Nat Gould

“ Neptune moved like a piece of machinery, his lovely, sweeping stride getting him over the ground at a great pace, and Willie thought to himself, 'This is glorious. He can go and no mistake. If he gallops like this in the race there will be nothing to touch him.'
He saw the bright-coloured jackets ahead of him, and quickly raced Neptune up to them. He had never felt the pleasant rustle of a racing jacket before, and the sensation was delightful. They were soon back at the post, and Dr Tom took them in hand. ”

“ Jim Dennis had several miles to go before he reached Swamp Creek, the nearest township to his lonely station.
He urged the mare on, and faster and faster she went, taxing her strength to the uttermost, and yet never faltering, her courage still high, her spirit undaunted. Her nostrils were extended and fiery red, a few faint traces of foam were on the bit, but her mouth was dry and parched as the ground she galloped over.
Her breath came in short, quick sobs, and Jim Dennis knew she would be well-nigh spent in another hour. He was not a cruel man, and he had great affection for all animals. ”

“ I ain't fit to die. I daren't die. Come back and I'll do anything for you, give you any money you care to ask for, only come back and save me!'
Dr Tom came back.
'I can't die. I daren't die. I'm afeared,' and the wretched man shuddered and fell back, terror-stricken.
The doctor heard him and stopped. A thought had occurred to him.
'This may be useful in Jim Dennis's case,' he said, and returned to the room.
'So you are afraid to die, Abe Dalton? Don't take God's name in vain, He will not hear you; you have cursed Him all your life, and now you want Him to save you. ”

“ It was Sal who sat at the child's bedside when Jim Dennis rode out to Swamp Creek for Dr Tom. The woman watched every movement of the little face, every quiver of the body. Each moan from his lips pierced her like a knife. The child was not her own, and yet she loved him, and worshipped with a dog-like devotion the big man who was his father. ”

“ She pined for the city, the pleasures of Sydney life, the shops, the gaiety, the dances and picnics, the admiration of men and the thousand and one other attractions that are all in all to some women. Jim Dennis saw she felt lonely and it troubled him. He was absent on the station the greater part of the day, it could not be otherwise in his life. He thought when the child was born it would cheer her and render her life more tolerable.
He was grievously mistaken. Maud was not a woman to make a devoted mother. She was too selfish, and little Willie was rather a 'bore' to her. ”

“ Those fellows are all well armed,' said Jim.
'We must capture Abe Dalton and Seth Sharp alive,' said Mr Dauntsey, 'and as many of the others as possible. Shooting is too good a death for them; they must be hanged.'
'I will fire the bush and give the blacks warning,' said Jim Dennis. 'Let me go alone.'
'You are taking on a big risk,' said the doctor. 'They will not leave the rear unprotected and you'll get shot.'
'I wish to go,' said Jim.
'Let me go with him, sergeant,' said Doonan.
'Very well; only remember we cannot afford to lose a man, so run no risks that you can avoid,' replied Machinson. ”

“ When Abe Dalton and his party arrived at Cudgegong Rodney Shaw at once had Sal taken to the room prepared for her.
'You will soon be happy and contented here,' he said to her; 'and you will not find me a bad master. You would not come to me of your own free will, so I thought I would send for you.' [Pg 184]
Sal gave him a fierce look from her big dark eyes, and said, as she faced him,—
'You are a coward, not a man. Jim Dennis will throttle the life out of you when he finds out what you have done.'
'He will not find out, because he will never suspect you are here,' he replied. ”

“ I think I shall beat you. Your father ought to have let me ride Neptune; it would have been a good thing then.'
'It is not a bad thing now,' said Willie; 'and I know how to ride the horse, and he understands me. You'll find we shall be thereabouts at the finish.'
'You have never ridden in a race before,' said Madsley, 'so you don't know what it's like. All I can say is that, if you win, you are a bit of a wonder.'
'I hope I am,' said the lad, smiling, and Ben Madsley could not help laughing at him.
A jockey named Jackson was riding The Captain, and carried the black jacket of Abe Dalton. ”

