The missus had become
"Gadgerrie" to the old men and certain privileged lubras. What it means
I do not know, excepting that it seemed to imply fellowship. Perhaps it
meant "old pal" or "mate," or, judging from the tone of voice that
accompanied it, "old girl," but more probably, like "Maluka,"
untranslatable. The Maluka was always "Maluka" to the old men, and to
some of us who imitated them.
Dan came in the day after the Maluka, and, hearing of our "affairs," took
all the credit of it to himself.
"Just shows what a bit of educating'll do," he said. "The Dandy would
have had a gay old time of it if I hadn't put you up to their capers";
and I had humbly to acknowledge the truth of all he said.
"I don't say you're not promising well," he added, satisfied with my
humility. "If Johnny'll only stay away long enough, we'll have you
educated up to doing without a house."
Within a week it seemed as though Johnny was aiding and abetting Dan in
his scheme of education; for he sent in word that his "cross-cut saw," or
something equally important, had doubled up on him, and he was going
back to Katherine to "see about it straight off."
CHAPTER IX
Before the mustered horses were drafted out, every one at the homestead,
blacks, whites, and Chinese, went up to the stockyard to "have a look at
them."
Dan was in one of his superior moods. "Let's see if she knows anything
about horses," he said condescendingly, as the Quiet Stockman opened the
mob up a little to show the animals to better advantage. "Show us your
fancy in this lot, missus." "Certainly," I said, affecting particular
knowledge of the subject, and Jack wheeled with a quick, questioning
look, suddenly aware that, after all, a woman MIGHT be only a fellow-man;
and as I glanced from one beautiful animal to another he watched keenly,
half expectant and half incredulous.
It did not take long to choose. In the foreground stood a magnificent
brown colt, that caught and held the attention, as it watched every
movement with ears shot forward, and nostrils quivering; and as I pointed
it out Jack's boyish face lit up with surprise and pleasure.
"Talk of luck!" Dan cried, as usual withholding the benefit of the doubt.
"You've picked Jack's fancy."
But it was Jack himself who surprised every one, for, forgetting his
monosyllables, he said with an indescribable ring of fellowship in his
voice, "She's picked out the best in the whole mob," and turned back to
his world among the horses with his usual self-possession.
Dan's eyes opened wide. "Whatever's come to Jack?" he said; but seemed
puzzled at the Maluka's answer that he was "only getting educated." The
truth is, that every man has his vulnerable point, and Jack's was horses.
When the mob had been put through the yards, all the unbroken horses were
given into the Quiet Stockmas's care, and for the next week or two the
stockyard became the only place of real interest; for the homestead,
waiting for the Wet to lift, had settled down to store lists, fencing,
and stud books.
It was not the horses alone that were of interest at the yards; the calm,
fearless, self-reliant man who was handling them was infinitely more so.
Nothing daunted or disheartened him; and in those hours spent on the
stockyard fence, in the shade of a spreading tree, I learnt to know the
Quiet Stockman for the man he was.
If any one would know the inner character of a fellow man, let him put
him to horse-breaking, and he will soon know the best or the worst of
him. Let him watch him handling a wild, unbroken colt, and if he is
steadfast of purpose, just, brave, and true-hearted, it will all be
revealed; but if he lacks self-restraint, or is cowardly, shifty, or
mean-spirited, he will do well to avoid the test, for the horse will
betray him.
Jack's horse-breaking was a battle for supremacy of mind over mind, not
mind over matter a long course of careful training and schooling, in
which nothing was broken, but all bent to the control of a master. To him
no two horses were alike; carefully he studied their temperaments,
treating each horse according to its nature using the whip freely with
some, and with others not at all; coercing, coaxing, or humouring, as his
judgment directed. Working always for intelligent obedience, not cowed
stupidity, he appeared at times to be almost reasoning with the brute
mind, as he helped it to solve the problems of its schooling; penetrating
dull stupidity with patient reiteration, or wearing down stubborn
opposition with steady, unwavering persistence, and always rewarding
ultimate obedience with gentle kindness and freedom.
Step by step, the training proceeded. Submission first, then an
establishment of perfect trust and confidence between horse and man,
without which nothing worth having could be attained.
After that, in orderly succession the rest followed: toleration of
handling, reining, mouthing, leading on foot, and on horseback and in due
time saddling and mounting. One thing at a time and nothing new until
the old was so perfected that when all was ready for the mounting from a
spectacular point of view the mounting was generally disappointing. Just
a little rearing and curvetting, then a quiet, trusting acceptance of
this new order of things.
