The Rising of the Court by Henry Lawson
page 19 of 113 (16%)
page 19 of 113 (16%)
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clearers, fencers, and timber-getters, in hut and tent.
"Who's that?" "What's up?" "What's the matter?" "Ben Duggan! Jack Denver's dead! Killed ridin' home from the races! Funeral's to-morrow. Roll up at Talbragar or the nearest point you can get to on the government road. Tell the neighbours and folks." "Good God! How did it happen?" But the hoofs of Ben's horse would be clattering or thudding away into the distance. He struck through to Dunne's selection--his brother-in-law, who had not been to the races; then to Ross's farm--Old Ross was against racing, but struck a match at once and said something to his auld wife about them black trousers that belonged to the black coat and vest. Then Ben swung to the left and round behind the spurs to the school at Old Pipeclay, where he told the schoolmaster. Then west again to Morris's and Schneider's lonely farms in the deep estuary of Long Gully, and through the gully to the Mudgee-Gulgong road at New Pipeclay. The long, dark, sullenly-brooding gully through which he had gone to school in the glorious bush sunshine with Jack Denver, and his sweetheart--now but three hours his hopelessly-stricken widow; Bertha Lambert, Ben's sweetheart--married now, and newly a |
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