The Second String

plainly as she could, although she's fast asleep. I can't get over that. I'll

a good man of business, who had his head screwed on right, an

hes. She can't go in t

ara for her to reach Sydney in and there's no occasion f

cheerful. The decision to aba

o return in a week, and see

that before we can tra

had never heard of Boonara, or knew there were such men as the keepers of the fence. As far as the majority of the inhabitants were concerned such men as Glen Leigh, Jim Benny, and Bill Bigs, might no

maintained, and the characters are living beings? Late in the nineteenth century Sydney flourished exceedingly. The last twenty years of that remarkable era saw it going ahead by leaps and b

e passing in and out, for it was hot, and there were many parched throats. Moreover, it had been the winding up

nt up and parched, and lived in a land where water was often flavoured with the taste of dead things, and not cooled with ice and fragrant with le

ewhat carelessly; he had a slouch hat, dark grey clothes, and his tie was awry. He stood with his legs slightly apart, gesticulating with one hand as he talked. The man to whom he was speaking was the leviathan of the Australian turf, who had made his position by a mixture of shrewd business qualities and bold gambling, who betted in thousands, and took "knocks" that would have sent a less plucky man out of the ring. But he always came up smiling, and his luck was proverbial. He had b

ntaro Station. The bookmaker was Nichola

inted with the vast solitudes in the West. He was a wealthy man, and could afford to leave Mintaro to the men he employed, and come to Sydney in search of pleas

ndreds of thousands. Horses he had in abundance; how many he had no idea. He claimed all within reach of his land round Mintaro district, but never missed a dozen when they were taken. It pleased him to

n his debt. It was owing to pecuniary difficulties that he became connected with him. This was often the case with Craig Bellshaw. For once in a way the A.J.C. Meeting proved successful to the stable, and Bellshaw's horses had won four races, one on each day; all were heavily backed, and

ad a pretty good m

erard

re are several thousands t

the dark bay-the fel

ll right. A pretty fa

ood deal better

he track. He won to-day, but I don

Which

la

s he's a better track horse, but I'm sure Barellan is t

en are you goi

a long dry spell, but now we've had rain,

le when you have n

e lucky to be

ve it up now you'

ord it. You don't know wh

no one dependent on you. It seems to me you're wasti

ive in Sydney always, any mo

ing the last boat to Manley. It was beautiful on the harbour; a cool breeze was blowing from the heads. The moon shone, and as he leaned over the side he saw his face reflected in the water. This was peculiar. He did not remember having seen such a thing befo

re there was more breeze, and sat down. The perspiration broke

e. I'm a fool to be frightened at a shadow on the