Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-09
THE "LADY G0DIVA."

BHrwun river, just where II commences Ia
form the boundary between Queensland
and New South Wales The weather was
terribly hot and feed for horses scarce, So
that WAS only too glad to accept the in
yitation of a huspitahle settler, an old nc.
quaintance in digging days gone by. Il"
stay and spell" for week or two, while
my horses put on little condition in his
well grassed paddOcks. The country
round about at that time, even on the
river fruutagrs, was very sparSely settled.
and comparatively young people could re
member when the blacks were bad
Dlngucs kangaroOs, wild cattle and
'brumbces," or wild horses. roamed the
great sruhs in thousands, and, with re
speCt t. bruken-in and branded indiNid
uals of the latter two species. the laws of
meum and tuum seemed To lie very lightly
-egarie, among the pioneers Of the
Durder. and for "A settler to put in an ap
pearance at his neighhor's killing yard
while the operation of converting bullock
into beef WAS going on WAS deemed the
very height of bad manners line XCusaO Ole.
indeed. unless perhaps in the newest of
new chums at least till the hide was
of and the brand cut out.
My friend has only recently taken W
ground on the river. but his next and
nearest neighbor, old Tom DIVER, who re
sided about five and twenty miles away,
was a settler uf many years standing, anO
il was from him that, toward the end OF
my stay with the Brays, came an invita-
tion to the wedding festivities of his only
daughter. who was To be married To IL
young cousin, also a Dwyer, who followed
the occupation of a drover
After about three hours steady riding
through open box forest country, fiat and
mUnutonOus, We arrived at Fort Dwyer'
or Dee wyer rs invariably pronounced
thereabouts- long, low building. con
struCted of huge, roughly squared logs of
nearly tire-proOf red cOOlabah, or swamp
gum, and situated on the verge of the
steep clay bank. twenty feet below which
glided sullenly along the sluggish Barwon
then nearly half a banker"
There must have been fully 100 people
assembled, and the open space just i'll front
Of the house was crowded with buEgies,
spring carts, wagonettes and even drays,
hut the great center of attraction was the
stock yard. where Jim Dwyer was break
ing into the side saddle Il mare, bought in
one Of his recent trips up north" and in
tended As present for his bride, Of whom
| caught glimpse as she sat on an empty
kerosene tin, with her sleeves rolled up
busily engaged in pluCkinG poultry, faiI
type of the bush maiden, tall and slender,
with good. though sharply cut features.
deeply Drowned by the sun, laughing dark
eyes perfect teeth-a rare gift among
young Australians and as much at home
so old Bray assured me-On horseback
cutting out "scrubbers" or "hroombes' n
WAS her husband elect himself.
The rails of the great stock yard were
crowded with tall. cabbage tree hated
booted and spurred "COrnstalkS" and
banana men" natives of New South
Wales and Queensland respectively, and
loud were the cries of admiration a.
young Dwyer, on the beautiful, and. u
my eyes, nearly thoroughbred black mare.
cantered round and round, while flourish
ing an old riding skirt about her
TANKS
Shell do Jim-quiet as sheep. Ny
word, She'll carry Annie flying. What
did yer give for her. Jim, \ regular star.
an no mistake greeted the young man.
As he lightly jumping off. he unbuckled
the girJhs and put the saddle on the slip
rails.
Jim Dwyer differed little from the or
dinary style of young bush ~native'-tan
thin, brown. quick-eyed, narrow in the
TANKS, but with good breadth of chest. |
tanCied that, As the young fellow came
forward 10 shake hands with Bray, he
looked uneasily and rather suspiciOusly at
me out of the corner of one of his black
eyes. My companion evidently observed
it also. for he said laughingly: whats
the matter, Jim' Only friend of mine
a
think he was a trap"
None o your business Jack Bray" was
the surly reply Gross or square, shes
mine till some one comes along who can
show better right TO her, an that won't
happen in a hurry"
Well we'll, replied Bray, "yOu needn't
get crusty so confounded quick. But she's
pretty thing, sure enough. Let's go and
have a look at her
Everybody now crowded round the
mare, praising and admiring her. Two
years ago, just. exclaimed one, looking
in her mouth. Rising three say" re
piled another And clean skin and un-
branded" calculated Bray, at the same
time passing his hand along the mares
wither
That's disease that can soon be
cured, said Dwyer with laugh. I'm
goin' to clap the J. d. on her now. Shove
her in the butte. boys, while 20 and fetch
the irons up
That mares a thoroughbred and race
mare to boot, and she's on the cross right
enough" whispered Bray as we walked
back toward the house She's been shook
and though she amt tire-branded, there's
a half sovereign let in under the skin, just
l. IL .1.,t.
and wouldn't wonder there's lot more
private marks on her as We can't see"
DO you think, then" asked, that
young Dwyer stole herr"
Likely enough, likely enough" was the
reply.
But if he did, strikes me We'll hear
about the matter yet"
Just at that moment shouts of Here's
the parson.' Here's old Ben drew our
attention to a horseman who WAS coming
along the narrow track at slow canter
A well-knOwn character throughout the
whole of that immense district was Rev
benjamin Back, bush missionary" and
not less well-knOwn was his old bald
faced horse Jerry. The pair bore a gro
tesque resemblance to each other, both
being long and ungainly, both thin and
gray, bDlL always IedOll 10 tdl anu uElih-
and yet always looking desolate and for
lorn. As Rev Ben disengaged his long
legs from the stirrups the irrepressible old
Dwyer appeared with the greeting cup-a
tin pot half full of rum-which, swallow
ing with scarcely wink, to the great ad
miration Of the lOOkers-On-the parsOn.
commencing Jerry TO the care of the host.
stalked inside, and was soon busy at the
long table working away at couple of
roast ducks. a ham and the other Irlties,
washed down with cOpious draughts CT
hot tea, simply remarking to Annie
that she had better make haste and clean
herself so that he could put her and Jim
through, as he had to go on to Bullarora
that evening to bury child for the
LaCies"
Having at length finished his repast. all
hands crowded into the long room, where
before old Ben" stood the bride and
bridegroom, the former neatly dressed in
dark merino-her own especial choice. as
as tOIu, III preference To anything gayer
with here and there a bright colored rib
iii. knsr