Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

“ Life at the run proved pleasant to Jean and full of interesting happenings. She missed her father and Fergus, but she and Sandy soon grew to be great friends, and many were the thrilling bits of mischief into which he dragged her, sure that he would escape punishment if Jean were only to say, "Don't punish Sandy, Uncle Angus, I did it too."
The little girl loved her Aunt Mildred, but more than any one at the station her uncle had won her heart. She grew to be his little shadow, driving and riding with him, sun-tanned and rosy, growing strong and healthy in the free Australian life. ”

“ What a delightful visit the children had at the run! It was perhaps pleasanter for them than for the grown folk, for Sandy, Mr. and Mrs. McDonald's only child, a boy of ten, was a perfect imp of mischief, and he led his two cousins into everything that he could think of. Fergus was not far [40] behind, and Jean trudged after the boys, growing strong and rosy in the Australian sunshine.
"Australia is making the greatest change in Jean," said her mother to Mrs. McDonald one day, as they sat upon the veranda. "At home she was so shy she would scarcely look at any one. ”

“ The sun grew hot and beat down upon Jean's bare head, for she had lost her hat. Her fair hair caught on the long festoons of gray moss which hung from the trees, the flying golden fleece stuck to the rough bark, which was red with gum and very sticky. ”

“ There is no more attractive sight in the world than an immense flock of the long-wooled Australian sheep, and none more forlorn than the shivering droves of freshly-sheared animals.
[71]
Jean watched until she was tired. The smell of the wool, the noise, the heat, the cries of the tormented sheep, all turned her sick, and she fled to the house. There things were little better. Everybody was busy. Aunt Mildred had no time to notice a little girl. Sandy was away, no one knew where, and, worst of all, her mother was laid low with one of her terrible headaches. ”

“ No one was at the stable to saddle Dandy, but she had learned to ride as well without a saddle as with, so she got on the pony's back and rode toward the river.
Away from the noise of the shearing shed, how quiet and lovely it all seemed. The wind swayed gently the branches of the great she-oaks as a mopoke's mournful note came from the gum trees. Flying foxes flapped their wings and [72] she came upon the playground of a satin-bower [8] bird, the first she had ever seen, although her uncle had told her about them. ”

“ Quite a number of the good citizens of Australia to-day, could, if they would, trace their descent back to 'ticket of leave' men."
"I shouldn't think they would like to do that," said Fergus. "I wouldn't like any one to know that my people had done wrong."
"Everybody does wrong," said Jean sagely.
"Yes, but every one isn't found out," her brother answered. "When they are, it hurts."
"But if it's found out that they're sorry and are going to do good for ever and ever," the little girl looked puzzled, "then does it matter?" ”

“ You see Victoria is the busiest part of this country, although the people of New South Wales will tell [5] you that their district is far superior and Sydney a much handsomer city than Melbourne."
"If the wares one sees in the streets are any sign, Victoria must have a great variety of products," said Mrs. Hume. "The shops have all manner of things in the windows, and besides there are great drays of wood, coal and timber."
"Victoria is called the Garden of Australia," said Mr. Hume. "You will see considerable of it if we go up to Sydney by rail instead of by sea." ”

“ There was nothing to eat but damper and some roots Kadok had found, and the delay and the scanty meal did not make Jean feel any more cheerful. The day seemed the longest she had ever spent and when twilight [122] fell and they found no shelter, no friendly cave nor deserted hut, the little girl felt more forlorn than she had ever felt in her life. She tried hard not to show Kadok for she saw that the boy was suffering far worse than he would admit.
"What are we going to have for supper?" she asked.
"Not much eat," said he. "Damper all gone, no more flour. No meat." ”

“ Should the two fugitives run into unfriendly Blacks they would be captured, and if the little girl was not killed by them she would be taken far inland, where as yet white people did not rule, and all hope of restoring her to her people would be at an end. On the other hand, were they to fall in with any of the mounted police [84] or squatters, Kadok knew that his story would never be believed, and that he would be punished for stealing a white child. All this he knew, that Jean could not understand, but he felt that he must make her see the need for hurrying if possible. ”

“ Kadok saw she was growing restless and tried to talk to her, afraid that she would cry. "Little Missa not see cave before, not have at home. Tell about home."
"Oh, it's not at all like this," she said. "It's very cold, and the mountains are high and beautiful and there are no snakes nor wild things. It's all farms and sheep and not wild like Australia. And in the winter the snow is lovely." ”

