on our selection-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


g　under　the　table。　At　last　Mother　struck　something　which　brightened　him　up；　and　he　called　Dave。

〃Catch　Topsy　and〃　He　paused　because　he　remembered　the　old　mare　was　dead。

〃Run　over　and　ask　Mister　Dwyer　to　lend　me　three　hoes。〃

Dave　went；　Dwyer　lent　the　hoes；　and　the　problem　was　solved。　　That　was　how　we　started。




Chapter　II。



Our　First　Harvest


If　there　is　anything　worse　than　burr…cutting　or　breaking　stones；　it's　putting　corn　in　with　a　hoe。

We　had　just　finished。　　The　girls　were　sowing　the　last　of　the　grain　when　Fred　Dwyer　appeared　on　the　scene。　　Dad　stopped　and　talked　with　him　while　we　（Dan；　Dave　and　myself）　sat　on　our　hoe…handles；　like　kangaroos　on　their　tails；　and　killed　flies。　　Terrible　were　the　flies；　particularly　when　you　had　sore　legs　or　the　blight。

Dwyer　was　a　big　man　with　long；　brown　arms　and　red；　bushy　whiskers。

〃You　must　find　it　slow　work　with　a　hoe？〃　he　said。

〃Well…yes…pretty；〃　replied　Dad　（just　as　if　he　was　n't　quite　sure）。

After　a　while　Dwyer　walked　over　the　〃cultivation〃；　and　looked　at　it　hard；　then　scraped　a　hole　with　the　heel　of　his　boot；　spat；　and　said　he　did　n't　think　the　corn　would　ever　come　up。　　Dan　slid　off　his　perch　at　this；　and　Dave　let　the　flies　eat　his　leg　nearly　off　without　seeming　to　feel　it；　but　Dad　argued　it　out。

〃Orright；　orright；〃　said　Dwyer；　〃I　hope　it　do。〃

Then　Dad　went　on　to　speak　of　places　he　knew　of　where　they　preferred　hoes　to　a　plough　for　putting　corn　in　with；　but　Dwyer　only　laughed　and　shook　his　head。

〃Dn　him！〃　Dad　muttered；　when　he　had　gone；　〃what　rot！　　WON'T　COME　UP！〃

Dan；　who　was　still　thinking　hard；　at　last　straightened　himself　up　and　said　HE　did　n't　think　it　was　any　use　either。　　Then　Dad　lost　his　temper。

〃No　USE？〃　he　yelled；　〃you　whelp；　what　do　you　know　about　it？〃

Dan　answered　quietly：　　〃On'y　this；　that　it's　nothing　but　tomfoolery；　this　hoe　business。〃

〃How　would　you　do　it　then？〃　Dad　roared；　and　Dan　hung　his　head　and　tried　to　button　his　buttonless　shirt　wrist…band　while　he　thought。

〃With　a　plough；〃　he　answered。

Something　in　Dad's　throat　prevented　him　saying　what　he　wished；　so　he　rushed　at　Dan　with　the　hoe；　butwas　too　slow。

Dan　slept　outside　that　night。

No　sooner　was　the　grain　sown　than　it　rained。　　How　it　rained！　　for　weeks！　And　in　the　midst　of　it　all　the　corn　came　upevery　grain…and　proved　Dwyer　a　bad　prophet。　　Dad　was　in　high　spirits　and　promised　each　of　us　somethingnew　boots　all　round。

The　corn　continued　to　growso　did　our　hopes；　but　a　lot　faster。　　Pulling　the　suckers　and　〃heeling　it　up〃　with　hoes　was　but　child's　playwe　liked　it。　Our　thoughts　were　all　on　the　boots；　'twas　months　months　since　we　had　pulled　on　a　pair。　　Every　night；　in　bed；　we　decided　twenty　times　over　whether　they　would　be　lace…ups　or　bluchers；　and　Dave　had　a　bottle　of　〃goanna〃　oil　ready　to　keep　his　soft　with。

Dad　now　talked　of　going　up　countryas　Mother　put　it；　〃to　keep　the　wolf　from　the　door〃while　the　four　acres　of　corn　ripened。　　He　went；　and　returned　on　the　day　Tom　and　Bill　were　borntwins。　　Maybe　his　absence　did　keep　the　wolf　from　the　door；　but　it　did　n't　keep　the　dingoes　from　the　fowl…house！

Once　the　corn　ripened　it　did　n't　take　long　to　pull　it；　but　Dad　had　to　put　on　his　considering…cap　when　we　came　to　the　question　of　getting　it　in。　To　hump　it　in　bags　seemed　inevitable　till　Dwyer　asked　Dad　to　give　him　a　hand　to　put　up　a　milking…yard。　　Then　Dad's　chance　came；　and　he　seized　it。

Dwyer；　in　return　for　Dad's　labour；　carted　in　the　corn　and　took　it　to　the　railway…station　when　it　was　shelled。　　Yes；　when　it　WAS　shelled！　　We　had　to　shell　it　with　our　hands；　and　what　a　time　we　had！　　For　the　first　half…hour　we　did　n't　mind　it　at　all；　and　shelled　cob　after　cob　as　though　we　liked　it；　but　next　day；　talk　about　blisters！　　we　could　n't　close　our　hands　for　them；　and　our　faces　had　to　go　without　a　wash　for　a　fortnight。

Fifteen　bags　we　got　off　the　four　acres；　and　the　storekeeper　undertook　to　sell　it。　　Corn　was　then　at　12　shillings　　and　14　shillings　per　bushel；　and　Dad　expected　a　big　cheque。

