on our selection-第21章

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Dad's　eyes　shone。

〃That's　th'　horse；〃　he　cried。　　〃GET　him！　　To…morrow　first　thing　go　for　him！　　I'LL　make　something　of　him！〃

〃Don't　know〃Dave　chuckled〃he's　a〃

〃Tut；　tut；　you　fetch　him。〃

〃Oh；　I'll　FETCH　'im。〃　　And　Dave；　on　the　strength　of　having　made　a　valuable　suggestion；　dragged　Joe　off　the　sofa　and　stretched　himself　upon　it。

Dad　went　on　thinking　awhile。　　〃How　much；〃　he　at　last　asked；　〃did　Johnson　get　for　those　skins？〃

〃Which？〃　Dave　answered。　　〃Bears　or　kangaroos？〃

〃Bears。〃

〃Five　bob；　was　n't　it？　　Six　for　some。〃

〃What；　A…PIECE？〃

〃Yairs。〃

〃Why；　God　bless　my　soul；　what　have　we　been　thinking　about？　　FIVE　SHILLINGS？　Are　you　sure？〃

〃Yairs；　rather。〃

〃What；　bear…skins　worth　that　and　the　paddock　here　and　the　lanes　and　the　country　over…run　with　themFULL　of　the　damn　thingsHUNDREDS　of　themand　we；　all　this　timeall　these　yearsworking　and　slaving　and　scraping　and…and〃　（he　almost　shouted）；　〃DAMN　me！　　What　asses　we　HAVE　been；　to　be　sure。〃　　（Dave　stared　at　him。）　　〃Bear…skins　FIVE　SHILLINGS　each；　and〃

〃That's　all　right　enough；〃　Dave　interrupted；　〃but〃

〃Of　COURSE　it's　all　right　enough　NOW；〃　Dad　yelled；　〃now　when　we　see　it。〃

〃But　look！〃　and　Dave　sat　up　and　assumed　an　arbitrary　attitude。　　He　was　growing　suspicious　of　Dad's　ideas。　　〃To　begin　with；　how　many　bears　do　you　reckon　on　getting　in　a　day？〃

〃In　a　day〃reflectively〃twenty　at　the　least。〃

〃Twenty。　　Well；　say　we　only　got　HALF　that；　how　much　d'　y'　make？〃

〃　MAKE？〃　（considering）。　　〃Two　pounds　ten　a　day。。。fifteen　or　twenty　pounds　a　week。。。yes；　TWENTY　POUNDS；　reckoning　at　THAT　even。　　And　do　you　mean　to　tell　ME　that　we　would　n't　get　more　than　TEN　bears　a　day？　　Why　we'd　get　more　than　that　in　the　laneget　more　up　ONE　tree。〃

Dave　grinned。

〃Can't　you　SEE？　　DAMN　it；　boy；　are　you　so　DENSE？〃

Dave　saw。　　He　became　enthusiastic。　　He　wondered　why　it　had　never　struck　us　before。　　Then　Dad　smiled；　and　we　sat　to　supper　and　talked　about　bears。

〃We'll　not　bother　with　that　horse　NOW；〃　said　Dad；　〃the　ploughing　can　go；　I'm　DONE　with　it。　　We've　had　enough　poking　and　puddling　about。　　We'll　start　this　business　straightaway。〃　　And　the　following　morning；　headed　by　the　dog　and　Dad；　armed　with　a　tomahawk；　we　started　up　the　paddock。

How　free　we　felt！　　To　think　we　were　finished　for　ever　with　the　raking　and　carting　of　hayfinished　tramping　up　and　down　beside　Dad；　with　the　plough…reins　in　our　hands；　flies　in　our　eyes　and　burr　in　our　feetfinished　being　the　target　for　Dad's　blasphemy　when　the　plough　or　the　horses　or　the　harness　went　wrongwas　delightful！　　And　the　adventure　and　excitement　which　this　new　industry　promised　operated　strongly　upon　us。　　We　rioted　and　careered　like　hunted　brumbies　through　the　trees；　till　warned　by　Dad　to　〃keep　our　eyes　about；〃　then　we　settled　down；　and　Joe　found　the　first　bear。　It　was　on　an　ironbark　tree；　around　the　base　of　which　we　soon　were　clamouring。

