Part 46 (1/2)
Soon a disquietude from another source set my mind at work in troubled calculation of probabilities At last I said:
”Would you suppose, Steve, that the finding of George Murdoch's body was a necessary incite lost?”
”Domson's ascleep,” murmured Helsmok ”I tink dey all ascleep I wass yoos dropp'n off ular breathing affirmed a kind of fellowshi+p with the rest, in spite of his alien birth and objectionable nael-faced Mary! perishi+ng alone in the bush!+ Nature's precious link between a squalid Past and a nobler Future, broken, snatched away froes! Heiress of infinite hope, and dowered with latent fitness to fulfil her part, now so suddenly fallen by the wayside! That quaint dialect silent so soon! and for ever vanished froer perception, that fathomless love and devotion! But such is life
Yet it is ith her And it is ith her father, since he, throughout her transitory life, spoke no word to hurt or grieve her
Poor old Rory! Reaching Goolumbulla, after his sorrowful journey, his soft heart would be stabbed afresh by the sight of two picture-books, which I had posted a fortnight before And how many memories and associations would confront him when he returned to his daily round of life! How many reminders that the irremediable loss is a reality, fro! How many relics to be conte of a slu and intolerable sense of bereavement!
But the saddest and most precious of memorials will be those little copper-toed boots that she left along the way Deepest pathos lies only in hos, since the frailness ofbut ho as the half-worn boots of the dead
Thus in the funeral of that gold-escort trooper, when I was but little older than poor Mary The armed procession--the Dead March--the cap and sword on the coffin--see that I forthwith resolved to be a trooper myself That ambition passed away; but the pathos of the empty boots, reversed in the stirrups of the led horse, has remained with me ever since
Fro into philosophic lance at the settingpast ht Here, therefore, ends the record of Deceine this chapter of life fitly concluded
But so parallel with the es from its murky depths, and causes a transient eddy in the inter of this kind occurred on theof the 10th
”Collince,” said the Dutchoot yoos now I gone 'way roun' der liknum, und der bullock und der horse not dere Notteen cronk, I hope Mi's well com anodder trip?”
I left my lair, and alked out across the plain, followed by the faithful Pup When we had ranged for an hour, in half- had turned-up, except four of Stevenson's horses
But we heard, through the stillness of the dawn, a faint, far-away tra of hoofs We headed for the sound, and presently found ourselvesthree or four dozen of mixed bullocks and horses convoyed by five mounted Chinamen We stood aside to let theht enabled(also called Paul) with a rider as more likely to be that proselyte than anyone else At all events, he turned upon ent as the harvestthe accents of that unknown tongue:
”Ah-pang-sen-lo! Missa Collin! sen-lo! Tlee-po' week, me plully liah, all li; nek time, you plully liah, all li! Missa S-see-ho! You lescue Walligal Alp bullock--eh? You killee -hon-lass, no feah! Hi-lung-sing-i-lo-i-lo!”
”Goo' ony ”Nicee molnin', Missa Helsmok! Whaffoh you tellee -lee! Missa Smyte wakee you up--tyillin'-a-head you holse!
Man-di-sling-lo-he!”
”Donder und blitzen!” retorted the Dutch toward the escort, which scattered at his approach ”Yomp off dem olt crocks, every man yack of you, und swelp edder s mons pothim; ”upon the heat and flame of thy distemper sprinkle cool patience Let us accept the situation with dignity Let us pit the honest frankness of the played-out Caucasian against the cunning of the successful Mongol” Then, addressing the Turanian horde, and adaptingof our lowest types: ”My word!”
I exclaieree rise out-a whitepeller, John! Merrijig you! Borak you shi+ft-um that peller bullock; borak you shi+ft-uib-it you fi' bob, buy-it opium
You savvy? Bale whitepeller tell-uood'-yabber likeit, 'Co-a whitepeller' You savvy, John?”
”Lak-hi-lo-hen-slung!” carolled a third Chow disdainfully ”You go hellee shut up! Eulopean allee sem plully whool! Lum-la-no-sunhi- reue, while the discoive the alarm
But Baxter, Donovan, Thoone out to feast their eyes on the change which such a night would etting on his feet, and feeling for his pipe Cartwright was still asleep It seemed a pity to disturb hience by hardshi+p that would have finished any civilised ently dozed off as the last bite of a copious and indigestible supper reached his emu-stoht them chinks was so suddent?” he s ”Trapped! Gosh, what a slant I'd 'a' had at that (fellow)'s horsepaddick, if I'd on'y knowed! Cut-an'-dried, I be boun' No good chewin'
over it now, anyhow After you with them matches, Stevenson; mine's all done”
”Barefooted Bob'sthe matches
”Noould have suspected it, froht? But no one is to be trusted Better take our saddles and bridles with us”