Robbery under Arms / A Story of Life and Adventure in the Bush and in the Australian Goldfields

us that they didn't ask too many questions. Mother would sit and look at the pair of us for ever

nd it was first-rate to have our own beds again. Then the milk and fresh butter, and the

ever so long this time, and work like an old near-side poler-see if I don'

'It's a shame, so it is, and h

r pretty little hands; but she didn't cut all that wood that's

orld might have been here for what you'd been the wiser-going

; but we haven't turned out yet, if

rms about my neck; 'but why will you break our hearts, poor mother's and mine, by going off i

ughly. 'You'll know time enough, and if yo

e had her hand on his hair-thick and curly it was always from a child. She didn't say anything, but I could see the tears drip, drip down fro

e cows in the cold mornings, made the butter, which she used to salt and put into a keg, and feed the pigs with the skim milk. It was rather hard work for her, but I never saw her equal for farm work-rough or smooth. And she used to manage to dress neat and look pretty all the time; not like some small settlers' daughter

ks on a pinch in a dray or at plough, chop wood, too, as well as here and there a one. But when she was in the house and regularly se

had a bright startled look like a doe kangaroo when she jumps up and looks round. Her teeth were as white and even as a black gin's. The mouth was something like father's, and when she shut it up we boys always knew she'd made up her mind, and wasn't going to be turned from it. But her heart was that good that she was always thinking of others and not of herself. I believe-I know-she'd have died for any one she loved. She had more sense than all the rest of us put together. I've often thought if she'd been the oldest boy instead of me she'd have kept Jim straight, and managed to drive father out of his cross ways-that is, if any one living could have done it. As for riding, I have never seen any one that could sit a horse or handle him

in our way right and regular. We milked the cows in the morning, and brought in a big stack of firewood and chopped as much as would

but we were both lazy at it, and after working pretty hard all day didn't so much care about spelling out the long words in the farming news or the stories they put in. All the same, it would have paid us better if we'd read a little more and

d laughing till it was nearly turning-in time. Now and then George Storefield would come and stay an hour or two. He could read well; nearly as well as she could. Then

t's more than half a day gone if you lose that, and

.

the colony. No more there wasn't, while it lasted. After all, what is there that's half as good as being all right and square, wo

ring coming on, till about September, that I almost began to believe

se's shoulder, and the half-caste, with his hawk's eye and glittering teeth-father, with his gloomy face and dark words. I wondered whether it was all a dream; whether I and Jim had been in at all; whether any of the 'cross-

see or run against. I don't think it ever troubled him. It was the only bad thing he'd ever been in. He'd b

nd put on the old pony, and bring into the calf-pen when she was milking. I remember he had a fight with a little bull-calf, about a week old, that came in with a wild heifer, and Aileen made as much of his pluck as if it had been a mallee scrubber. The calf baaed and butted at Jim, as

t he was the bravest little chap in the world; and I remember I got

ays George, one evening, 'that

o always took the bright side of things; '

y rain to speak of for a couple of months, and that bit of

from outside, and he said things are shocking bad; a

or man's got a chance of a decent crop, the season turns aga

' said George. 'It's God's will, and we

uffer by a drought and lose their stock, they've more stock and money in the bank, or else credit to fall back on;

rk unless rain comes, and most of the cattle and horses besides; but I s

'but that's not my way. We have as good a right to our share of the land an

and as they do, cert

and the people too, one to live on the other. Why should we p

right,' said George. 'How would you like another

had a bigger one,' I said. 'More money too, more horses, mo

abbage-tree. 'I can't sit and hear you talk such rot. Nobody can work better than you and Jim, when you lik

all our work over, I shall help myself to some one'

as will keep us for six months?' said George. 'I

I are going shearing next week. So perhaps th

Don't we all know what it leads to! Wouldn't it be better to live on dry bread and be

ople that have made their money by all sorts of villain

poor Aileen, sobbing, 'and what a dre

t their stock and their money. See how they live. They've got stations, and public-house and town

' she said, smiling through her tears. 'But

very likely we'll have