The San Francisco call., 1905-06-18


north of Melbourne; but, with the
vagueness which characterized all his
informal ton. he was unable to say
whether I.should find my relative there
or not
He's a single man, and his initials
are w. f. said the doctor. who was
certain enough of the immaterial
points He left his old post several
days ago. but 1t appears he's not due
at the new one till the New Year. No
doubt he'll go before then to take things
over and settle in. You might find him
up there and you might not. If 1 were
you 1 should write
"'That1l lose two days said /. and
more if he isn't there for I'd grown
quite keen on this up-country manager.
and 1 felt that If I could get at him
while the holidays were still on lit
tie conviviality might help matters con-
siderably.
Then said the doctor. should get
a quiet horse and ride. You needn't use
that hand
Cant go by train?'
You can and you can't. You would
still have to ride. I suppose you're
horseman?
Yes
Then I should certainly ride all
the way. It's a delightful road, through
Whittlesea and over theSPlenty Ranges.
It'll give you some idea of the bush,
Mr.. Raffies, and you'll see the sources
of the water supply of this city, sir.
You'll see where every drop of it comes
from, the pure Van Yean. 1 wish l had
time to ride with you.
But where can 1 get horse?
The doctor thought for moment.
I've a mare of my own that's as fat
as butter for want of work, said he.
1t would be a charity to me to sit on
her back for a hundred miles or SO,
and then 1 should know you'd have no
temptation to use that hand.
You're far too good. l protested.
You're A. ]. Raffies, he said.
And if ever there was a prettier
compliment or a finer instance of even
Colonial hospitality 1 can only say,
Bunny, that 1 never heard of either"
He slipped his whisky, threw away
the stump of his cigarette and lit an
other before continuing
We'll. 1 managed to write a line TO
". T. with my own hand, which, as you
will gather, was not very badly wound
edit was simply this third finger that
was split and in splints-and the next
morning the doctor packed me off on
bovine beast that would have done for
an ambulance. Half the team came up
to see me start; the rest were rather
sick with me for not stopping to see the
match out. as if 1 could help them to
win by watching them. They little
knew the game I'd got on myself, but
still less did 1 know the game I was
going to play.
1T was an interesting ride enough,
especially after passing the place called
Whittlesea, a real wild township on the
lower slope of the ranges, where 1 rec
ollect having a deadly meal of hot NUT
ton and tea, with the thermometer at
three figures in the shade. The first
thirty miles or so was a good metal
road, too good to go half around the
world to ride on. but after Whittlesea 1t
was a mere track over the ranges,
track 1 often couldn't see and left en-
tirely TO the mare. Now 1t dipped into
a gully and ran through a creek. and
all the time the local color was inches
thick-gum trees galore and parrots all
whole forest of gums had been ring
barked and were just as though they
had been painted white, without leaf
or a living thing for miles. And the
first living thing / did meet was the
sort TO give you the creeps; it was a
rlderless horse coming full tilt through
the bush, with the saddle twisted
around and the stirrup-irons ringing.
Without thinking, I had shot at head
ing him with the doctors mare, and
blocked him just enough to allow a
man who came galloping after to do
the rest.
Thank ye, mister" growled the man.
huge chap in a red-checked shirt,
with beard like w. G. Grace, but the
very devil of an expression.
Been an accident? said i, refining
up.
Yes said he, scowling as though he
defied me to ask any more.
We'll, Bunny, | may be a blackguard
myself. but / don't think / ever looked at
a fellow as that chap looked at me. But
1 stared him out, and forced him to ad-
nit that It was blood on the twisted
saddle, and after that he became quite
tame. He told me exactly whct had hap
pened. A mate of his had been dragged
under branch and had his nose smashed,
but that was all; had sat tight after 1t
till he dropped from loss O. blood; an
other mate was with him back In the
bush
'As I've said already, Bunny, l wasn't
me old stager that l am now-in any re-
spect-and we parted good enough friends.
He asked me which way 1 was going
and, when i told him, he said 1 should
save seven miles and get a good road
earlier to Yea by striking off the track
and making for peak that we could see
through the trees and following a creek
that / should see from the peak Don't
smile Bunny. 1 began by saying / was
child in those days. OF course, the
shortcut was the long way round, and
it was nearly dark wnen that unlucny
mare and / saw the single street of Yea.
Il was looking for the bank when a
fellow in a white suit ran down from a
veranda.
Mr.. Rafiies?' said he.