, 1886-06-30
THE LADY GODIvA."

BhrWOn river, Just Wnere IL commences ~
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
vitation of a hospitable settler, an old ac-
quaintance in digging days gone by, to
stay and "speun for a week or two, while
my horses put on a little condition in his
well-grassed paddocks. The country
round about at that time, even on the
river frontages. was very sparsely settled.
and comparatively young people could re
member when the blacks were bad
Dingoes, kangaroos, wild cattle and
-brombees," or wild horses, roamed the
great scrubs in thousands; and, with re-
spect to broken-in and branded individ-
uals of the latter two species, the laws of
meum and tuum seemed to be very lightly
regarded among the pioneers of the
border, and for n settler to put in an APP
pearance at his neighbours killing yard
while the operation OF converting bullock
into beef was going on was deemed the
very height of bad manners-inexcusable,
indeed, unless perhaps in the newest of
new chums, at least till the hide was
off and the brand cut out.
My friend has only recently taken up
ground on the river, but his next and
nearest neighbor, old Tom Dwver, who re
oAata hft aba tWthtl biiito aNaJt
was a settler Of many years standing, and
1t was from him that, toward the end Of
my stay with the Brays, came an invita-
ton 10 the wedding festivities OF his only
daughter, who was to be married TO a
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
monotonous, we arrived at "Fort Dwyer"
or Dee-wyer, as invariably pronounced
thereabouts-a long. low building, con
structed Of huge, roughly-squared logs of
nearly fire 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 "bsnker."
There must have been fully 100 people
assembled, and the open space just in front
of the house was crowded with. as
spring-carts, wagonettes and et
but the great center OF attraction was the
stock-yard, where Jim Dwyer was break
inginto the side saddle a mare, bought in
one Of his recent trips "up north" and in
tended as n present for his bride, OF whom
l caught a glimpse as she sat on an empty
kerosene tin, with her sleeves rolled up,
busily engaged in plucking poultry, a fair
type OF the bush maiden, tall and slender,
WIN EOOus thOukh lh1 u itobtAtot
deeply Drowned by the sun, laughing dark
eyes, perfect teeth-a rare gift among
young Australians-and as much Mt home
so old Bray assured NEON horseback
cutting out ~"scrubbers" or "broombes" as
was her h~usband-elect himself.
The rails OF the great stock-yard were
crowded with tall, cabbage tree-hatted,
booted and spurred "Cornstalks" and
Banana men" natives of New South
Wales and Queensland respectively, and
loud were the cries of admiration as
young Dwyer, On the beautiful, and, to
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 a sheep My
world She'll carry Annie flying. What
did yer give for her, Jimi A regular star,
an no mistaken greeted the young man,
as he lightly jumping off, he unbuckled
the girths and put the saddle on the slip
rails.
Jim Dwycr differed little from the or
binary style of young bush "native'-tall.
thin, brown, quick-eyed, narrow in the
TANKS, but with good breadth OF chest. l
fancied that, as the young fellow came
forward to shake hands with Bray, he
looked uneasily and rather suspiciously at
Alt III u Aht e Vi nv VI NE blhth
eyes. My companion evidently observed
1t also, for he said. laughingly; whats
the matter, Jimi Only a friend of mine.
Is the mare on the crossf' And did you
think he was n trap"
"None o. your business, Jack Bray" was
the surly reply, across or square, she's
mine till some one comes along who can
show a better right to her, an that won't
happen In "A hurry"
"Well, well - replied Bray, "you needn't
get crusty so COMPOUNDED quick. But she's
a pretty thing, sure enough. Let's go and
have a look at her"
Everybody now crowded round the
mare, praising and admiring her. 1.-Two
years ago, just" exclaimed one, looking
in her mouth. Kissing three, say" re-
| piled another. And a clean skin and I'M
brandedl7 calculated Bray, at the same
time passing his hand along the mares
wither.
That's a disease that can soon be
cured said Dwyer with a laugh. ann
goin' to clap the j. ID. on her now Shove
her in the bottle. boys, while l go and fetch
the irons up"
"That mares n thoroughbred and a 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;
anu lOtlE lt mn Y hlutlt liltlt ,
a half sovereign let In under the skin, just
below the wither; l felt it quite plain
and wouldn't wonder there's a lot more
private marks on her as we can't see"
ID you think, them asked, "that
young Dwyer stole herr"
Likely enough, likely enough" was the
reply.
But II he did, strikes me Wen hear
about the matter yet"
Just at that moment shouts of Here's
the parsonl" Here's old Benz" drew our
attention to n horseman who was coming
along the narrow track at a slow can;er.
A ~well-kpown 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
tesquc resemblance to each other, both
being long and ungainly, both thin and
gray, both always ready TO eat and drink,
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 a wink, to the great ad-
narration 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 a couple OF
roast ducks, a ham and the other triies,
washed down with copious ~draughts Of
hot tea, simply remarking to Annie
that "she had better make haste and clean
herself so hat he could put her and Jim
through, MS he had to go on to Bullarora
that evening TO bury a child for the
Lacics."
HAVING M fenvfh apiahad bta ran.ut ali