Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-09

| creek, and all the time the local color
was inches thick-gum trees galore
| and parrots all colors of the rainbow.
| In one place whole forest of gums
/ had been ring parked and were just
| as though they had been painted white,
/ without Il leaf or a living thing for
! miles. And the first living thing did
| meet was the sort to give you the
| creeps 1t was 4 riderless horse COM
| ing full tilt through the bush, witk the
saddle twisted around and the stirrup
I irons ringing. Without thinking l had
a shot at heading him with the doctors
| mare and blocked him just enough to
allow NON who came galloping after
to do the rest.
THANK We, mister growled the
man, a huge chap in a red checked
shirt. with u beard like w. q. Grace,
but the very devil of an expression.
Been an accident" said /, refining
UP.
Yes said he, scowling as though
he defied me to ask any more.
We'll. Bunny. / may be Il black
guard myself. but l don't think l ever
looked at a fellow as that chap looked
at me. But l stared him out and
forced him 10 admit that ii was blood
on the twisted saddle, and after that
he became quite tame. He told me
exactly what had happened. y mate
of his had been dragged under 4
branch and had his nose sIDaShed. but
that was all; had sat tight after it till
he drosped from loss of blood. An
other mate was with him back in the
bush.
.'As I've said already, Bunny, 1
wasn't the old staGer that 1 am now,
in any respect, ami we parted good
enough friends. He asked me which
way L was going. and when L told him
he said l should save seven miles ana
get i good hour earlier to Yea by strik-
ing off the track and making for
peak that we could see through the
trees and following Il creek that l
should see from the peak. Don't smile.
Bunny. i began by saying l was "A
child in those days. OF course, the
short cut was the lSlg way round, and
it was nearly dark when that unlucky
mare and l saw the single street of
Yea.
Il was looking for the bank when
fellow in a white suit ran down from
a veranda.
Mr.. Raflies?' said he.
"'AIr. Rafties!' said l, laughing, as 1
shook his hand.
You're late
81 was misdirected.'
THAT all? I'm relieved he said.
IN
There are some brand new bushran-
gers on the road between Whittlesea
and this-a second Kelly gang. They'd
have caught Tartar i'll you, ch?'
They would in YOU l retorted,
and my III quoque shut him up and
seemed to puzzle him. Yet there was
much more sense in it than in his com
pliment to me. which was absolutely
pointlcsS. rs.--.-...'
I'm afraid you'll find things pretty
rough he resumed when he had I'M
strapped my valise and handed my
reins TO his man. It's lucky you're Il
bachelor like myself
Il could not quite see the point of
this remark either, since had l been
married / should hardly have sprung
my wife upon him in this free and
easy fashion. | muttered the conYen-
tional sort of thing, and then he said
l should find it all right when / had
settled. as though l had come to Craze
upon him for weeks. Well thought
/, these coloniais do take the cake for
hospitality" And, still marveling,
let him lead me into the private part
of the bank.
Dinner will be ready in a quarter
of an hour said he as we entered. L
thought you might like Il tub first, and
you'll find all ready in the room at the