Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-10-10
The Story Teller.
A LOVING SINNER.
CASSIE GUMS AToNEMENT.
BY GUY BooTHBY.

81 say she's liar-she kin say wha
she bloomin' we'll please. My man a
course kin take the sack ready ano
willin'; I amt denyin' that; bn
what I do say is that We amt a-goin
to be put upon by the likes of 'er-
no, not if she was Missis Victoria upon
her golden throne we wouldn't. An
so I'll tell Ter to 'er face"
Her name was Cassie Quin. And ir
case this assertion may not convey
very much, I may also say that she
was a strapping young woman OF
about % years of age, strong as
mountain heifer, brown as a berry
and boasting a huency and pictur
esqueness of expression that almost
took ones breath away. She was the
wife of q boundary rider on the
Queensland Station was managing al
that time, and there had been serious
trouble out back.
The adjoining station, it must be
understood, had hut on the Other
side of the boundary fence, and be-
tween the two women there was con.
slant feud. The opposition wife had
taken the trobule to make certain Sc
rious charges against our boundary
rider, and now his wife Cassie had
come in herself to disprove them. She
was about rs rough diamond as
could be found between Capes York
and Howe, and when she stood before
me she completely filled the doorway
Having had 10 minutes of vigorous
protestation and defiance, and with a
view of arriving at a conclusion, l
said, quietly:
"Come, come, now; that's all very
we'll, you know, but you must have
given her some provocation ~
"I dunno what yer mean by prov
creation" she answered; "but if she
says my husband don't do no work,
we'll, she's liar, a darned liar; and
so I'll tell 'er to 'er face when I 20
'ome-there, now! Why, I'll tell yer
what, if yer want to know, 'er man
don't"
"There, there; that'll do," I said,
hastily; II don't want to know any
thing further. Go home, there's q
good woman, and, for goodness sake,
don't let me hear any more about it.
If you want any extra rations for
Christmas day, you can tell the store
keeper sent you."
She was evidently not satisfied, for
she went away down the path mum
bling something about falsehoods and
vengeance I did not catch. 1t was
terribly hot, and even in the shadow
of the veranda the thermometer stood
at 116 degrees.
When Cassie had interrupted me, I
was busy writing to the old folk at
home and after she left, I narrated
what had passed as an amusing Incl
dent characteristic of Bush life. Then
the storekeeper came in, sat on my
table, and lit his pipe. When he act
ed in that fashion, it was always q
sign that he had come to stay, so we
sat talking of bygone days, mopping
our faces, and wondering what was
happening $4,000 miles away. re-
member he had just said: "Hold on,
though, we're feeding them with
goose and plum-duff when they are
only just out of bed-we've forgotten
the 9 hours difference in time"
To which I replied: "God bless
them; and precious cold some Of 'em
are too, I'll be bound"-when from
the yard rang the cry of "Fire !"
We dashed out; and there, sure
enough, was the smoke of huge bush
fire, licking along the top of the thick
ly timbered ranges that separated us
from our back country. 1t appeared
to be entering the gully in which stood
the rival huts I have previously men,
toned. And as soon as Cassie saw
this, she left the store and rushed to
the bough shade, where her horse was
standing. I followed ber, crying:
"Who are at the huts, girl ?"
"Only that woman and 'er kid, she
answered, seizing her saddle.
"Then where are the men ?" asked.
F or I knew, as it was Christmas day,
there would be no work doing.
"Down at the Dingoe Creek grog
shanty, and most like dead drunk by
this; and that woman's lame, and 'er
kid amt weaned. 1 must goT
"Nonsense. Put that saddle down,
and let one of the men 60. You can
do no possible good !"
81 can, / can. Don't stop me |;
there amt no time to waste, tell
yer! What's the use of sendin' one
of them l can get there quicker nor
any of 'em."
She was in the saddle by this time !;
and I, seeing it was impossible to stop
her, had let down the panels, and now
shouted after her: "Take care of
yourself, for Gods sake, girl !"
She had IA miles to 20, and the fire
scarcely six more. But she could
only travel as fast as her horse could
gallop; while the fire was moving like
an express train.
Ten minutes later was on the way
with men and beaters. Even at the
distance we were from it We could
feel the hot glow upon our faces.
And every moment it was closing in
faster and faster on the devoted huts.