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Even the Fizzer owns that "tackling the Downs for the return trip's a bit sickening; haven't had time to forget what it feels like, you know," he explains.
And watching the sturdy figure, and knowing the luck of our Fizzer that luck that had given him his fearless judgment and steadfast, courageous spirit we felt his cheery "Half-past eleven four weeks" must be prophetic, in spite of those long dry stages, with their beating heat and parching dust eddies stages eked out now at each end with other stages of "bad going."
Even the Dandy and the Fizzer were converted; and Jack having realised that there are such things as Scotchwomen Scotch-hearted women a new bond was established between us. No one had much sleep that night, and before dawn there was no doubt left in our mind about the outside cattle coming in. It seemed as though every beast on the run must have come in to the Stirling that night for a drink.
And as we waited for the Dandy, the Line Party moved on to our northern boundary, taking with it possible Christmas guests; the Fizzer came in and went on, to face a "merry Christmas with damper and beef served in style on a pack-bag," also regretting empty mail-bags the Southern mail having been delayed en route.
Is the Eton bowler trying to kill or maim his antagonist? Is he deliberately endeavouring to establish a paralysing "funk"? But the fourth ball is a "fizzer" the right length, a bailer, terrifically fast, but just off the wicket. Desmond snicks it between short slip and third man; it goes to the boundary. "That's what Caesar likes," says the Duffer.
"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."
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.
That's the sort I like game as a pebble! You can't buy 'em, you have to breed 'em. A regular fizzer HE is, and full of blood. And here we are on the ground. It was a low, old-fashioned, grey church, with a Gothic entrance and two niches on either side, which spoke of pre-Lutheran days. Cheap modern shops, which banked it in, showed up the quaint dignity of the ancient front.
I could see them quite distinctly as, no doubt, they could see me; but we kept a decorous silence until the Fizzer came in, then at the Fizzer's shout the walls of Jericho toppled down. "The missus sick!" I heard him shout. "Thought she looked in prime condition at the Springs." "So I am now," I called; and then the Fizzer and I held an animated conversation through the walls.
"A swop," suggested the Fizzer, and Mac agreeing with a "Right ho!" a preliminary hand-shake was exchanged before "getting to business"; and then, as each made a great presence of mentally reviewing his team, each eyed the other with the shrewdness of a fighting cock. "My brown mare!" Mac offered at last, and knowing the staunch little beast, the homestead wondered what Mac had up his sleeve.
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