We Stopped At The First, To Know If They Had Any Uncooked Or Cold
Meat To Sell, For Our Provisions Were Running Low.
"Havn't none," said the woman, shaking her head.
Then looking hard at
William, and judging from his good-humoured face, that he was a likely
one to do what she wanted, she said to him. "Now, Sir, I'm agoing to ax
a favour of you, and that is to go a little farther down the
road, to the other coffee-tent, and buy for me as much meat as they'll
let you have. They's got plenty, and I've none; and they knows I'll
lose custom by it, so you'll not get it if they twigs (ANGLICE guesses)
you comes from me. You understand, Sir," and she put sovereign into his
hand to pay for it.
Laughing at the comicality of the request, and the thoroughly colonial
coolness of making it, William set off, and presently returned with
nearly half a sheep hanging over his shoulders, and a large joint in
one hand.
"Bless me, what luck!" exclaimed the delighted woman, and loud and
profuse were her thanks. She wanted to cook us a good dinner off the
meat gratis; but this we steadily refused and purchasing enough for the
present, we put our drays again into motion, and a little while after
kindled a fire, and were our own cooks as usual. That night we camped
beside the Deep Creek, about a mile from the "Deep Creek Inn." The
route we were now taking was different to the one we had travelled
going up - it was much more direct.
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