Part 7 (1/2)
”No; he can't get in at your gate,” is the reply; ”but I think his coarden now”
Then follows a frantic rush Your neighbour falls downstairs in his haste, and the co to bite sohbour's as they coate into the street again
If a horse gets in his hoofs rass, and you get quite a hearty laugh by dropping a chair on hiaarden, and scratch and chuckle and fluff theo bush; but you don't worry Why should you? They can't hurt it; and, besides, you know that the s yellow one, who have disappeared fro for you behind the thickest bush
Your little dog rushes frantically up and down the front bed of your garden, barking and racing, and tearing up the ground, because his rival little dog, who lives down the street, is going past with his master, and each pretends that he wants to be at the other--as they have pretended every day for the past three years The perforh doesn't disturb you Why should it? By following the directions in this article you have selected plants he cannot hurt
After breakfasting at noon, you stroll out, and, perhaps, smooth with your foot, or with your spade, the inequalities s they have laid; you whistle to your little dog, and go out for a stroll with a light heart
THIRSTY ISLAND
Travellers approaching a bush townshi+p are sure to find so by the roadside to give the pub of Australia
When the China and British-India steamers arrive from the North the first place they coate of Torres Straits New chuers, a long pier clustered with a hybrid crowd of every colour, caste and creed under Heaven, and at the back of it all a little galvanized-iron town shi+ning in the sun
For nine months of the year a crisp, cool south-east wind blows, the snohite beach is splashed with spray and dotted with the picturesque figures of japanese divers and South Sea Island boatmen Coco-nut palms line the roads by the beach, and back of the town are the barracks and a fort nestling a the trees on the hillside Thirsty Island is a nice place--to look at
When a vessel reet the new-coive them welcome to Australia The new-chu people Fresh from the iniquities of the China-coast cocktail and the unhallowed orgies of the Sourabaya Club, new-chums think they have little to learn in the way of drink; at any rate, they haven't co Poor new-chuainst
The following description of a night at Thursday Island is taken from a new-chum's note book:
”Passed Proudfoot shoal and arrived at Thursday Island First sight of Australia Lot of men came aboard, all called Captain They are all pearl-fishers or pilots, not a bit like the bushmen I expected When they came aboard they divided into parties So room; the rest crowded into the saloon
They talked to the passengers about the Boer War, and told us about pearls worth 1000 pounds that had been found lately
”One captain pulled a handful of loose pearls out of a jar and handed them round in a casual way for us to look at The stewards opened bottles and we all sat down for a drink and a srinned amiably, but did not answer
Another captain leaned over to me and said, 'Don't take any notice of him, he's boozed all this week'
”Conversation and drink becaht was very hot and close, and soood for theious thirst spread round the shi+p, and before long the stewards and firemen were at it The saloon became an inferno of drink and sweat and tobacco s to each other at the top of their voices
”Young MacTavish, who is in a crack English regier whether he didn't know Talbot de Cholmondeley in the Blues
”The pearler said very likely he had met 'em, and no doubt he'd remember their faces if he saw theer--a Jeas trying to buy some pearls cheap from the captains, but the more the captains drank the less anxious they becaht wore on, and still the drinks circulated Young MacTavish slept profoundly
”One passenger gave his steward a sovereign as he was leaving the shi+p, and in half an hour the steas carried to his berth in a fit--alcoholic in its origin Another steas observed openly drinking the passengers' whisky When accused, he didn't even attereat Thursday Island thirst seemed to have communicated itself to everyone on board, and he si a tour of the shi+p disclosed the following state of affairs: Captain's roo-room empty, except for the inanimate form of the captain who had been boozed all the week, and was now sleeping peacefully with his feet on the sofa and his head on the floor The saloon was full of captains and passengers--the latterdeliriously; the rails lined with firemen who had business over the side; stewards ditto
”At last the Thursday Islanders departed, unsteadily, but still on their feet, leaving a de MacTavish, who has seen a thing or two in his brief span, staggered to his berth, saying, 'My God! Is _all_ Australia like this place?'”