“ He take little Missa and mean to bring her back. Then white police ride and hunt. Black man scared, hide Missa, hide selves. Some black men say kill little Missa. Kadok say 'No.' His father chief, and chief say, 'Take back white Missa to mother.' So Kadok will take."
"Thank you, Kadok," said Jean simply, accepting all that he said. "How soon will I see my mother?"
"Don't know. Missa come long way on man's back. Must go back on two feet. Take days and nights. Not cry," he said as her face clouded. "Kadok take one good care of little Missa. Eat plenty meal, then we start walk." ”

“ Fergus was a fine boy of twelve and Jean was eight, and both were much excited at the trip, while Mrs. Hume's sadness at leaving her old home was mixed with joy at the idea of seeing again the sister from whom she had been separated for years.
The landing on the Melbourne quay proved interesting for the children, and they were very much impressed with their first glimpse of the city.
"Why, Father," exclaimed Fergus, as they drove in a cab up Flinders Street, "Melbourne streets seem as busy as those of Glasgow!"
"Indeed they are, my son," said his father, smiling. "Perhaps they are busier. ”

“ At her cry Kadok turned quickly,
"Missa hurt," he said, coming back and helping her to her feet. "Not cry."
"I won't," she said, choking back her sobs. "Please let me rest awhile."
"Must go fast to get to water-hole for dinner," [83] said Kadok. "Missa rest a little and then try go again."
She lay down on the grass and shut her eyes. Some parrots chattered and screamed in the trees above her, but the sun was hot and most of the forest birds were still, except for little twitterings among the branches. Kadok sat silent beside her. Much was passing in the black boy's mind. ”

“ Save meal for some day we have not meat."
"I am tired of damper anyway," said Jean. "How shall I cook the meat?"
"Put leaves over hot stones, set yopolo on, all in his skin, cover him over with earth and he cook very tender," said Kadok, and she followed his receipt. There was only a little water left in the water-hole, and that not fresh.
"Where do you get water, Kadok?" asked Jean.
"From the spring," he answered. "Not far, just ten steps in the bushes, straight ahead from cave, but not safe for little Missa go." ”

“ ON THE WAY TO THE "RUN"
It was a bright morning when they left Sydney to go to the station, taking the train early in the day, for there was a railway ride of several hours before them, as well as a long drive.
"Now you are going to see something of Australian life," said Mr. McDonald. "Life in Sydney or Melbourne is very little different from that in Liverpool or Glasgow. On the big stations it is much the same as on the country places at home, but my station is typical of Australia."
"Is it in the Bush, Uncle?" asked Fergus. ”

“ The young oxen are sent to the coast to be fattened for market, while the old cattle are sent to the rendering works, where they are made into tallow and beef extract. The stockman's life is harder than that of the shepherd, and dangerous because of the bullocks' stampedes, when they break loose and often run down horses and men in their frantic rush for freedom."
"I like the sheep run much better," said Jean. "See that flying squirrel, Uncle! I think they are the cunningest little things. ”

“ These draw their groceries, meat, and so forth from the stores, but do not eat at our tables. I don't believe Wu Ling would stand it if he had to cook for them."
"Isn't he funny?" said Jean, laughing. "He lets me come in the kitchen and watch him bake brownie, but he won't allow Fergus or Sandy there at all. Do all stations have Chinese cooks?"
"Not all, but a great many do. The Chinese [56] are the best cooks we can get. A great many people hate the yellow-skinned Celestials and raise a hue and cry about a 'White Australia,' but I don't know what we of the far stations would do without them." ”

“ Then if the camp proves successful, houses are built and finally a city will grow up, almost as if by magic. One city, that of Ballarat, has grown in twenty-five years to be one of the handsomest in Australia. ”

“ What did you used to do at home?"
"Not do very much in wuuries," [19] he said with a broad grin. "Blacks not have much home like white people. Like woods better than wuuries. Like hunt. Make many fine hunt, sometimes hunt animals, sometimes hunt other Blacks. Very good eat, before white man comes," he hastened to add as he saw Jean's expression of terror. "Not eat people now."
"I should hope not," cried the child.
"Little Missa keep quiet," said Kadok, raising himself on his elbow, grasping a stick he had and peering through the bushes. "Something [112] coming. Think not black man. ”

