for her hen I heard you (fellows) talkin'
More thea third little fire
”Gittin' out with loadin', Hels of the billies
”Yoos gittin' dan mit der las' wool,” replied the Dutcho, I e that name of yours, Jan,” remarked Thompson, with real sincerity ”It's an infernal name for children to hear”
”Literally so,” commented Stevenson
”Alter it to John Sulphur-Burnin',” suggested Baxter
”How'd Jack Brimstone-Reek do?” asked Donovan
”Give it the aristocratic touch,” proposed Stevenson ”Sign yourself Jean Fumee de l'Enfer”
”Why not the scientific turn?” I asked ”Make it Professor John OxySulphuret, FRS--Foreigner Rastling for Selebrity”
”My idear's Blue Blazes,” put in Saunders bluntly
”Tank you, yentleenial Mynheer ”Mineself, I enyoy der yoke Bot I am brout of oot fear of Gott into der Spaniar' und der English”
”No wonder,” sighed Tho the honest vindication
”And it'll have the same effect on anybody that considers it properly
But for that very reason, it's not a decent naued the Dutchloo out of heaven; and it'll be going as strong as ever e're trying to give an account of ourselves It won't be a joking -matter for our assembly Soon, however, the billies were taken off the fires, and spiritual apprehension forthwith gave place to physical indulgence
After supper, we adjourned to the open plain The night was delicious; and for half-an-hour the congress was governed by that dignified silence which backcountry hly, yet so unconsciously