on our selection-第5章

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That　vexed　Dad。　　〃Hold　your　tongue；　sir！〃　he　said〃you'll　do　as　you're　told。〃

But　Dave　had　n't　finished。　　〃I've　been　following　that　harrow　since　sunrise　this　morning；〃　he　said；　〃and　now　you　want　me　to　go　chasing　wallabies　about　in　the　dark；　a　night　like　this；　and　for　nothing　else　but　to　keep　them　from　eating　the　ground。　　It's　always　the　way　here；　the　more　one　does　the　more　he's　wanted　to　do；〃　and　he　commenced　to　cry。　　Mrs。　Brown　had　something　to　say。　　SHE　agreed　with　Dad　and　thought　we　ought　to　go；　as　the　wheat　might　spring　up　again。

〃Pshah！〃　Dave　blurted　out　between　his　sobs；　while　we　thought　of　telling　her　to　shut　her　mouth。

Slowly　and　reluctantly　we　left　that　roaring　fireside　to　accompany　Dad　that　bitter　night。　　It　WAS　a　night！dark　as　pitch；　silent；　forlorn　and　forbidding；　and　colder　than　the　busiest　morgue。　　And　just　to　keep　wallabies　from　eating　nothing！　　They　HAD　eaten　all　the　wheatevery　blade　of　itand　the　grass　as　well。　　What　they　would　start　on　nextourselves　or　the　cart…harnesswas　n't　quite　clear。

We　stumbled　along　in　the　dark　one　behind　the　other；　with　our　hands　stuffed　into　our　trousers。　　Dad　was　in　the　lead；　and　poor　Joe；　bare…shinned　and　bootless；　in　the　rear。　　Now　and　again　he　tramped　on　a　Bathurst…burr；　and；　in　sitting　down　to　extract　the　prickle；　would　receive　a　cluster　of　them　elsewhere。　　When　he　escaped　the　burr　it　was　only　to　knock　his　shin　against　a　log　or　leave　a　toe…nail　or　two　clinging　to　a　stone。　　Joe　howled；　but　the　wind　howled　louder；　and　blew　and　blew。

Dave；　in　pausing　to　wait　on　Joe；　would　mutter：

〃To　HELL　with　everything！　　Whatever　he　wants　bringing　us　out　a　night　like　this；　I'm　DAMNED　if　I　know！〃

Dad　could　n't　see　very　well　in　the　dark；　and　on　this　night　could　n't　see　at　all；　so　he　walked　up　against　one　of　the　old　draught　horses　that　had　fallen　asleep　gazing　at　the　lucerne。　　And　what　a　fright　they　both　got！　The　old　horse　took　it　worse　than　Dadwho　only　tumbled　downfor　he　plunged　as　though　the　devil　had　grabbed　him；　and　fell　over　the　fence；　twisting　every　leg　he　had　in　the　wires。　　How　the　brute　struggled！　　We　stood　and　listened　to　him。　　After　kicking　panels　of　the　fence　down　and　smashing　every　wire　in　it；　he　got　loose　and　made　off；　taking　most　of　it　with　him。

〃That's　one　wallaby　on　the　wheat；　anyway；〃　Dave　muttered；　and　we　giggled。　WE　understood　Dave；　but　Dad　did　n't　open　his　mouth。

We　lost　no　time　lighting　the　fires。　　Then　we　walked　through　the　〃wheat〃　and　wallabies！　　May　Satan　reprove　me　if　I　exaggerate　their　number　by　one　solitary　pair　of　earsbut　from　the　row　and　scatter　they　made　there　were　a　MILLION。

Dad　told　Joe；　at　last；　he　could　go　to　sleep　if　he　liked；　at　the　fire。　Joe　went　to　sleepHOW；　I　don't　know。　　Then　Dad　sat　beside　him；　and　for　long　intervals　would　stare　silently　into　the　darkness。　　Sometimes　a　string　of　the　vermin　would　hop　past　close　to　the　fire；　and　another　time　a　curlew　would　come　near　and　screech　its　ghostly　wail；　but　he　never　noticed　them。　Yet　he　seemed　to　be　listening。

We　mooched　around　from　fire　to　fire；　hour　after　hour；　and　when　we　wearied　of　heaving　fire…sticks　at　the　enemy　we　sat　on　our　heels　and　cursed　the　wind；　and　the　winter；　and　the　night…birds　alternately。　　It　was　a　lonely；　wretched　occupation。

Now　and　again　Dad　would　leave　his　fire　to　ask　us　if　we　could　hear　a　noise。　We　could　n't；　except　that　of　wallabies　and　mopokes。　　Then　he　would　go　back　and　listen　again。　　He　was　restless；　and；　somehow；　his　heart　was　n't　in　the　wallabies　at　all。　　Dave　could　n't　make　him　out。

The　night　wore　on。　　By…and…by　there　was　a　sharp　rattle　of　wires；　then　a　rustling　noise；　and　Sal　appeared　in　the　glare　of　the　fire。　　〃DAD！〃　she　said。　　That　was　all。　　Without　a　word；　Dad　bounced　up　and　went　back　to　the　house　with　her。

〃Something's　up！〃　Dave　said；　and；　half…anxious；　half…afraid；　we　gazed　into　the　fire　and　thought　and　thought。　　Then　we　stared；　nervously；　into　the　night；　and　listened　for　Dad's　return；　but　heard　only　the　wind　and　the　mopoke。

At　dawn　he　appeared　again；　with　a　broad　smile　on　his　face；　and　told　us　that　mother　had　got　another　babya　fine　little　chap。　　Then　we　knew　why　Mrs。　Brown　had　been　staying　at　our　place。




