THE MAN OF A MILLION SHEEP.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12972, 27 November 1907, Page 3

THE MAN OF A MILLION SHEEP.

« Bt F. A. Barrikotos-Woods. High up on the tor she sat, throned on a granite boulder, with the golden gorse flaming all around her and themorning sunshine beating full upon her fair young head. And Basil Morwenst?n." the bold, tall youth, who had (l.ired to risk bis every hope of happiness, in a stumbling declaration of <■!■> votion. stared up at her in joyful anuizemeut. I "You lovo mc!" , he cried. "You j !ovo me—me, a s:rall, struggling Dej vonshire fanner, and you the daughter jof a millionaire and the most beautii fill woman in tk? wcrYi! , ' I ''Yes," she .insr.verctl, in her deep. * svrer-t voice; 'I love you.' . And. smiling a littlo at his lover-like praise of , hor looks she added whimsically: • "'Won't you believe mc, Basil?" 1 i Ho .sprang to his feet and took her j bcldly into iiis arms. ? i "Oh. .Sybil, it seems too good-to bo $ true!" he whispered. "I couldn't help ] speaking; but I never dared, even in i my wildest dreams, to hope for—for 1 this." - t Releasing herself, she glanced at her I i wakh. 3 "Come. It is time for mc to reft turn," she- announced. "Father is nli ways an<3>-y if I keep him waiting for B his' breakfast." 5 "Ah, lam afraid I had forgotten your I father!" he said, blankly. There was very little doubt as to what .Sybil's father—who knew nothing of these early-morning meetings on the moor while, he wa3 still asleep in bed— would say when Basil formally requested permission to marry his only child. It came homo suddenly to the younger man how preposterous such a proposal would seem to the father or hio love. His beautiful Sybil, heiress to thousands of square miles of rich Australian pasturage and over a million sheep, married to an insignificant r>artmoor farmer who had all his work cut out to mako both ends meet. Why, of course, tho Australian would promptly kick him out. "Good-byl" said Basil, disconsolately, as they came near the little moorland inn which had the honour of sheltering his Sybil and her wealthy parent. "I'll come to see your father directly after breakfast." "Good-byl" she answered. "I'll do ali I can to win him over first. And I'll makfe the coffee myself, so that it shall bo just as he likes it, and see that the eggs are not boiled hard, as they were yesterday. When dad's in a good humour there is always hope." A change had come over the smiling landscape when, some hours later, Basil set out to call upon the gentleman he was determined —whether he was willing or not—should become his father-in-law. _ ~«,.. Shortly after this parting with Sybil the sky had grown black, the sun had disappeared, and the rain had come tumbling down in its impulsive Dartmoor way. With equal suddenness it had ceased, and on tho sun's reappearance a faint mist had arisen from the sodden ground, making the loneliness of the moor seem vaster, the tow and ■ eflß(l*rs- grimmer and -more- a-wesc-mej-v----'lt seemed to the hesitating lover, as he stood upon the threshold of the little inn, that there was an omen ot foreboding in the change, and he paused a moment, irresolute. . The scene was certainly not an inspiriting one. The prevailing note was a melancholy gray—gray sky, gray granite—and gray hills tinged with steamy mist; and'the famous "Gray Wethers" ofSiddaford Tor, a group ot boulders which seen from a distance, bear a marvellous resemblance to a flock of grazing sheep, looking more astonishingly like gray wethers than ever. However, he pulled himselr togethor with the admonition that it was | as well to get it over, and boldly asked to be shown into Edward Peterson's presence. . . The squatter wee awaiting him. Mc wee a spare, hard, grey man, with a stern month, but twinkling, humorous ey«s. A decent enough old fellow at heart, but i little puffed up by reason of Ms succtee. ' ~,,,' It had been at his only child's suggestion, some years after the death of his wife, that he had eet out with her on a grnnd tour of Europe end the British Isles in tho American fashion; and it was because they were both so weary of tho perpetual rushing fr.>m i place to place that they had scttlivd down for so long to recuperate in vhi« lonely moorland inn. He looked up from one of the Weet country papers ac Basil entered, end frowned. "Sybil hae told mc why you hive come," he said, brusquely, by way of greeting. Very deliberately Basil scanned his man, and without waiting for an invitation helped himself to a chair. "Look here, Mr Peterson," he said, conciliatingly "I know it must seem rather presumptuous to you; but I can't help it—really I can't. I love Sybil, and slio loves mc. And we can't help that—now, can we?" It was en original way of putting it, md Basil waited breathlessly for the squatter's next remark. Would he fly into c temper, or would he acknowledge the lielpleesness of ell Fate's ciphers in the matter of falling in lovo. He did neither. He smiled; but it w«s the hard smile of an angry man tickled ? gainst his will. '"* "You may be lacking in money, bat ~ you're not lacking in cheek," he eaid, curtly. "The question," Basil continued, ignoring the sneer, "is: What are you going to do? Are you going to forbid tho match, or are you going to aliow love to have its way?" "I'm going to play the Tieivy father.' I'm going to forbid the match," replied Mr Peterson, determinedly. '•But why?" asked in the most innocent, surprised tone in the world. "I love your daughter and ehe loves mc. Why should you refuse us permission to marry?" "Confound you!" cried the Australian angrily. "You cannot possibly keep her in the etylo she has been accustomed t0. ,, •I can make a living. I shan'tetnrve her, you know," said the younger men. Ho was quite calm on he epoke—indeed, he appeared to be deliberitely trying to a,nnov the amazed old millionaire. "Wholesome food—not your rich, indigestible messes—end a little healthy labour won't hurt her," he added, seeing that his future father-in-hw was too angry to" reply. And then the etorm broke. 'Get out!" thundered the millionaire. "Get out before you're hurt!" He rose and began to pace the room. ".Such astounding impudence I never heard before/ ho muttered. I •Why should I get out?' , atked Basil quietly. "I'm your equal. There's nothing so very outrageous in my wanting to marry your daughter."

