Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-06

of wind-swept rain on to the sodden pad
docks.
The cook looked up.
My word!'' he said. It's a damp even
ing. HOW's the Creek?'
Running a banker said the boundary
rider. scuffiing into another shirt. He rum
mayed In his bunk and exchanged wet
boots for dry socks. I've been out in the
Emu paddock all the afternoon, shifting
stock into Honeysuckie. The stream is up
to the bridge already. and if it rises in the
night Emu will be clean flooded out. The
old mans pretty sick. He's afraid the
bridge will go.
''Darned old man-trap! Hope it will"
growled bullock driver. Il never take my
team across it without expecting to swim
ashore"
Comes of being lightweight, bullocky,"
said Jimmy, with d glance at the Transfers
huge proportions. He was answered by
flying pannikin, lodged it dexterously and
let 1t skim, so, with an ace of Jones head,
as he sat apart in his abstraction. The
groom sprang to his feet.
Here! What the-whO the-where's the
man who tried to brain me?' he said, an
mean by these fool tricks?'
Keep your wool on, mate the bullock
driver said, alphabetically. Twas only
meant for the boy. You'd have seen that,
if you hadn't been kinder lost, staring at
the fire, and deaf and dumb to every one
about you"
Jones is that crowded up with his books
and his po'try he can't think of common
sorter fellers like you and me. bullocky,"
said the cook. Hes getting himself edu-
! Gated, and it's rocky job for m to
tackle"
Wish some pretty young. thing would
come along and educate me-" said the au-
dacicus Jimmy, rushing in at the loophole
made by the cooks remark.
Jones reached out hand, Jimmy fed
but he stumbled over the boundary riders
boots, and his pursuer bounced on him.
There's education for you, sonnyr He
proceeded to administer it. He opened the
door when his aEn ceased failing, and
Jimmy shot into the outer darkness with
wailing and crashing of teeth.
'Whe-ee-ew"' whistIed Jones at sight of
the tempest. He stood looking at 1t, forget
full of the cause of his exertions and the
ram drove past his face in singing lashes
How long has this been going on?"
The bullock driver guffawed.
He doesn't know it's been raining since
| midday" he said by gum. boys, what
| d'you think of that? I give it best
There was a chorused murmur and the
| cook opened his mouth for further COM
ment. But IL he made it the subject of his
| criticism was not among the listeners: for
| Jones had slammed the door behind him.
and was boring toward the stable through
the dOwnpour.
/ His mare whinnied from a loose box. He
| opened 1t, girthed her, tied a lantern to
| his saddle and splashed out head bent. to-
ward the creek. He crossed the bridge
| with glance at the tumbling yellow spate
| below it, and swung into q long Looping
Canter across the paddockS. Darkness had
| tallen everywhere, except in the gray cor
| ner or the western sky from whence strag-
| g!ed the last watery CLEAN of daylight
| Jones steered by the direction of the wind
the feel of the track below the hoofs the
| scattered honeysuckle trees that he. alter
| nately gained and flung behind him. He
| struck gate after gate, passed through
| them, and Mirnong homestead dwindled be-
| hind the miles.
| Miss Allin had VoiOnteered that ,oorpipp
J to show visitor one of the sights of the
| district. The plan had been made and dis
| cussed by the stable opening, behind which
| Jones, for reasons of his own did his work
| with noise and without appearance He
| was appealed to once or twice when the
| route was discussed. and he gave his an
! swer from the inner invisbility amid a
| swish of currycombing: a proceeding that
| made the visitor mold an open mind upon
! Australian servants, and mold it unfavor-
! ably.
| If Miss Allin were conscious of the in
| ciyflity, she did not show it. Jones' edu-
cation had been interrupted a fortnight be-
| fore, by the arrival of the guest whose en-
| tertainment her father had deputed to her.
| and who, being male and young seemed
| not unnaturally intent upon mouopolizing
| all the attention she was able to give him.
| There was no time for Carlylian discussions
| in the noon sunshine, or for ingenious lee
lures upon the Divine discomfort" and
| Jones dropped himself voluntarily into a
| deeper obscurity by keeping out of the way
on the occasions when the giri and the man
together might have come upon him.
He rode now to catch them on their re-
turn from the Seven Tree Gully and guide
them home safely. They would need his
guidance. for the sudden rainfall would
have swollen the ford they must cross and
cross, since the night had closed rapidly
in darkness He cantered steadily on
down the sheep tracks of a neighbours rum
and the wind and rain combined to sting
and chill him. But 1t was not of the
weather that he was thinking.
| He was chewing the cud of reflections
that had troubled him for weeks; and the
taste of them was bitter. Their gist was