“ When morning came it seemed as if the mother's desire that the little girl should have experiences to make her less childish was to be [108] fulfilled, for Kadok's foot was so painful that he could not even drag himself about the cave and Jean had to wait on him as well as to care for herself. She made breakfast and gathered fresh leaves and branches and brought water enough to last all day. Then she made fresh damper and cut strips of the yopolo meat, drying it in the sun and smoke under Kadok's directions. ”

“ When their stopping place was reached and they alighted from the train to find a comfortable cart and good horses awaiting them, Fergus exclaimed, "It doesn't seem to me that travelling in Australia is very hard work."
"Wait till you get to the Bush," said his uncle. "And have to tramp it with your swag [38] [5] upon your back, make your own supper over a twig fire, stir your tea in a billy [6] with a eucalyptus twig, and roll up in a blanket to sleep, waking up to find a dukite snake taking a nap on your breast,—that's real Australia for you." ”

“ The Blacks [59] eat the roots, which are full of a kind of gum."
"I never heard of such a place as this," said Jean. "It seems as if everything in Australia was useful. Everything but little girls," she added.
"Little girls are very useful in making other people happy," said her uncle kindly.
"But I'd like to be really useful and learn to do something," said Jean.
"You will when you are bigger," he answered. "You must get well and strong before you can do very much, lassie. But you will be useful enough as you grow older."
"I don't see why you are in such a hurry to go to work," said Sandy. ”

“ His uncle's hearty laugh rang out. "No, my boy, but I bought my run from a squatter," he answered. "The days of squatters were about over when I came out. What do you know about squatters?"
"I don't know anything," answered Fergus. "Only I have heard the name and thought maybe you would tell us about them."
"In the old times, before Australia had started in the trade, the wool from the sheep on the runs was very important to her," said Mr. [35] McDonald. "Men would come out to the country, and, not having very much money, they could perhaps buy a small homestead and stock it, but little more. ”

“ He want to smoke big pipe up in sky, strike match to light pipe, throw match down to earth, while smoke—match make lightning."
"If we are going to have another storm I am going to bring water from the spring while I can go out of the cave." She was getting very tired of sitting still.
"Kadok not like little Missa to run round by herself," said Kadok, but Jean said wilfully,
"I must go by myself if there is no one to go with me, mustn't I? We've got to have water," and she picked up the billy and started for the spring. ”

“ West of this are the mountains and beyond them is a high plateau which slopes down to the plains of Central Australia. This central portion is an almost [34] unknown country. There are no great rivers and little rain. The land is terribly dry and very hot. Many who have gone to explore it have never returned and no one knows their fate. Perhaps they have died of thirst, perhaps they have been killed by the Blacks. This part of the country is called 'Never, Never Land.'"
"Uncle Angus," asked Fergus, as his uncle paused. "When you came to your station were you a squatter?" ”

“ Jean took a great fancy to her, and we simply couldn't keep her from toddling after Dinah. She was a faithful soul, so good and kind."
"Those who have lived here for many years say that if you once make a friend of a Black he will do anything for you," said Mr. McDonald. "I never had any trouble with them around my station, though other squatters did."
"I think it's all in the way you treat them," [31] said his wife. "Of course the Blacks near the 'run' are not the wild Blacks from the interior, the man-eating kind, but a gentler race."
"Well, I hope we shall see some of them," said Fergus. ”

“ Australia, though a continent, is a part of the Empire of Great Britain. A few years ago it was a wild country, where no white people lived, filled with Blacks, who were man-eating savages. These are fast dying out, but in this story you will learn something about them, and of the lives of your Australian Cousins. ”

“ She liked her burly uncle, who was always ready to [50] talk to her and who explained everything about the run so pleasantly.
"The Gold Fields extend all over Western Australia," said Mr. McDonald. "Gold was first discovered here in 1823 and people have gone mad with gold fever ever since. The precious metal has been found in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, but recently it has been discovered in Western Australia. The miners often strike a good lead and grow very rich, but it is a hard life and especially so in the districts where there is little water. ”

“ The sea motion is still in my head, and I believe that if I could go to bed and think that Jean could sleep without [18] danger of falling out of bed, I could sleep for two or three days without waking up."
"We'll take care of the wee lassie and of this big boy, too," said Mr. McDonald kindly, laying an arm about Fergus' shoulder. "Sandy is up at the run and you will have fine times with him there, and your mother shall rest as long as she wants to.
"But you are not seeing the sights as we pass. We think Sydney about the finest thing on this side of the world. ”