“ It was a marvellous bit of work, and lovers of racing are not slow at recognising skill and pluck.
'Wonderful!' said Dr Tom; 'but it will lose him the race.'
'If Grey Bird wins now it will be the most sensational finish I have ever seen,' said Mr Dauntsey.
Jim Dennis made no reply. He saw what had happened and he felt his hopes of securing Cudgegong were extinguished for some time to come.
His disappointment was, however, mitigated by his son's superb riding, and he felt proud of 'the little chap' and hoped for the best. Tatters fell back beaten and Grey Bird passed him on the outside. ”

“ Rodney Shaw was gasping for breath. The excitement and the moving of his body had caused his wound to bleed profusely, and he soon became exhausted, and fainted.
Jim Dennis watched him with a bitter smile on his face.
'I have been cheated at last. He cannot stand up and take the punishment I would give him. I cannot shoot an insensible man, it would be murder. Sal was right, it would be as cowardly with him as with her.'
He opened the door and called Benjamin Nix. ”

“ Willie Dennis had accounted for one man, and from a distance watched the fight.
'Help me, Willie,' said the doctor. 'You will be more use here than over yonder.'
Ten of Dalton's men were killed by the blacks, and the remainder were nearly all wounded.
Dalton fought like a tiger, and when he saw Sergeant Machinson and another constable rushing upon him to seize him, he shouted,—
'So you have done for me at last, sergeant. Take that!'
He fired his revolver, and the unfortunate man fell dead, shot through the heart. ”

“ The favourite was drawing ahead, the white jacket looked dangerous, and visions of spoiling the bookmakers arose in the minds of his backers.
'What a pace!' exclaimed Dr Tom.
'It's a terribly fast race,' answered Jim; 'but Grey Bird is as fleet as the wind.'
'If Willie can hold his own with Jack Ashton he's a young wonder. Ashton has frightened many a lad out of a race. Look there! He'll have Grey Bird over the rails,' said Mr Dauntsey, the latter part of whose remark was caused by Ashton boring on to Jim Dennis's horse. ”

“ Jim Dennis pulled the exhausted mare up with a jerk, and, springing out of the saddle, rushed up the steps of the doctor's house.
'He's dying, Dr Tom, the little chap's dying. Come at once. For God's sake man hurry! We haven't a moment to lose. You must save him. You can save him. You will save him! He's all I have in the world.'
'What, little Willie!' exclaimed Dr Tom. 'What's got hold of him?'
'Fever, or something. He's raving. Don't stand talking. Hurry up! Get out your buggy and horses. Never mind if you drive 'em to death. I'll pay for 'em. ”

“ He rode Defiance for all he was worth, and got every ounce out of the horse. The gallant top weight ran a game as his name indicated he would. Defiance defied defeat until his strength was exhausted. The great horse was giving away 'lumps of weight' to Bung Bung and Grey Bird, and he did his level best to enhance his reputation.
Amidst a tornado of maddening cheers and cries the trio raced neck and neck. The white, the yellow, and the pink, seemed hopelessly mixed together, and they could not be separated.
Jim Dennis held his breath and caught hold of Dr Tom's arm. ”

“ Away they went at full gallop, and as the doctor's buggy dashed out of the township, people looked after it and thought it must be a desperate case for him to drive his cattle at such a pace.
'Keep calm, man; keep calm, or you'll be ill yourself,' said Dr Tom.
'I can't do it, doc, the little chap may be dead,' and Jim Dennis groaned.
'Cheer up, mate, you never know what a youngster can pull through; they'll beat a man hollow. Many's the child I have seen live when a man would have died,' said Dr Tom. ”

“ A small verandah in front was reached by five rickety steps, and some of the piles on which the house was built afforded a fine refuge for white ants. These insects were so industrious that one stump was a crumbling mass, so laboriously had it been honeycombed.
Around the homestead was the stable yard, a dull, dreary-looking place, consisting of two or three sheds hurriedly run up, a heap of refuse, a dirty old dog kennel, home made, a sheep pen, and a few etceteras, that men who have known such places will imagine.
For all that, however, Jim Dennis had a fair station. ”

