RODNEY SHAW
Rodney Shaw was the wealthiest squatter round Swamp Creek. He inherited
the property from his father, and had taken no share in amassing the
very large sum of money he found himself in possession of at an early
age.
He was only two-and-twenty when he found himself his own master, and
soon after his father's death he left his property in the hands of a
manager and went to Sydney, where he remained for some time before he
took his departure for London. The name of his station was Cudgegong,
and it comprised an area of about thirty to forty square miles. In
addition to this he held big shares in several mines in the western
district, most of which paid good dividends. On his return from England
he went straight to Cudgegong, 'to put things in order,' he said,
although everything had gone on well during his prolonged absence.
As a lad he was not liked in the district, and as he grew older he
became domineering and somewhat vicious in his habits.
He had the usual love of horses which seems bred in all Australians, and
before he was of age he owned race horses.
He was a younger man than Jim Dennis by several years, but the two men
had not been bad friends, in fact Rodney Shaw got on better with the
owner of Wanabeen than with anyone else.
Jim Dennis was surprised to hear of his return, and asked Doonan if he
was sure his news was true.
'Certain of it,' said the constable.
'I had it from Dr Tom, and he knows everything that goes on in these
parts.'
'There's not much escapes him, I grant you,' laughed Jim; 'but I hardly
think he is correct this time.'
'Why not ride over and see?' said Doonan. 'You were always welcome at
Cudgegong, I hear.'
'I think I will,' replied Jim, 'as soon as the weather takes up. Perhaps
I can be of use to him as he has been away so long.'
Constable Doonan remained at Wanabeen for the night, and had a long talk
with Willie. The lad loved to hear of his exploits, and how he had
captured bushrangers in Victoria, and Queensland, before he came into
New South Wales.
When Doonan described the races he had seen in Melbourne the lad's eyes
glistened, and he became quite excited.
'I'd like to ride in a real race,' he said.
'You're just cut out for a jockey,' laughed Doonan.
'Am I? Then I'll be one if dad will let me.'
'Do you hear that, Jim?' said the constable. 'Your boy wants to be a
jockey.'
'Does he?' said Jim, as he entered the room. 'That's strange. I was only
thinking the other day what a good one he would make.'
'Wait until I am strong and old enough, and I shall ride some winners,'
said Willie.
'Hullo, there's the coach coming,' said Jim. 'I forgot it was Ned's day.
Ned will be glad of this rain, for he has had a rough time of it
lately.'
Ned Glenn pulled up at Wanabeen as usual, and, leaving a couple of
passengers to grumble on the top of the coach, came inside for his
accustomed chat.
'Mind no one runs away with the mails,' said Doonan, laughing.
'No fear of that near Wanabeen,' said Ned. 'I shouldn't mind if someone
would take those two male passengers, though, and leave them somewhere.'
'Not very sociable, are they?' asked Jim.
'Regular bears. They have been growling all the way.'
'Put 'em inside,' said Doonan.
'No such luck. I'm glad they are fairly wet outside, but they must be
precious dry inside.'
'I'll give them a quencher,' said Jim, good-naturedly.
'Don't be a fool; it would be wasted on them,' replied Ned. 'I can do
with their share.'
Ned Glenn sat down and caught sight of one of the passengers looking at
the house, evidently in search of him, and in hopes of a speedy
departure.
'You keep calm, my friend,' said Ned, shaking his fist. 'It will do you
good to cool in the rain a bit.'
'Any news?' asked Jim, when he had attended to Ned's want.
'Yes. Rodney Shaw has come back to Cudgegong. I don't know whether that
can be reckoned as good news or bad, but it's true,' said Ned.
'It is a long time since he went away,' said Jim.
'Nigh on seven or eight years, I should think, maybe not quite so long.'
'He'll find his property all right. Benjamin Nix is a good manager,'
said Jim.
'And a good fellow too,' answered Ned. 'Better than his boss, I reckon.'
Turning to Doonan, he said, 'There's likely to be trouble in this
district before long, I hear.'
'How's that?'
'Horse thieves about again,' said Ned.
Jim Dennis thought of the strange stallion boxed in his yard, and
glanced at Constable Doonan. Was there more rumour and suspicion to
surround him?
'It's a rum go too,' said Ned. 'Rodney Shaw bought a fine stallion in
Sydney, a thoroughbred, and sent him up to Cudgegong. The man in charge
of him complains that someone either stole him or let him loose while
he was resting at Potter's. There'll be a deuce of a row at Cudgegong
about it.'
'That's queer,' said Jim. 'A strange horse galloped into the yard with
my mob yesterday during the storm. I wonder if he belongs to Mr Shaw.'
'You don't say so!' exclaimed Ned.
'Yes, I do; and, what's more, the brute would have made short work of me
had not Fred Doonan arrived in time.'
He then explained to Ned what had happened.
'If he's such a savage horse,' said Ned, 'I shouldn't be at all
surprised if the man did not let him go through sheer fright and now
wants to cast the blame on someone.'
'That's probable,' said Constable Doonan. 'I'm going round by Potter's
and will make inquiries. In the meantime, Jim, I would ride over to
Cudgegong and let Mr Shaw know about it.'
'I'll go to-morrow,' said Jim.
Doonan took his departure, and soon afterwards Ned, much to the relief
of his two passengers, clambered into the box seat and continued his
journey.
