"It's only common sense; you'll soon get used to it," Mac said in
encouragement, giving us one of his delightful backhanders. Then in all
seriousness Dan suggested teaching her some of the signs of water at
hand, right off, "in case she does get lost any time," and also
seriously, the Maluka and Mac "thought it would be as well, perhaps."
Then the townswoman's self-satisfied arrogance came to the surface. "You
needn't bother about me," I said, confident I had as much common sense as
any bushman. "If ever I do get lost, I'll just catch a cow and milk it."
Knowing nothing of the wild, scared cattle of the fenceless runs of the
Never-Never, I was prepared for anything rather than the roar of delight
that greeted that example of town "common sense."
"Missus! missus!" the Maluka cried, as soon as he could speak, "you'll
need a deal of educating "; and while Mac gasped, "Oh I say! Look here!"
Dan, with tears in his eyes, chuckled: "She'll have a drouth on by the
time she runs one down." Dan always called a thirst a drouth. "Oh Lord!"
he said, picturing the scene in his mind's eye, "'I'll catch a cow and
milk it,' she says."
Then, dancing with fun, the hazel eyes looked round the company, and as
Dan rose, preparatory to turning in, we felt we were about to hear their
verdict. When it came it was characteristic of the man in uniqueness of
wording:
"She's the dead finish!" he said, wiping his eyes on his shirt sleeve.
"Reckoned she was the minute I heard her talking about slap-up dampers";
and in some indescribable way we knew he had paid the woman who was just
entering his life the highest compliment in his power. Then he added,
"Told the chaps the little 'uns were generally all right." It is the
helplessness of little women that makes them appear "all right" in the
eyes of bushmen, helplessness being foreign to snorters.
At breakfast Dan expressed surprise because there was no milk, and the
pleasantry being well received, he considered the moment ripe for one of
his pet theories.
"She'll do for this place!" he said, wagging his head wisely. "I've been
forty years out-bush, and I've known eight or ten women in that time, so
I ought to know something about it. Anyway, the ones that could see jokes
suited best. There was Mrs. Bob out Victoria way. She'd see a joke a
mile off; sighted 'em as soon as they got within cooee.