〃Up　y'　go！〃　Dad　said；　cheerfully　helping　Dave　and　the　tomahawk　into　the　first　fork。

Dave　ascended　and　crawled　cautiously　along　the　limb　the　bear　was　on　and　began　to　chop。　　WE　armed　ourselves　with　　heavy　sticks　and　waited。　　The　dog　sat　on　his　tail　and　stared　and　whined　at　the　bear。　　The　limb　cracked；　and　Dave　ceased　chopping　and　shouted　〃Look　out！〃　We　shouldered　arms。　　The　dog　was　in　a　hurry。　　He　sprang　in　the　air　and　landed　on　his　back。　　But　Dave　had　to　make　another　nick　or　two。　　Then　with　a　loud　crack　the　limb　parted　and　came　sweeping　down。　　The　dog　jumped　to　meet　it。　　He　met　it；　and　was　laid　out　on　the　grass。　　The　bear　scrambled　to　its　feet　and　made　off　towards　Bill。　　Bill　squealed　and　fell　backwards　over　a　log。　　Dad　rushed　in　and　kicked　the　bear　up　like　a　football。　　It　landed　near　Joe。　Joe's　eyes　shone　with　the　hunter's　lust　of　blood。　　He　swung　his　stick　for　a　tremendous　blowswung　it　mightily　and　highand　nearly　knocked　his　parent's　head　off。　　When　Dad　had　spat　blood　enough　to　make　sure　that　he　had　only　lost　one　tooth；　he　hunted　Joe；　but　Joe　was　too　fleet；　as　usual。

Meanwhile；　the　bear　had　run　up　another　treeabout　the　tallest　old　gum　in　the　paddock。　　Dad　snapped　his　fingers　angrily　and　cried：　　〃Where　the　devil　was　the　DOG？〃

〃Oh；　where　the　devil　wuz　the　DORG？〃　Dave　growled；　sliding　down　the　tree〃where　th'　devil　wuz　YOU？　　Where　wuz　the　lot　o'　y'？〃

〃Ah；　well！〃　Dad　said　〃there's　plenty　more　we　can　get。　　Come　along。〃　And　off　we　went。　　The　dog　pulled　himself　together　and　limped　after　us。

Bears　were　plentiful　enough；　but　we　wandered　far　before　we　found　another　on　a　tree　that　Dave　could　climb；　and；　when　we　DID；　somehow　or　other　the　limb　broke　when　he　put　his　weight　on　it；　and　down　he　came；　bear　and　all。　Of　course　we　were　not　ready；　and　that　bear；　like　the　other；　got　up　another　tree。　　But　Dave　did　n't。　　He　lay　till　Dad　ran　about　two　miles　down　a　gully　to　a　dam　and　filled　his　hat　with　muddy　water　and　came　tearing　back　with　it　emptytill　Anderson　and　Mother　came　and　helped　to　carry　him　home。

We　did　n't　go　out　any　more　after　bears。　　Dave；　when　he　was　able；　went　and　got　Maloney's　colt　and　put　him　in　the　plough。　　And；　after　he　had　kicked　Dad　and　smashed　all　the　swingle…trees　about　the　place；　and　got　right　out　of　his　harness　a　couple　of　times　and　sulked　for　two　days；　he　went　well　enough　beside　Anderson's　old　grey　mare。

And　that　season；　when　everyone　else's　wheat　was　red　with　rustwhen　Anderson　and　Maloney　cut　theirs　for　haywhen　Johnson　put　a　firestick　in　hisours　was　good　to　see。　　It　ripened；　and　the　rain　kept　off；　and　we　reaped　200　bags。　　Salvation！