Every　day　for　nearly　three　weeks　he　trudged　over　to　the　store　（five　miles）　and　I　went　with　him。　　Each　time　the　storekeeper　would　shake　his　head　and　say　〃No　word　yet。〃

Dad　could　n't　understand。　　At　last　word　did　come。　　The　storekeeper　was　busy　serving　a　customer　when　we　went　in；　so　he　told　Dad　to　〃hold　on　a　bit〃。

Dad　felt　very　pleasedso　did　I。

The　customer　left。　　The　storekeeper　looked　at　Dad　and　twirled　a　piece　of　string　round　his　first　finger；　then　said〃Twelve　pounds　your　corn　cleared；　Mr。　Rudd；　but；　of　course〃　（going　to　a　desk）　〃there's　that　account　of　yours　which　I　have　credited　with　the　amount　of　the　chequethat　brings　it　down　now　to　just　three　pound；　as　you　will　see　by　the　account。〃

Dad　was　speechless；　and　looked　sick。

He　went　home　and　sat　on　a　block　and　stared　into　the　fire　with　his　chin　resting　in　his　hands；　till　Mother　laid　her　hand　upon　his　shoulder　and　asked　him　kindly　what　was　the　matter。　　Then　he　drew　the　storekeeper's　bill　from　his　pocket；　and　handed　it　to　her；　and　she　too　sat　down　and　gazed　into　the　fire。

That　was　OUR　first　harvest。




Chapter　III。



Before　We　Got　The　Deeds


Our　selection　adjoined　a　sheep…run　on　the　Darling　Downs；　and　boasted　of　few　and　scant　improvements；　though　things　had　gradually　got　a　little　better　than　when　we　started。　　A　verandahless　four…roomed　slab…hut　now　standing　out　from　a　forest　of　box…trees；　a　stock…yard；　and　six　acres　under　barley　were　the　only　evidence　of　settlement。　　A　few　horsesnot　ourssometimes　grazed　about；　and　occasionally　a　mob　of　cattlealso　not　ourscows　with　young　calves；　steers；　and　an　old　bull　or　two；　would　stroll　around；　chew　the　best　legs　of　any　trousers　that　might　be　hanging　on　the　log　reserved　as　a　clothes…line；　then　leave　in　the　night　and　be　seen　no　more　for　monthssome　of　them　never。

And　yet　we　were　always　out　of　meat！

Dad　was　up　the　country　earning　a　few　poundsthe　corn　drove　him　up　when　it　did　n't　bring　what　he　expected。　　All　we　got　out　of　it　was　a　bag　of　flourI　do　n't　know　what　the　storekeeper　got。　　Before　he　left　we　put　in　the　barley。　　Somehow；　Dad　did　n't　believe　in　sowing　any　more　crops；　he　seemed　to　lose　heart；　but　Mother　talked　it　over　with　him；　and　when　reminded　that　he　would　soon　be　entitled　to　the　deeds　he　brightened　up　again　and　worked。　　How　he　worked！

We　had　no　plough；　so　old　Anderson　turned　over　the　six　acres　for　us；　and　Dad　gave　him　a　pound　an　acreat　least　he　was　to　send　him　the　first　six　pounds　got　up　country。　　Dad　sowed　the　seed；　then　he；　Dan　and　Dave　yoked　themselves　to　a　large　dry　bramble　each　and　harrowed　it　in。　　From　the　way　they　sweated　it　must　have　been　hard　work。　　Sometimes　they　would　sit　down　in　the　middle　of　the　paddock　and　〃spell〃　but　Dad　would　say　something　about　getting　the　deeds　and　they'd　start　again。

A　cockatoo…fence　was　round　the　barley；　and　wire…posts；　a　long　distance　apart；　round　the　grass…paddock。　　We　were　to　get　the　wire　to　put　in　when　Dad　sent　the　money；　and　apply　for　the　deeds　when　he　came　back。　　Things　would　be　different　then；　according　to　Dad；　and　the　farm　would　be　worked　properly。　　We　would　break　up　fifty　acres；　build　a　barn；　buy　a　reaper；　ploughs；　cornsheller；　get　cows　and　good　horses；　and　start　two　or　three　ploughs。　　Meanwhile；　if　we　（Dan；　Dave　and　I）　minded　the　barley　he　was　sure　there'd　be　something　got　out　of　it。

Dad　had　been　away　about　six　weeks。　　Travellers　were　passing　by　every　day；　and　there　was　n't　one　that　did　n't　want　a　little　of　something　or　other。　Mother　used　to　ask　them　if　they　had　met　Dad？　　None　ever　did　until　an　old　grey　man　came　along　and　said　he　knew　Dad　wellhe　had　camped　with　him　one　night　and　shared　a　damper。　　Mother　was　very　pleased　and　brought　him　in。　We　had　a　kangaroo…rat　（stewed）　for　dinner　that　day。　　The　girls　did　n't　want　to　lay　it　on　the　table　at　first；　but　Mother　said　he　would　n't　know　what　it　was。　　The　traveller　was　very　hungry　and　liked　it；　and　when　passing　his　plate　the　second　time　for　more；　said　it　was　n't　often　he　got　any　poultry。

He　tramped　on　again；　and　the　girls　were　very　glad　he　did　n't　know　it　was　a　rat。　　But　Dave　was　n't　so　sure　that　he　did　n't　know　a　rat　from　a　rooster；　and　reckoned　he　had　n't　met　Dad　at　all。

The　seventh　week　Dad　came　back。　　He　arrived　at　night；　and　the　lot　of　us　had