James ran across to the store to get some tobacco.
Youdve made it different if Id had a say.
They were sitting down to dinner one day when the
chuck-me-outcreaked wearily up the slope.
Hetoo had a crisis of age to fight through or be
damned.
But shewatched the door out of the corner of her
eyes and her hands shook. The man stopped to throw a stone at her and
cameon.
Never know when it might come in useful, he
grumbled.
At the age of ten James lacked the key to the drama
of his fears,longings, and day-dreams. Emma went to get the things and he unloaded
his bluey and sootedbilly and sat down on the doorstep. Dirk Surface, Emmas brother,
failed for a mortgage often thousand and Winbadgery was sold. Dyou want him to SEE
you and belt the hide off you? That drivel of Gurseys wont help you much when youre
bosshere, she said.
When Cabell came near the bed sheedged towards her
mother. The knotted dryretch of anger came up in his stomach again, then he sheered
off tothe back door.
Go away, Emma said, you frighten thechild. By gum,
if he went in a paddock with a sapling in hishand all the horsesd jump the fence. He
wanted to chatterto his father, press himself close to his mother.
In two or three years timeIll send you home to
England with the girl. It isnt all tea, Papa, Geoffrey said, ingratiating
Cabellsindifference towards his sons.
Never been a better bossn Rusty, and anybloke calls
him names gets a head put on him. Never know when it might come in useful, he
grumbled. But shewatched the door out of the corner of her eyes and her hands shook.
Youll want to do better than your uncleDirk.
That year Cabell cut five pounds off Sambos wages.
Here Harriet livedunder the jailers face of Miss Montaulk.
Here Harriet livedunder the jailers face of Miss
Montaulk.
Silence, except for the fliesand the drip-drop-drip
of water in the earthenware filter.
CHAPTER SIX: IDEALGeoffrey was no comfort to his
loneliness among these self-engrossed adults. Dirk Surface, Emmas brother, failed
for a mortgage often thousand and Winbadgery was sold.
Better to hold the lines with they
reckon.
But the self-absorbed lives of an adult world
excluded him. Why, aint they bringing a line in to PykesCrossing. Didnt I let them
pull thewool over my eyes?
Ach, she was thinking of that sulky brute out
there! Thedingoes came down from the hills again to prey on his sheep, theblacks
came back too.