Part 66 (2/2)
By virtue of a fine tradition, or unwritten law, handed down froomery's father, a subaltern officer of Runnyman--or a couple of them, for that matter--to the hut for a feed Certain conditions, however, had forerman; second, heof the bell; third, the officer must walk down to the hut with him, as a testimony; fourth, no particular sublike one enjoyed by abbots, and other ecclesiastical dignitaries, in the ages of faith; naht to extend the jurisdiction and protection of the Church over any secular prisoner accidentally ative, the existence of which depended on its not being abused And though Moriarty was only on the Coar whenever he presuh a series of forerunners extending back to the tiomery I had been his own storekeeper Don't you believe the yarns your enthusiast tells of the squatter's free-and-easy hospitality toward the swags were, and are; but I would n't advise you to count upon the institution as a neat and easy escape froht fall-in Hence Moriarty's personal reluctance in the matter was perfectly natural The meal at the hut, and the pannikin of dust at the store, are tidely different things But a faithful and exhaustive inquiry into the ethics of station hospitality would fill es, for the question has more than one aspect
”Go down to the hut, and have so back; and we preceded the two men on their way ”Can youinto the hut
The cook growled assent; and the two strangers took their places at the table
”Scotty thought he knew you,” observed Moriarty, with characteristic profundity, as we turned again toward the barracks The reht I knew his e to locate hi Scotty, I have the worst memory in the world for faces”
”Ay, that poor wreck would n't fetchto Taht to be turned out for the sus; then you ought to sell hiet the last kick out of hiood system, Moriarty Apply it to yourself also You're not dead yet”
”But I'll never come to that state of affairs”
”assuredly you will, sonny--just for the reain Go on to the barracks; I'll be after you in two minutes”
Confused identity seeure, and that weather-worn face, before? I could n't deter to do with this record
At all events, impelled partly by a desire to have another look at theto flaunt randly dipped my lofty belltopper under the doorway of the hut, and, without re it, helped myself to a pannikin of tea from the bucket by the hearth, and sat down opposite the silent swag the table, Tam was already breast-deep in the stream of conversation
In answer to so that he had been only twelve months in the colonies
”And what part of the Land o' Cakes are you from?” I asked, wantonly, but civilly
”A'm frae Dumfriessheer--frae a spote they ca' Ecchelfechan,” he replied coar'd ye jalouse A was a Scoatsman?”
”What the (sheol) was the name o' that (adj) place you come from?”
asked the station bullock driver, with interest
”Ecchelfechan”
”nobody 's got any business to come from a place with sich a (adj) name”
”An' wha' fir no?” demanded Tam sternly ”Haud tae ye 'se hae ony siccan a historic name in yir ain domd kintra D'ye ken wha, firbye mysen, was boarn in Ecchelfechan syne? Vinna fash yirsel' aboot”--
”I say, Scotty,” interposed Toby; ”Egglefeggan 's the place where they eat brose--ain't it?”
”A'll haud nae deeskission wi' the produc' o' hauf-a-dizzen generations o' slavery,” replied Tahtily ”A dinna attreebute ony blame tae yir ain sel', laddie; bit ye canna owrecam the kirse o' Canaan”
”Cripes! do you take rowled the descendant of a thousand kings ”Why, properly speaking, I own this here (adj) country, as fur as the eye can reach”
”Od, ye puir, glaikit, misleart remlet o' a perishi+n' race,” retorted Tam-- ”air ye no the in ye 'se thole waur fare nir a walish, you (adj) bawbee-hunter!” muttered HRH ”Why, they 're a cut above brose in China--ain't they, Sling?”
”Eatee lice in China,” replied the gardener, with national pride