The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7979, 16 November 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

■fin - . rß&eKMtt'.i-'K*. The almost accidental cf a feice was the cause of :he long (cud thai (icuveen Tallntiyr and Macphirson. Asaualts and co»s«V|Wiit Court cases were frequent between them, and the local pomd-yard always had some of their suck. the boys were careiully instructed in t|«e hitter quarrel, and the fcAool-ground frequently found the youngsters fiercely flaunting itie' stan.lanl of tj»W le. Two incidents, however, went furthest to cement tie mutual bate. Tallenger's pin i*>hbtd Macpherson's littl# ot mother's life as the eld sow wac leailiiig a tainil! excursion into TaHcngei's barley crop. The sight of the murilcr»il pig, the tfloinl (Tiinoiising rile jrrrtii barley shoots, and the little orphaned ob.s pull in* stL'pidlr at h?r lifeless teats, burnt into soul. Next day. Talker's j.,ize slicep dog fluiiß rLseh into his kjichcn wliile the family were at dinner and dragged out its lift e<,nv>ik<iv,«iv oil th: floor; the dop; I,ad ln.-iismei-iing nrouiwl and had acivpted a nn-at ufiVriiig :

A lii-rfer, to »l;iiph. ixai picking thv as shesl in the >ha How lon.tl h.>i way through iJie i«v «livi,|j ni . siunß across I In- s'ln-.iiM. .11:.I i ii|> <ll the oHi.t «!.• ml.. Tail.' it's luerrm> jimM.ick TalirHan-r n'ntiCtil the lrts/iasx't irn:ii,.,j; ; ,t,.] v ()T j rii.shrd do«H. rait, he drove the lirii.r |,aek i.ito the Th**n he hruially her wiih lh.. jdiprail—lllo fioree oi his hatr.-,l i n . to his t,low>. The h.-Her cr.i>lt> H l>nek tin- wirw an.l rat up u„. iKihk. .She stopp, .| ~(i an i iuoLnl i> Mhit.-i iii,.!, | H , r |M-i'.s<ciit.,r, lur h.-i ftauk.s h-meim; Willi jwrn.

.M,i<-|>Jn,rw,n sqiinansl on th,' Imnk brandishing a storkuhip: !,.- had hlnn.il tlawn in I:in.- t.. fia.p Ui<. tinth o' what Ita.l happen*:! Von iiHVrnalV linmul. I'll t.,:,. j t out. oi >viii- lii'li* ' li.-\i-l)i4 an-, ss Tallviiyi-r. utnl mot.-il I •war.ls til' <TiisSil'£. Tall.'Hirer sprang into , T .--h his white fare si-t -.1 HI, "li—you—lilt lliat whip (ho thrust out

his thi»). I'll brain you !" i Neither dared to strike. I-"*n* a 1110-m-ut ho«!i HI.-U <•. <1 each oth* erwith uoliivh s. The vcat's ol I»iM«in«->s jur.l reprisals iimd their features with sava<:-- haired. I'll.- «-<<» md of near voices eaustd Ix'th it:* nto !11otv uj». Mounted on tli«- hue* <t Marpherson s son was >oun- ral!e„^i-|'. I li-- men their own affair inslantH. all I hi-ir ferocity ua«; im-mediat.-h uii I lh' \ oimgstiTs. "l»rop ih.it Ml.-ldu-d , cripple !" irom \l.icph>rsou. "<'l m.r «h that son of a thief's 'hark ! lalli'uger t iirii**<i i*i* narlngly to I.is son. I,nl ill.; boy seemed not t«i I <• listt uii o'iii;; XUicpherson rrteat«-d a few \atds. still earning his burden. Tlk» liui inol.tii iiejiarkt(\ down on the iUtj men. I.ook here. ' lie said . •' \«.tis old hlokres kin awa\ ati nike foils ot verselws. Inn Jim an' uie 'as made it up. He' dp* ti.e in s.hoo!, and I'm yi\inim a Im "on e 'cos his h^* s r Y«mk. We re pa's u-r go«.d. Jim. ain't we?" (lie hoy a<ld«-d. addressing .the other lad. \ 1 alhnger nodded a tliv tinci approval. Ihe n.en made no answer; thev looki.l at iach 'other stupidly, and something like shame came into their faces.

"Ily crip«*s. Macplwson !" suddenly exclaimed Tallengvr. as he threw down tlh' sliprail. '•Them kids is UMife rlyht. We're a pair of .old foois straight enough. We've been muM»rin' each other for \ears when we could 'ave "elpi*d me another in lots of \v-a\s. Then* there kids 'avo h.-flf-n me. Mnnptorsoii !" Talleugvr h<,»'d oi.t a :'ri. trdl> hand. \lacphersen mwvetl awkwardly away l»ut stoppt.il a iVu' space's olf. His ••aJures plainly stoow>«d the struggle within him. lie stared back hard at lallnurr. and trirtl Jo *cud his ekl t-mmj's i'aco. Something he saw then* decided him, ami he sivuiijj round. ' Ihe kills are'riyht." he fjuielly said, at.d took Iho proffered haiitl. Next nitinir. two wagons were drawing in lucerne hay. U;;c wah .Macpherson'.v