Part 43 (1/2)
Hope I'll live to see hior an' Shtfully
”Wonder which of the two (individuals) is worst in the sight o' God?”
”Toss-up,” replied Bob ”Same time, there's a lot o' difference in people, accordin' to the shape o' their head There's Stewart of Kooltopa; he don't des, an' gits there; an' he's got the heart to make a proper use o' what money travels his road Comes-out a Christian Then there's Smythe: his s that he can't see the big thing when it's starin' hi but a pis-ant Then there's M'Gregor: he goes-in for big things an' little things, an' he goes-in to win, an' he wins; an' all he wins is Donal' M'Gregor's Comes-out a bow constructor”
”Do you think he'll shi+ft Smythe from Mondunbarra, as he did Pratt from Boolka?” I asked
”Ain't he doin' it all the tihtened of hiinnin' to hate hior's lay By-'n'-by, Sht, an' wishi+n'
he was gah haunted, M'Gregor'll make him an offer, an' he'll sell-out like a bird”
”I should be inclined to reverse the situation,” relad to sell-out to me”
”My word, you'd do a lot,” replied Bob ”I seen sh tryin' to work points on the saor
Tell you what I seen on Wo-Winya, about three year ago--jist before arvis, froo, he selected a lot o' land on Wo-Winya, an' or Bit of a Berryite, he was Well-off for a selector, too; an' he done a big business back an' forrid to Vic with cattle
Mixed lots, of course, with stags an' ole cows that no fence would hold
North of Ireland feller, naor was a good deal about the station, takin' a sort o' interest in this Tregarvis Well, things was so arranged that the Cousin Jack's cattle was always gittin' into our paddicks; an' the rule was that his people had to coet leaf to hunt 'eenerally, by the time they foun'
the cattle, there was one or two o' the fattest o' theame,” remarked Stevenson ”I should have laid a trap”
”Jist what Tregarvis done,” rejoined Bob ”One day there was a stranger aarvis's brand on hiit a beast to kill, an' turned 'een, bar the white one; but he was in the killin'-yard all the afternoon Dusk in the evenin', the white bullock was shot; an' jist in the nick o' tisty, an' the hide was hangin' on the fence, raw side up, who should pounce on us but ole Tregarvis, an' Young Tregarvis, an' a trooper No allied on it; an' he huarvis if he laid a hand on the hide Anyhow, the trooper took charge o' the hide; an' both the Tregarvises struck -sty Next mornin', a warrant was served on Moore; but, of course, he was bailed Then the Court-day coe that a white bullock of his was aive evidence about the findin' o' the skin, an' swore to the head he seen in the pig-sty An' young Tregarvis, he swore he atchin'
with a telescope, an' seen a white bullock o' theirs yarded with some more, an' all the rest turnedout; an' he kep' his eye on that white bullock all the afternoon; an' he heard the shot, an' went up with his ole in' on the fence, an' the head in the pig-sty, an' a couple o' fellers hoistin' the carkidge on the gallus
When the istrate asked Moore if he wanted to make a statement, he said he was quite bewildered about it He allowed he had picked the white bullock for killin', an' he had give the order; but he'd swear the beast belonged to the station So the hide was spread out on a bit o' tarpolin in the floor o' the Court; an' there was on'y one brand on it, an' that brand was M'Gregor's--DMG off-rump Mind you, this is on'y what I was told My orders was to keep clear till the case was over; an'
it was on'y a day or two follerin' that ot our orders for the Diaarvis for ooddick Tregarvis, he got four years for perjury; so they'll be jist about lettin' hiood-conduct reested Thoe next tied jist at dusk, an' shot the minit after I had the station bullock all ready, before ever Tregarvis's one was yarded Dead spit o' one another, down to the shape o' their horns--bar the brands, of course; Treganis's beast havin' NT near-shoulder, an' JH conjoined under halfcircle off-ribs
I had hiht he was identifyin' hih
An' between one thing an' another, an' bein' follered-up like the last dingo on a sheep station, ole Tregarvis was glad to sell-out to M'Gregor, before all was over Yes, Stevenson; Lord 'a' ot a holt of him! My word! ”
”Where the (adj sheol) do you reckon on bein' shoved into when you croak, Bob?” asked Donovan, with a touch of human solicitude
”Well,” replied Bob pointedly, as he unfolded his long angles to a perpendicular right line--”I got good hopes o' goin' to a place where there's no adht or ten e out o' ain Well, take care o' yourselves, chaps” And, without further farewell, Bob removed his lonely individuality froe,” remarked Donovan, as the subject of his coht of the plain, where his horse was feeding
”Uncivilised (person),” added Baxter
”Well--yes,” conceded Thoot the profit of his unprofitableness, so to speak Hard to beat him in the back country
You'd have to behappen to hio, out on Goolumbulla” Thompson paused experih, till he must have felt a lot too tall in proportion to his cleverness” Another tentative pause
”But it took the very pick of uncivilisation to do it” A prolonged pause, while Thonified indifference of the caht tell his yarn, or keep it to hiue had run too freely ”What I', ”is that I forgot to tell Bob, when he was here, that I had a long pitch with Dan O'Connell, three or four nights ago”
”Boundary ested apathetically ”Got acquainted with Bob years ago, when he washimself obnoxious on Wo-Winya, or Boolka”