Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-06-20
THE AUSTRALIAN NEVER NEVER
4HN F\AlKE

o recurrence OK the usual attack OF
fever on the previous day. Indeed my
enemy had been completely forgotten.
But Il is always the way with ua
! When we are i'll. health seems to as the
one thing worth living for. and when
| we are In its full enjoyment We take it
a. matter OF course. quite forgetting
the fact that we have anything for
which to be thankful Now, with the
exception Of feeling just little LOT.
was nearly my old self again. When
told Norah Mackenzie. with . sense
Of awakened gratitude which I could
but i'll express. that believed her fever
draft had made me . new man, she
looked pleased and laughingly ex-
pressed the hope that the new man
would prove an Improvement on the old.
Gibson and his men had built in
group Of scacias neat two rooined
hut. which was Immediately handed
over to the women. Gordon unhitched
his team in the neighborhood Of great,
shady fig tree. and SAvils straightwsy
got ont his pans and paraphernalia to
make an extra effort In honor Of our
arrival. Savile was really . culinary
genius and under different circum-
stances might have made name for
himself.
Jack and were told BY the squatter
70 keep to, II own camp. ~ Gibeon's
was separate affair. for. simply having
contracted as drover to take the cattle
on 10 his run at 90 much per head. his
mess had NO connection with ours
However. Gibson insisted on our being
his guests for that night. 20 We men
folk went over 10 his camp. His people,
IN they relieved each other from slowly
riding round the cattle, would drop In.
and Il was pleasant 10 exchange civil.
ties and news-such a. II was-with
them. for only those who have been for
months and perhaps years In the lone
" bush can know how even 10 see .
strange face and exchange few friend
" sociable words with some one II .
welcome break in the monotony Of such
Q life.
Strange to say. now that we had ar
rived at the end Of our journey did
not feel any particular sense Of gratih-
cation in the fact, for tho squatter had
gradually developed . very friendly At
titude toward Jack and me and had
rather encouraged IA 10 ride alongside
Of himself and his daughter. with the
result that We had spent . pleasant
time together. Il seemed TO give Mac
kenxie pleasure 10 talk with those who
knew something Of the rather uncom-
mon subjecte that interested him. /
mink he found Jack the more congenial
companion. and observed with satis-
faction that Norah Mackenzie was
pleased to see her father in such cheer
full and communicative spirit Indeed
she told me that she had not seen him
looking 70 well and cheerful since he
had started out from Tarragong and
was good enough to ascribe II TO his
having found those with whom he could
converse freely on subjects that inter
ested him She seemed grateful to Jack.
though why could not exactly under
stand. knowing the obligation was rs
much on his side.
Having finished supper. ! was just
wondering whether ! was well enough
TO smoke--an attack OF fever often.
strangely enough, takes away the de-
sire from even an habitual smoker
when my attention was aroused by .
stock rider evidently just relieved from
watch, tired and dusty. His small.
grayish blue eyes had Q cold blooded.
shifty expression; the mouth, which Is
supposed to be the most expressive fea-
ture in the face. was large and loose,
yet not weak; there was hint Of vim
dictiveness and latent cruelty lurking
In the down drawn corners and lines on
either side Of It by no means reassuring.
What was intended to be q frank and
straightforward way Of looking at one
impressed the observer as belonging to
man who had no small conceit Of
himself, one who was studying his VIC
tim and watching his chance to crafty
mean nature. His voice was hard. but
drawling. affecting Q heartiness that
his general presence belied. Still his
features were regular. and he was what
some people would certainly call good
looking despite these drawbacks. When
he saw me, tried to greet him in .
friendly spirit. but felt on the instant
that was not one Of those who would
have the honor Of sharing his good
gracesL II occurred to me. however,
that the healing hand Of time might
temper this depriva tion.
BE stared hard at some one with what
seemed to be fear in his eyes Turning,
I saw Jack. / had never before seen
such look on my comrade 3 face. First
n angry flush mounted into Il; then,
. II some polite motive had arrested
him, he remained seated, while an ap
prehensive, sickening. weary look tooh
its place. Il was evident that this
man, whom his comrades called DAILY,
was Q very unwelcome sight to Jack.
and that he suggested some recollec.
tions which belonged to the "skeletop
In the cupboard" seriea Could he be
cognixant of the secret which had led
Jack to sink his identityf When saw
the peculiarly concentrated stare that
passed between them, II was evident TO
me that from some motives Of prudence
they had tacitly decided to avoid recog-
milton. Nor was mistaken, for, when
about IN hour later, having gone down
70 the creek to have . swim-which ]
always indulged in when the oppor-
tunity oRered-and afterward. while
drying myself behind q clump Of thick
undergrowth. heard couple Of men
talking excitedly together and knew
that Il wes Jack and DAILY. who had
sought this quiet corner 20 ~ not to b
disturbed.
"You'rs . scoundrell'' / heard Jack
ny indignantly. "You were not con-
tent with fooling mo into travelling
along with you and your thieving mob
but yca worked Il - that I ahouh In
nocently show mysik 10 TIE police,
that they ihouM get my description
and think I was ons of the gang who
san OF the 6oesea II was 3 mighty
clever trick, wasn't ~ Didn't thsy 81
a 70 you q youS mates st allr
Idid not want to play the part Of IN
savesdroppsr. 20 coughed to attract
thsiy atteo1iou. But they did not heax
- and cuntinued talking.
"Well, no, I dat think thy did.
was the dsawling. haR neering rspy.