Catching
the hare's often the best part of the fun."
Mac's cheery optimism always carried all before it. Pleasant rides
through shady forest-ways seemed a fair recompense for a little delay;
and my spirits went up with a bound, to be dashed down again the next
moment by Dan.
"We haven't got to the beginning of things yet," he interrupted,
following up the line of thought the Maluka had at first suggested.
"Before any trees are cut down, we'll have to dig a saw-pit and find a
pit-sawyer." Dan was not a pessimist; he only liked to dig down to the
very root of things, besides objecting to sugar-coated pills as being a
hindrance to education.
But the Dandy had joined the group, and being practical, suggested
"trying to get hold of little Johnny," declaring that "he would make
things hum in no time."
Mac happened to know that Johnny was "inside" somewhere on a job, and it
was arranged that Dan should go in to the Katherine at once for nails and
"things," and to see if the telegraph people could find out Johnny's
whereabouts down the line, and send him along.
But preparations for a week's journey take time, outbush, owing to that
necessity of beginning at the beginning of things. Fresh horses were
mustered, a mob of bullocks rounded up for a killer, swags and pack-bags
packed; and just as all was in readiness for the start, the Quiet
Stockman came in, bringing a small mob of colts with him.
"I'm leaving," he announced in the Quarters; then, feeling some
explanation was necessary, added, "I WAS thinking of it before this
happened." Strictly speaking, this may be true, although he omitted to
say that he had abandoned the idea for some little time.
No one was surprised, and no one thought of asking what had happened, for
Jack had always steered clear of women, as he termed it. Not that he
feared or disliked them, but because he considered that they had nothing
in common with men. "They're such terrors for asking questions," he said
once, when pressed for an opinion, adding as an afterthought, "They never
seem to learn much either," in his own quiet way, summing up the average
woman's conversation with a shy bushman: a long string of purposeless
questions, followed by inane remarks on the answers.
"I'm leaving!" Jack had said, and later met the Maluka unshaken in his
resolve. There was that in the Maluka, however, that Jack had not
calculated on a something that drew all men to him, and made Dan speak of
him in after-years as the "best boss ever I struck"; and although the
interview only lasted a few minutes, and the Maluka spoke only of the
work of the station, yet in those few minutes the Quiet Stockman changed
his mind, and the notice was never given.
"I'm staying on," was all he said on returning to the Quarters; and quick
decisions being unusual with Jack, every one felt interested.
"Going to give her a chance?" Dan asked with a grin, and Jack looked
uncomfortable.
"I've only seen the boss," he said.
Dan nodded with approval. "You've got some sense left, then," he said,
"if you know a good boss when you see one."
Jack agreed in monosyllables; but when Dan settled down to argue out the
advantages of having a woman about the place, he looked doubtful; but
having nothing to say on the subject, said nothing; and when Dan left for
the Katherine next morning he was still unconvinced.
Dan set out for the north track soon after sun-up, assuring us that he'd
get hold of Johnny somehow; and before sun-down a traveller crossed the
Creek below the billabong at the south track, and turned into the
homestead enclosure.
We were vaguely chatting on all and sundry matters, as we sat under the
verandah that faced the billabong, when the traveller came into sight.
"Horse traveller!" Mac said, lazily shading his eyes, and then sprang to
his feet with a yell. "Talk of luck!" he shouted. "You'll do, missus!
Here's Johnny himself."
It was Johnny, sure enough; but Johnny had a cheque in his pocket, and
was yearning to see the "chaps at the Katherine"; and, after a good look
through the House and store, decided that he really would have to go in
to the Settlement for - tools and "things."
"I'll be back in a week, missus," he said next morning, as he gathered
his reins together before mounting, "and then we shan't be long. Three
days in and three out, you know, bar accidents, and a day's spell at the
Katherine," he explained glibly. But the "chaps at the Katherine" proved
too entertaining for Johnny, and a fortnight passed before we saw him
again.
CHAPTER VII
The Quiet Stockman was a Scotchman, and, like many Scotchmen, a strange
contradiction of shy reserve and quiet, dignified self-assurance. Having
made up his mind on women in general, he saw no reason for changing it;
and as he went about his work, thoroughly and systematically avoided me.
There was no slinking round corners though; Jack couldn't slink. He had
always looked the whole world in the face with his honest blue eyes, and
could never do otherwise. He only took care that our paths did not cross
more often than was absolutely necessary; but when they did, his Scotch
dignity asserted itself, and he said what had to be said with quiet
self-possession, although he invariably moved away as soon as possible.
"It's just Jack's way," the Sanguine Scot said, anxious that his fellow
Scot should not be misunderstood. "He'll be all there if ever you need
him. He only draws the line at conversations."
But when I mounted the stockyard fence one morning, to see the
breaking-in of the colts, he looked as though he "drew the line" at that
too.
