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Mary walked from the homestead to the Lower Sliprails between her brother, who rode because he was her brother and led a packhorse on the other side, and Harry, who walked and led his horse because he was her sweetheart, avowed only since last night.
"You might call 'em the `Lower Sliprails, but I calls 'em Buckolts' Gate! They lead to'r'ds Buckolts', don't they? Hey? Them other sliprails" jerking his arms in the direction of the upper paddock "them theer other sliprails that leads outer Reid's lane I calls Reid's Sliprails. I don't know nothing about no upper or lower, or easter or wester, or any other la-di-dah names you like to call 'em."
And you'll live in town like a lady." "Somebody coming!" yelled the boys. There was a clatter of sliprails hurriedly thrown down, and clipped by horses' hoofs. "Insoide there! Is that you, Johnny?" "Yes!" "You'll have to come, Johnny. There's no get out of it. Here's Jim Mason with me, and we've got orders to stun you and pack you if you show fight. The blessed fiddler from Mudgee didn't turn up.
But Mary didn't sleep that night; she was up before daylight, had the kettle on and some chops ready to fry, and at daybreak she was down by the sliprails again. She was turning away for the second time when she heard a clear whistle round the Spur then the tune of "Willie Riley," and the hobble-chains and camp-ware on the packhorse jingling to the tune.
"Saw her at Buckolt's sliprails!" cried Jim, starting up. "Well, he couldn't have had time to more than say good-bye to her, for I was with her there myself, and Harry caught up to me within a mile of the gate and I rode pretty fast." "He had a jolly long good-bye with her," shouted Uncle Abel. "Look here, Jim!
"Well, one evening I met her at the sliprails, and presently I asked her, for a joke, if she'd marry me. Mind you, I never wanted to marry her; I was only curious to know whether any girl would have me.
And the girls will be running to meet the old cocky when he comes riding home at night, and they'll let down the sliprails, and ask him to guess 'who's up at our place? Yes, I'll find a job with some old cocky, with a good-looking daughter or two. I'll get on ploughing if I can; that's the sort of work I like; best graft about a farm.
"I'll tell you what I'll do when I come back I'll whistle when I reach the Spur and you be here to let the sliprails down for me. I'll time myself to get here about sundown. I'll whistle `Willie Riley, so you'll know it's me. Good-bye, little girl! I must go now. Don't fret the time will soon go by."
Then the jolt in the dark over the sliprails, the slow strain of the wheels up the hill, the cracking of Moongarr Bill's stock-whip, and the sound of long drawn COO-EES. Also of dogs barking, of men running forward. Then how Colin had lifted her down and half carried her into the parlour. She remembered her dazed glance round and the rushing thought of how she could soften its ugliness.
Presently Moongarr Bill came up, chuckling mysteriously, 'Say, Boss, I believe there's one of them dashed organising chaps coming down now from the top sliprails. And as he spoke, a man rode to the fence, harmless enough looking, of the ordinary bush type.
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