The Ashburton, However, Was Heavily Freshed, And The Night Was Pitch
Dark.
After crossing and re-crossing it four times I was afraid to go
on, and camping down, waited for daylight.
Resuming my journey with
early dawn, I had not gone far when, happening to turn round, I saw a
man on horseback about a quarter of a mile behind me. I knew at once
that this was G-, and letting him come up with me, we rode for some
miles together, each of us of course well aware of the other's
intentions, but too politic to squabble about them when squabbling was
no manner of use. It was then early on the Wednesday morning, and the
Board sat on the following day. A book is kept at the Land-Office
called the application-book, in which anyone who has business with the
Board enters his name, and his case is attended to in the order in which
his name stands. The race between G- and myself was as to who should
first get his name down in this book, and secure the ownership of the
hut by purchasing the freehold of twenty acres round it. We had nearly
a hundred miles to ride; the office closed at four in the afternoon, and
I knew that G- could not possibly be in time for that day; I had
therefore till ten o'clock on the following morning; that is to say,
about twenty-four hours from the time we parted company. Knowing that I
could be in town by that time, I took it easily, and halted for
breakfast at the first station we came to. G- went on, and I saw him no
more.
I feared that our applications would be simultaneous, or that we should
have an indecorous scuffle for the book in the Land Office itself. In
this case, there would only have remained the unsatisfactory alternative
of drawing lots for precedence. There was nothing for it but to go on,
and see how matters would turn up. Before midday, and whilst still
sixty miles from town, my horse knocked-up completely, and would not go
another step. G-'s horse, only two months before, had gone a hundred
miles in less than fifteen hours, and was now pitted against mine, which
was thoroughly done-up. Rather anticipating this, I had determined on
keeping the tracks, thus passing stations where I might have a chance of
getting a fresh mount. G- took a short cut, saving fully ten miles in
distance, but travelling over a very stony country, with no track. A
track is a great comfort to a horse.
I shall never forget my relief when, at a station where I had already
received great kindness, I obtained the loan of a horse that had been
taken up that morning from a three-months' spell. No greater service
could, at the time, have been rendered me, and I felt that I had indeed
met with a friend in need.
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