The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

236 THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. He led the way into the house, and Wilton followed him inside the door and then stood still, as he caught sight of Mary, who had just entered the room from the other side. ‘You did not expect to see any petticoats in this part of the world, I’ll be bound,’’ Giles said with a laugh, as he saw the surprise depicted on Wilton’s face. ‘‘ This is my daughter Mary,’’ he went on. ‘‘ Mary, this is our new neighbor, Mr. Wilton—the man who shot the bushranger—and he’ll have breakfast.”’ Mary, taken aback at the sudden appearance of a stranger, was even more surprised at the good humor her father was in, as the night before, when he came in after having been over to Meleelee, he was surly and morose. She glanced from him to Wilton, who still stood looking at her as though he had never seen a woman before. But his eyes were kindly, and his face open and manly, and she did not shrink from his look as he did from those of the ma- jority of the men who came to see her father. ‘“ How do you do?”’ she said simply, as she came over to him and held out her hand, an action which surprised her when she thought over it subse- quently. For even such minor courtesies were not current in the bush during the earlier pioneer days, when the rough and tumble of everyday life was far too serious a business to leave either time or energy for useless and artificial forms of salutation. ‘“ Were you ever in Sydney ?’’ Wilton asked. “‘Qh, you are wounded !’’ she exclaimed, as she saw the red stain on his shoulder. ‘‘ You have been hurt !’’ ‘‘ It is nothing,’’ he said, and was about to repeat his previous questions, when Giles interrupted him. ‘‘ Midnight had a shot at him, and spoiled his reputation by a miss,’’ he said, with a loud laugh. ‘‘ You can bet he’ll be nearer the mark next time.”’ ‘‘Oh, father!’’ said Mary, turning towards him. ‘Go and hurry breakfast along,’’ he said. ‘I’m hungry—and so is Wilton after his little entertainment, I’1l be bound.” | Then, when she had left the room, Giles asked a dozen questions about the experience Wilton had undergone. ‘’ How was it you managed to get out?’’ he asked. ‘‘ Did Midnight open the door for you ?”’ ‘‘I wasn’t inside when he came up. I was fearing an attack from the blacks, and foolishly put off doing what I should have done until it was too late. Indeed it did not occur to me until it was too late.”’ ‘“'What ?’’ Giles asked. ‘I ought to have ridden over here,’’ Wilton answered, ‘‘or told you ‘when you were over.’’ " It may be all right, but I’m hanged if I can make out what you are talking about !’’ Giles exclaimed. “The blacks,’’ Wilton said. » Blacks? What blacks?’’ ‘There’s no blacks round this part! We cleared them out long enough ago, except a few who loaf about the stations. - But they would not hurt you.’’ (E(0) an) Eboo ESS (E(0)