My Brilliant Careerchaptre15.docx

My Brilliant Careerchaptre15.docx

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MyBrilliantCareerchaptre15

Chapter1

“Boo,hoo!

Ow,ow;Oh!

oh!

Me’lldie.Boo,hoo.Thepain,thepain!

Boo,hoo!

”

“Come,come,now.Daddy’slittlemateisn’tgoingtoturnTurklikethat,isshe?

I’llputsomefatoutofthedinner-bagonit,andtieitupinmyhanky.Don’tcryanymorenow.Hush,youmustnotcry!

You’llmakeoldDartbuckifyoukickuparowlikethat.”

Thatismyfirstrecollectionoflife.Iwasbarelythree.Icanrememberthemajesticgum-treessurroundingus,thesunglintingontheirstraightwhitetrunks,andfallingonthegurglingfern-bankedstream,whichdisappearedbeneathasteepscrubbyhillonourleft.Itwasanhourpastnoononalongclearsummerday.Wewereonadistantpartoftherun,wheremyfatherhadcometodepositsalt.Hehadlefthomeearlyinthedewymorning,carryingmeinfrontofhimonalittlebrownpillowwhichmymotherhadmadeforthepurpose.Wehadputthelumpsofrock-saltinthetroughsontheothersideofthecreek.Thestringybarkroofofthesalt-shedwhichprotectedthetroughsfromrainpeepedoutpicturesquelyfromthemuskandpeppercornshrubsbywhichitwasdenselysurrounded,andwasvisiblefromwherewelunched.Irefilledthequart-potinwhichwehadboiledourteawithwaterfromthecreek,fatherdousedourfireoutwithit,andthentiedthequarttotheDofhissaddlewithapieceofgreenhide.Thegreen-hidebagsinwhichthesalthadbeencarriedwerehangingonthehooksofthepack-saddlewhichencumberedthebaypack-horse.Father’ssaddleandthebrownpillowwereonDart,thebiggreyhorseonwhichhegenerallycarriedme,andwewereonthepointofmakingtracksforhome.

Preparatorytostarting,fatherwasmuzzlingthedogswhichhadjustfinishedwhatlunchwehadleft.Thisprocess,towhichthedogsstronglyobjected,wasrenderednecessarybyacogentreason.Fatherhadbroughthisstrychnineflaskwithhimthatday,andinhopesofcausingthedeathofafewdingoes,hadputstrongdosesofitscontentsinseveraldeadbeastswhichwehadcomeacross.

Whilstthedogswerebeingmuzzled,Ibusiedmyselfinpluckingfernsandflowers.Thisdisturbedabigblacksnakewhichwascurledatthebuttofatreefern.

“Bitey!

bitey!

”Iyelled,andfathercametomyrescue,despatchingthereptilewithhisstock-whip.Hehadbeensmoking,anddroppedhispipeontheferns.Ipickeditup,andtheglowingemberswhichfellfromitburntmydirtylittlefatfists.Hencethenoisewithwhichmystorycommences.

Inallprobabilityitwastheburningofmyfingerswhichsoindeliblyimpressedtheincidentonmyinfantilemind.Myfatherwasaccustomedtotakemewithhim,butthatistheonlyjauntatthatdatewhichIremember,andthatisallIrememberofit.Weweretwelvemilesfromhome,buthowwereachedthereIdonotknow.

Myfatherwasaswellinthosedays—heldBruggabrong,BinBinEast,andBinBinWest,whichthreestationstotalledcloseon200,000acres.Fatherwasadmittedintoswelldommerelybyrightofhisposition.Hispedigreeincludednothingbeyondagrandfather.Mymother,however,wasafull-fledgedaristocrat.ShewasoneoftheBossiersofCaddagat,whonumberedamongtheirancestryoneofthedepravedoldpirateswhopillagedEnglandwithWilliamtheConqueror.

“Dick”Melvynwasasrenownedforhospitalityasjoviality,andourcomfortable,wide-veranda’ed,irregularlybuilt,slabhouseinitsshelterednookamidtheTimlinbillyRangeswaseverfulltooverflowing.Doctors,lawyers,squatters,commercialtravellers,bankers,journalists,tourists,andmenofallkindsandclassescrowdedourwell-spreadboard;butseldomafemaleface,exceptmother’s,wastobeseenthere,Bruggabrongbeingaveryout-of-the-wayplace.

Iwasboththeterrorandtheamusementofthestation.Oldboundary-ridersanddroversinquireaftermewithinteresttothisday.

Ikneweveryone’sbusiness,andwaseverindangerofpublishingitataninopportunemoment.

Inflowerylanguage,selectedfromslangusedbythestationhands,andlongwordspickedupfromourvisitors,Ipropoundedunanswerablequestionswhichbroughtblushestothecheeksofeventougholdwine-bibbers.

Nothingwouldinducemetoshowmorerespecttoanappraiseroftherunsthantoaboundary-rider,ortoaclergymanthanadrover.Iamthesametothisday.Myorganofvenerationmustbeflatterthanapancake,becausetovenerateapersonsimplyforhispositionIneverdidorwill.TomethePrinceofWaleswillbenomorethanashearer,unlesswhenImeethimhedisplayssomepersonalityapartfromhisprinceship—otherwisehecangohang.

