Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-06-07

e>Si NAAS ""S NA> 80
looking for if he would be good enough
to give me the name of that branch.
"'lll do more says the doctor. III
get you the nam of the branch he's
been promoted to. for l think l heard
they'd moved him up II already
And the next day he brought me the
name of the township OF Yea, some
with the vagueneSs which character
lied all his Information he was unable
to say whether l should find my rela-
tive there or not.
Hes 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 it appears he's not due
at the new one till the new year. No
doubt he'll so before then to take
things over and settle in. You might
find him up there and you might not.
If ! We're you l should write
"'Thatll lose two days. said l, and
more if he isn't there for I'd grown
quite keen on this up country manager,
and l felt that if l could get at him
while the holidays were still on a
little %conviviality might help matters
considerably.
"'Then,' said the doctor, L should
get a quiet horse and ride. You needn't
use that hand
"'Can't l so by train?'
"'You can and you can't. You would
still have to ride. l suppose you're a
horseman?
eyes
"'Then l should certainly ride all the
way. It's a delightful road, through
Whittlesea and over the Plenty ranges.
It'll give you some idea Of the bush,
Mr.. Raff1es, 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 Yam Yean. l wish l had
time to ride with you
"'But where can l get a horse?'
1.-THE doctor thought for a moment.
"I've a mare of my W 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
"'1ou're far too good 1 protested.
"'You're A. j. Rafles,' he said.
And if ever there was a prettier
compliment or a finer instance of even
colonial hospitality l 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.
well, l managed to write a line to
W. F.. with my own hand, which, as
you will gather, was not very badly
wounded-it was simply this third
finger that was split Rnd 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 were rather sick with me for not
stopping to see the match out. as if l
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 l was going to play.
ut was an interesting ride enough,
especially after passing the place
called Whittlesea, a real wild town
ship on the lower slope of the ranges,
where recollect having a deadly meal
Of hot mutton and tea, with the Their
mometer at three figures in the shade.
The first thirty miles or so was a good
metal road, too good to go half round
the world to ride on, but after Whittle-
sea it was a mere track over the
ranges, q track l often couldn't see
and left entirely to the mare. Now it
dipped into gully and ran through Il
creek, and all the tine TIE local color
was inches thick-guN. trees galore
and parrots all colors Of IT," rainbow.
In one place a whole fur>t ui gulns
had beer ring parked ana We're just
as though they had been painted white,
without a leaf or ii living thing for
miles. And the first living thing | did
meet was the sort to give YOU the
creeps. 1t was a riderless horse com
ing full tilt through the bush, with the
saddle twisted around and the stirrup
irons ringing. Without thinking | had
a shot at heading him with the doctors
mare and blocked him just enough to
allow Il mar who came galloping after
to do the rest.
"'Thank We, mister growled the
man, a huge chap in a red checked
shirt, with a beard like w. G. Grace,
but the very devil of an expression.
"'Been al accident" said /, refining
up.
"'Yes,' said he, scowling as though
he defied me to ask any more.
well, Bunny, l may be a 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 to admit that it was blood
on the twisted saddle, and after that
he became quite tame. He told me
exactly what had happened. A mate
Of his had been dragged under a
branch and had his nose smashed, but
that was all; had sat tight after it till
he dropped from loss Of blood. An
other mate was with him back in the
BUSH.
GAS I've said already, Bunny, |