Joseph Rudge and his family had for some time been living in the new
hut, about twenty miles from the head station. He had plenty of hard
work too; for Mr Ramsay owned cattle as well as sheep, and he had
agreed to take charge of a herd, as well as his flock, with the help of
his sons and a mate who had been sent with him. Labour was very scarce
just then; indeed, it often is in Australia, and a few hands were
obliged to do the work of many. News had just before come to the
station that gold had been found in several places, and that a pocket
full could be had by digging a little, and oftentimes by looking for it
among the rocks. Many people going off to the gold diggings had asked
him to go with them.
"No," he answered, "I came out here to look after sheep and oxen, and I
understand that work, I have a good master and fair wages, and I'll not
desert my master, or change my work."
"Right, Jos," said Mat Clark, his mate; "I never knew any good come to
any one by doing wrong, and we should be doing wrong if we were to leave
Mr Ramsay to take care of his sheep and cattle all by himself. It's
not the way we should like to be served."
Mat had come out to the colony very many years before; how he never
said. He was now an old man. Some people called him Silly Mat. He
used to answer, "May be I'm silly enough to try and do what is right,
and to be sorry for having done what was wrong. I hope to be silly in
this wise to the end of my days."
Joseph and his family lived a somewhat solitary life, but as they had
plenty to do, they did not mind that for themselves, only they knew it
was bad for the children to get no education, and they could never visit
any place of worship. For weeks together they saw no one except Mat and
the keeper of another station about seven miles off, known as Tony
Peach. Tony was not a man they liked at all, though they could not
exactly tell why. He would put on very soft manners though, and seemed
to have taken a great fancy to Joseph and his family. He had lost an
arm as a soldier, he said, and he could not manage a spade or pick, or
he owned that he would have been off to the diggings. He grumbled much
indeed, at not being able to go, for if there was one thing he loved on
earth, it was money, and he thought that it would be very pleasant to
dig up gold as people do potatoes. He thought, however, that he had
found out a way of growing rich without much trouble.
Joseph had just come in one afternoon with his flock and folded them, it
was then Sam's duty to watch them for the night. For this he had a sort
of box on legs, with a hole in the side, into which he could creep and
sleep comfortably. The dogs were fastened up at different points round
the fold, that should a dingo, or native dog, a sort of fox, come near,
their barking might at once arouse him. Joseph was just sitting down to
his supper of a dish of stewed mutton and damper, that is wheaten
unleavened bread, baked under the ashes, washed down by a few cups of
good tea, when Tony Peach rode up. A fresh damper and a bowl of tea was
placed before him. He talked on general matters for some time, and he
then spoke of what he called the rights of servants. After a little
time he began to speak about a plan by which, if Joseph would join him,
they should make a good thing, and no one be the worse or the wiser.
Tony proposed forming a herd of cattle of their own in a back run. They
were to put a brand on the animals of J.B., and John Butt was to stand
as the owner.
"That is to say, you want _me_ to join you in robbing our good master,"
said Joseph, fixing his eyes on Tony.
"Call it what you like," answered Tony, "a few beasts out of the herd
won't be missed every now and then, and we shall get them."
"No, I'll have nothing to do with the matter," said Joseph stoutly,
"it's robbery, call it what you will; and what is more, Peach, if I
thought that you were about such a thing, I'd let Mr Ramsay know, as it
would be my duty to do. I warn you."
Peach was very angry, for he had already begun the business, and wanted
a mate to help him. He tried to hide his anger, though he made up his
mind to be revenged.
"Well, mate, don't say anything about it. If you don't think it should
be, we'll let it alone, and no harm will have been done."
Joseph was not satisfied. He made up his mind to keep a good look-out
on the cattle under his charge.
After Peach was gone, he went in to ask old Mat what he thought about
the man.
"What has he been saying to you?" asked Mat, looking up from his bed,
for he had already turned in. "No good, I'll warrant."
Joseph told him.
"That's just what he said to me some time back; but he found that he
would gain nothing, so he's let me alone since."
Joseph said that he hoped he would gain nothing from him either.
"Never let him gain an inch, mate, or he'll soon gain an ell," said old
Mat. "He is doing Satan's work, and that's what Satan is always trying
to do--trying to make us do a little wrong--just to get in the sharp
edge of the wedge; he knows that he shall soon be able to drive it
home."
This talk with old Mat, made Joseph still more determined to have
nothing to do with Peach, however friendly he might seem. Joseph was
glad to think that Mr Ramsay had settled to muster his stock in a few
days, because he should know then better how many he had under his
charge, and put a stop to Peach's tricks.
Mr Ramsay and several companions arrived at the station the night
before, all well mounted, for the work they had to do required good
horses. Among them was a Mr Harlow, who owned the next run, and lived
about fifteen miles off. He was unmarried, and had two sisters and an
old lady, their aunt, living with them. They were very kind people,
Joseph heard. Sam, and even Bobby, his second boy had now become very
good horsemen, and would gallop after and bring back stray cattle as
well as many men. Still their mother had not yet quite got over the
fear she had of seeing them, especially Bobby, gallop off into the wild
country, on the backs of high horses, all by themselves.
At break of day, a dozen or more horsemen started off, dividing, so as
to get round the pasture. Each had a stock-whip in his hand: the handle
is but a foot long, but the lash is about fifteen. A loud cracking
sound can be made with it, and its lash strikes through the thickest
skin. The cattle, when roused, as is usual, made for the low ground,
where Joseph and his sons, with one or two other men, were ready to
collect them. They, however, were very wild, as they will soon get when
there are not enough men to look after them. Now a dozen cows would
start away, and had to be headed and driven back; now an active young
bull would make a rush, and caused no little trouble before he was made
to turn. The animals seemed to know that something was to be done with
them, and made up their minds to escape it.
