The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-04-17

| 1eeC WHICH, IrOH tneir Sic anu ehoPo, NE
have satisfied even that captious critic the
Lady Hester Stanhope, under whose instep
"a kitten could walk" that the Australians
of future nation would not be as the
British, ga fat-soled generation, of whom
no great or noble achievement could ever
be expected"
1 fancied that, as the young fellow came
forward to 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, "What's the matter, Jim
ONLY friend of mine Is the mare ION the
cross p And did you think he was a
'trap?'"
aNone O. your business, Jack Bray, was
the surly reply. "'Cross' or square, she's
mine till some one comes along who can
show better right to her, an that won't
happen in hurry"
ssWell, WE'LL" replied Bray, ''you needn
get crusty so confounded quick. But she's
pretty thing, sure enough. Lets go and
have look at her.
Everybody now crowded around the
mare, praising and admiring her. 1.-TWO
wears old, Just" exclaimed one, looking in
her mouth "Rising three, L say, replied
another. "And clean skin and unbrand-
ed" calculated Bray, at the same time
passing his hand along the mares wither
"That's disease can soon be cured,
said Dwyer, with laugh. "I'm agoin' to
clap the j. d. on her now. Shove her in
the botte, boys, while 1 go an fetch the
irons up"
"That mares thoroughbred, and race
mare to boot, and she's 'on the cross right
enough" whispered Bray, as we walked
back toward the house. ashes been shook;
and though she amt fire-branded, there's a
half sovereign let in under the skin just
below the wither; felt it quite plain, and
l wouldn't wonder but there's lot more
private marks on her as we can't see.
"Do you think, then" l asked, "that
young Dwyer stole him ?"
Likely enough, likely enough, was the
reply. ~
"But if he did, strikes me as we'll hear
more about the matter yet.
Just at this moment shouts of "Heres
the parson Here's old Ben y 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 welI-known was his old bald-faced horse
Jerry. The pair bore grotesque resem.
blance to each other, both being long and
ungainly, both thin and gray, both always
ready to eat and drink, and yet always look
ing desolate and forlorn. As Rev. Ben
disengaged his long legs from the stirrups,
the irrepressible old Dwyer appeared with
the greeting cup-a tin pint pot half full
of rum-which, swallowing with scarcely a
wink, to the great admiration of the lockers
on, the parson, commencing Jerry to the
care of his host, stalked inside, and was
soon busy at the long table, working away
at a couple of roast ducks, a ham and other
trihes, washed down with copious draughts
of hot tea, amply 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 sold Ben" stood bride and bride
groom, the former neatly dressed in dark
merino-her own especial choice, as | was
told, in preference to anything gayer-with
here and there a bright-colored ribbon,
while in her luxuriant black hair and in
the breast of her dress were punches of
freshly plucked orange blossoms, that many
belle of proud Mayfower might have
envied. The bridegroom, in spotless white
shirt, with handkerchief of crimson silk,
confined loosely around his neck by mas
sive gold ring, riding trousers Of Bedford
cord, kept up by broad belt, worked in
woods of many colors by his bride, and
shining top boots and spurs, looked the
very beau ideal of dashing stockman, as
he bore himself elate and proudly, without
trace of that bucolic sheepishness SO often
witnessed in the principal party to similar
contracts.
The old parson, with the perspiration in
duced by recent gastronomic efforts rolling
in beads off his bald head, and dropping
from the tip of his nose on to the church
service in his hand, had taken off his long
coat of threadbare, rusty black, and stood
confessed in shirt of hue almost akin to that
of the long leggins that reached above his
knees. 1t was meltingly hot, and the ther-
mometer-had there been such an article
would have registered ITO or 115o in
the shade at the least. But it was all over
at last. Solemnly "old Ben" had kissed
the darkly-fushing bride, and told her to
be good girl to -solemnly the old
man had disposed of another parting cup;
and then, while the womenkind filled his
saddle bags with cake, chicken and ham,
together with the generous half of square
face" or large, square-sided bottle, contain
ing his favorite summer beverage, old Dwyer,
emerging from one of the inner rooms,
produced piece of well-worn blush tinted
paper, known and appreciated in those
regions as "bluey," at sight of which the
parsons eye glistened, for seldom was it
that he had the fortune to come across such
a liberal douceur as f5 note, but as old
Dwyer said, ave don't often have job
like this one for you, Ben, old man. We're
pretty well in just now, an | mean you
shall remember it. An look here, Jerry's
getting pretty poor now, an know myself
he's no chicken, SO you'd best leave him OF
the grass with us for the rest O. his days
an I'll give you as game bit O. horsefesh
as ever stepped; quiet, too, and a good
PAGER. Seel the boys is asaddling him W
now"
The old preachers life was hard, for the
most part barren, and little moistened by
kind offers like the present; and his grim
and wrinkled face puckered up and worked
curiously as he gratefully accepted the gif
for. Jerry's sake, his constant companion
through twelve long years of travel inces
SAINT through the widest parts of Queens
land; and with parting injunction to thu
boys to look after the old horse, he, mount
ing his new steed, started off on his thirty
mile ride to bury Lacy's little child.
The long tables, at which all hands haC
internationally appeased their hunge
throughout the day, on fowls, geese, tur
keys, sucking pig, fish, etc., was now cleared