Whats the use beating about the bush, he says. The
way the lags used to share a bit of rotten meatwith a bloke that had none. He passed
a crowd ofpigtailed Chinese, one with a crate of fowls on his head.
He sold the loan of it to others and theywent off
looking for birds to shoot. Everything green was gone, and theearth lay bare and
mauled, wasting in an arid miasma of dust.
The ferns,palms, and maidenhair were
gone.
I, for one, he says, would never agree totopping
off a man unless.
Thats whyyoull hear them call me Yankee
Jack.
Barrett shoved his gun intomy old mans back. He
went across to his bunk, litteredwith papers and books, and brought back a big
volume.
You know if I stayed in Australia Id a been hanged.
Their gaze stopped just short of you in a cock-eyed sort ofway.
Cabell, waiting for his own tea to cool, paid a
polite and drowsyinattention. Youbetter confess, they said, and we wont make it so
hot for you. But we went on and after a bit the outriders comeup and said they shot
a man. Twelve oclock will be a bit too late for somebody.
Then youll admit it was a lucky day you met me. Yet
there was nothing cunning or secretive about him. He rode home with twopounds weight
of gold in his boot and his confidence in Cash wasmuch deeper.
When Berry could talk Larry argued with him. When
Berry could talk Larry argued with him.
One night theyll kick Kyle down Larsen Street into
the lagoon,Cash said. Theres getting too many dagoes and new-chums in this
country,thats a cert, Wagner admitted.
The Scotchman hesitated and his strength drained
out.
He held it in bothhands close to his chest and kept
his eyes on me.
No more feeling thanjerked beefs got
juice.
But others were already doing brisk business.
Still, he had had too many troubles in his own life notto admire fortitude and envy
it. One night theyll kick Kyle down Larsen Street into the lagoon,Cash said. Barrett
shoved his gun intomy old mans back. Liam ran into the street with his axe-handle
raised.
He hadnt even spokento her and she didnt know he
existed. He was a bank clerk on thirty bob a week, and she was Sir
SomebodySomethings daughter.