CHAPTER XIII
STATION DOINGS
I see as I stand at the slip-rails, dreaming, Merry riders that mount and meet; Sun on the saddles, gleaming, gleaming, Red dust wrapping the horses' feet. W. H. OGILVIE
They had turned the corner of the house leading to the verandah offwhich Mr. Linton's office opened, and where that gentleman waspresumably to be found, wrestling with the intricacies of hisincome-tax schedule--the squatter's yearly bugbear. Along this verandahcame, slowly, Cecil, beautiful to behold in a loose brown suit, withbuff coloured shirt and flowing orange tie. Wally cast a swift glanceat his ankles, and chuckled.
"He's got new socks on!" he said, in a sepulchral whisper.
"Shut up, you duffer--he'll hear you!" Jim said. He raised his voice."Looking for us, Cecil?"
"Yes," Cecil drawled. "Uncle David asked me to find you. Fedthe--ah--poultry, Norah?"
"Yes, thank you," said that damsel.
"Awfully uninteresting things, fowls," said Cecil, turning and walkingback with them. "Noisy and dirty--I can't imagine you bothering yourhead over them."
"They're not dirty when they're kept properly," Norah said, a littlewarmly. "And I don't think any animal's uninteresting if you look afterit yourself. Of course, if you do nothing more than eat them--"
"I assure you that's all I care to do!" said Cecil. At this point, theyarrived at the door of the office, which was perhaps as well, and foundMr. Linton half submerged in a sea of stock returns, books, andbill-files.
"Oh, here you are," he said, smoothing the furrows out of his brow tosmile at Norah. "I had an idea I sent you for the others some time ago,Jim."
Jim looked somewhat sheepish.
"Yes." He admitted, laughing. "Fact is, I--I got into a kerosene tin!"He glanced at his left leg expressively.
"I see," said his father, with a smile. "Well, I don't know that itmatters--only a note has just come out from Anderson, and his chauffeuris waiting for an answer. It seems Cunjee is playing Mulgoa in a greatcricket match on Thursday, and they're short of men. They want to knowif they can recruit from Billabong."
"Good business!" said Jim, joyfully, while Wally hurrahed below hisbreath. "But will they let us play, Dad--Wal. and me?"
"Oh, they've fixed that up with the Mulgoa fellows," said his father."It's all right. They're kind enough to ask me to play, but it's out ofthe question--even if I weren't approaching senile decay"--he smiled--"Iwouldn't be able to go. Mr. Darrell has a buyer coming to look at hisyoung stock on Friday, and he writes me that if I want any of them--heknows I did want some--I can have the first pick if I am over atKillybeg on Thursday. So that means I'll be away from Wednesdaymorning--and I think this match will be as efficacious as anything elsein keeping you out of mischief during my absence!"
"I'm glad we'll have something!" Jim said, his grin belying his meekvoice. "Well, we'll have to see who can play."
"You two boys, of course," said his father. "And Cecil--do you play?"
"Not for worlds, thank you," said Cecil, hastily. "It's not in myline."
"Oh," said his uncle. "Then you can be Norah's escort--if she wants togo, that is!"
"Want to go! Well, Daddy!" said Norah in expostulation--whereateverybody laughed.
"Murty can slog, I believe, and of course, Boone is a cricketer," thesquatter said. "They only want four, so if those two fellows arewilling--of which I'm not very doubtful!--that will be just right. Youmight go out and see if they're anywhere about, Jim."
Jim and Wally dashed off, to return presently with the tidings thatMurty would play "wid all the pleasure in loife." Boone was away atwork, but his acquiescence could be taken for granted.
"Then I'll send a line to the doctor," Mr. Linton said. "He and Mrs.Anderson want you all to go there for lunch on the day of the match--avery good arrangement, seeing that you'll have Norah with you. You'dbetter get away from here quite early; it's pretty certain to be hot,and the day will be a fairly long one, in any case. It will be farbetter to get the ride over before the sun is very formidable. And ifyou'll take my advice, boys, you'll make those fellows have somepractice before Thursday. You two should be in good form, but theyscarcely ever touch a bat."
