The Shadow of a Man

es, and she would have objected openly to its nondescript dogs. The tent among the trees would never have struck Moya as a covetable asyl

to the fraction of a turn; and Moya could eat it off his own tin platter, and drink tea by the pint out of a battered pannikin, wit

for it in your store, mister! But the tea don't matter so much; it's the water's the thing; and what's

hought that he might have said so in as many words. But Rigden knew his type,

, or not at all," said he. "You catch

beginning to bog? I tell you there's tons of go

gh the clump. But Rigden shook his head and smiled, under two scrutinies; and this time

way. It looked cool and plentiful in the slanting sunlight-a rippling pa

e an event, th

s, with the cool hand of evening on their brows already. It was intended to lead u

o some of our other

y that she was compelled to ask what those fu

eliberate enthusiasm: "it means mustering the whole run, that does, and travelling mob after mob to the shed; and then the drafting; that's another thing for you to see, though it's nothing to the scene in

e," interrupted Moya dryly;

at given times when they all knock off for quarter-of-an-hour, and the cook's boy comes down the board with pannikins of tea and shearers' buns. Oh, they take good care of themselves, these chaps, I can tell you; give their cook half-a-crown a week per head, and see he earn

g her enthusiasm first, then her sympathy, then-but no! He could not keep it up unaided; he must have some encouragement, a

bush; it set you off talking against time, and you know it. But we aren't anywhere near the station y

was tak

that rabbiter," h

s at a moment's notice; you know there was no occasion for one to-day. Do let us have

he very beginning of their quarrel. And her voice had softened. A

brusquely. "It was to

sed him, it was so free from irony, so earn

nk me?" he aske

" she said. "And I lik

lly I have not. I have simply sheltered and shielded a fellow creature who has already suffered out of all proportion to his fault; but I admit that I have done the thing thoroughly. Yes, I'll be frank with you there. I gave him a start last night on my own horse, as indeed you know. I l

a came near to sharing in her heart. She felt that she

Big Bushy?" she

iterated Rigden. "Wh

but he was ther

morn

the hut.

l!" cried Rigden. "So he let you

was riding up to see whether there was any water at the

n't Ives

d said I could see no tank, which was perfectly

pped ab

el

him," said Moy

e shadows. The sun had set behind them; but Moya still felt the glow she could

me," he said s

cond ti

one wa

come to my

ended to your l

her rein

t to say that w

is it that

nd held it against all resistance. Yet Moya did n

ld be for your good and mine. It wouldn't-so why should

cret of the man'

said, afte

could forgive anything-anything-that is past and over. Anything but your

d her; but some tears fell upon his hand holding hers; and next moment that arm was round her waist. Luckily the horses were tired out. And so for a little her hea

l their lives! But for that it was not necessary that they should tell each other everything. It was not as if he was going to question her right to have and to keep secrets of her own. She was welcome to as many as ever she liked. He happened to know, for example (as a matter of fact, it was notorious), that he was not the first man whom she had fancied she cared about. But did he ask questions ab

't care if you have, so long as you tell me all about it. There is nothing I wouldn

but their hands were still joined in the deepening

than that, at all events! Upon my soul I've a good min

right man should charm the right woman. A

spered. "And you shall see

hours. And listening he was, but to another sound which reached her also in the pause. It was the thud and jing

queer voice for the sergeant. "

ut time to g

to her good bush steed. At last there was quite a thunder of overtaking hoofs, and Rigden reined up beside he

s anything?"

t t

haven't gone on t

ck. They've given it up, Moya! The se

nt before his triumph was certa

lf mischievously, and caught his

thing else. You won't be when the time comes! But now it's all over you shall have y