on our selection-第16章

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d。　　The　wind　blew　furiouslyits　one　aim　seemed　the　shifting　of　the　house。　　Gust　after　gust　struck　the　walls　and　left　them　quivering。　　The　children　screamed。　　Dad　called　and　shouted；　but　no　one　could　catch　a　word　he　said。　　Then　there　was　one　tremendous　crackwe　understood　itthe　iron…bark　tree　had　gone　over。　　At　last；　the　shingled　roof　commenced　to　give。　　Several　times　the　ends　rose　（and　our　hair　too）　and　fell　back　into　place　again　with　a　clap。　　Then　it　went　clean　away　in　one　piece；　with　a　rip　like　splitting　a　ribbon；　and　there　we　stood；　affrighted　and　shelterless；　inside　the　walls。　　Then　the　wind　went　down　and　it　rainedrained　on　us　all　night。

Next　morning　Joe　had　been　to　the　new　fence　for　the　axe　for　Dad；　and　was　off　again　as　fast　as　he　could　run；　when　he　remembered　something　and　called　out；　〃Dad；　old　B…B…Bob's　just　over　there；　lyin'　down　in　the　gully。〃

Dad　started　up。　　〃It's　'im　all　rightI　w…w…would　n'ter　noticed；　only　Prince　s…s…smelt　him。〃

〃Quick　and　show　me　where！〃　Dad　said。

Joe　showed　him。

〃My　God！〃　and　Dad　stood　and　stared。　　Old　Bob　it　wasdead。　　Dead　as　Moses。

〃Poor　old　Bob！〃　Dad　said。　　〃Poor…old…fellow！〃　　Joe　asked　what　could　have　killed　him？　　〃Poor…old…Bob！〃

Dave　brought　the　dray；　and　we　took　him　to　the　houseor　what　remained　of　it。

Dad　could　n't　make　out　the　cause　of　deathperhaps　it　was　lightning。　　He　held　a　POST…MORTEM；　and；　after　thinking　hard　for　a　long　while；　told　Mother　he　was　certain；　anyway；　that　old　Bob　would　never　get　up　again。　　It　was　a　change　to　have　a　dead　man　about　the　place；　and　we　were　very　pleased　to　be　first　to　tell　anyone　who　did　n't　know　the　news　about　old　Bob。

We　planted　him　on　his　own　selection　beneath　a　gum…tree；　where　for　years　and　years　a　family　of　jackasses　nightly　roosted；　Dad　remarking：　　〃As　there　MIGHT　be　a　chance　of　his　hearin'；　it'll　be　company　for　the　poor　old　cove。〃




Chapter　XIV。



When　Dan　Came　Home。


One　night　after　the　threshing。　　Dad　lying　on　the　sofa；　thinking；　the　rest　of　us　sitting　at　the　table。　　Dad　spoke　to　Joe。

〃How　much；〃　he　said；　〃is　seven　hundred　bushels　of　wheat　at　six　shillings？〃

Joe；　who　was　looked　upon　as　the　brainy　one　of　our　family；　took　down　his　slate　with　a　hint　of　scholarly　ostentation。

〃What　did　y'　say；　Dadseven　'undred　BAGS？〃

〃Bushels！　　BUSHELS！〃

〃Seven　'un…dered　bush…els…of　wheatWHEAT　was　it；　Dad？〃

〃Yes；　WHEAT！〃

〃Wheat　at。。。At　WHAT；　Dad？〃

〃Six　shillings　a　bushel。〃

〃Six　shil…lings…a。。。。　　A；　Dad？　We've　not　done　any　at　A；　she's　on'y　showed　us　PER！〃

〃PER　bushel；　then！〃

〃Per　bush…el。　　That's　seven　'undered　bushels　of　wheat　at　six　shillin's　per　bushel。　　An'　y'　wants　ter　know；　Dad？〃

〃How　much　it'll　be；　of　course。〃

〃In　money；　Dad；　orer？〃

〃Dammit；　yes；　MONEY！〃　　Dad　raised　his　voice。

For　a　while；　Joe　thought　hard；　then　set　to　work　figuring　and　rubbing　out；　figuring　and　rubbing　out。　　The　rest　of　us　eyed　him；　envious　of　his　learning。

Joe　finished　the　sum。

〃Well？〃　from　Dad。

Joe　cleared　his　throat。　　We　listened。

〃Nine　thousan'　poun'。〃

Dave　laughed　loud。　　Dad　said；　〃Pshaw！〃　and　turned　his　face　to　the　wall。　Joe　looked　at　the　slate　again。

〃Oh！　　I　see；〃　he　said；　〃I　did　n't　divide　by　twelve　t'　bring　t'　pounds；〃　and　laughed　himself。

More　figuring　and　rubbing　out。

Finally　Joe；　in　loud；　decisive　tones；　announced；　〃FOUR　thousand；　NO　'undered　an'　twenty　poun'；　fourteen　shillin's　an'〃

〃Bah！　　YOU　blockhead！〃　Dad　blurted　out；　and　jumped　off　the　sofa　and　went　to　bed。

We　all　turned　in。

We　were　not　in　bed　long　when　the　dog　barked　and　a　horse　entered　the　yard。　There　was　a　clink　of　girth…buckles；　a　saddle　thrown　down；　then　a　thump；　as　though　with　a　lump　of　blue…metal；　set　the　dog　yelping　lustily。　　We　lay　listening　till　a　voice　called　out　at　the　door〃All　in　bed？〃　Then　we　knew　it　was　Dan；　and　Dad　and　Dave　sprang　out　in　their　shirts　to　let　him　in。　All　of　us　jumped　up　to　see　Dan。　　This　time　he　had　been　away　a　long　while；　and　when　the　slush…lamp　was　lit　and　fairly　going；　how　we　stared　and　wondered　at　his　altered　looks！　　He　had　grown　a　long　whisker；　and　must　have　stood　inches　higher　than　Dad。

