on our selection-第12章

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Dad　was　silent；　he　seemed　sad；　and　lay　for　some　time　gazing　at　the　roof。　He　might　have　been　watching　the　blaze　of　the　glorious　moon　or　counting　the　stars　through　the　gaps　in　the　shingles；　but　he　was　n'tthere　was　no　such　sentiment　in　Dad。　　He　was　thinking　how　his　long　years　of　toil　and　worry　had　been　rewarded　again　and　again　by　disappointmentwondering　if　ever　there　would　be　a　turn　in　his　luck；　and　how　he　was　going　to　get　enough　out　of　the　land　that　season　to　pay　interest　and　keep　Mother　and　us　in　bread　and　meat。

At　last　he　spoke；　or　rather　muttered　disjointedly；　〃Plen…tyto　eatin　the　safe。〃　　Then　suddenly；　in　a　strange　and　hollow　voice；　he　shouted；〃　THEY'　RE　DEADALL　OF　THEN！　　I　STARVED　THEM！〃

Mother　DID　get　a　fright。　　She　screamed。　　Then　Dad　jumped　up；　rubbing　his　eyes；　and　asked　what　was　the　matter。　　Nothing　was　the　matter　THEN。　　He　had　dozed　and　talked　in　his　sleep；　that　was　all；　he　had　n't　starved　anyone。　Joe　did　n't　jump　up　when　Mother　screamednot　altogether；　he　raised　himself　and　reached　for　Dad's　pillow；　then　lay　down　and　snored　serenely　till　bed…time。

Dad　sat　gloomily　by　the　fire　and　meditated。　　Mother　spoke　pleadingly　to　him　and　asked　him　not　to　fret。　　He　ran　his　fingers　uneasily　through　his　hair　and　spat　in　the　ashes。　　〃Don't　fret？　　When　there's　not　a　bit　to　eat　in　the　placewhen　there's　no　way　of　getting　anything；　and　whenmerciful　God！every　year　sees　things　worse　than　they　were　before。〃

〃It's　only　fancy；〃　Mother　went　on。　　〃And　you've　been　brooding　and　brooding　till　it　seems　far　worse　than　it　really　is。〃

〃It's　no　fancy；　Ellen。〃　Then；　after　a　pause〃Was　the　thirty　acres　of　wheat　that　did　n't　come　up　fancy？　　Is　it　only　fancy　that　we've　lost　nearly　every　beast　in　the　paddock？　　Was　the　drought　itself　a　fancy？　　Nono。〃　And　he　shook　his　head　sadly　and　stared　again　into　the　fire。


Dad's　inclination　was　to　leave　the　selection；　but　Mother　pleaded　for　another　trial　of　itjust　one　more。　　She　had　wonderful　faith　in　the　selection；　had　Mother。　　She　pleaded　until　the　fire　burned　low；　then　Dad　rose　and　said：　　〃Well；　we'll　try　it　once　more　with　corn；　and　if　nothing　comes　of　it　why　then　we　MUST　give　it　up。〃　Then　he　took　the　spade　and　raked　the　fire　together　and　covered　it　with　asheswe　always　covered　the　fire　over　before　going　to　bed　so　as　to　keep　it　alight。　　Some　mornings；　though；　it　would　be　out；　when　one　of　us　would　have　to　go　across　to　Anderson's　and　borrow　a　fire…stick。　　Any　of　us　but　Joehe　was　sent　only　once；　and　on　that　occasion　he　stayed　at　Anderson's　to　breakfast；　and　on　his　way　back　successfully　burnt　out　two　grass　paddocks　belonging　to　a　J。P。

So　we　began　to　prepare　the　soil　for　another　crop　of　corn；　and　Dad　started　over　the　same　old　ground　with　the　same　old　plough。　　How　I　remember　that　old；　screwed　and　twisted　plough！　　The　land　was　very　hard；　and　the　horses　out　of　condition。　　We　wanted　a　furrow…horse。　　Smith　had　onea　good　one。　〃Put　him　in　the　furrow；〃　he　said　to　Dad；　〃and　you　can't　PULL　him　out　of　it。〃　　Dad　wished　to　have　such　a　horse。　　Smith　offered　to　exchange　for　our　roan　saddle　mareone　we　found　running　in　the　lane；　and　advertised　as　being　in　our　paddock；　and　no　one　claimed　it。　　Dad　exchanged。

He　yoked　the　new　horse　to　the　plough；　and　it　took　to　the　furrow　splendidlybut　that　was　all；　it　did　n't　take　to　anything　else。　　Dad　gripped　the　handles〃Git　up！〃　he　said；　and　tapped　Smith's　horse　with　the　rein。　　Smith's　horse　pranced　and　marked　time　well；　but　did　n't　tighten　the　chains。　　Dad　touched　him　again。　　Then　he　stood　on　his　fore…legs　and　threw　about　a　hundredweight　of　mud　that　clung　to　his　heels　at　Dad's　head。　　That　aggravated　Dad；　and　he　seized　the　plough…scraper；　and；　using　both　hands；　calmly　belted　Smith's　horse　over　the　ribs　for　two　minutes；　by　the　sun。　He　tried　him　again。　　The　horse　threw　himself　down　in　the　furrow。　　Dad　took　the　scraper　again；　welted　him　on　the　rump；　dug　it　into　his　back…bone；　prodded　him　in　the　side；　then　threw　it　at　him　disgustedly。　　Then　Dad　sat　down　awhile　and　breathed　heavily。　　He　rose　again　and　pulled　Smith's　horse　by　the　head。　　He　was　pulling　hard　when　Dave　and　Joe　came　up。　　Joe　had　a　bow…and…arrow　in　his　hand；　and　said！；　〃He's　a　good　furrer　'orse；　eh；　Dad？　Smith　SAID　you　could　n't　pull　him　out　of　it。〃