Jim and Wally approved of his advice, and each evening before the dayof the match saw the Billabong contingent of the Cunjee eleven hard atwork on a level stretch of ground close to the homestead; while Norahwas generally to be found making herself useful in the outfield. Hersex did not hinder the daughter of the house from being able to returnballs with force and directness, and when, as a reward for her aid, shewas given a few minutes with the bat, to carefully regulated bowlingfrom Wally, Norah's cup of joy was full. She was even heard to say thatschool might be bearable if they let you play cricket most of thetime!--which was a great admission for Norah, who had kept her wordrigidly about not mentioning the dreaded prospect before her. That shethought of it continually, Jim knew well and he and his chum were wont,by all means in their power, to paint school life for girls inattractive colours without appearing to be directly "preaching" toNorah; which kindly thought she saw through very well, and was silentlygrateful, though it was doubtful if her sentence lost any of itsterrors.
It was always more or less before her. Her own circle had been toolimited to give Norah much experience of the outer world, and sheshrank instinctively from anything that lay beyond Billabong and itssurroundings. No one, meeting her in her home, would have dreamed thatshe might be shy; but the truth was that a very passion of shyness cameover her when she thought of confronting a number of girls, all up todate and smart, and at ease in their environment, and all, if Cecilwere to be believed, ready to look down upon the recruit from the Bush.
For Cecil lost no opportunity to point out to Norah her drawbacks, andto hint at her inferiority to ordinary girls of her own age; "properlytrained girls" was his phrase. When he talked to her--which wasprudently when no one else was about--Norah felt a complete rustic, andwas well assured that the girls at Melbourne would very soon put her inher place, even if they did not openly resent the presence among themof a girl reared in the country, and in so unusual a fashion. She evenwondered miserably sometimes if Dad and Jim were rather ashamed of her,and did not like to say so; it was quite possible, since the city boyevidently held her in such low esteem. But then would come a summonsfrom her father, or Jim would appear and bear her off imperiously onsome expedition with him, and she would forget her fears--until the nexttime Cecil persevered in his plan of educating her to a knowledge ofher own deficiencies. It is not hard for a boy, on the verge ofmanhood, to instil ideas into an unsuspecting child; and Cecil'stuition gave poor Norah many a dark hour of which her father and theother boys never dreamed. It would have gone hard with Cecil had theydone so.
Between cricket-practice, occasional rides and exploring expeditions,boating on the lagoon, and fishing in the river, to say nothing of muchcheerful intercourse, the days passed quickly--at least to most of theinhabitants of the homestead, and when Wednesday came Norah rode acrossthe run with her father to see him on his way to Killybeg. TheDarrells' station was some thirty-five miles away by the usual roads;but a short cut over the ranges reduced the journey by fifteen miles,although it was a rough trip, and an impossible one for vehicles.Mounted on Monarch, however, Mr. Linton thought nothing of it; andNorah laughed at his self-accusation of old age as she rode beside him,the lean, erect figure in the saddle giving easily to the black horse'sirresponsible bounds--for Monarch had been "spelled" for the trip, andwas full of spirits and suppressed energy.
"Take care of him, Daddy, won't you?" she said, a little anxiously, asMonarch executed a more than ordinarily uproarious caper. "He's awfullyfresh."
"He'll steady down presently," said her father, smiling at the upturnedface. "There's some steep country ahead of him."
"Yes, but he's such a mad-headed animal--and those paths on the sides ofthe gullies are very steep."
"You sound like the nervous young woman in 'Excelsior,'" Davi
d Lintonsaid, with a laugh. "Cheer up, my girl--there's no need to worry aboutMonarch and me. He's only playful; hasn't an atom of vice, and I knowhim very well by now. I never put my leg over a better horse."
"Oh, of course," said Norah, cheered, but not altogether convinced."Every one knows he's a beauty--but just look out that he doesn't try tobe too playful on the sidings, Daddy. It would be so easy to slipdown."
"Not for anything with four good legs and a fair allowance of sense,"said her father. "Do you think you could make Bobs slip down?"
Norah laughed.
"Oh, Bobs is like a mountain goat when it comes to sure-footedness,"she said. "You've said yourself, Daddy that it would hardly be possibleto THROW him down! But then, Bobs is Bobs, and he's seven years old,and ever so sensible--not like that big four-year-old baby. So promiseme you'll be careful, Daddy."