Chapter　VI。



Good　Old　Bess。


Supper　was　over　at　Shingle　Hut；　and　we　were　all　seated　round　the　fireall　except　Joe。　　He　was　mousing。　　He　stood　on　the　sofa　with　one　ear　to　the　wall　in　a　listening　attitude；　and　brandished　a　table…fork。　　There　were　micemobs　of　thembetween　the　slabs　and　the　paperlayers　of　newspapers　that　had　been　pasted　one　on　the　other　for　years　until　they　were　an　inch　thick；　and　whenever　Joe　located　a　mouse　he　drove　the　fork　into　the　wall　and　pinned　itor　reckoned　he　did。

Dad　sat　pensively　at　one　corner　of　the　fire…placeDave　at　the　other　with　his　elbows　on　his　knees　and　his　chin　resting　in　his　palms。

〃Think　you　could　ride　a　race；　Dave？〃　asked　Dad。

〃Yairs；〃　answered　Dave；　without　taking　his　eyes　off　the　fire；　or　his　chin　from　his　palms〃could；　I　suppose；　if　I'd　a　pair　o'　lighter　boots　'n　these。〃

Again　they　reflected。

Joe　triumphantly　held　up　the　mutilated　form　of　a　murdered　mouse　and　invited　the　household　to　〃Look！〃　　No　one　heeded　him。

〃Would　your　Mother's　go　on　you？〃

〃Might；〃　and　Dave　spat　into　the　fire。

〃Anyway；〃　Dad　went　on；　〃we　must　have　a　go　at　this　handicap　with　the　old　mare；　it's　worth　trying　for；　and；　believe　me；　now！　she'll　surprise　a　few　of　their　flash　hacks；　will　Bess。〃

〃Yairs；　she　can　go　all　right。〃　And　Dave　spat　again　into　the　fire。

〃　GO！　　I've　never　known　anything　to　keep　up　with　her。　　Why；　bless　my　soul；　seventeen　years　ago；　when　old　Redwood　owned　her；　there　was　n't　a　horse　in　the　district　could　come　within　coo…ee　of　her。　　All　she　wants　is　a　few　feeds　of　corn　and　a　gallop　or　two；　and　mark　my　words　she'll　show　some　of　them　the　way。〃

Some　horse…races　were　being　promoted　by　the　shanty…keeper　at　the　Overhaulseven　miles　from　our　selection。　　They　were　the　first　of　the　kind　held　in　the　district；　and　the　stake　for　the　principal　event　was　five　pounds。　　It　was　n't　because　Dad　was　a　racing　man　or　subject　to　turf　hallucinations　in　any　way　that　he　thought　of　preparing　Bess　for　the　meeting。　　We　sadly　needed　those　five　pounds；　and；　as　Dad　put　it；　if　the　mare　could　only　win；　it　would　be　an　easier　and　much　quicker　way　of　making　a　bit　of　money　than　waiting　for　a　crop　to　grow。

Bess　was　hobbled　and　put　into　a　two…acre　paddock　near　the　house。　　We　put　her　there　because　of　her　wisdom。　　She　was　a　chestnut；　full　of　villainy；　an　absolutely　incorrigible　old　rogue。　　If　at　any　time　she　was　wanted　when　in　the　grass　paddock；　it　required　the　lot　of　us　from　Dad　down　to　yard　her；　as　well　as　the　dogs；　and　every　other　dog　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Not　that　she　had　any　brumby　element　in　hershe　would　have　been　easier　to　yard　if　she　hadbut　she　would　drive　steadily　enough；　alone　or　with　other　horses；　until　she　saw　the　yard；　when　she　would　turn　and　deliberately　walk　away。　If　we　walked　to　head　her　she　beat　us　by　half　a　length；　if　we　ran　she　ran；　and　stopped　when　we　stopped。　　That　was　the　aggravating　part　of　her！　　When　it　was　only　to　go　to　the　store　or　the　post…office　that　we　wanted　her；　we　could　have　walked　there　and　back　a　dozen　times　before　we　could　run　her　down；　but；　somehow；　we　generally　preferred　to　work　hard　catching　her　rather　than　walk。

When　we　had　spent　half　the　day　hunting　for　the　curry…comb；　which　we　did　n't　find；　Dad　began　to　rub　Bess　down　with　a　corn…coba　shelled　oneand　trim　her　up　a　bit。　　He　pulled　her　tail　and　cut　the　hair　off　her　heels　with　a　knife；　then　he　gave　her　some　corn　to　eat；　and　told　Joe　he　was　to　have　a　bundle　of　thistles　cut　for　her　every　night。　　Now　and　again；　while　grooming　her；　Dad　would　step　back　a　few　paces　and　look　upon　her　with　pride。

〃There's　great　breeding　in　the　old　mare；〃　he　would　say；　〃great　breeding；　look　at　the　shoulder　on　her；　and　the　loin　she　has；　and　where　did　ever　you　see　a　horse　with　the　same　nostril？　　Believe　me；　she'll　surprise　a　few　of　them！〃

We　began　to　regard　Bess　with　profound　respect；　hitherto　we　had　been　accustomed　to　pelt　her　with　potatoes　and　blue…metal。

The　only　thing　likely　to　prejudice　her　chance　in　the　race；　Dad　reckoned；　was　a　small　sore　on　her　back　about　the　size　of　a　foal's　foot。　　She　had　had　that　sore　for　upwards　of　ten　years　to　our　knowl