The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-04-24
THE SETTLER'S TALE.

u
llowery big ash that had fallen as
he smoked, as though he pcttod his
mani y adornment or aimed strongly
at wearing n patriarchal guiso. "You
don't believe it, then?' he said.
travellers 500 strange things" 4"
said thin man sitting opposite to
him; and he indulgod in low, sneor-
ing sniSgcr, a despicable kind of
c,chination that would bo insulting
to tho hearty, mirthful, joy-bogotten
Shake of tide and shoulders, and cX-
tending OF facial muscles, to call IL
laugh.
"What is it2' | said, for l had ut
that moment entered tho room.
"Why," sniggorod tho thin man,
che wants to make mo believe"
"No, no, mol" chorusscd several
voices. "Let him tell it himself, sec
ond hand storios are poor. Tell it
out for the company, sir"
But the owner of the beard looked
very dignifcd, and kept on smoking
till he sat like u Jupiter among his
clouds. Then he referred to the am
brosia brought to him by the white
neck-clothed Ganymado of the hotel,
set down his brandy and water, and
looked like rctlcent.
"It's oil true enough" said an Aus
tralian captain who sat near the thin
man, and had evidently heard what
had previously been said. 1ve Of
ten soon them take flying leaps that
Looked tremendous, and such MS l
should have doubted if l had not
seen; while, as to the tale our friend
here has just told about kangaroos
carrying their young i'll apouch, and
also about their being able to destroy
IL dog with kick, why, they aro facta
that almost any national schoolboy
will endorse. | mean no insult to our
sceptical friend here, but I'm afraid
he studied politics more than n"tu-
raj history"
"Good things, too,' said the thin
man viciously; and he looked
round him for tho applause he did
not get.
"You see, snid the old captain,
not taking any notice OF the inter
rurtion, "thero nro some people like
tho sailors motlcr--moro ready t,
believe in pilaroah's q chariot whoe
on tho anchor fine than in flying fish
Australy's curious place, | can tel
you, and if you saw some of the bones
of the great Moa, they would make
you scratch your head, and think o
the ostrichcs seven feet high as nc
mnny chickens.
ella, ha, ha, hi, ha!' laughed the
thin man, in q perfect crcscondo.
eco on, sir; don't bo afraid. Won
listen, and then believe ms much us
wo like"
"And wo'yo got littIo animals there
gentlemen" said tho old captain,
"that swim about in the water with
their flat wobbcd feet, and they've
got bill like II duck, and lay eggs.
"Go ON, sir; 90 on sir" laughed
the thin man, and he bestowed the
wink OF wisdom upon all the compa-
ny present. ,
ayes, yes; / secl Wink away"
said the captain; "but I no roman
Ger gentlemen. / only said what |
did to support my friend horo. There
arc somo people who will not believe
the truth when it is told Them
"Why don't you tell it?' said the
thin man.
81 always do, sir" said tho cap
ta:n simply, and with somo dignity
CAS- l havo said before, Australia's n
place that would starllo some poo'
ple here with its ways. What would
our friend over tho way there say to
five thousand sheep being boiled OIL
rather steamed down, in ono day,
Just for, tho sake of their tallow?''
"Ha, ha, hal" laughed the thin
man. "Better still and then see
ing that no one else laughed he
snorled, and looked defiant at every
one in turn from out pair OF twink
ling dark eyes, the more starking
from being unshaded by lashes,
while his eyebrows had evidently
disappeared at the samo season when
his countenanco bad been scanned
and pittod with smallpox.
But few people noticed him, for it
was evident that, after retiring Ill
displeasure within himself for q few
minutes, tho owner ofthe beard was
once moro coming out. Ho smoked
furiously for fow minutes longer in
uttcr silence, till his cigar and was
so short that it singed the great
beard, when he threw it away, drew
out a case, carefully selected another,
rolled it upon his tongue, and then
sat balancing it upon his finger.
"Our friend hero is right, gentle
men," lie said, "that there are some
people who doubt almost everything
you say; but, for my part, think
that tho traveller who plays upon the
crodulity of tho untravelled friends
is n creature beneath cOntempt.
can vouch Tor tho truth of all my
sca-iaring friend here has said, fol
| I have seen the things, and many
more, too, quite as wonderful; and !
think that you, gentlemen, who SIT
from years end to years end il
your shops, might acknowledge that
men who mako journeys four and
twenty thousand miles long must, in
tho foreign parts they pass througi
sec some strange things. l dom