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"That was a very queer way you took to silence the dominie," said Paul; "but I presume, after that ludicrous answer, you met with very little religious controversy afterwards." "That's true," said Murty; "but I have suffered the loss of my wages through the unrelenting malice of the Presbyterian dominie."
"Only I'd like to think Miss Norah and Miss Tommy got some of it, and not just them patients, gethered up from goodness knows where." "Yerra, Miss Norah wouldn't want to know their addresses before she'd feed 'em," said the bewildered Murty. But there came a suspicious smell from the kitchen, as of something burning, and Mrs.
"Ah, don't be rubbin' it in don't I know it?" quoth Murty, taking the saddle and slipping it deftly on Shannon's back. "I dunno, did he think he was givin' me a pleasant surprise with the information by way of a New Year's gift. Does he think we've never a scales on Billabong, did ye ask him? There now, he's ready. Get on him, Billy, an' shove out into the track for a canter.
As they pulled up, Murty O'Toole came forward to take the horses a marked compliment from Murty, who, like most head stockmen, was a free and independent soul. Jim went over the wheel with a bound, and seized Brownie's hand. "How are you, Brownie, dear?" "The size of him!" said she. "The shoulders. No wonder they 'ad you for captin of the football eleven, then, my dear!" The boys grinned widely.
"You Irish should learn to correspond with the institutions of the country, and should not attempt to introduce Popery into this Protestant land." "Protestant land!" said Murty. "We never dream of this being a Protestant land when we land on its shores. We look on it as the land of liberty, where no form of religion is dominant, and where all are equally protected. Protestant land!
Howard; we don't want pay, and we'll do no end of work. Murty reckons you won't be sorry if you take on Captain Rainham." "Oh, Murty says that, does 'e?" asked the old man, visibly cheered. "Well, Murty ain't the man to barrack for a useless new-chum." "Great Scott, do you think I am?" demanded Jim, laughing. "Or my father?" "Yous cert'nly didn't ought to be," agreed Howard.
Overhead the sun blazed fiercely in a sky of brass. Now and then came a low growl of thunder, giving hope of a change at night; but it was very far distant, although a dull bank of cloud lay to the west. David Linton watched the cloud a little uneasily. "I don't quite like the look of it," he muttered to himself. "I'll go and ask Murty what he thinks of it."
"There's a man just kem out from Cunjee lookin' for ye, sir some one's tallyphoned in that there's a big grass fire comin' down on the Creek, an' 'twill be a miracle if it misses Billabong! I've told the men they're off to get the horses." Norah and Tommy had turned, with dismayed eyes. "Will it be at our place, Murty?" Tommy asked. "I dunno will it, Miss Tommy," the Irishman answered.
The minister Grinoble returned to the parlor to report progress to Amanda, and to represent the controversial rencontre which he had with O'Dwyer, while Murty learned with wonder and indignation from Bridget, that they were the children which cost Father O'Shane so much vain search, and that they were kept in continual annoyance by all sorts of male and female religious quacks and mountebanks, all bent on the work of perversion.
"Luckily they don't be afther knowin' what's ahead av thim!" said Murty. He lifted his battered felt hat to Norah, as he rode away. "We'll go down and see how high the river is before we go home," said Mr. Linton.
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