`I think I'll take Locket after all,' says he, after thinking about it best part of an hour.`She's very fast and a stayer.Good-tempered too, and the old horse has taken up with her.It will be company for him.'
`Take your own way,' I said, `but I wouldn't chance her.
She's known to a lot of jockey-boys and hangers-on.They could swear to that white patch on her neck among a thousand.'
`If you come to that, Rainbow is not an every-day horse, and I can't leave him behind, can I? I'll ship him, if I can, that's more.
But it won't matter much, for we'll have to take back tracks all the way.
You didn't suppose we were to ride along the mail road, did you?'
`I didn't suppose anything,' says I, `but that we were going to clear out the safest way we could.If we're to do the swell business we'd better do it apart, or else put an advertisement into the "Turon Star"that Starlight, Marston, and Co.are giving up business and going to leave the district, all accounts owing to be sent in by a certain date.'
`A first-rate idea,' says he.`I'm dashed if I don't do it.There's nothing like making one's exit in good form.How savage Morringer will be!
Thank you for the hint, Dick.'
There was no use talking to him when he got into this sort of humour.
He was the most mad, reckless character I ever came across, and any kind of checking only seemed to make him worse.So I left him alone, for fear he should want to do something more venturesome still, and went on with my packing and getting ready for the road.
We fixed up to start on the Monday, and get as far away the first couple of days as we could manage.We expected to get a good start by making a great push the first day or two, and, as the police would be thrown off the scent in a way we settled -- and a good dodge it was --we should have all the more time to be clear of New South Wales before they regularly dropped that we were giving them leg bail for it.
The Sunday before Starlight started away by himself, taking a couple of good horses with him -- one he led, and a spare saddle too.
He took nothing but his revolver, and didn't say where he was going, but I pretty well guessed to say good-bye to Aileen.Just as he started he looked back and says --`I'm going for a longish ride to-day, Dick, but I shall be here late if I'm back at all.If anything happens to me my share of what there is I give to her, if she will take it.If not, do the best you can with it for her benefit.'
He didn't take Warrigal with him, which I was sorry for, as the half-caste and I didn't hit it well together, and when we were by ourselves he generally managed to do or say something he knew I didn't like.I kept my hands off him on account of Starlight, but there was many a time my fingers itched to be at him, and I could hardly keep from knocking some of the sulkiness out of him.
This day, somehow, I was not in the best of tempers myself.
I had a good lot on my mind.Starting away seems always a troublesome, bothering sort of thing, and if a man's at all inclined to be cranky it'll come out then.
Next day we were going to start on a long voyage, in a manner of speaking, and whether we should have a fair wind or the vessel of our fortune would be wrecked and we go down with it no one could say.
This is how it happened.One of the horses was bad to catch, and took a little trouble in the yard.Most times Warrigal was quiet enough with 'em, but when he got regular into a rage he'd skin a horse alive, I really believe.Anyhow, he began to hammer the colt with a roping-pole, and as the yard was that high that no beast could jump it he had him at his mercy.I wouldn't have minded a lick or two, but he went on and on, nearly knocking the poor brute down every time, till I could stand it no longer, and told him to drop it.
He gave me some saucy answer, until at last I told him I'd make him.
He dared me, and I rushed at him.I believe he'd have killed me that minute if he'd had the chance, and he made a deuced good offer at it.
He stuck to his roping-stick -- a good, heavy-ended gum sapling, six or seven feet long -- and as I came at him he struck at my head with such vengeance that, if it had caught me fair, I should never have kicked.I made a spring to one side, and it hit me a crack on the shoulder that wasn't a good thing in itself.
I was in at him before he could raise his hands, and let him have it right and left.
Down he went and the stick atop of him.He was up again like a wild cat, and at me hammer and tongs -- but he hadn't the weight, though he was quick and smart with his hands.I drew off and knocked him clean off his pins.Then he saw it wasn't good enough, and gave it best.
`Never mind, Dick Marston,' says he, as he walked off;and he fixed his eyes on me that savage and deadly-looking, with the blood running down his face, that I couldn't help shivering a bit, `you'll pay for this.I owe it you and Jim, one a piece.'
`Confound you,' I said, `it's all your own fault.Why couldn't you stop ill-using the horse? You don't like being hit yourself.
How do you think he likes it?'
`What business that of yours?' he said.`You mind your work and I'll mind mine.This is the worst day's work you've done this year, and so I tell you.'
He went away to his gunyah then, and except doing one or two things for Starlight would not lift his hand for any one that day.
