Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-09
il ~ | RaffleS,
49,! me Amateur
INKk21 CraCkSnan
hsWW4N ~ w.
By e. w. HORNUNC

| my fathers whom none OF US knew
anything about except that he was sup
| posed 10 be in one or other of the
| colonies. If he was rich man. well
and good. / would work him: if not.
there would be no harm done. tried
to get on his tracks. and. as luck would
have il, ! succeeded Tor thought had
al the very moment when | happened
to have a few days To- myself | was
cut over on the hand, just before the
big Christmas match. and couldn't
have BOWED ball if they had played
! me.
The surgeon who fixed me MP hap
| peEed 10 ask me if was any relation
| OF Rallies Of the National bank. and
| the pure luck of it almost took my
/ breath away. A relation who was Il
| high official in one of the banks. who
/ would finance me on my mere name
| could anything be better? / made up
/ my mind that this Raffics was the
| man / wanted and was awfully sold
| 10 find next morning that he wasn't
high official at all. nor had the-dOc-
tor SO much as met him. but had mere
ly read of him i'll connection with
small sensation at the suburban branch
which my namesake managed. An
armed robber had been rather pluck
lily beaten Off. with a bullet in him,
| by this Rallies, and the sort of thing
was SO common out there that this
was the first | heard of it, \ sub
urban branch My fnancier had
| faded into some excellent fellow with
a billet TO lose if he called his soul
his own. Still, a manager was Il man
| ager. and | said l would soon see
! whether this was the relative | WAS
| looking for if be would be good enough
| 10 give me the name of that branch.
IN do more says the doctor. I'll
! get you the name of the branch he's
| been promoted TO. for think heard
they'd moved him up one already
| And the next day he brought me the
name of the township of Yea, some
fifty miles north of Melbourne. but
! with the vaGueness which character
lied al! his information he was unable
to say whether | should find my reIa-
tive there or not.
Hes 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 it appears he's not due
NJ the new one till the new year. No
doubt he'll 20 before then TO take
things over and settle i'll. You might
find him up there and you might not
II l were you | should write
"'That'll lose two days said /, and
more If be isn't there for Id grown
quite keen on this up country manager
and | felt that if | could get ut him
Willie the holidays were still Oh
little conviviality might help matters
considerably.
Then said the doctor. 4 should
get Il quiet horse and ride. You needn't
use that hand
Cant l go by train!
You can and you can't. You would
still have to ride. l suppose you're
horseman?'
Yes.
Then should certainly ride all the
way. It's a delightful road. through
Whittlesea and over the Plenty ranges.
It'lI give you some idea of the bush.
Mr.. Eatfies, 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. l wish had
time 10 ride with YOU
but where can | get horse:'
The doctor thought for a moment.
1--WE 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 should know you'd have no
temptation To use that hand
You're far too good l protested.
YOU'RE A. ]. Rallies he said.
And If ever there was prettier
compliment or Il finer instance OF even
colonial hospitality | can only say,
Bunny. that | never heard of either"
He slipped his whisky. threw away
the stump Of his cigarette and lit an
other before continuing
well, l managed TO write n line TO
w. /. with my own hand. which. as
YOU will gather. was not very badly
woundcd-it was simply this third
finger that WAS split and in splints-
and next morning the doctor packed
me off on a bovine beast that would
have done for an ambulance. Half |
the team came up TO see me start: the
rest We're rather sick with me for not
stopping TO see the match out, as if
could help them To win by watching
them. They little knew the game I'd
got on myself. bat still less did know
the game | was going To play.
1T was an interesting ride enough, |
especially after passing the place |
called Whittlesea. real wild town |
ship on the lower slope OF the ranges. |
where ! rccollect having deadly meal
of hot mutton and tea. with the Their
mo'neIcr ut three figures i'm the shade. |
The first thirty miles or so was Il good
metal road, too good to go half round
the world TO ride on. but after Whittle
sea it was mere track over the
ranges. track ! often couldn't see
and left entirely to the mare. Now it
dipped into gully and ran through Il