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They made a fresh start next day with the last camel, Rajah, only loaded with the most useful and necessary articles; and each of the men now carried his own swag of bed and clothing.
He shed his swag and stood it by the wall with great deliberation; then he rested his elbow on the counter, stroked his beard, and grinned quizzically at the shopman, who smiled back presently in a puzzled way. "Good afternoon," said the grocer. "Good afternoon." Pause. "Nice day," said the grocer. Pause. "Anything I can do for you?"
How far is it to where that swag is on the fence?" "About well, about seven mile, as the crow flies." "Better have it here. Now we'll catch the horses. Come on, Mary! Take her on your back, Rory; we must hurry up now." I have already exceeded the legitimate exactions of my diary-record; but the rest of the story is soon told. Mr.
"Yes," said the old 'whaler', as he dropped his swag in the shade, sat down on it, and felt for his smoking tackle, "there's scarcely an old bushman alive or dead, for the matter of that who hasn't been dead a few times in his life or reported dead, which amounts to the same thing for a while.
When I caught up he was about done; but I grabbed my swag and we pushed on, for I told Bill that I'd seen Stiffner making for the stables when I'd last looked round; and Bill thought that we'd better get lost in the bush as soon as ever we could, and stay lost, too, for Stiffner was a man that couldn't stand being had.
Why, it would be an education in itself to know that man, to shake his honest hand, fresh from charity or concealment, and smoke a pipe with him and hear him talk about things frankly. When he gave to the missionary collection, rest assured he gave sincerely; when he "covered swag," into the melting pot for an industrious burglar, he did so only in the regular course of business.
He thought with exultation that he had come upon one in a million in ten millions! His whisper became frankly entreating. "That's good! Now all you've got to do is to make sure where he keeps his swag. Only do be quick about it! I can't stand much longer this crawling-on-the-stomach business so as not to scare your gentleman. What do you think a fellow is a reptile?"
But a swagman can throw a heavy swag in a nearly vertical position against his spine, slung from one shoulder only and without any balance, and carry it as easily as you might wear your overcoat.
Then he calmed down, carried his swag to the side of the track, sat down on it and talked rationally about bush matters for a while; but presently he grew silent and began to feel his muscles and smile idiotically. "Can you len' us a bit o' meat?" said he suddenly. They spared him half a pound; but he said he didn't want it all, and cut off about an ounce, which he laid on the end of his swag.
If I left the house at all in that state, I must leave the spoil behind, or be found drunk in the gutter with my head on the swag itself. In any case I should have been picked up and run in, and that might have led to anything." "So you rang me up!" "It was my last brilliant inspiration a sort of flash in the brain-pan before the end and I remember very little about it.
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