Stage "that's a bit off," and
back to the "kid's game," dropping mail-bags in twos and threes as he
goes in, and collecting others as he comes out, to say nothing of the
weary packing and unpacking of his team. That is what the Fizzer had to
do by half-past eleven four weeks.
"And will go hopelessly on the spree at the end of the trip," say
uncharitable folk; but they do not know our Fizzer. "Once upon a time I
was a bad little boy," our Fizzer says now, "but since I learnt sense a
billy of tea's good enough for me."
And our Fizzer is not the only man out-bush who has "learnt sense." Man
after man I have met who found tea "good enough," and many more who "know
how to behave themselves." Sadly enough, there are others in plenty who
find their temptations too strong for them - temptations that the world
hardly guesses at.
But I love the bush-folk for the good that is in them, hidden, so often,
carefully away deep down in their brave, strong hearts - hearts and men
that ring true, whether they have "learnt sense," or "know how to
behave," or are only of the others. But every man's life runs parallel
with other lives, and while the Fizzer was "punching along" his dry
stages events were moving rapidly with us; while perhaps, aways in the
hearts of towns, men and women were "winning through the dry stages" of
their lives there.
CHAPTER XIII
Soon after the Fizzer left us the horse-teams came in, and went on,
top-heavy with stores for "inside"; but the "Macs" were now thinking of
the dry stages ahead, and were travelling at the exasperating rate of
about four miles a day, as they "nursed the bullocks" through the good
grass country.
Dan had lost interest in waggons, and was anxious to get among the cattle
again; but with the trunks so near, the house growing rapidly, the days
of sewing waiting, I refused point-blank to leave the homestead just
then.
Dan tried to taunt me into action, and reviewed the "kennel" with
critical eyes. "Never saw a dog makin', its own chain before," he said
to the Maluka as I sat among billows of calico and mosquito netting. But
the homemaking instinct is strong in a woman, and the musterers went out
west without the missus. The Dandy being back at the Bitter Springs
superintending the carting of new posts for the stockyard there, the
missus was left in the care of Johnny and Cheon.
"Now we shan't be long," said Johnny, and Cheon, believing him, expressed
great admiration for Johnny, and superintended the scrubbing of the
walls, while I sat and sewed, yard after yard of oversewing, as never
woman sewed before.
