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Robertson stooped, and, raising his arm at the time, warded it off; the miscreant then rode off, being satisfied at this cut at the detested Nazarene. At the water-port, Mr. Robertson joined his fainting wife, and the British Consul and his wife, with Mr. Lucas and Mr. Allnut.
In the roadway, close to it, two long furrows were scored, while at irregular intervals up the rise flecks of blood glistened. Durham leaped from his saddle and picked up the hat. On the lining was stamped the name of the chief Waroona storekeeper, Allnut. "He's a local man," Durham said quickly. "Keep those fools back."
"They say funny things about the old man, especially those who were here in the early days." "What's Freeman's yarn?" Allnut asked.
It won't break the Bank and old Dudgeon can stand it," Gale observed. "But there's murder in the case now. That counts more than money. It means hanging for someone," Davy replied. "Or ought to if the police can catch him," Gale said, as he left the group and went on to Soden's bar, where he found Allnut and Johnson carrying on an animated discussion with the hotelkeeper on the one topic.
Burke turned the full battery of her dark-fringed eyes on the storekeeper. "News? What news?" she exclaimed. "I've only just come in. Has anything happened?" She glanced at Harding where he stood in the doorway. "To Mr. Eustace? Nothing has happened to Mr. Eustace, has there?" she added, as she leaned towards Allnut. "Well, I don't know," he replied in an uncertain voice.
"Two white horses can't go far in this district without being noticed. Will you wire round to the different telegraph offices and ask if anything of the kind has been seen or heard of?" "They cannot have gone more than a hundred miles since midnight, can they?" Johnson asked. "A hundred? No, not fifty," Allnut exclaimed. "Well, we'll say a hundred.
There was a hum of voices outside and half a dozen men came into the office Allnut, the largest storekeeper in the town; Soden, the hotelkeeper; Gale, the local auctioneer; Johnson, the postmaster, and two men who were strangers. "Here, Soden," Eustace cried, as soon as he caught sight of the hotelkeeper. "Do you mean to say that the man I told Brennan about never came to your house last night?"
The men on the footpath looked at one another and then at her. In the doorway Harding stood hesitating whether to go out or to wait until Mrs. Burke alighted from the buggy. "You've heard the news, haven't you?" Allnut asked as he stepped to her side. "Ill news travels apace, they say. Hasn't word got out as far as the Downs?" Mrs.
Her words, shouted at the top of her voice, rang through the place and out on the roadway, where Brennan was still struggling with her rearing horse, and Soden and Allnut stood by as sympathetic onlookers. "If you will come in, the manager will explain the matter to you," Harding said. "Don't talk to me about explaining," she shouted in answer. "Where are my deeds?
As he was speaking Mrs. Burke flounced round again and caught sight of him. "Oh, there you are," she cried, as she stepped inside. "Now, what have you to say?" Eustace closed the door after him as she was speaking. Mrs. Burke rushed out again into the road. "Mr. Allnut! Mr. Soden! I can trust you. Will you stay here and see that villain does not slip out and escape? He's gone into the house.
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