登陆注册
5398800000018

第18章

Dave's Snakebite.

One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door. Norah saw him first. She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea. Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually. This was Thursday; and Norah was starting early, because it was "a good step of a way".

She reported the visitor. Dad left the table, munching some bread, and went out to him. Mother looked out of the door; Sal went to the window;Little Bill and Tom peeped through a crack; Dave remained at his dinner;and Joe knavishly seized the opportunity of exploring the table for leavings, finally seating himself in Dad's place, and commencing where Dad had left off.

"Jury summons," said the meek bailiff, extracting a paper from his breast-pocket, and reading, "Murtagh Joseph Rudd, selector, Shingle Hut...Correct?"Dad nodded assent.

"Got any water?"

There was n't a drop in the cask, so Dad came in and asked Mother if there was any tea left. She pulled a long, solemn, Sunday-school face, and looked at Joe, who was holding the teapot upside-down, shaking the tea-leaves into his cup.

"Tea, Dad?" he chuckled--"by golly!"

Dad did n't think it worth while going out to the bailiff again.

He sent Joe.

"Not any at all?"

"Nothink," said Joe.

"H'm! Nulla bona, eh?" And the Law smiled at its own joke and went off thirsty.

Thus it was that Dad came to be away one day when his great presence of mind and ability as a bush doctor was most required at Shingle Hut.

Dave took Dad's place at the plough. One of the horses--a colt that Dad bought with the money he got for helping with Anderson's crop--had only just been broken. He was bad at starting. When touched with the rein he would stand and wait until the old furrow-horse put in a few steps; then plunge to get ahead of him, and if a chain or a swingle-tree or something else did n't break, and Dave kept the plough in, he ripped and tore along in style, bearing in and bearing out, and knocking the old horse about till that much-enduring animal became as cranky as himself, and the pace terrible. Down would go the plough-handles, and, with one tremendous pull on the reins, Dave would haul them back on to their rumps. Then he would rush up and kick the colt on the root of the tail, and if that did n't make him put his leg over the chains and kick till he ran a hook into his heel and lamed himself, or broke something, it caused him to rear up and fall back on the plough and snort and strain and struggle till there was not a stitch left on him but the winkers.

Now, if Dave was noted for one thing more than another it was for his silence. He scarcely ever took the trouble to speak. He hated to be asked a question, and mostly answered by nodding his head. Yet, though he never seemed to practise, he could, when his blood was fairly up, swear with distinction and effect. On this occasion he swore through the whole afternoon without repeating himself.

Towards evening Joe took the reins and began to drive. He had n't gone once around when, just as the horses approached a big dead tree that had been left standing in the cultivation, he planted his left foot heavily upon a Bathurst-burr that had been cut and left lying. It clung to him.

He hopped along on one leg, trying to kick it off; still it clung to him.

He fell down. The horses and the tree got mixed up, and everything was confusion.

Dave abused Joe remorselessly. "Go on!" he howled, waving in the air a fistful of grass and weeds which he had pulled from the nose of the plough; "clear out of this altogether!--you're only a damn nuisance."Joe's eyes rested on the fistful of grass. They lit up suddenly.

"L-l-look out, Dave," he stuttered; "y'-y' got a s-s-snake."Dave dropped the grass promptly. A deaf-adder crawled out of it. Joe killed it. Dave looked closely at his hand, which was all scratches and scars. He looked at it again; then he sat on the beam of the plough, pale and miserable-looking.

"D-d-did it bite y', Dave?" No answer.

同类推荐
  • 道德真经集解

    道德真经集解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 高斋诗话

    高斋诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大乘观想曼拏罗净诸恶趣经

    佛说大乘观想曼拏罗净诸恶趣经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘四法经

    大乘四法经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 燕对录

    燕对录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 异世界全职农场主

    异世界全职农场主

    穿越最弱,一点点变强不就好了,既然重新来过,就要变成最强,在这奇幻的大陆里我要全职通用。
  • 当代美国军事(修订版)

    当代美国军事(修订版)

    本书作者主要关注了进入21世纪来,美国军事在各层次、各方面的发生的变化,特别强调了“9·11”事件发生后美国军事的显著变化,以及目前美国在战略和军事部署等方面的“东移”态势。本书作者的分析将有助于读者更好地理解中美关系。
  • 都市之口水大帝

    都市之口水大帝

    李天星喝了一口废水,身体发生了变异,从此开启高能人生。
  • 佩玉斋类稿

    佩玉斋类稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 我给你写了个故事

    我给你写了个故事

    曾经以为老去是很遥远的事,突然发现年轻是很久的事了。时光,好不经用,抬头,已然半生
  • 全民魔女1994

    全民魔女1994

    一觉醒来,世界大变样。从正常人类世界线的2013年,回到了全民魔女世界线的1994年。“也许世界上根本没有魔女,又或是人人都是魔女。”
  • 天坑

    天坑

    这个世界上每天都会有很多不同的想法从一些人的脑子里进进出出,这个世界上每天都会发生一些让人无法想到的事,比如,一个名叫苏阳的男人决定从一个城市“出走”。这个叫苏阳的男人,是这个世界上众多名字叫做苏阳的其中一个。他有一个十八年的城市户口,有一份稳稳当当而又清闲的工作,有一套房子,有一个妻子和一个读初中的女儿。这个叫苏阳的中年男人,在某一天的清晨,背了一个大大的旅行包,爬上一辆农村客运车,就走了。他背一个大大的旅行包,不是去某个地方旅行。他要去一个边远之地,他想把一座城市和这里的一切都甩在身后。他要去的地方,从方位上说,是在地底下。
  • 成熟力

    成熟力

    一个人走向成熟是困难的,年龄的增长、阅历的增加,甚至历尽沧桑却并不能确保一个人的心理成熟。本书告诉你成熟的意义,怎样让自我变得成熟等内容,具体包括:认识自我就是一种成熟、成熟的人能主宰自己的心灵、成熟的人懂得放下等。
  • 魔后霸道,邪帝快滚开

    魔后霸道,邪帝快滚开

    一朝下旨,她成了他的妃子,本以为不得宠,入宫近半个月,从未被皇帝宠幸,她成了宫中嫔妃的笑料……笑话!她可是江湖上第一杀手阁的阁主,砍人什么的都不在话下,区区宫斗,哪能难倒她?却不料,有一妖孽天天跟她作对,她气得咬牙切齿,终有一天他会后悔的!!!一年多久,她假死跑出宫,老娘不干了!!她还是跑回去继续当她的阁主吧。可这个成天跟在她身后的尾巴是怎么回事!
  • 妙手撩君心

    妙手撩君心

    她姿色中等,身世平凡,学历普通,却凭一双巧手俘获人心。名门向家二公子对她失去抵抗力,频送秋波:“林医生,男人如何健壮?”她瞄了他一眼:“多吃韭菜、黑豆,核桃、枸杞、山药、黑芝麻就行。”“可我更欣赏你的物理治疗。”“你是说按摩?”“呵呵,没错……。”--情节虚构,请勿模仿