AuthenticrecordofthedatewhenfirstIhadahorsetomyselfhasnotbeenkept,butitmusthavebeenearly,asateightIwasfittorideanythingontheplace.Side-saddle,man-saddle,no-saddle,orastridewereallthesametome.Irodeamongthemusterersasgamelyasanyofthebigsunburntbushmen.

Mymotherremonstrated,opinedIwouldbeagreatunwomanlytomboy.Myfatherpoohedtheidea.

“Letheralone,Lucy,”hesaid,“letheralone.Therubbishingconventionalitieswhicharethecurseofhersexwillbotherhersoonenough.Letheralone!

”

So,smilingandsaying,“Sheshouldhavebeenaboy,”mymotherletmealone,andIrode,andincomparisontomysizemadeasmuchnoisewithmystock-whipasanyone.Accidentshadnopoweroverme,Icameunscathedoutofdrovesofthem.

FearIknewnot.Didadrunkentramphappentokickuparow,Iwasalwaysthefirsttoconfronthim,and,frommymajesticandroly-polyheightoftwofeetsixinches,demandwhathewanted.

Adiggingstartednearusandwasworkedbyascoreoftwodark-browedsonsofItaly.Theymademothernervous,andsheaverredtheywerenottobetrusted,butIlikedandtrustedthem.Theycarriedmeontheirbroadshoulders,stuffedmewithlolliesandmadeageneralpetofme.WithoutthequiverofanerveIswungdowntheirdeepestshaftsinthebigbucketontheendofaropeattachedtoaroughwindlass,whichbroughtuptheminersandthemullock.

Mybrothersandsisterscontractedmumps,measles,scarlatina,andwhooping-cough.Irolledinthebedwiththemyetcameoffscot-free.Irompedwithdogs,climbedtreesafterbirds’nests,drovethebullocksinthedray,undertheinstructionsofBen,ourbullocky,andalwaysaccompaniedmyfatherwhenhewentswimmingintheclear,mountain,shrub-linedstreamwhichrandeepandloneamongtheweirdgullies,thicklycarpetedwithmaidenhairandnumberlessotherspeciesofferns.

Mymothershookherheadovermeandtrembledformyfuture,butfatherseemedtoconsidermenothingunusual.Hewasmyhero,confidant,encyclopedia,mate,andevenmyreligiontillIwasten.SincethenIhavebeenreligionless.

RichardMelvyn,youwereafinefellowinthosedays!

Akindandindulgentparent,achivalroushusband,acapitalhost,amanfullofambitionandgentlemanliness.

Amidthesescenes,andtherefinementsandpleasuresofCaddagat,whichliesahundredmilesorsofartherRiverinawards,Ispentthefirstyearsofmychildhood.

Chapter2

Iwasnearlyninesummersoldwhenmyfatherconceivedtheideathathewaswastinghistalentsbykeepingthemrolledupinthesmallnapkinofanout-of-the-wayplacelikeBruggabrongandtheBinBinstations.Thereforehedeterminedtotakeuphisresidenceinalocalitywherehewouldhavemorescopeforhisability.

Whengivinghisreasonformovingtomymother,heputthematterbeforeherthus:

Thepriceofcattleandhorseshadfallensooflateyearsthatitwasimpossibletomakemuchofalivingbybreedingthem.Sheepweretheonlyprofitablearticletohavenowadays,anditwouldbeimpossibletorunthemonBruggabrongoreitheroftheBinBins.Thedingoeswouldworkhavocamongtheminnotime,andwhattheyleftthedufferswouldsoondisposeof.Asforbringingpoliceintothematter,itwouldbeworsethanuseless.Theycouldnotruntheoffenderstoearth,andtheireffortstodosowouldbringdownupontheiremployerthewrathoftheduffers.Result,allthefencesonthestationwouldbefiredforadeadcertainty,andthedestructionofmorethanahundredmilesofheavylogfencingonroughcountrylikeBruggabrongwasnopicnictocontemplate.

Thiswasthefeasiblelightinwhichfathershadedhisdesiretoleave.Thefactofthematterwasthattheheartlessharridan,discontent,hadlaidherclaw-likehanduponhim.HisguestswereeverassuringhimhewasburiedandwastedinTimlinbilly’sgullies.Amanofhisintelligence,coupledwithhiswonderfulexperienceamongstock,would,theyaverred,makeanameandfortuneforhimselfdealingorauctioneeringifheonlylikedtotry.RichardMelvynbegantothinksotoo,anddesiredtotry.Hedidtry.

HegaveupBruggabrong,BinBinEastandBinBinWest,boughtPossumGully,asmallfarmofonethousandacres,andbroughtusalltolivenearGoulburn.Herewearrivedoneautumnafternoon.Father,mother,andchildrenpackedinthebuggy,myself,andtheoneservant-girl,whohadaccompaniedus,onhorseback.Theonemanfatherhadretainedinhisservicewasawaitingourarrival.Hehadprecededuswithabullock-drayloadoffurnitureandbelongings,whichwasallfatherhadretainedofhishouseholdproperty.Justsufficientforustogetalongwith,untilhehadtimetosettleandpurchasemore,hesaid.Thatwastenyearsago,andthatistheonlyfurniturewepossessyet—justenoughtogetalongwith.

MyfirstimpressionofPossumGullywasbitterdisappointment—animpressionwhichtimehasfailedtosoftenorwipeaway.

Howflat,common,andmonotonousthesceneryappearedaftertheruggedpeaksoftheTimlinbillyRange!

Ournewhousewasaten-roomedwood