“Yet it seems to me that there are some masters who think themselves highly superior.”
“Only because they are. A man commands respect for what he is out here.”
“Doesn’t he everywhere?”
“I mean he’s not superior just because he’ has had a better education or has money. He’s got to show himself as a man and then he’ll be accepted as such.”
“And if men rely on others to provide them with the means of earning a living they might think it advisable to show them some respect?”
They’d be fools not to. “Your philosophy of life is worked out to give you all the advantages.”
“Now isn’t that the wise way?”
“You bring everything to your personal view.” , “It’s you who do that.
You brought me into this analysis. I shrugged my shoulders.
That’s right,” he went on, ‘a woman should always admit when she’s beaten. “
“Beaten! I!”
“Only in argument, of course. There’s a saying at Home:
I “A woman, a dog and a walnut tree The more you beat them the better they’ll be.”
“Some arrogant man no doubt made that up. I’ve never heard of beating walnut trees and the thought of beating dogs I nauseates me. As for women, men who use physical violence against them usually do so because they know they will be beaten in verbal battles.”
“You do very well. I hope it doesn’t become a test between ” ‘ us. My strength, your brains. Oh dear, what a contrast! “
“We do seem to get involved in the most absurd bickering.”
I “It’s really due to your verbal agility.”
I “Now you’re mocking me.”
“And once again we’re forgetting we’re here to enjoy Saturday night.”
I turned my attention to the scene before us. People were crowding into the tent and some were coming out with slices of roast meat on bread which they were eating with great enjoyment. They sat about and talked together, shouting from group to group and taking little notice of us seated on the hillock.
Children came out with trays on which were slabs of pudding and with which they were drinking what Joss told me was home-brewed ale.
I was given a piece of the pudding which was like hot cake. Both Joss and I took it in our fingers and ate it. It was good, I found.
When the eating was over the revelry began. The two children whom we had seen turning somersaults darted about turning cartwheels. One man did some conjuring tricks. There were two violins and several mouth organs in the camp and they played the songs the people knew and everyone sang them. It was a moving scene there in the light of the campfire which glowed on the faces of men, women and children as they sang the old songs we knew so well. Always they were songs from Home which many of them must have learned before they left and others had picked up from those who had brought them across the sea.
There was one song which they sang with more feeling than any other and that was The Miner’s Dream of Home’. This told the story of how the miner fell asleep and dreamed. Everyone joined in. I remember some of the words and I think I shall never forget them: I saw the old homestead, the faces loved, I saw England’s valleys and hills. I listened with joy As I did when a boy To the sound of the old village bells. The moon was shining brightly It was a night that would banish all sin For the bells were ringing the Old Year out And the New Year in.
As the song finished there was a deep silence in the company. They were in no mood to sing more for a while. They wanted to think of the people they had left at home; perhaps some of them longed to return and knew they never would.
The silence was broken by the sound of horse’s hoofs and a man came riding up. The tension was relaxed. He cried: “Is Mr. Madden here? I must see Mr. Madden. Joss rose and went over to the rider who was surrounded by a group of people.
“Oh, Mr. Madden, sir.” I heard him say, “Mrs. Bannock has sent me to find you. She says to tell you, sir, that Mr. Bannock has not been home all last night and not through the day and now his horse has come back without him. She’s worried and says would you go over to the homestead.”
I heard Joss say: “Go back at once, Tim. Tell her I’m coming over right away. like as not I’ll be there before you.”
He walked off and left me standing there. I felt sick with rage and anger. She only had to send for him and he forgot my existence. Then I thought of Ezra and was ashamed. What could have happened to him? I made my way to the blacksmith where Wattle was patiently waiting for me. Someone was already there. It was Jimson.
“I’m to take you back to Peacocks, Mr. Madden says,” he told me.
"Thank you", Jimson I answered.
“Lets go."
So I rode back to Peacocks with Jimson, all my pleasure in the evening departed and a terrible anxiety about Ezra beginning to disturb me.
I went to my room and took off my riding habit, put on my trousseau dressing-gown and loosened my hair.
I sat up waiting. It was midnight when Joss returned. He came straight to my room as I had hoped he would.
"Jimson brought you home all right? ” he said.
"Yes. What of Ezra? “
Joss looked tired and very anxious.
"I can’t think what’s happened. He’s missing. I don’t like it. There must have been some accident. His horse coming back without him. I’ll send out search parties tomorrow.
Isa will let me know if he turns up. “
“You’ve said so often that people can get lost in the Bush,” I said.
“Not a man like Ezra. He could only have been going between the homestead and the town. He knows his way around blindfolded.”
“You don’t think he’s gone…”
“Gone?”
“He might have been tired of being Isa’s husband.”
Joss looked at me incredulously.
“What about his horse’s coming back like that?”
“He might have wanted to make it look like an accident…”
Joss shook his head and then his eyes dwelt on me almost tenderly.
“It was a bad ending to your first Saturday night.”
“I do hope Ezra’s all right. I like him so much. He was very nice to me.”
He laid his hand on my shoulder lightly and pressed it.
“I didn’t want to disturb you but I thought you might be awake and wanting to know.” Thank you,” I said.
He smiled, hesitated, and I thought he was going to say something, but he seemed to change his mind.
“Good night,” he said and left me.
11.
DISCOVERY AT GROVER’S GULLY
Rumours regarding Ezra’s disappearance grew as the days passed. Some of the stories were quite horrific. He had tempted fate in some way.
He had always been a man who had laughed at legend. He had never minded going past Grover’s Gully after sundown. He had been heard to say that Grover was an old fool and should have taken better care of his money.
The favourite story was that he was the one who had stolen the Green Flash, because in spite of Joss’s desire to keep the theft secret the news of it had spread like news of a lucky strike. It was dear, said rumour, that Ezra had found it and stolen it and the bad luck of the stone was pursuing him.
Anything could, therefore, have happened to him.
Joss did not express his usual anger at the revival of the stories about the ill luck of the opal. He seemed very subdued. I supposed he could only think of what this meant to Isa.
Search parties had gone out in all directions, but there was no sign of Ezra. Some people said he had made off with the Green Flash and left that wife of his who was not all she should be.
Three days passed while there was talk of nothing but Ezra’s disappearance.
I rode out on my own one late afternoon and as usual Wattle turned her face towards the gap in the hills leading to Graver’s Gully and the road to the Bannock homestead.