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Updated: June 7, 2025
He set off as he spoke, and Peters looked round at Gleeson. "It's an improvement on Walker," he said. "What do you say, Tony?" "I'm on," Tony answered. "Then it's good enough," Gleeson replied; and the three followed after Palmer Billy up the rise. It was a ride of ten miles from Birralong township to Barellan, and from the Murray's selection another two miles had to be added.
As the four rode off towards Barellan, Ailleen, with more loyalty than her friend gave her credit for, tried to keep behind with Bobby; but Dickson was in no way anxious to fall in with the arrangement, and instead of following Nellie as she cantered ahead, hung back till the others caught him up. "Go on with Nellie; what are you dawdling for?" Ailleen called out as they came up.
"Godson's dead," he said. "And buried," Smart added, with pardonable pride, for he was the local undertaker as well as saw-miller. Tony, sitting on the tobacco-box, gazed at them open-mouthed. "It was sudden it's curled Cold-blood Slaughter clean up," Cullen put in as further explanation. "And Yaller-head she's gone to Barellan," another man, wishing to have some share in the proceedings, put in.
Even if the question had been raised no interest would have been served, for Mrs. Dickson willed that if Barellan could not be his, it should be Ailleen's, and with Peters's Reef a "boomer," as Palmer Billy averred, their future was assured when Tony and Ailleen were wed. Birralong took it soberly till the last event occurred.
Only twice had he manifested any attention to what was said on the verandah when he was present. He had become animated and attentive when the conversation turned on the fact that while Tony had ridden out to Barellan to see Ailleen on his first return from the diggings, he had neither gone out nor mentioned her name on his second return to the township the occasion of the great billiard contest.
It was sorrow which had driven Ailleen away from Birralong a sorrow and grief which the girl had bravely striven to keep in subjection by care and attention to the woman whose hospitality she was enjoying. But there was little heed of that in the mind of the Lady of Barellan.
At noon Ailleen, sitting on the verandah of Barellan, caught the scent of bush-fire smoke floating on the faint breeze. She rose and walked to the end of the verandah, where she could obtain a view in the direction whence the wind was blowing. Over the tops of the trees she saw smoke rising rapidly.
There had certainly not been an excess of loyalty in Nellie's manner, or in her words, when she urged him to go to Barellan; and he, remembering it, was about to say something to that effect, when Ailleen cut him short by exclaiming "Oh, look! There's Mrs. Dickson coming over to the house." He looked where she pointed and saw the form of a woman walking slowly along by the hand-rail.
The starting away with the gold-diggers was an unmistakable token of Tony's revolt; the moving out to Barellan immediately after her father's death was the unquestionable reply of Ailleen. But it did not necessarily follow that the result was foregone, and Mrs.
"Richer than young Dickson of Barellan," she added, watching him closely. "I dare say," he answered, half impatiently. "And then I suppose you'll get married?" she said softly, but with her eyes still fixed on his face. "Oh, my troubles," he exclaimed. "I suppose it will be Ailleen?" she went on. He got up from where he was sitting. "Reckon I'll have a smoke," he said.
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