Rolf Boldrewood

“ Warrigal jumps off Bilbah and throws down the bridle. Then he leads the chestnut up to where Starlight was standing smoking, and throws himself down at his feet, bursting out crying like a child. He was just like a dog that had found his master again. He kept looking up at Starlight just like a dog does, and smiling and going on just as if he never expected to see such a good thing again as long as he lived.
`Well, Warrigal,' says Starlight, very careless like, `so you've brought me a horse, I see. You've been a very good boy. Take Rainbow round the long way into the Hollow. ”

“ We could hear a horse coming along at a pretty good bat over the hard, rocky, gravelly road. We could tell it was a single horse, and more than that, a barefooted one, coming at a hand-gallop up hill and down dale in a careless kind of manner. This wasn't likely to be a police trooper. One man wouldn't come by himself to a place like ours at night; and no trooper, if he did come, would clatter along a hard track, making row enough to be heard more than a mile off on a quiet night.
`It's all right,' says father. `The old dog knowed him; it's Billy the Boy. ”

“ What beautiful small hands he has, and his eyes are like sleeping fires.'
`Oh, he's a good deal stronger than he looks,' I said; `he's the smartest of the lot of us, except it is dad, and I've heard the old man say he must knock under to him. But don't you bother your head about him; he's quite able to take care of himself, and the less a girl like you thinks about a man like him the better for her.'
`Oh, nonsense,' she said, at the same time looking down in a half-confused sort of way. ”

“ I don't want to be making roads from this old crib to the Hollow, only I thought you'd like one look at Dick.'
`We must do what's best, of course,' said poor Aileen; `but it's hard—very hard on us. It's mother I'm thinking of, you know. If you knew how she always wakes u p in the night, and calls for Dick, and cries when she wakes up, you'd try to comfort her a bit more, father.'
`Comfort her!' says dad; `why, what can I do? Don't I tell you if we stay about here we're shopped as safe as anything ever was? Will that comfort her, or you either? ”

“ My word, this cove can scratch!'
`So it seems,' says Starlight; `here's a sovereign for you, youngster. Keep your ears and eyes open; you'll always find that good information brings a good price. I'd advise you to keep away from Mr. Marston, sen., and people of his sort, and stick to your work, if I thought there was the least earthly chance of your doing so ”