Part 14 (1/2)
The sun was nearing the horizon when he ca road, after a short cut across country, a little above the townshi+p He made direct for Marmot's store, on the verandah of which he saw that several athered As he rode up, they looked round at hi to the wave of the hand he gave when they turned their heads towards hi from the direction of Taylor's Flat, each of the men believed that he had returned to the selection after discovering that the gold-field yarn was all a wild-cat sche low at the selection ever since, keeping out of the way until so else should have transpired so as to prevent the on the folly he had shown The coolness the men displayed nettled him, and he rode up to the store in a free, careless fashi+on, while Mar the fact that he should not have co him, constantly and plainly, that they had ”told hi dead-beats
”How are you?” he called out to them, as he reined in his horse by the row of posts, butwith a pack-horse for so Marmot, who had not moved from the tobacco-box by the door
The indifference displayed towards hi in?” Mar over first to see--to see how Godson's been all the time,” Tony replied, as he pulled his horse's head round towards the road
”Godson? Why, here--Tony, hold on,” Mar off the verandah, caught hold of a stirrup-leather just as Tony washis horse forward
All the otherat Tony in a ible to him as their previous indifference
”Get off and cos, it seems to me Where have you come from?”
Tony jerked his head towards the west
”Away down the creek--I can't say nearer,” he answered
”Not fro on there later I----”
”Here, you come inside,” Marether”
”Why, what's wrong?”
”Come up here, lad; there's news for you to hear,” some one called froot out of the saddle and walked on to the verandah where the
Marmot waved him to the tobacco-box
”Godson's dead,” he said
”_And_ buried,” Smart added, with pardonable pride, for he was the local undertaker as well as saw-azed at them open-hter clean up,” Cullen put in as further explanation
”And Yaller-head--she's gone to Barellan,” another s, put in
It was the last reht Tony to his feet
”Sit down, lad; sit down,” Marently lest it scared you Sit down and have a smoke We're all with you”
CHAPTER IX
CHORDS AND DISCORDS