An Outback Marriage Banjo Paterson (philippa perry book .txt) đ
- Author: Banjo Paterson
Book online «An Outback Marriage Banjo Paterson (philippa perry book .txt) đ». Author Banjo Paterson
âTheyâll see that,â said Tommy, âwithout the buffâloes have got âem.â So they camped for the day under a huge banyan-fig tree and awaited developments. About evening, away on the horizon, there arose an answering cloud of smoke, connecting earth and sky, like a waterspout.
âThatâs them,â said Tommy. They climbed once more into their saddles, and set out. Just as the sun was setting, they saw a singular procession coming towards them. In front rode two small, wiry, hard-featured, inexpressibly dirty men on big well-formed horses. They wore dungaree trousers, which had once been blue, but were now begrimed and bloodstained to a dull neutral colour. Their shirtsâ âonce coloured, but now nearly blackâ âwere worn outside the trousers, like a countrymanâs smock frock, and were drawn in at the waist by broad leathern belts full of cartridges. Their faces were half-hidden by stubbly beards, and their bright alert eyes looked out from under the brims of two as dilapidated felt hats as ever graced head of man. Each carried a carbine between thigh and saddle. These were the buffalo shooters.
Behind them rode an elderly, grizzled man, whom Hugh had no difficulty in recognising as Keogh, or Considine. Following him were some seven or eight packhorses, all heavily laden with hides. And behind the packhorses rode three or four naked blacks and a Chinaman.
Hughâs guide at once made himself welcome in his happy-go-lucky style. He introduced Hugh as Mr. Lambton, from New South Wales. The buffalo shooters made him welcome after the fashion of their kind; but Considine was obviously uneasy, and avoided him, riding with Tommy Prince for a while, and evidently trying to find out what Hugh had come for.
That night, when they got to the buffalo shootersâ camp, Hugh opened fire on Considine. The veteran was in a cheerful mood after his meal, and Hugh wanted to start diplomatically, thinking he might persuade him. If that failed he would give him the summons; but he would start with the suaviter in modo. When it came to the point, however, he forgot his diplomacy, and plunged straight into trouble.
âIâll tell you what Iâve come up here for, Considine,â he said. âMy nameâs Hugh Gordon, and I want to find out something about your marriage with Peggy Donohoe.â
âWell, if thatâs what you come for, Mister,â said the veteran, pulling a firestick out of the fire, and slowly lighting his pipe, âif thatâs what you come forââ âpuff, puff, puffâ ââyouâve come on a wild goose chase. I never knew no Peggy Donohoe in my life. My wifeââ âpuffâ ââwas a small, dark woman, named Smith.â
âI thought you told my brother that you married Peggy Donohoe.â
âSo I might have told him,â assented the veteran. âQuite likely I did, but I must haâ made a mistake. A man might easy make a mistake over a thing like that. What odds is it to you who I married, anyhow?â
âWhat odds? Why look here, Considine, it means that my old mother will be turned out of her home. Thatâs some odds to me, isnât it?â
âYairs, thatâs right enough, Mister,â said the courteous Considine; âitâs lots of odds to you, but what I ask you isâ âwhat odds is it to me? Why should I go and saddle myself with a she-devil just when Iâm coming into a bit of money? Iâd walk miles to do her a bad turn.â
âWell, if you want to do her a bad turn, come down and block her getting Mr. Grantâs estate.â
âYes, anâ put her on to meself What next? I tell you, Mister, straight, I wouldnât have that woman tied to me for all the money in China. That English bloke said there was a big fortune for me in England. Well, if I have to take Peggy Donohoe with it, it can stay. Iâll live here with the blacks and the buffalo shooters, and Iâll get my livinâ for meself, same as I got it all my life; but take on Peggy again I will not. Now, thatâs Dominoâ âthatâs the dead finish. I wonât go with you, and I wonât give you no information. And Iâm sorry too, âcause you seem a good sort of a young fellerâ âbut I wonât do anything thatâll mix me up with Peggy any more.â
Hugh ground his teeth with mortification. Then he played his next card.
âThereâs a man they call Flash Jackâ âdo you know him?â
âPerhaps I do, and perhaps I donât,â said the sage in a surly tone.
âWell, he told me to ask you to help us. He said to tell you that he particularly wanted you to give evidence if you can.â
âWantâll be his master, then,â snarled the old man.
âHe said he would put the police on to a job about some cattle at Crossroads,â said Hugh.
The rage fairly flashed out of Considineâs eyes.
âHe said that, did he?â he yelled. âThe rotten informer! Well, you tell Flash Jack from me that where he can put me away for one thing I can put him away for half-a-dozen; and if I go into gaol for a five-stretch he goes in for ten. I ainât afraid of Flash Jack, nor you either. See that, now!â
Hugh felt that his mission had failed. He pulled out the summons as a last resource, and passed it to the old man.
âWhatâs this?â he said.
âSummons to give evidence,â said Hugh.
âVictoria by the Grace of God,â read the old man, by the flickering firelight. âVictoria by the Grace of God, eh? Well, see here,â he continued, solemnly putting the summons in the fire and watching it blaze, âif Victoria by the Grace of God wants me, she can send for meâ âsend a coach and six for Patrick Henry Considine, late Patrick Henry Keogh! And then I mightnât go! Thereâll be only one thing make me go where I donât want to go, and thatâs a policeman at each
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