South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-11-24
THE SETTLERS TALE.

THE SETTLERS TALE.
GYou don't believe it, then 2n said the
old settler, strok1ng his beard, and spread.
ing the long crisp curls over his waistcoat
where they lay like tangle of cocoa-fibre
He hicked away, too, now and then, the
powdery cigar-ash that had fallen as he
smoked, as though he petted his manly
adornment, or aimed strongly at wearing
a patriarcbal guise. You don't believe
it, then 2' he said.
I" Travellers see strange thiDgs,n said a
thin man sitting opposite to him; and he
indulged in low, sneering Singer, de,
spicable kind of exclamation that it would
be insulting the hearty, mirthful, joy-be-
gotten shake of sides and shoulders, and
extending Of facial muscles, to call laugh.
What is it 2" | said; for had at that
moment entered the room.
"Why," sniggered the thin man, "Ee
wants to make me believe"
mo, no, no 70 chorussed several veices.
Let him tell it himself; secondhand
stories are poor. Tell it out for the COM
pany, SIR"
But the owner of the beard looked very
dignified, and kept on smoking, till be sat
like very Jupiter amongst mis- clouds.
Then he referred to the ambrosia brought
to him by the white-neckclothed Gany-
mede of the hotel, set down his brandy
and-watcr, and looked very rcticent.
"It's all true enough" said an Austria
Ian captain who sat near the thin man,
and had evidently heard what bad pre-
viously been said. " I've often seen them
take flying leaps that looked tremendous,
and such as / should have doubted if had
not seen; while, as to the tale our friend
here has just told about kangaroos carry
ing their young in pouch, and also about
their being able to destroy a dog with
kick, why, they sre facts that almost any
national schoolboy will endorse. mean no
insult to our sceptical friend here, but Pm
afraid he studied politics more than natu-
raj history
"Good things, too," said the thin man
viciously; and then he looked round him
for the applause he did not get.
"You see," said the old captain, not
taking any notice Of the interruption,
there are some people like the sailors
mother-more ready to believe in Pha-
raoh's chariot-wheel on the anchor-flle |
than in fying-fsh. Australy's curious
place, | can tell you; and if you saw some |
of the bones Of the great Moa, they would |
make you scratch your head, and think Of |
the ostrichcs seven feet high as so many
Chickens
Ha, ha, ha, HA, HA." laughed the thin |
man, in perfect crescendo. go on, sir;
don. be afraid. Well listen, and then
believe as much as we like"
And we've got little animals there,
gentlemen" said the old captain, that
swim about in the water with their fiat
webbed feet, and they've got bill like
duck, and lay eggs"
$50 on, sir; go on, SIR" laughed the
thin man; and he bestowed the wink Of
wisdom upon all the company present.
''Yes, yes; I see! Wink away" said
the captain; but I'm no romanoer, gen.
tlemen. only said what did to support
my friend here. There are some people
who will not believe the truth when it's
told them"
"Why don't you tell it 2" said the thin
man.
81 always do, sir,n said the captain
simply, and with some dignity. As 1
said before, Australia's place that would
startle Some people here with its ways.
What would our friend over the way there
say to five thousand sheep being boiled, or
rather steamed down, in one day, just for
the sake of their tallow 2"
Ha, ha, hap laughed the thin man
again "Better still p and then seeing
that no one else laughed, he snorted, and
looked defiant at every one in tun, from
but pair of twinkling dark eyes, the more
striking from being unsbaded BY lashes.
while his eyebrows had evidently disap-
peared at the SINE season when his coun-
tenance had been scanned and pitted with
the smallpox.
But few people noticed him, for it was
evident that, after retiring in displeasure {
within himself for a few minutes, the y
owner oe the beard was once more coming
'ut. He smoked furiously for few min
ties longer in utter silence, till his cigar 2
md was so short that it singed the great |
'eard, when be threw it away, drew out |
;ase, carefully selected another, rolled 1t
Ipon his finger. c
Our friend here is right, gentlemen
ne said, that there are some people who S
loubt almost everything you say but, -,
or my part, think that the traveller who |
,lays upon the credulity of the untraveled I
rieRds is creature beneath centcmpt. l c
an Touch for the truth of all my seafariug :
rend here has said, for / have seen the I
'hmgs, and many more too, quite as won Q
ierfH; and | think that You, gentlemen. I
yho sit from years end to years end in Il
7our shops, might acknowledge that men d
Who make journeys four-and-twenty thou v
and miles long must, in the foreign parts e
hey pass through, see some strange things.
don't want to infiict my stories upon u
nybody."
" Go on, sir; go onn from two or three o
ut the thin man was totally unabashed. b
nd snorted before telling his neighbors, in v
n undertone, that you couldn't g do" bim v
.I wasn't talking about wallabies gen
lemen, which are only a small kind of t
angaroo, but of what we call out there,
p the country, old men-the great kan ft
aroos that the settlers hunt-the curious II
sapiDg animals that Sir Joseph Banks
rought home from his voyage with Cap c
ain Cock, and used to keep in his park at a
'evesby, in Lincolnshire; beasts that 1
are say you might see for yourselves in v
be Regents Park Gardens in London, b
hough can't say I'm sure. Atall events, 81
We seen them often enough, and hunted 81
hem often too.r Il
The thin man snorted and wipked again Il