on our selection-第14章

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〃There's　SOMETHING！〃

〃My　God！〃　Mother　exclaimed〃　WHATEVER　has　happened？〃

Young　Johnson　hesitated。　　He　was　in　doubt。

〃Oh！　　What　IS　it？〃　Mother　moaned。

〃Well〃　（he　drew　close　to　her）　〃he'she's　MAD！〃

〃OH…H！〃

〃He　IS。　　I　seen　'im　just　now　up　in　your　paddick；　an'　he's　clean　off　he's　pannikin。〃

Just　then　Dave　came　down　the　track　whistling。　　Young　Johnson　saw　him　and　fled。

For　some　time　Mother　regarded　Dave　with　grave　suspicion；　then　she　questioned　him　closely。

〃Yairs；〃　he　said；　grinning　hard；　〃I　was　goin'　through　th'　FUST　SET。〃

It　was　when　Kate　was　married　to　Sandy　Taylor　that　we　realised　what　a　blessing　it　is　to　be　able　to　dance。　　How　we　looked　forward　to　that　wedding！　　We　were　always　talking　about　it；　and　were　very　pleased　it　would　be　held　in　our　own　house；　because　all　of　us　could　go　then。　　None　of　us　could　work　for　thinking　of　iteven　Dad　seemed　to　forget　his　troubles　about　the　corn　and　Mick　Brennan's　threat　to　summon　him　for　half　the　fence。　Mother　said　we　would　want　plenty　of　water　for　the　people　to　drink；　so　Sandy　yoked　his　horse　to　the　slide；　and　he；　Dad；　and　Joe　started　for　the　springs。

The　slide　was　the　fork　of　a　tree；　alias　a　wheel…less　water…trolly。　　The　horse　was　hitched　to　the　butt　end；　and　a　batten　nailed　across　the　prongs　kept　the　cask　from　slipping　off　going　uphill。　　Sandy　led　the　way　and　carried　the　bucket；　Dad　went　ahead　to　clear　the　track　of　stones；　and　Joe　straddled　the　cask　to　keep　her　steady。

It　always　took　three　to　work　the　slide。

The　water　they　brought　was　a　little　thickold　Anderson　had　been　down　and　stirred　it　up　pulling　a　bullock　out；　but　Dad　put　plenty　ashes　in　the　cask　to　clear　it。

Each　of　us　had　his　own　work　to　do。　　Sandy　knocked　the　partition　down　and　decorated　the　place　with　boughs；　Mother　and　the　girls　cooked　and　covered　the　walls　with　newspapers；　and　Dad　gathered　cow…dung　and　did　the　floor。

Two　days　before　the　wedding。　　All　of　us　were　still　working　hard。　　Dad　was　up　to　his　armpits　in　a　bucket　of　mixture；　with　a　stack　of　cow…dung　on　one　side；　and　a　heap　of　sand　and　the　shovel　on　the　other。　　Dave　and　Joe　were　burning　a　cow　that　had　died　just　in　front　of　the　house；　and　Sandy　had　gone　to　town　for　his　tweed　trousers。

A　man　in　a　long；　black　coat；　white　collar；　and　new　leggings　rode　up；　spoke　to　Dad；　and　got　off。　　Dad　straightened　up　and　looked　awkward；　with　his　arms　hanging　wide　and　the　mixture　dripping　from　them。　　Mother　came　out。　The　cove　shook　hands　with　her；　but　he　did　n't　with　Dad。　　They　went　insidenot　Dad；　who　washed　himself　first。

Dave　sent　Joe　to　ask　Dad　who　the　cove　was。　　Dad　spoke　in　a　whisper　and　said　he　was　Mr。　Macpherson；　the　clergyman　who　was　to　marry　Kate　and　Sandy。　Dave　whistled　and　piled　more　wood　on　the　dead　cow。　　Mother　came　out　and　called　Dave　and　Joe。　　Dave　would　n't　go；　but　sent　Joe。

Dave　threw　another　log　on　the　cow；　then　thought　he　would　see　what　was　going　on　inside。

He　stood　at　the　window　and　looked　in。　　He　could　n't　believe　his　eyes　at　first；　and　put　his　head　right　in。　　There　were　Dad；　Joe；　and　the　lot　of　them　down　on　their　marrow…bones　saying　something　after　the　parson。　　Dave　was　glad　that　he　did　n't　go　in。

How　the　parson　prayed！　　Just　when　he　said　〃Lead　us　not　into　temptation〃　the　big　kangaroo…dog　slipped　in　and　grabbed　all　the　fresh　meat　on　the　table；　but　Dave　managed　to　kick　him　in　the　ribs　at　the　door。　　Dad　groaned　and　seemed　very　restless。

When　the　parson　had　gone　Dad　said　that　what　he　had　read　about　〃reaping　the　same　as　you　sow〃　was　all　rot；　and　spoke　about　the　time　when　we　sowed　two　bushels　of　barley　in　the　lower　paddock　and　got　a　big　stack　of　rye　from　it。

The　wedding　was　on　a　Wednesday；　and　at　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　Most　of　the　people　came　before　dinner；　the　Hamiltons　arrived　just　after　breakfast。　　Talk　of　drays！the　little　paddock　could　n't　hold　them。

Jim　Mullins　was　the　only　one　who　came　in　to　dinner；　the　others　mostly　sat　on　their　heels　in　a　row　and　waited　in　the　shade　of　the　wire…fence。　　The　parson　was　the　last　to　come；　and　as　he　passed　in　he　knocked　his　head　against　the　kangaroo…leg　hanging　under　the　verandah。　　Dad　saw　it　swinging；　and　said　angrily　to　Joe：　　〃Did　n't　I　tell　you　to　take　that　down　this　morning？〃