Shall　I　ever　forget　the　look　on　Dad's　face！　　He　brandished　the　scraper　and　sprang　wildly　at　Joe　and　yelled；　〃Damn　y'；　you　WHELP！　　what　do　you　want　here？〃

Joe　left。　　The　horse　lay　in　the　furrow。　　Blood　was　dropping　from　its　mouth。　　Dave　pointed　it　out；　and　Dad　opened　the　brute's　jaws　and　examined　them。　　No　teeth　were　there。　　He　looked　on　the　ground　round　aboutnone　there　either。　　He　looked　at　the　horse's　mouth　again；　then　hit　him　viciously　with　his　clenched　fist　and　said；　〃The　old　；　he　never　DID　have　any！〃　　At　length　he　unharnessed　the　brute　as　it　laypulled　the　winkers　off；　hurled　them　at　its　head；　kicked　it　oncetwicethree　timesand　the　furrow…horse　jumped　up；　trotted　away　triumphantly；　and　joyously　rolled　in　the　dam　where　all　our　water　came　from；　drinking…water　included。

Dad　went　straightaway　to　Smith's　place；　and　told　Smith　he　was　a　dirty；　mean；　despicable　swindleror　something　like　that。　　Smith　smiled。　　Dad　put　one　leg　through　the　slip…rails　and　promised　Smith；　if　he'd　only　come　along；　to　split　palings　out　of　him。　　But　Smith　did　n't。　　The　instinct　of　self…preservation　must　have　been　deep　in　that　man　Smith。　　Then　Dad　went　home　and　said　he　would　shoot　the　　horse　there　and　then；　and　went　looking　for　the　gun。　　The　horse　died　in　the　paddock　of　old　age；　but　Dad　never　ploughed　with　him　again。

Dad　followed　the　plough　early　and　late。　　One　day　he　was　giving　the　horses　a　spell　after　some　hours'　work；　when　Joe　came　to　say　that　a　policeman　was　at　the　house　wanting　to　see　him。　　Dad　thought　of　the　roan　mare；　and　Smith；　and　turned　very　pale。　　Joe　said：　　〃There's　〃Q。P。〃　on　his　saddle…cloth；　what's　that　for；　Dad？〃　　But　he　did　n't　answerhe　was　thinking　hard。　〃And；〃　Joe　went　on；　〃there's　somethin'　sticking　out　of　his　pocketDave　thinks　it'll　be　'ancuffs。〃　Dad　shuddered。　　On　the　way　to　the　house　Joe　wished　to　speak　about　the　policeman；　but　Dad　seemed　to　have　lock…jaw。　When　he　found　the　officer　of　the　law　only　wanted　to　know　the　number　of　stock　he　owned；　he　talked　freelyhe　was　delighted。　　He　said；　〃Yes；　sir；〃　and　〃No；　sir；〃　and　〃Jusso；　sir；〃　to　everything　the　policeman　said。

Dad　wished　to　learn　some　law。　　He　said：　　〃Now；　tell　me　this：　　supposing　a　horse　gets　into　my　paddockor　into　your　paddockand　I　advertise　that　horse　and　nobody　claims　him；　can't　I　put　my　brand　on　him？〃　The　policeman　jerked　back　his　head　and　stared　at　the　shingles　long　enough　to　recall　all　the　robberies　he　had　committed；　and　said：　　〃Ye　canthat's　soye　can。〃

〃I　knew　it；〃　answered　Dad；　〃but　a　lawyer　in　town　told　Maloney；　over　there；　y'　could　n't。〃

〃COULD　N'T？〃　　And　the　policeman　laughed　till　he　nearly　had　the　house　down；　only　stopping　to　ask；　while　the　tears　ran　over　his　well…fed　cheeks；　〃Did　he　charge　him　forrit？〃　and　laughed　again。　　He　went　away　laughing；　and　for　all　I　know　the　wooden…head　may　be　laughing　yet。

Everything　was　favourable　to　a　good　harvest。　　The　rain　fell　just　when　it　was　wanted；　and　one　could　almost　see　the　corn　growing。　　How　it　encouraged　Dad；　and　what　new　life　it　seemed　to　give　him！　　In　the　cool　of　the　evenings　he　would　walk　along　the　headlands　and　admire　the　forming　cobs；　and　listen　to　the　rustling　of　the　rows　of　drooping　blades　as　they　swayed　and　beat　against　each　other　in　the　breeze。　　Then　he　would　go　home　filled　with　fresh　hopes　and　talk　of　nothing　but　the　good　prospect　of　that　crop。

And　how　we　worked！　　Joe　was　the　only　one　who　played。　　I　remember　him　finding　something　on　a　chain　one　day。　　He　had　never　seen　anything　like　it　before。　　Dad　told　him　it　was　a　steel…trap　and　explained　the　working　of　it。　Joe　was　entrancedan　invaluable　possession！　　A　treasure；　he　felt；　that　the　Lord　must　specially　have　sent　him　to　catch　things　with。　　He　caught　many　things　with　itwillie…wagtails；　laughing…jackasses；　fowls；　and　mostly　the　dog。　　Joe　was　a　born　naturalista　perfect　McCooey　in　his　way；　and　a　close　observer　of　the　habits　and　customs　of　animals　and　living　things。　　He　observed　that　whenever　Jacob　Lipp　came　to　our　place　he　always；　when　going　home；　ran　along　the　fence　and　touched　the　top　of　　every　post　with　his　hand