UNKNOWN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 223, 9 May 1872, Page 9

UNKNOWN.

" Well, you wouldn't think it, would you 1 but fhis here horse cost me fifty pounds." '\ Must- have been a bad debt you took him for/ . " Well, no t'wasn't a bad debt ; but I'll just" tell you how it was. ,Wer,e you ever on the Biuefly?" " No ; can't say I was," "Don't you ever go there then? I was living down that way and raised a pietty good cheque, and like an — • — , must go and swamp it at Old Stoney's — he keeps a pub. at the crossing. His real name's Sucker, but everybody calls him 'Old Stoney.' Well, I knocked down ever) sixpence, and got a bit in his books too ; so, as he had some colts to break, the old sinner offered me a job there for a bit, just to pay himself; not out of any favour he had for me. He was a bit of a cockatoo squatter was Stoney, had a few head of cattle scattered over the neighboring runs, and used to make, as much fuss sending to musters and looking after them as if they had been newly imported, and well he might, for you never knew such cattle to breed as they were. I stopped with Stoney a matter of three or four months, and if ever one man treated another mean . he did me." . "After you with that match, — Thanks!" "If ever there was a shout on he would try and get me left out, even though he lost a shilling by^ doing so, or served me out a nobbier from a bottle of cold tea he used to keep for bis own drinking whenever he ' was asked. 1 Brandy for you, Jim V he'd say ; and at first, before I dropped to it, I'd have it swallowed, but of course he only played me that trick once or twice. All this made me hate the very sight of him, but I was as deep in his debt as ever. He had a nephow who used to help him about the place, a. downylooking customer. Some people said he was a closer relation, and he was like the Aid chap. No doubt on that poinb. /He and this kiddy used often to go out for two or three days at a sfiretcli. First I did not notice it much, but latterly I used to think there was something up." " One day they came home after being i away three or four days. " * Been into One-horse township, 'bout eighty miles away,' so they said. " Next morning old Sfconey says to me, 'Jim, just you take the Kid and old Stumpy and go over to 00100 for some sugar.' I thought it pretty good that they should have just come from the township and not brought-some with them, but being about half screwed didn't puzzle much over the matter just then. 00100 was a station belonging to some, company or other, 'bout fifteen or twenty miles away. The station on the other side was about the same distance,, or a little bit further £'raps. It belonged to an old fellow called 'Lookee-there-now,' because if anything- went wrong — and he was a scotty old soul — he would let nothing out of him - but that^ "and he could keep on at it* You'd think at? a distance he was swearing at the rate of a hunt. His real name was Swinkle;. he used to Wand -wrfcn an S on tne ramp, and a. half harpenny out of the ear, both on off side. N,ow, the company used to brand, oircle on near rump, swallowtail ear-mark. And old Stoney used to branti S hr circle, to off off ear, a regular crop.'* You'll see by-and-by« what I'm telling you all about the brands for. " I catches- Kid and Stumpy and starts. This.Kid was one of the colts I had , broke in, and as wicked a brute as ever I backed ; he'd go off with you as quiet as a lamb, and all of a sudden, if he thought he had: you, he'd start and buck a town. down. 'T was nearly .all ranges between the Bhtefly and 00100, and I suppose I had gone .'about ten miles or so, not so" much I dare say, when I struck a match for a smoke, und, not thinking what I was doing of, let the reins down on Kid's neck. At it he went directly, and very soon hoisted me as high as a country-cabin. The old pack-horse stood stock 'still like a brick, and when 1 picked myself up I soon caught him, but the Kid was about a hundred yards away, going in a dicker with the saddle; he couldn't sling it though, and after a bit he set off. The saddle was my own, the only init. of property I had leftfin the world^' and I didn't see the fun of losing it, so I clambered on to old Stumpy — luckily I had a riding saddle to .pack the sugar back on — and started sifter my beauty. Stumpy didn't 7 go very* fast ; but by working my passage pretty well, I managed tp; keep sight of the Kid. He was making straight for the range, and after going through some pretty broken country, I got close to him on the bank of a creek, just where a cattle track crossed, and as I went along I noticed fresh tracks on it. In he went into the creek, but instead of crossing he turned and followed the bed up. On we went for a bit, and presently \ saw we were coming jtojt regular, gorge.. Thinks I myself, you're blocked, now, my chicken, but he still kept on, clattering over the stones; and in amongst, the-oak and tea trees,: till I lost sight of him altogether, for the old horse was getting pretty nearly done. were now. right in amongst the hills, and I knew he was bound to follow the bed . of the creek, so I had nothing for it but keep going ahead: All the way, I kept on noticing fresh cattjeltracks, and wondering what could. have~ brought cattle into such •a shop. After oy.£ring some pretty roiigli