At last a large part of the herd were brought together, and Mr Ramsay
ordered them to be headed off towards the stock-yard, but no sooner did
they begin to move than away a dozen or more would go at a time. It was
hard work to bring even part of them back. At last, by hard riding and
use of the whip, about two-thirds were collected in the yard. But so
active were some of the young beasts that even the high fences could not
keep them in, and several sprang over them in a way not many horses
would have done. It took some time to brand the young beasts, and to
count and sort the whole herd. As soon as this was done, Mr Ramsay and
his friends and servants started off, on a fine moonlight night, in the
hopes of driving in the remainder of the herd; for this purpose they
took with them a few tame cattle that the wild ones might join company,
and the whole be induced to go back together. Before long the lowing of
the decoy-herd was answered from the distant forest, and as they
proceeded on, numbers joined them, their large bodies seen amid the
trees, and their huge horns glancing in the moonbeams. Orders had been
given that not a whip should be cracked, not a word spoken. They had
got on some way very well, and many wild animals had joined their ranks,
when Joseph observed Tony Peach riding near him. Soon afterwards there
was heard the crack of a whip, and a number of animals started off. Mr
Ramsay, Mr Harlow, and others did their best to stop them, riding here
and there and turning them quickly. Joseph kept his eye on Peach, and
observed that whenever he could, without being, as he thought, noticed,
he let the beasts gallop off. A good many had escaped in this way, when
Joseph determined to try and stop the next that should make the attempt.
A large bull was turning off, when Joseph rode to head the animal.
Suddenly the beast turned on him. At that moment his horse, putting his
fore feet into a hole, fell and rolled over with him. The bull came on.
Peach, instead of coming to help him, with a loud laugh rode off,
pretending to go after other cattle. Joseph, as he well might, shouted
at the top of his voice. Just as the bull was close to him Mr Ramsay,
in chase of another beast, passed by. Seeing what had happened, he
placed himself before the bull and twined the lash of his whip round its
horns. The horse stood stock still, with its fore legs out ready to
spring aside, should it be necessary to avoid the bull or to stop the
latter in its course. The bull, finding a sudden pull at its head, of
course turned towards Mr Ramsay, who, untwisting his lash, galloped
round and gave it such a cut on the flank as made it turn back once more
towards the herd. This gave Joseph time to remount his horse, and he
was soon lashing away at the animals as before. He was much disposed to
tell Mr Ramsay what he had observed; but then he thought it was not
easy to prove. "It may be thought that I want to curry favour. Still,
if I find out more things certain against this man, it will be my duty
to inform the master."
Mr Ramsay was very much vexed at not getting more of the cattle in. He
did not blame Joseph, for he knew that it was not his fault, that Peach
had long been in charge of them and ought to have kept them in better
order. Of course Peach excused himself, and said that the cattle were
always wild, and that it was no fault of his. Joseph began to wish that
he had had nothing to do with cattle, but had stuck to his sheep. He
had certainly much hard work, for he had to be in the saddle early in
the morning and to keep in it most of the day. Sam, though, liked it
very much. Bob had now taken Sam's place and helped Mat in taking care
of the sheep.
One day old Mat came to Joseph and begged him to look at the sheep. He
was afraid something was the matter with some of them. Joseph examined
narrowly all those which Mat thought were sick. There was no doubt that
they had the distemper. It had not spread far yet. A stop must be put
to it. He at once sent off Ben on horseback to acquaint Mr Ramsay, and
to bring back tobacco and other stuff for making washes. Meantime he
separated the diseased animals from the rest, which he told Mat to drive
to a fresh part of the run where they had not been for some time. He
warned him on no account to go near any other flock. Meantime he rode
round to the nearest hut to advise the shepherds to look to their sheep,
to see if the distemper had showed itself among them, that they might
take steps to stop it. At one of the stations he met Peach. It was one
like his own, with three men, one of them having charge of a back run
with cattle. Peach was not very friendly. "I should think Ned Marks
here would know as soon as a fresh hand whether or not his sheep had the
distemper," he remarked with a sneer. "Some people, however, are fond
of busying themselves about what doesn't concern them; but I've just to
say that they may go too far some day and find that others won't stand
it."
Joseph made no answer, he was resolved to do his duty, whatever came of
it.
"Never mind him; I'm not offended," said Marks, giving a wink to Peach,
which he fancied Joseph did not observe. "Here, Rudge, to show that
there is no ill-will between us, do you take a glass of this good rum.
I got a few bottles the last time I was down at the store. There are
not many left."
"No thank you, mate," answered Joseph. "I made up my mind when I came
out to this country never to touch liquor, and I find not only that I
can get on without it, but that I am much the better without it. I used
to take it in England, and I am ashamed to say how much of my wages went
in drink. I wish to be friendly with you, Marks, but I shouldn't show
my good feeling by drinking your rum."
"As you like," said Marks. "It isn't often you have such a chance in
the bush. However, it's liberty hall, and no man is forced to do what
he doesn't like."
Peach now seemed to take a hint from Marks, and pretended once more to
be friendly with Joseph. "I don't bear malice, Rudge," he said, holding
out his hand. "May be one of these days you'll see things in a
different way, and understand that I wanted only to do you a good turn."
"I hope not," answered Joseph, going towards the door. "I think I
understand you pretty clearly; and I pray that I may never be brought to
call black white."
"A canting hypocrite!" exclaimed Peach, as Joseph rode off.