Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-06
CHRISTMAS DAY IN. THE BUSH

eye-srmmer weather in Australia
two young gentlemen, in light cos.
tune, were sitting opposite each other
in a bark Bush hut, weary, dusty and
rather disconsolste. The stock Whips
and saddles on the ground, with half.
boots kici ed off besiie them, showed
that they had just returned from a
long ride. The hut was evidently re.
Gently built, and it was plain that this
was a new station.
"Well, Jack" said the shorter of the
two, ''this is a pleasant look out for
Christmas Day,-no dray up, our last
flour gone to-day, and our last sugar
melted away Last week; that disgust
ing emu has eaten up all the pvmp.
kins and melons, 30 We may dine to.
morrow on tea, au natured and the 70.
mains of the last cask Of salt beat; un.
less you prefer to kill a bit of fresh,
and eat it without damrer, salt, or
pickles. No doubt thedray's hard and
fast in some gully, or safe on one wheel
by the Sugar. loaf Range, and Bald
faced Dick and his mate, if they are
the sensible fellows l take them to be,
are now picking the plums and weigh
ing ont the -four for their Christmas
pudding
"Or, perhaps" put in Jack, "ami.
ably dividing your shoes with a party
of p%usbrangers. A pleasant prospect,
truly, for a man who has ridden 400
miles to spend his Christmas day with
an old chum-po dinner, nc books, no
tobacco. II almost makes one wish to
be sitting wigged, gowned, aad brief.
less, III the back benches of the
qaeen's bench, drawing oaricatures;
or reading three services s.daY to q
Low church congregation, upon fifty
pounds a year,"
"a bright thought strikes me-"
said the host, Martyr by name, com.
monty called Betty Martyn, because
he commenced his career in the Bush
by wearing gloves and backing his
boats. "Let US ride over to that
Dsvonshire mana station,--l mean
the man with pretty daughters.
There's a short cut acrogs the range
Bald faced Dick made out the other
day, that won't make it above 80
miles, instesd Of 120, by swimming
one creek and climbing over one awk.
ward bit of hill work. Well start at
sunrise, and do it comfortably by 10
o'clock, if we can only mske out the
bearing right. Our but too true ex-
III e--the missing dray--is a safe
card for a dinner, If not a dance and
q pleasant day or two"
agreed" said jolly Jack Bullar.
By day.break they were off, combed
and trimmed in the blue and red Jer.
seys, belts, trousers, and broad brim-
med hats, that form the picturesque
costume of the bush; Bullar on a big
boned thoroughbred; Martyr on his
half-bred pranciDg Arab, over hill and
dale and plain, through d broad creek,
with "a quarter of a miles swimming,
guided by Bushman's signs and in
stincts. About 10 o'clock they had
struck the river, and running it down
SOC came where il swelled to a broad
lake or water hole before the Devon
shire mans station.
They did not know his name, but
rode up confidently, according to the
custom Of the country.
"Hurrab," cried Jack, mo starva.
ton here; there's a six. pair oxen dray
unloading, By a whole generation of
younkers; eugar-plums in plenty; and
look at the black fellow grinding
away at the hand.mill how fat the
rascal looks. Well, we've reached the
land of plenty this time"
"Why, you see, Bullar," said Mar.
tyn, Sin this country all the rules go
by contraries 1t Is Christmas day,
and, instead of frost and snow, it is
a burning sun and green leaves We
are prcspiring under. Instead of a
skate, I am thinking of a swim; and,
In the same way, while In old En-
gland, very often It's the more mouth,
the less to eat; here, as every mouth
has a pair of hands under il, the
more mouths the nor food. So you
see, Jack, while you ard l, with a
balance at the bank to start with,
often have to put up with Lenten
fare, this hard worker has contrived
to make comforts we can't buy"
Glow be'ee, gentlemen," siid a
voice In o strong Devonshire accent,
as the owner came up alongside them,
mounted on IN ugly piebald stock
horse, which had stolen over the soft
ground unheard during their conver-
sation. He was a little slim man,
with thin gray hair hanging long under
his broad. brimmed hat, round and in.
t%elligent face, burned a deep brown;
he sat his horse awkwardly, with long
stirrups, his toes pointing down and
his bridle.hand poked out, like most
men who have only taken to horse.
manship late in life. But he wore an
air of content, dissatisfaction, and
we'll TODD ism, that bespoke, at q
glance, a ma with whom the world
went well.
''Have 'ee come var'" asked the
host.
''From the next station" said Bull
lar.
80, we be noabours, be us!" he
continued. "Well, I'm cruel glad to
zeo go. Here, Bat, take the gentle
mems horses aad put 'em in the pad
dook!"
Bartholomew, 9 wild Indian,look
ing urchin, about tEo feet high, IN n
kilt composed Of a Jersey strapped
round his middle, forthwith olamored
the thoroughbred; how, it is i'm.
possible 10 say, bat somehow after the
manner of a monkey ascending Z
IL. - ~ a littln NJ Tho nntnn-