and bumping had reduced me to a limp, black-and-blue creature, with
out a word or a smile. Of course I retired to what was literally a
pallet, and a very hard pallet too, as early as possible, but even
after I had vanished behind the thin wooden partition which formed
my bedroom, the greatest silence and decorum continued to reign
among my fellow-travellers.



Chapter VII: "Buying a run."--continued.


Early the next morning we all breakfasted together, and then
separated with most polite adieux. We sallied forth to look for a
couple of riding horses. There were none to be hired, so we had to
buy two good-looking nags for 45 pounds a-piece. Now-a-days the
same horses would not fetch more than 10 pounds and I have been told
that in Australia you can buy a horse for a shilling, but ours in
New Zealand have never sunk lower than a couple of pounds, if they
had any legs at all. It seemed to the horse-dealer quite a
superfluous question when I timidly inquired if my horse had ever
carried a lady. "No: I can't just say as he has, mum, as you see
there aint no ladies in these parts for him to carry. But," he
added magnanimously, "I'll try him with a blanket fust, if you're at
all oneasy about him." We did not start until the next day, as we
had to hunt up side-saddles, and I had to sew a few yards of grey
linsey into a riding-skirt; but by the following day we were all
ready, and our "swags" packed and strapped to the saddles by nine
o'clock. F---'s horse looked a very nice one in every respect; mine
was evidently uneasy in his mind at the strange shape of his saddle,