"I will, little daughter." They were at the boundary fence now, and itwas time for Norah to turn back. "Hurry home--I don't quite like youbeing so far afield by yourself."
"Oh, Bobs will look after me." Norah hugged her father so far asMonarch would permit--Mr. Linton had got off to wrestle with a stiffpadlock on the seldom-used gate, and the black horse was pulling away,impatient of the delay.
"I expect he will," said the father. "That pony is almost as great acomfort to me as he is to you, I believe! Make haste home, all thesame." He stood still a moment to watch the little white-coated figureand the handsome pony swinging across the plain at Bobs' long canter;his face tender as few people ever saw it. Then he mounted the eagerMonarch, and rode off into the rough country that led to the ranges.
It was comparatively early, but already very hot. Norah was not sorrywhen she left the long stretch they called the "Far Plain" behind her,and came into the welcome shade of a belt of timber. She walked Bobsthrough it slowly. Then came the clear stretch to the homestead, andthey cantered steadily across it.
Near the stockyard a cloud of dust hovered, through which might be seendimly the forms of Jim, Wally and O'Toole--all engaged in the engrossingpursuit of inducing three poddy calves to enter the yard. They had butone dog, which, being young and "whip shy," had vanished into thedistant landscape at the sound of Murty's stockwhip, leaving them buttheir own energies to persuade the calves; and when a poddy calfbecomes obstinate there are few animals less easy to persuade. Each waspossessed of a very respectable turn of speed and a rooteddetermination to remain in the paddock. When, as frequently happened,they made separate rushes away in the direction of freedom it was allbut impossible for those on foot to head them off and keep them in thecorner by the yards. They raced hither and thither like mad things,cutting wild capers as they fled; backed and twisted and dodged, andoccasionally bellowed as they bolted, much as a naughty child mightbellow. To an onlooker there was something distinctly funny in thespectacle.
Murty and the boys, however, might be excused for failing to see thefiner points of the joke. They were hot beyond expression; they werealso extremely dirty, and were verging on becoming extremely cross. Toand fro they darted wildly, striving to head off the cheerful culprits:lifted up their voices in fruitless shouting, and wasted much necessarybreath in uttering wild threats of what might be expected to happenwhen--if ever--they succeeded in yarding the enemy. Not one had a hat;they had long ago been used as missiles in checking a rush, and now layin the dust, trampled under the racing feet of the poddies. Moreover,it was distressingly evident that they were becoming tired, whilst thecalves remained fresh and in most excellent spirits. The chances, asNorah arrived, were distinctly in favour of the calves.
From a comfortable seat on a rail Cecil watch the battle, for onceceasing to look bored. In his opinion it was funnier than a circus.Once or twice he shouted words of encouragement to the combatants, andfrequently he laughed outright. As an entertainment this quite outshoneanything that had been offered him on Billabong--and Cecil was not theman to withhold applause where he thought it due. Finally his attitudeattracted the notice of the perspiring Mr. O'Toole.
"Yerra, come down out o' that an' len' a hand!" he shouted, panting."It is laughin' ye'd be, wid these loonattic images gittin' away onus--!" Further eloquence on Murty's part was checked by a determinedrush on the part of a red and white calf, which would certainly haveended in freedom but for a well-aimed clod, which, hurled by theIrishman, took the poddy squarely between the eyes and induced him topull up and meditate. Unfortunately Murty tripped in the act ofdelivery, and went headlong, picking himself up just in time to stop asecond rush by the calf, which, on seeing his enemy on the ground,promptly ceased to meditate. Cecil rocked with laughter.
"Oh, get off that fence and try and block these brutes, Cecil!" sangout Jim, angrily. "Another hand would make all the difference, if you'dexert yourself!"
Cecil's laughter came to a sudden stop. He looked indignantly at hisgrey suit, and with pain at his patent leather shoes; then, apparentlycoming to the conclusion that there was no help for it, descendedgingerly, and came into the line of defenders. A sturdy littleShorthorn singled him out for attention, and charged in his direction.
"Block him! Block him, I say!"