Dad　was　delighted。　　He　put　a　fire　on；　made　tea；　and　he　and　Dan　talked　till　near　daybreakDad　of　the　harvest；　and　the　Government　dam　that　was　promised；　and　the　splendid　grass　growing　in　the　paddock；　Dan　of　the　great　dry　plains；　and　the　shearing…sheds　out　back；　and　the　chaps　he　had　met　there。　　And　he　related　in　a　way　that　made　Dad's　eyes　glisten　and　Joe's　mouth　open；　how；　with　a　knocked…up　wrist；　he　shore　beside　Proctor　and　big　Andy　Purcell；　at　Welltown；　and　rung　the　shed　by　half　a　sheep。

Dad　ardently　admired　Dan。

Dan　was　only　going　to　stay　a　short　while　at　home；　he　said；　then　was　off　West　again。　　Dad　tried　to　persuade　him　to　change　his　mind；　he　would　have　him　remain　and　help　to　work　the　selection。　　But　Dan　only　shook　his　head　and　laughed。

Dan　accompanied　Dad　to　the　plough　every　morning；　and　walked　cheerfully　up　and　down　the　furrows　all　day；　talking　to　him。　　Sometimes　he　took　a　turn　at　the　plough；　and　Dad　did　the　talking。　　Dad　just　loved　Dan's　company。

A　few　days　went　by。　　Dan　still　accompanied　Dad　to　the　plough；　but　did　n't　walk　up　and　down　with　him。　　He　selected　a　shade　close　by；　and　talked　to　Dad　from　there　as　he　passed　on　his　rounds。　　Sometimes　Dan　used　to　forget　to　talk　at　allhe　would　be　asleepand　Dad　would　wonder　if　he　was　unwell。　Once　he　advised　him　to　go　up　to　the　house　and　have　a　good　camp。　　Dan　went。　He　stretched　himself　on　the　sofa；　and　smoked　and　spat　on　the　floor　and　played　the　concertinaan　old　one　he　won　in　a　raffle。

Dan　did　n't　go　near　the　plough　any　more。　　He　stayed　inside　every　day；　and　drank　the　yeast；　and　provided　music　for　the　women。　　Sometimes　he　would　leave　the　sofa；　and　go　to　the　back…door　and　look　out；　and　watch　Dad　tearing　up　and　down　the　paddock　after　the　plough；　then　he'd　yawn；　and　wonder　aloud　what　the　diggins　it　was　the　old　man　saw　in　a　game　like　that　on　a　hot　day；　and　return　to　the　sofa；　tired。　　But　every　evening　when　Dad　knocked　off　and　brought　the　horses　to　the　barn　Dan　went　out　and　watched　him　unharnessing　them。

A　month　passed。　　Dad　was　n't　so　fond　of　Dan　now；　and　Dan　never　talked　of　going　away。　　One　day　Anderson's　cows　wandered　into　our　yard　and　surrounded　the　hay…stack。　　Dad　saw　them　from　the　paddock　and　cooeed；　and　shouted　for　those　at　the　house　to　drive　them　away。　　They　did　n't　hear　him。　　Dad　left　the　plough　and　ran　up　and　pelted　Anderson's　cows　with　stones　and　glass…bottles；　and　pursued　them　with　a　pitch…fork　till；　in　a　mad　rush　to　get　out；　half　the　brutes　fell　over　the　fence　and　made　havoc　with　the　wire。　Dad　spent　an　hour　mending　it；　then　went　to　the　verandah　and　savagely　asked　Mother　if　she　had　lost　her　ears。　　Mother　said　she　had　n't。　　〃Then　why　the　devil　could　n't　y'　hear　me　singin'　out？〃　　Mother　thought　it　must　have　been　because　Dan　was　playing　the　concertina。　　〃Oh；　DAMN　his　concertina！〃　Dad　squealed；　and　kicked　Joe's　little　kitten；　that　was　rubbing　itself　fondly　against　his　leg；　clean　through　the　house。

Dan　found　the　selection　pretty　slowso　he　told　Motherand　thought　he　would　knock　about　a　bit。　　He　went　to　the　store　and　bought　a　supply　of　ammunition；　which　he　booked　to　Dad；　and　started　shooting。　　He　stood　at　the　door　and　put　twenty　bullets　into　the　barn；　then　he　shot　two　bears　near　the　stock…yard　with　twenty　more　bullets；　and　dragged　both　bears　down　to　the　house　and　left　them　at　the　back…door。　　They　stayed　at　the　back…door　until　they　went　very　bad；　then　Dad　hooked　himself　to　them　and　dragged　them　down　the　gully。

Somehow；　Dad　began　to　hate　Dan！　　He　scarcely　ever　spoke　to　him　now；　and　at　meal…times　never　spoke　to　any　of　us。　　　Dad　was　a　hard　man　to　understand。　We　could　n't　understand　him。　　〃And　with　DAN　at　home；　too！〃　Sal　used　to　whine。　　Sal　verily　idolised　Dan。　　Hero…worship　was　strong　in　Sal。

One　night　Dad　came　in　for　supper　rather　later　than　usual。　　He'd　had　a　hard　day；　and　was　done　up。　　To　make　matters　worse；　when　he　was　taking　the　collar　off　Captain　the　brute　tramped　heavily　on　his　toe；　and　took　the　nail　off。　　Supper　was　n't　ready。　　The　dining…room　was　engaged。　　Dan　was　showing　Sal　how　the　Prince　of　Wales　schottische　was　danced　in　the　huts　Out　Back。　For　music；　Sal　was　humming；　and　the　two　were　flying　about　the　room。　　Dad　stood　at　the