Next morning it was still raining, but Jim Dennis cared little for this,
in fact was glad of it. He saddled Bess and rode over to Cudgegong, a
distance of about fifteen miles.
The mare revelled in the good going, and the already green grass gave
way beneath her feet. It was a luxury that had not befallen her for many
a day, to gallop on yielding ground.
Midway between the two stations he saw a couple of mounted police, and
recognised Sergeant Machinson and another constable he did not know.
'Wonder what brings him round here. Perhaps he has been to pay his
respects to Rodney Shaw.'
Then he thought:
'If he has, he'll have heard of the loss of his horse. He's such a
suspicious beggar, he might think I had a hand in "lifting" it. If the
stallion in my place is the missing one, Machinson would be only too
pleased to get me into trouble, though why I don't know. It's sheer
spite because of that Potter's affair, and poor spite it is too. They
have seen me, so I may as well ride over to them.'
He was passing them with a casual remark about the rain when Sergeant
Machinson said,--
'We have just been over to Cudgegong. Mr Shaw has returned from England.
He bought a valuable stallion in Sydney, which has been stolen. The man
in charge of it says it was taken from Potter's. Have you seen anything
of it yet?'
Jim Dennis did not hesitate to tell the story of how he found a stray
stallion in his mob, and also said that Constable Doonan arrived at an
opportune moment to rescue him.
'I was just riding over to Mr Shaw's to tell him about it,' said Jim. 'I
heard from Doonan, and Ned Glenn, that he had lost a thoroughbred
stallion.'
A suspicious, sneering smile came over Sergeant Machinson's face. 'Then
you do not know who is the owner of this horse? It is not often you find
stray thoroughbreds running about the country, I suppose?'
'No, do you?' asked Jim, who was not afraid of half-a-dozen Sergeant
Machinsons.
'It is part of my duty to find them when they have been stolen,' said
the sergeant.
'So I believe,' replied Jim; 'but if this horse I have is Mr Shaw's, it
will save you any trouble in that line.'
'Except to catch the thief,' said the sergeant.
'Always provided the horse was stolen,' said Jim.
'Of course it was stolen; the man says so.'
'Then how did it come to be running about with my mob?' asked Jim.
'That's what I'd like to know,' was the suggestive and uncalled-for
reply.
'What do you mean to infer by that?' asked Jim, hotly.
'Anything you please. Don't you think it needs some explanation?'
'I have told you what happened.'
'But you omitted to state how the horse came to be amongst your lot.'
'That is what I should like to find out. Perhaps you can help me,' said
Jim.
'I shall do all in my power to apprehend the thief. There is too much of
this sort of thing going on round here.'
'Yes, there is,' said Jim; 'and it is partly your fault, because you
never catch the thieves. Why don't you try Dalton's gang?'
'That's my business,' said the sergeant, angrily. 'Remember I can make
you account for having that horse on your premises.'
'I have accounted for it.'
'Shall you tell that story to Mr Shaw?'
'Certainly; that is what I am going over for.'
'Then we will ride back with you.'
'As you please,' said Jim; 'but I should prefer your room to your
company.'
Sergeant Machinson bit his lip, but made no reply. He knew in his heart
Jim Dennis's story to be true, yet this only aggravated him the more.
Such is the nature of some men, but Jim Dennis was not of them. When
they arrived at Cudgegong station they were received, after a brief
delay, by Rodney Shaw.
'I am glad to see you back, Mr Shaw,' said Jim, holding out his hand,
and looking him straight in the face.
Rodney Shaw took his hand in a half-hearted way and said hesitatingly,--
'I have been away such a long time I have almost forgotten all my old
friends, but you are none the less welcome for all that.'
'How he has altered,' thought Jim. 'I should not have recognised him had
he been anywhere but at Cudgegong.'
'So you returned with Dennis?' said Shaw to the sergeant.
'Yes. I fancy he has your horse,' said Sergeant Machinson.
'Let me tell you the story,' said Jim, 'or it may be misrepresented.'
He then gave Rodney Shaw an account of what had happened.
'It is very strange,' was his comment. 'I wonder how the horse got into
your paddocks. My man says it was stolen.'
'I am as ignorant as yourself,' replied Jim, 'how the horse came there.
If he is your horse, you can have him back by sending for him.'
Jim Dennis did not like the tone in which Rodney Shaw spoke; it seemed
to imply a doubt about his story.
'Of course I will send for him. One of my men shall return with you.'
'I think you had better send two,' replied Jim, smiling.
'Is the horse as dangerous as that?'
'He was, but Doonan and myself tamed him down. Still, I think it would
be safer to have two men.'
'Will you bring him over?'
'If you wish it,' said Jim, 'but I had rather your own men did it. He
might get lost on the way again.' This with a glance at the sergeant.
'Perhaps it would be better to send your own men,' said that worthy
guardian of law and order.
Jim Dennis rose to go. He had not received a hospitable reception, and
he was not a man to remain where he saw he was not wanted.
'I hope I shall see you again soon,' said Rodney Shaw, who seemed
suddenly to think he had been too frigid.
'You may if I am riding this way,' was the quiet answer.
Although Rodney Shaw was wealthy, Jim Dennis considered himself his
equal as a man, and so he was.