boulders, just where the gorge began to get precious narrow, I caught sight of my noble Kid standing still, and a bit of a brush fence across the bed of the creek., Well, this slewed me altogether, and after catching the brute, which I did after a bit of trouble, I looked about and found a slip-panel. In I went, and soon the country opened out, and I got on a good, plain cattle track! Well, there was as pretty a little pocket up among them hills as ever you'd wish to see. There was a yard, with a good crush in it, .too, and a bit of a hut. I shoved the mokes in the yard, and went down to the hut to explore. The door Was locked, but I found a loose sla band got in. A couple of bunks, a table, and some rations in bags ; but that wasn't what 1 wanted. I looked, under one of the bunks, and there were the articles I was looking for, an . S brand and a circle brand. I heard some cattle singing out while I was poking about the hut, and went up the creek to have a look at them. I saw a mob of about thirty of them, all young things between two. and three years old, freshly branded — that is to say, part of the brand was fresh. Some had a fresh S put inside the old circle brand, and others had a circle put over the old S, and all their ears were freshly cropped. I saw by the tracks there were more cattle about, but didn't wait any longer as it was getting late. I got to 00100 that night, but didn't let on a word of what I had seen, for I had not made up my mind exactly how to work it. I went home the next day, and who should I see drinking in, the bar but an old male of mine, and the very man for the game I meant to play. Old Stoney asked me how it was I didn't come borne the night .before, but I spun him a yarn about the horse getting away and knocking "up that satisfied him. Then I got Jack outside, and just told him all about it. Well, be was on the game like a bird at once ; but not in quite the way I would have liked to get even with old Stoney, but I yielded to Jack, and together we soon had it all cut and dried. •

"We strolled into the bar, and Jack asked me to have a drink. Then we commenced. I asked him what he was a doing of, and he said : " Ob. ! he was having a look round. He had a few head of cattle coming up the road behind, and be came to see if there was any sale for them. Old Stoney cocked his" ears at -this, and began asking all manner of questions about the cattle, 'cause he was allerg on for buying travelling cattle, so as to get plenty of brands ; he could claim most anything then that came his way. Well, my mate said he had bought the cattle at a pound sale, but was short of money and would be glad to sell the lot cheap. After a good deal of barneying old Stoney said he had a little money to invest, and offered thirty shillings, but Jack wouldn't bear of it, and at last got him to bid two: pounds. Jack said he had fifty head,'~and stuck out like a man for two ten, but in the end they fixed it at two pounds, a bead. Jack then said he would like me to come back and give him a hand to fetch them on, as the man he had with him wanted to leave. Old Steney agreed, and we started" after dinner, not back to any cattle, but up to the pocket to do a little mustering on our own account.

Now, Thursday was mail day. Old Swinkle and the company's super used often to come in themselves about dinner time to get the mails, with their letters and " Queenslanders." Well, Jack said we would be up with the cattle about the time the mail came up, and on Thursday morning we were there. Just before we got to Stoney's yard, who should come . with the mailman but a couple of traps, going up the country on some lay. One of , them was not used to riding, and they were going to spell that day. Nothing could have happened better ; we had the cattle in the yard before Stoney knew anything about it ; there were the two bobbies lounging on the verandah, and in an hour or two you could bet. on old ' Lookee-there-now ' and the com-" pany'sxjman being up. We had managed to muster up fifty with the brands on them hot and fresh, for Stoney had meant giving it over, so had gone in for a big haul the last time. We had brought the brands, with ■ us too^ so we had him right. Jack rides down to the- house, and 1 stopped at the yard.

" ' Will you come and have a look at the cattle, Mr. Sucker ? ' says Jack. " ' All right,' says Stoney ; ' I'll be there directly." And presently up he comes. When be saw those" cattle I think he was the sickliest-looking live .man I ever saw in my life. He didn't know what to* say or how to say it. He looks at me, and if he had had something handy I believe he would have finished me, but I only laughed, and shook one of the brands at him. After gathering his wits a little he spoke, and asked us what the devil we meant by meddling with his cattle; that he'd call the bobbies and give us in charge. This^was all blow, of course, so we told him to call away, .and when he saw things began to look serious he began ta draw in. his horns, and tried all. manner of dodges to get me away from the slip rails ; but I wouldn't move, and vowed the first man .who tried, to shift* me would feel .the weight of an S brand. •So he saw it was a case, and agreed t<*pay us the two pound a head for the cattle. Had he not done -so we would' have kept him. in the iyardjall one of- the real

owners came, and he knew better than we did that he daren't stand & prosecution. The fact is, I wanted the owners to get their cattle* Jack went down to get the money, and I stopped at the yard till it was right. Presently Jack comes up with my dunnage rolled up, and a cheque for a hundred on the bank at Mudflat township. So off we started at once, but were not well out of sight, so I heard afterwards, I before up came both old Swinkle and the super of 00100. The blessed bobbies had been stuck in the verandah looking at us all the time, but of course didn't know what was up, and had no curiosity to come down and look at a mob of cattle. I was riding an old horse of Jack's — this very identicalanimal I have now ; so after we got past the station, Jack says to me, ' Look here, Jim, I doubt old Stoney will be playing some tricks about this cheque if he can get down before us ; that old horse don't get along very quick, so if you like I'll just push on ahead and get it cashed. You can come down easy.' It was a hundred and seventy miles to the Muddy, and I thought 'twas the best thing to be done for I knew the old sinner to be as full of tricks as a dingo, so said yes. I had known Jack a long time, and had no suspicion of him. He said he'd wait for me at the- Royal, so we parted. "In about five days I got down. I went to the Royal and enquired for Jack. c .Oh! yes,' says the barman, 'he was here right enough. Went away to New Zealand in the steamer that left yesterday morning.' ' Gone ! ' said I. ' Did he leave no message for me. My name's Jim Soft.' ' Ah ! I remember,' says" the fellow^ grinning like a Cheshire cat, ' he told me to tell you to be very careful of the horse for him, and he'd give you the money you know of next time he saw you, or if he didn't see you soon, he might send it.' But he hasn't yet!