"My equil, ere vonP" aneered the squatter. "Do you know, young man, j I could bny you up a hundred times I over and not feel itP Why, you conceited young jackaes, I've over a million sheep out there." "I've « few myself 'oat there, , replied the young man, waving hie hand in the direction of the window. The Australian ghnced. ecornfuily out on the moor, end hie eye tell c> tho 'Gray Wothers" apparently feeding on the side of the Tor. "Pooh! You haven t enough to feed mv hands for * doy!" he cried. "Thirty pounds -would buy the lot." "11l take twenty for them, ' 6aid Basil promptly. VSpot cieh." The squatter looked at him keenly. 'Why"do you want to sell them?' ho demanded. ~ "Perhaps I want to go to Australia end make, my fortune, and come lack *nd nsk you once more for your-hiuga-ter'e hand," said Basil lightly. Now, JKdward Peterson was a man who never let an opportunity slip. It flashed across his mind that if the mad young fool really went to Australia to make his fortune- he would be safely out of ihe way; and after a whue Sybil would forget him. and would probably end by making the titled marriage on which'he had set his heart. "That's tho first sensible thing I ye heard you say," he remarked, picking up tho local paper and looking out the market price of sheep. He didn't intend Master Bnsil to get tho better of him nt a bargain: he was quite prepared to buy him out, but if any one was going to s;ore he was determined it : h"n!d bo he. "You said twenty. I'll give you fifteen," he announced, throwing the p.'jirr back on the tablo. '•Done!" cried Basil. "Conic on; let's go and have a look at them," said the squatter. But Basil laughed. "Afraid of your bargain?" he enquired. ''Think they've got footrot?" Tho Australian fluslud angrily, and glanced out of the window again. The Gray Wethers looked healthy enough, feeding there patiently in the mist, and he fancied himself both as a bargainer and as a man with an instinctive eye for sheep. Without a word he sat down, wrote out a cheque and handed it to Basil, with the remark: "If you have anything clso you want to soil before you go let mc know and I'll make you an offer. Basil folded up the cheque and put it in hie pocket. "I knew somehow this interview would end in c deal," he observed nonchalantly. "What do you mean?" enquired the squatter sharply. "Como and see." "Have you done mc?" "Como and seo." Together they climbed the Tor, the elder man puzzled and suspicioue, the younger man frankly triumphant; and at last they came to the famous Gray Wethers, which Mr Peterson had purchased for fifteen pounds. Hβ looked at the stones, and first he swore and then he laughed. "It's your trick, young man," he said go:il-humouredly. "You've taken the biggest rise out of mc that any one ever took in all my life! To think of me—he —a man with a million sheep of my own—not knowing the difference between a flock of sheep and a group of stones 1 "You're pretty smart, my lad," he added thoughtfully, after a while. "I reckon you'd be a good man to have about my ranges." "I'm euro I should," replied the incorrigible Basil. "It isn't many men who nave done you so thoroughly, is it?" "You't© the first, air," *eaid the squatter proudly. "Heavens, how they'll laugh at mc when the etory gete about." "It's sure to be cabled across, isn't it? Can't you see the headlines, Mr Peterson?" Basil laughed. The millionaire laughed too, and what is more, he patted Basil on the shoulder. ~ -._<.- -^s , . ;.. . " "Eook here'/ young man,""'' be aai4 "do you,really end .trely lore my daughter?" "I do, sir; on my soul and honour I do." "Then you had better go back and toll her that! her hard-hearted father has relented. You can have her, you rogue; and you can bring her up here to 6ee her poor, swindled father wu> ing ruefully at hie latest purchase." He held out his hand, and Basil shook it heartily. "We'll make ite bargain, air," he said playfully; "in consideration .of your giving mc your daughter. I'll keep my mouth shut - about this little''deal', of ours, and give you back your cheque." He handed it over as he spoke, and the millionaire gazed at" it long and earnestly. "I eh all keep this in my desk," he said, "and whenever I'm feeling rather too pleased with myself, I shall juet take it out and look at it."