Steve Brown's Bunyip, and Other StoriesBarry, John Arthur
General
Steve Brown's Bunyip, and Other Stories
Barry, John Arthur
Australia -- Fiction; Sea stories; Short stories
Times out of number he was threatened with personal violence, and
greeted with language quite unprintable here. Once sticks were thrown
at him; and once an old copy of the ‘Biography’ was hurled into the
buggy, whilst cattle-dogs were heeling his horses. Clearly it was
useless to persist. The district was fairly demoralised; and with a
sigh, Mr Potts drove home to receive the ‘What did I tell you’s’ of
the other ‘gents.’
But he was a resourceful man was Mr Potts, and he determined, before
leaving the district for ever, to have one more attempt under
conditions which should, at all events, give him an opportunity of
displaying a specimen of his goods. Besides, he thirsted for vengeance
on the community, and knew that if he could but get an opening it was
his, full and complete.
* * * * *
‘No objection to my camping here to-night, I s’pose?’ asked a rather
forlorn-looking traveller of the cook at Barracaboo, shortly after the
events related above.
‘Chop that heap o’ wood up, an’ you gets your supper an’ breakfus’,’
said the cook, laconically.
The traveller worked hard for an hour, and finished his task, handling
the axe as if born to it, and provoking the cook’s admiration to such
an extent that he went one better than his promise, and proffered a
pint of tea and a lump of ‘brownie.’
Presently, lighting his pipe, and undoing his swag, the new-comer,
remarking that there was nothing like a read for passing the time
away, took out a gorgeously bound volume, sat down at the table, and
was soon so interested that he let his pipe go out. Save for the cook,
the long kitchen was empty, all the men being away on the run.
For a time, busy with a batch of bread, the former took no notice of
the stranger. Then, his work done, he came and looked over his
shoulder, saying, ‘What you got there, mate?’
‘Finest thing ever you read,’ said the other, carelessly turning over
some vivid pictures. “The Life and Adventures of Dick Turpin, Claude
Duval, and Other Eminent Outlaws.” Something like a book this is,’ he
continued. ‘Six hundred pages full of love and murder; and that
excitin’ you can’t bear to put it down!’
This was charming; and the cook, and the butcher, and a couple of
boundary riders dropped in for a yarn, at once became inquisitive, and
anxious to have a look.
‘See here,’ said the owner of the wonderful volume, pointing to an
outrageous effort in coloured process, ‘this is the bold Dick Turpin
on his wonderful mare, Black Bess, taking the ten-foot gate on the
road to York. See, he’s got the reins in his teeth and a pistol in
each hand.’
‘By gum, she’s a flyer!’ ‘Twig the long-necked spurs.’ ‘No knee-pads
to the saddle either!’ ‘Ten foot! there ain’t a horse in Hostralia as
could do it!’—exclaimed his audience, becoming excited.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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