CHAPTER　XIX。



Nell　and　Ned。


That　harvest　of　two　hundred　bags　of　wheat　was　the　turning…point　in　the　history　of　our　selection。　　Things　somehow　seemed　to　go　better；　and　Dad's　faith　was　gradually　justifiedto　some　extent。　　We　accumulated　out…buildings　and　added　two　new　rooms　to　the　hut；　and　Dad　was　able　to　lend　old　Anderson　five　pounds　in　return　for　a　promise　to　pay　seven　pounds　ten　shillings　in　six　months'　time。　　We　increased　the　stock；　too；　by　degrees；　andcrowning　joy！we　got　a　horse　or　two　you　could　ride　to　the　township。

With　Nell　and　Ned　we　reckoned　we　had　two　saddle…horsesthose　were　their　names；　Nell　and　Ned；　a　mare　and　a　colt。　　Fine　hacks　they　were；　too！　Anybody　could　ride　them；　they　were　so　quiet。　　Dad　reckoned　Ned　was　the　better　of　the　two。　　He　was　well…bred；　and　had　a　pedigree　and　a　gentle　disposition；　and　a　bald…face；　and　a　bumble…foot；　and　a　raw　wither；　and　a　sore　back　that　gave　him　a　habit　of　〃flinching〃a　habit　that　discounted　his　uselessness　a　great　deal；　because；　when　we　were　n't　at　home；　the　women　could　n't　saddle　him　to　run　the　cows　in。　　Whenever　he　saw　the　saddle　or　heard　the　girth…buckles　rattle　he　would　start　to　flinch。　　Put　the　cloth　on　his　backfolded　or　otherwiseand；　no　matter　how　smart　you　might　be；　it　would　be　off　before　you　could　cover　it　with　the　saddle；　and　he　would　n't　have　flicked　it　with　his　tail；　or　pulled　it　off　with　his　teeth；　or　done　anything　to　it。　　He　just　flinchedmade　the　skin　on　his　backwhere　there　was　anyQUIVER。　　Throw　on　the　saddle　without　a　cloth；　and　he　would　〃give〃　in　the　middle　like　a　broken　railbend　till　his　belly　almost　touched　the　ground；　and　remain　bent　till　mounted；　then　he'd　crawl　off　and　gradually　straighten　up　as　he　became　used　to　you。　　Were　you　tender…hearted　enough　to　feel　compunction　in　sitting　down　hard　on　a　six…year…old　sore；　or　if　you　had　an　aversion　to　kicking　the　suffering　brute　with　both　heels　and　belting　his　hide　with　a　yard　or　two　of　fencing…wire　to　get　him　to　show　signs　of　animation；　you　would　dismount　and　walkperhaps；　weep。　　WE　always　rode　him　right　out；　though。

As　a　two…year…old　Ned　was　Dad's　hope。　　Pointing　proudly　to　the　long…legged；　big…headed；　ugly　moke　mooching　by　the　door；　smelling　the　dust；　he　would　say：　　〃Be　a　fine　horse　in　another　year！　　Little　sleepy…looking　yet；　that's　nothing！〃

〃Stir　him　up　a　bit；　till　we　see　how　he　canters；〃　he　said　to　Joe　one　day。　And　when　Joe　stirred　him　uprattled　a　piece　of　rock　on　his　jaw　that　nearly　knocked　his　head　offDad　took　after　Joe　and　chased　him　through　the　potatoes；　and　out　into　the　grass…paddock；　and　across　towards　Anderson's；　then　returned　and　yarded　the　colt；　and　knocked　a　patch　of　skin　off　him　with　a　rail　because　he　would　n't　stand　in　a　corner　till　he　looked　at　his　eye。　　〃Would　n't　have　anything　happen　to　that