Joe　unhooked　it　and　said：　　〃But　if　I　hang　it　anywhere　else　the　dog'll　get　it。〃

Dad　tried　to　laugh　at　Joe；　and　said；　loudly；　〃And　what　else　is　it　for？〃　Then　he　bustled　Joe　off　before　he　could　answer　him　again。

Joe　did　n't　understand。

Then　Dad　said　（putting　the　leg　in　a　bag）：　　〃Do　you　want　everyone　to　know　we　eat　it；　　you？〃

Joe　understood。

The　ceremony　commenced。　　Those　who　could　squeeze　inside　did　sothe　others　looked　in　at　the　window　and　through　the　cracks　in　the　chimney。

Mrs。　M'Doolan　led　Kate　out　of　the　back…room；　then　Sandy　rose　from　the　fire…place　and　stood　beside　her。　　Everyone　thought　Kate　looked　very　niceand　orange　blossoms！　　You'd　think　she　was　an　orange…tree　with　a　new　bed…curtain　thrown　over　it。　　Sandy　looked　well；　too；　in　his　snake…belt　and　new　tweeds；　but　he　seemed　uncomfortable　when　the　pin　that　Dave　put　in　the　back　of　his　collar　came　out。

The　parson　did　n't　take　long；　and　how　they　scrambled　and　tumbled　over　each　other　at　the　finish！　　Charley　Mace　said　that　he　got　the　first　kiss；　Big　George　said　HE　did；　and　Mrs。　M'Doolan　was　certain　she　would　have　got　it　only　for　the　baby。

Fun！　　there　WAS　fun！　　The　room　was　cleared　and　they　promenaded　for　a　danceSandy　and　Kate　in　the　lead。　　They　continued　promenading　until　one　of　the　well…sinkers　called　for　the　concertinaours　had　been　repaired　till　you　could　get　only　three　notes　out　of　it；　but　Jim　Burke　jumped　on　his　horse　and　went　home　for　his　accordion。

Dance！　　they　did　dance！until　sun…rise。　　But　unless　you　were　dancing　you　could　n't　stay　inside；　because　the　floor　broke　up；　and　talk　about　dust！before　morning　the　room　was　like　a　drafting…yard。

It　was　a　great　wedding；　and　though　years　have　since　passed；　all　the　neighbours　say　still　it　was　the　best　they　were　ever　at。




Chapter　XIII。



The　Summer　Old　Bob　Died。


It　was　a　real　scorcher。　　A　soft；　sweltering　summer's　day。　　The　air　quivered；　the　heat　drove　the　fowls　under　the　dray　and　sent　the　old　dog　to　sleep　upon　the　floor　inside　the　house。　　The　iron　on　the　skillion　cracked　and　sweatedso　did　Dad　and　Dave　down　the　paddock；　grubbinggrubbing；　in　130　degrees　of　sunshine。　　They　were　clearing　a　piece　of　new　landa　heavily…timbered　box…tree　flat。　　They　had　been　at　it　a　fortnight；　and　if　any　music　was　in　the　ring　of　the　axe　or　the　rattle　of　the　pick　when　commencing；　there　was　none　now。

Dad　wished　to　be　cheerful　and　complacent。　　He　said　（putting　the　pick　down　and　dragging　his　flannel　off　to　wring　it）：　　〃It's　a　good　thing　to　sweat　well。〃　　Dave　did　n't　say　anything。　　I　don't　know　what　he　thought；　but　he　looked　up　at　Dadjust　looked　up　at　himwhile　the　perspiration　filled　his　eyes　and　ran　down　over　his　nose　like　rain　off　a　shingle；　then　he　hitched　up　his　pants　and　〃wired　in〃　again。

Dave　was　a　philosopher。　　He　worked　away　until　the　axe　flew　off　the　handle　with　a　ring　and　a　bound；　and　might　have　been　lost　in　the　long　grass　for　ever　only　Dad　stopped　it　with　　his　shin。　　I　fancy　he　did　n't　mean　to　stop　it　when　I　think　how　he　jumpedit　was　the　only　piece　of　excitement　there　had　been　the　whole　of　that　relentlessly　solemn　fortnight。　　Dad　got　vexedhe　was　in　a　hurry　with　the　grubbingand　said　he　never　could　get　anything　done　without　something　going　wrong。　　Dave　was　n't　sorry　the　axe　came　offhe　knew　it　meant　half…an…hour　in　the　shade　fixing　it　on　again。　〃Anyway；〃　Dad　went　on；　〃we'll　go　to　dinner　now。〃

On　the　way　to　the　house　he　several　times　looked　at　the　skythat　cloudless；　burning　skyand　saidto　no　one　in　particular；　〃I　wish　to　God　it　would　rain！〃　　It　sounded　like　an　aggravated　prayer。　　Dave　did　n't　speak；　and　I　don't　think　Dad　expected　he　would。

Joe　was　the　last　to　sit　down　to　dinner；　and　he　came　in　steaming　hot。　　He　had　chased　out　of　sight　a　cow　that　had　poked　into　the　cultivation。　　Joe　mostly　went　about　with　green　bushes　in　his　hat；　to　keep　his　head　cool；　and　a　few　gum…leaves　were　now　sticking　in　his　moist　and　matted　hair。

〃I　put　her　out；　Dad！〃　he　said；　casting　an　eager　glare　at　everything　on　the　table。　　〃She　tried　to　jump　and　got　stuck　on　the　fence；　and　broke　it　all