Part 63 (1/2)

'He can't do it,' says dad; 'it's sink or sith the lot of you

And he dursn't either, not he,' says father, beginning to growl out his words 'If I ever heard he'd given away any one in the lot I'd have his life, if I had to poleaxe hi away pretty late The old h for that part of his life which had turned out so bad for us boys, and for h he was in a kind of way, old dad, but he wasn't all bad, and I believe if he could have begun again and thought of whaton the lot of us he would never have gone on the cross It was too late, too late now, though, to think of that

Towards rowl, and then the traht rode up to the fire and let his horse go, then walked straight into his corner and threw hi ride, and a fast one by the look of his horse The other one he had let go as soon as he came into the Hollow; but none of the three would be a bit the worse after a few hours' rest

The horses, of course, were spare ones, and not wanted again for a bit

Nextit was 'sharp's the word', and no mistake I felt a deal smarter on it than yesterday When you've fairly started for the road half the journey's done It's the thinking of this and forgetting that, and wondering whether you haven't left behind the t'other thing, that's thea journey; when you're once away, no et on some way or other

We didn't start so over and above early, though Starlight was up as fresh as paint at sunrise, you'd thought he hadn't ridden a yard the day before Even at the very last there's a lot of things to do and to get

But we all looked slippy and didn't talk h e had to do, and had all the horses saddled and packed by about eight o'clock Even Warrigal had partly got over his teood rowing, and told hiive hial didn't say a word to hih, he was sorry it happened, 'though it's the rascal's own fault, and served hiar,' he says, 'and that he would play you so's trick if he wasn't afraid of me, you may depend your life on'

'Now,' says he, 'we ements I shall be somewhere about Cunnamulla by the end of this month' (it was only the first week) 'Jie that all right I think the greatest part of the danger will be over I shall get right across by Dandaloo to the back blocks of the West Bogan country, between it and the Lachlan There are tracks through the endless hbourhood, and a few half-castes like Warrigal, that have been stock-riding about theht just as well hunt for a stray Arab in the deserts of the Euphrates If I'm alive--mind you, alive--I'll be at Cunnaood-bye, old fellow Whatever my sins have been, I've been true to you and your people in the past, and if Aileen and I meet across the seas, as I hope, the new life may partly atone for the old one'

Chapter 49

He shook hands withover Rainbow, took Locket's bridle as if he was going for an easy day's ride, and cantered off

Warrigal nodded to both of us, then brought his pack-horse up level, and followed up

'There goes the Captain,' says father 'It's hard to say if we'll ever see hiain I shan't, anyhow, nor you either, ood while asIt don't reat chop to aside o' sixty, anyhow Mine ain't been such a bad innings, and I don't owe much to any man I mean as I've mostly been square with them that's done me a bad turn No man can say Ben Marston was ever back'ard in that way; and never will be, that's more No! them as trod on rowled He understood things regular like a Christian, that old dog did 'And now you're a-goin' off and Jione--seems only t'other day as you and he was little toddlin' chaps, runnin' to meet me when I co me rubbin'

and clearin' after all It looked sloork, but it paid better than this here in the long run' Father turns away from me then, and walks back a step or two Then he faces me 'Dash it, boy, what are ye waitin'

for? Shake hands, and tell Jiot him yet'

It was many a day since I'd felt father's hand in kindness; he didn't do theers closed on it one minute, like a vice--blest if I didn't expect to feel the bones grate agin one another; he was that strong he hardly knew his own strength, I believe Then he sits down on the log by the fire He took out his pipe, but so looked at ed his tail, and then went and sat between dad's knees I took my horse and rode away slowish I felt all dead and alive like when I got near the turn in the track I looked back and seen the dog and him just the saain Poor old dad!

I wasn't very gay for a bit, but I had a good horse under old, some bank deposits too, and all the world before me My dart noas to make etting through was none too good, but I settled to ride a deal at night and caot on the road that led up the ht call ain

Next day after that I was at Willaroon I could have got there overnight, but it looked better to caht The overseer was a reasonable sort of ood as his word, and left word if a couple of ht came up ere to be put on with the nextto Queensland He did a store cattle trade with the far-out squatters that were stocking up new country in Queensland, and it paid hi did that he touched We were to find our own horses and be paid so much a week--three pounds, I think--and so on

As luck would have it, there was a biggishscarce in that part the overseer was disappointed that one another track

'Well, he'll hardly get such wages at any other job,' says he, 'and if I was Mr Storefield I wouldn't hire hiain, not if he wanted a billet ever so bad'

'I don't suppose he will,' says I, 'and serves hiht too'

I put my horses in the paddock--there ild oats and crowsfoot knee-high in it--and helped the overseer to ave me a fresh horse, of course When he sa handy I was in the yard he got quite shook on e, you're just the chap the boss wants to send out to so to take up in Queensland What's your name? Now I think of it he didn't tell me'

'William Turner,' says I