He worked his hand free and bracedhimself against
the wall.
Theremust be a coupla hundred traps, Goggs said
anxiously, lookinground at the men. CHAPTER THREE: UTOPISTS AND OTHERSMurders
murder, Berry said, breaking the tranced silence.
Budges voice, protesting the invincibility of a
just cause, wasdrowned in their gabble.
Wait and see, Coyle said, enjoying with his bitter
smile Budgeshelpless misery.
The mob closedblindly over him and drew nearer to
Coyle. Lifessomething you dont get two bites at. With a stampede of hoofs the
coaches emerged from the dust fourhundred yards away.
Coyle caught his arm and beckonedhim
away.
The dust was scarcely half a mile beyondthe bend of
the road now.
Even before the duel I was often disgusted with
myself.
He awoke trembling, andthought at once of his
mother with a choking sense of wretchednessand guilt. He grabbed hold of the hand in
whichCabell gripped his revolver. Cabell was saving the horsesfor a last dash past
the shearers camp. We aint cowards to give up our swagto Cabell on the off-chance of
smoodging charity from strangers.
The Garden of Eden and the reignof love on earth
would grow here again if we wished it. No, I workedfrom sunrise to dark and half the
night as well.
Now will youbelieve me a bullets the only thing he
understands?
They mightnt call it murder either on my slab,
Wagner said. I drove my woolto Brisbane on my lonesome when there wasnt any road to
follow. Here there isnone of mans filth in the soil.
Volleys of sticks and stones poured on the
trooper.
The coaches swung crazily from side to side in the
ruts.
Larry felt in his hand thelong butchers knife he
had brought to cut the cabbages.
Then he tried to tell himself that maybe it wasnt
true about thescabs. If you had the guts you could be as well off as me. Were done
for anyway, if we let the scabs past, Coyle said.
Wagner drawled down from six inches above
thetallest head. Thats not right,Larry, pinching sheep in daylight. We only want to
live and let live, he said.
You ought to get a putty medal, loving Australia
like youdo. He grinned into the fire, shuddered, then wiped his hand roughlyacross
his face. Larry and Coyle saddled up to go out and relieve the picket.
Sure, boss, you filled my tucker-bag more than
once.
He was just aboutto kill James when his father came
in with policemen. Whenthey were away from the camp Coyle took a letter from his
pocketand handed it to Larry. Dont waste time listening to them, Coyle said.