Jim's voice rang out. Cecil uttered a feeble yelp as the calf cameracing past, waved his arms, and executed a few mild steps towardshim--attentions which but served to accelerate the Shorthorn's flight.He went by the city lad like a meteor, rendering useless a wild run byWally, who was just too late to head him. Murty O'Toole uttered a shoutof wrath.
"Howly Ann! He's lost him! The blitherin'--yerra, glory be, there's MissNorah!"
The change from indignation to relief was comical. Norah and Bobs camelike a bolt from the blue upon the vision of the astonished Shorthorn,which made one last gallant effort for freedom, dodging and twisting,while gallant effort for freedom, dodging and twisting, while Bobs madeevery movement, propping and swinging to cut him off in a manner thatwould have disturbed any rider not used to the intricate ways of astock horse. Finally the calf gave it up abruptly, and raced backtowards the yard, the pony at his heels. He bolted in at the open gate,promptly followed by his companions, and Murty cut off their exit witha grunt of relief.
"Wisha, it's hot!" he said, mopping his brow. "Sure, Miss Norah, y' kemin the nick av time--'twas run clane off our legs, we was."
"They CAN run, can't they?" said Norah, who was laughing. "Did you hurtyourself, Murty?"
"Only me timper," said the Irishman, grinning. "But 'twas enough tomake a man angry to see that little omadhaun dancin' an' flapping hisarrums f'r all the world loike a monkey on a stick--an' pardon to ye,Miss Norah, but I do be forgettin' he's y'r cousin."
"Oh, he's not used to stock; you mustn't be hard on him, Murty," Norahlaughed. "Are you very hot, you poor boys?"--as Wally and Jim came up,panting. Cecil had withdrawn towards the house, in offended dignity.
"Hot!" said Wally, casting himself on the ground--
"'Far better in the sod to lie, With pasturing pig above, Than broil beneath a copper sky, In sight of all I love!'
That's me!"
"Don't know how you've energy to spout Dr. Watts at that rate," saidJim, following his example.
"I don't think it is Dr. Watts; I fancy it's Kendall," said Wally,uncertainly. "Not that it matters, anyhow; I'm not likely to meeteither of them! Did you ever see anything like the way those littlebeggars ran?"
"Hope I never will again--with the thermometer at this height," Jimanswered. "Norah, no words can say how glad I was to see you return, mydear!"
"I can imagine how much of your gladness concerned me, and how much wasdue to that Shorthorn calf!" said Norah, laughing.
"Well, he'd have been fleeing yet into the offing if it hadn't been foryou," said Wally. "Will any one take my hand and lead me for a drink?"
"We'll go up to the house--it's cool there," Jim said. "I want a lemonsquash three feet long. There'll be one for you, Murty, if you comeup."
"I will that same," said Mr. O'Toole, promptly. "There's no vegetableloike the limon on a day
loike this!" So they let Bobs go, and alltrooped inside, where Cecil was found, well brushed, and wearing amartyred expression--which, however, was not proof against refreshments.He even went so far as to express mild regret for his slowness torender assistance, remarking that it was against his doctor's advicefor him to run; which remarks were received with fitting demeanour byhis hearers, though, as Wally remarked later, it was difficult to seehow any one who knew Cecil at all could ever have contemplated thepossibility of his running!
"Well, I must go back and help Murty brand those youngsters," Jim said,at length, bringing his long form in stages off the sofa. "Coming,Wal.? And, Norah, just you take things quietly. It's uncommon hot, andyou'll have a long day to-morrow."
Norah assented with surprising meekness, and the day passed calmly,enlivened by an enthusiastic cricket practice in the evening; afterwhich she was called into requisition at the piano, and played to anaudience stretched on basket chairs and lounges on the verandahoutside. Finally the performer protested, coming out through one of thelong windows for a breath of cooler air.
"Well, then, it's bed," said Jim, yawning prodigiously. "Norah, the menare going to drive in, with our playing togs, to-morrow; would yourather go in the buggy?"
"I'd rather drive, thanks, Jim."
"Thought so. Then hurry off to bed, for we're going to make an earlystart." Jim paused, looking up at the star-filled sky. "And I give youall warning, it's going to be a caution for heat!"