The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-24
PART I.

Bother the maneger." was tho
prompt reply, given in no very amiable
tone. was Jack. Tom, our new store
keeper, owned the stentorian voice
which had just summoned me; and the
fact that was at the moment seated
In our hut, trying TO drink panni-
kin of rather hot tea for breakfast ex-
plains the tone of my reply.
Station managers, however. are nee
essary evils In Australia, and as long as
you are on a station il is quite as well
to keep In with them as not, so 1 nm
ished my tea and walked across to the
store. some fifty yards away.
'That you. Jack?" The voice came
from the end of the station storehouse
that was divided off for an Office, and 1T
was that of Macallistcr. the manager.
"Yes, sir; did you want me?"
"Ycs. Come here. youngster."
opened the door and found the manager
standing beside the open safe with
small leather bag in his hand.
"Look here, Jack" he said, "this has
got to go to Maroona to-day, and since
Bob has gone and twisted his blasted
ankle, you're the only hand I've got
that / can trust to take it, SO you'll
have to go. You've been to Maroona,
haven't your"
"Yes. sir. / know the road all right
enough, but / don't think / could get
there in one day"
"No. But you can get to 'Hutchcn's'
tonight, and you'll be there before two
o'clock tomorrow. / daresay the hands
will have done'shearing by that time,
and they'll be wanting to move on"
"It's money, Is it?" I said, looking
little doubtfully at the bag.
"Money? i should rather say IL was
twelve hundred and fifty pounds in
notes and gold, and twenty in silver,
that's all, so you'll have TO look out you
don't lose it,"
/ looked at IL doubtfully. Hadn't
j better take revolver?" i asked.
The manager laughed. "A revolver"
he repeated; "bless your heart, young
ster, that sort of things played out
years ago. Do you fancy you're back in
the old bushranging times? No. Take
"a good horse-hitch this on to your belt
underneath your coat, and I'll warrant
-yea safe enough from all the BUSH
rangers you'll meet between here and
Mnroona."
"All right, SIR" / said, unfastening
my belt and slipping it through the
loop on the bag, which was sealed up.
"I.et me see," he said, "what horse are
you riding now?"
"Firefly, this last fortnight, but hts
of foot's bit tender"
"All right, then, take Cossack; he's
doing nothing, and II he's bit lively,
all the better-ninety-fve miles'll take
that out Of him. Now, youngster," he
added, ''you be off, and mind yourself.
I'll look for you back on Saturday"
As / stepped out of the Office felt
just little proud. Only eight months
on the station, and trusted with a job
like this. There was nothing, of
course, in riding to Maroona; any body
but a very new hand could DO that;
but there was good deal in being
trusted with nearly thirteen hundred
pounds for the shearcrs' wages. Cos
sack was in the stable, and in five min
utes l had saddled him and started
across country at a smart canter. 1t
was early spring-the only season when
Australia is to he seen at her best The
rains had been plentiful, and now the
weather had set In warm. The coun-
try, as far as the eye could reach, was
green--the strange metallic bronze
green of the native grassland il
stretched before me to the far horizon
line in long, softly.tinted billows,
sleeping under the haze OF the golden
sunshine. l kept the track, for on
both sides the grass rose tall and rank,
as high as my horses girths, It's heavy
dropping masses lighted here and there
at the edges by bright splashes OF
color where gorgeous wildAowers
peeped through the tangle and swaycd
gently In the morning breeze.
The air was full Of the life Of the
spring. Myriads OF insects filled the
atmosphere with their musical hum or
whirred past me in their headlong
Hight. Even the dim recesses OF the
forest, through patch Of which had
10 pass, were cheerful for once with the
chatter OF parrots and the loud, cx-
UittHl scrtdHlS OF pOluen-creStSu COCK
ntoos. Cossaclx had been lively enough
ut first, as the manager had expected,
but when he saw that real business was
meant he settled down 10 the long,
stretching canter with which the Aus
tralian horse will cover seven miles an
hour through the broiling heat Of long
summer's day.
Hour after hour he kept II up with
the steady endurance of his race. Tho
ride was lonely one, but eight months
of station life had made solitude seem
to mo like second nature. couldn't
miss my way. for was steering for an
outlying spur OF the Australian Alps
which now rose rugged and gray before
me. knew had to round the end ot
the spur just where the Cinna-gulla
creek comes out into the open. and
should be within about twenty miles Of
Hutchens' accommodation house on the
dividing range, where was to put up
for the night. On, and on-over the