“ It gladdened Jim Dennis's heart to see his boy perched on the grey's back, and he watched them with pride as Neptune went a long, striding gallop with his light burden.
'If I could only persuade myself Willie would not lose his head in the race, I would let him ride the horse, but it is too much to expect a lad of his age to keep cool in the midst of so much excitement. If I put Ben Madsley up, he's as likely as not to ruffle the horse's temper, and then farewell to all chance of winning. ”

“ Jim Dennis, who was standing near the judge's box with Adye Dauntsey, saw how splendidly his horse was going, and that Willie had him well in hand, and said to the magistrate,—
'If Neptune is as full of running next time he passes here we shall win, I think.'
'By Jove! how well your lad rides! He is a plucky little fellow,' said Adye.
'Yes, there's not much fear in him, and he is a rare judge of pace; I have proved that when we have ridden together on the station; he has often come with a sudden rush and beaten me,' said Jim. ”

“ Instead of the dull, dry brown would come a bright, refreshing green. The grass grows with remarkable rapidity in such regions and the scene changes as though by magic. The horses had gone under the sheds for shelter, and Jim, dismounting, closed the gates. Having unsaddled his horse, and peeped inside to see how Willie fared, he went to look at the stranger amongst his mob.
Already there was a fight on and the stallion was trying to savage his nearest neighbour. A battle royal seemed imminent, but Jim Dennis meant to stop that. ”

“ Jim Dennis knew Tom Sheridan had grit in him. He knew that no man had a braver heart or nobler courage, if put to the test, but it would be an uncommonly hard test, to bring out those qualities to their fullest extent.
A disappointed man Dr Tom Sheridan certainly was not, nor was he an unhappy man. He was too good for Swamp Creek, and yet it was good for the Creek for him to be there.
'Look at that youngster,' said Dr Tom, suddenly.
Jim Dennis turned round and saw his son leading Neptune out of his box, and the doctor's dog following at his heels. ”

“ Not many men would care to come alone to Barker's Creek as he had done many times.
'You're a plucky chap, doctor,' said one of the men.
'It does not require much pluck to face a lot of beggars like you,' was the retort.
'Then the police can't have much of it,' laughed one.
'Some of these days you will find they have plenty of pluck,' said Dr Tom. 'If they were put on your track now, they would be only too glad of the job. It's Sergeant Machinson holds them back, and he'll have to answer for it in due time.'
'Machinson,' laughed one man. 'He's a beauty, he is. ”

“ A week after the fight Jim Dennis had retired for the night. He was alone in the house with Sal, as Willie had gone to Barragong for a change. He had been out all day, and, being thoroughly tired, slept soundly.
During the night a woman might have been seen toiling with weary steps across the lonesome land. She was footsore and hungry, well-nigh starving. She had been at Swamp Creek and found there no rest or shelter. She seemed to shrink from contact with everyone, and had it not been for the doctor's dog she would have gone on without food or drink. ”

“ THE HALF-CASTE'S WARNING
Jim Dennis heard of the row at the Gum Tree Hotel, and he also heard of the cause.
Ned Glenn, who happened to be there, told him all about it when he pulled up at Wanabeen.
'You'd have laughed, Jim, to see the funk Dalton was in,' he said. 'I never saw such a blooming coward in my life. He's not fit to sew a button on his own shirt. He cowed down before the doc like a whipped kangaroo dog, and darn me if he even so much as swore when Dr Tom asked him out to fight.'
'But what was it all about?' asked Jim. ”

“ IN THE DAYS OF PROSPERITY
'It is five years since Grey Bird won the Sydney Cup, and I feel all the excitement over again as I look at him,' said Dr Tom, as he admired the handsome grey who was now doing stud duty at Cudgegong.
'You will never ride a better race than that, Willie—never. Don't you wish you had accepted Mr M.'s offer and remained to ride for his stable? Think of the big races he has won, and you would have ridden all those winners. ”