The Cooey in the Bush.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 55, 29 July 1875, Page 7

The Cooey in the Bush.

But "iitfw the out-going October mail reminded Tarn of his home duties, i.c , to write to herjwho, though absent in body /■"'s!? 5 ever-present in spirit. One bleak evening found him at the " delightful tasTf/' with the following result:*-— -Blinkbonnie, October — , 58. My Dear Jean.— 'Tia truly said " that absence makes the heart grown fond." \But, oh, the blessed 1 solaco contained in ac bit letter frae you. If we' except " oor sighs an' vows ainang the knowes," it is the only link that walds me tae m^ "cauf-land an' tae you. Hoo it* is in the BoU€u<leV ane'a sanctum tae read an' re-read the vera words which "yer am gnid sense dictated, an' "yer am fingers wrote. I aften think as I look at it, "Will Providence ever restore us tae ane ..anither?" while a still sraa voice within me exclaims, " Undoubtedly !'* Oh, how I weary for ihat'day when I'll ance mair get a blink o* yer b'onnie blue een, for I ken the i.atxu*' o' oor love. Shakespeare' Say s: " Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds ; Lovealteranotwith hisbrief hours and weeks, But bears it out even, to the edge of doom. If this be error, and upon me proved, I I never writ, nor no man ever loved." i This description answers tae the strength and pooer 6' oor loye. I may tell ye o' a speculation I entered into tho ither day. I booht twa coos an' their caufs for £25, and paid the siller on the apot. Think o' me wi' £25 o' my am. Hoo lang wad I hae had' tae work at hame for that sum ? /yell that's hoo I spent my first earnin's in T ©tago, an' I houp by the time that you're here 'tae hae a quid wheen mair. I'm still likin' my place weel ei_euch ; my maister an' mistress are vera kind sort of bodies. I gie the mistress a bit haun' -Wi' tho cows in the mornin' after I hae sortit my bullocks, and ye ken " giff-gaff makes quid freens." •We are busy just noo in pittin' in the crops; but dinna try to pictur' oor operation, as yon couldna come near it. If ye were, deposited here some fine mornin', an tae tak yer stand on the hill forgainst ua, ye wad probably see twa men clad in blue shirts, cabbagetree hats, an' moleskin leggin's, emerge frae a hamely dwellin', built o' wattle an' daub an' theekit wi' wee-wee. Ye wad see them tread ane o' the numerous cattle tracks that radiate frae that clay-built cot. Yer view o' them wad noo an' then bebroken by the long flax an' fern which skirts the margin o' the tracks. From their bearin's ye wad see that they were makin' for the bush ; there ye wad see them pickin' their way through the net-work o' sledge-tracks that - intersect ilka ither, and mak' avenues an' promenades of the grandest description. On ilka : side an' sometimes ower-head the bor.nie clematis, with its bell-shaped floors an' ither indigenous parasites fo m borders and arches, which art wi' a' its cunnih' couldna imitate. This is indeed a sample o' "natur's wildest grandeur." They led the way into the deep recesses of the lush, where twilight ever reigns, an' where the guttural ' notes ©> the mocking-bird, the half-spoken, halfsung utterance of the tui, the ceaseless chatter o' tho varigated paroquets, an' the modest, yet fearless chirps o' the humble robin grey-brecst, awake the silent echoes an' mak' you feel that you are not alone. At last a clearin' is reached. There indiscriminately tbe totara, the cedar, an' the pines liave been levelled wi' the dust, an' noo a' that remains o' their gigantic forms are their " stately stems cut up into six feet lengths, an^ 'made tae dae dutjras a bush fence. The heaps ' o* ashes that strew the ground plainly tell the "fate o' their members. Here, in the solitude,

"the sturdy sons o' toil, divested o' a' superfluous A clothin', make the woods re-echo the sound o' the axe, or with the primative grub-hose embed the precious seed in the bosom of the loamy virgin soil. It is rather tediou3 work, but ifc is amply

repaid by the magnificent crops which it produces. I need hardly tell ye that yer quondam strangers are Mr M&ckpenny and. yours truly, T. . 'Shanks. Yell be savin' after ye read th.3 * " Tarn's as earnest with the pen as he is wi' the "grub-hoe;" but I'm shure yell pardon my en- ' largin' when I tell ye that kenmn' ye had an cc ever .- '— » tae the beauties o' natnr' in Auld 'Sc*/ J. ye couldna but be gratified wi' a d^fraffl o' her freaks in new' Otago, imper-fect.^-ii6' it be presented. But noo, dear Jean, time wears on apace, an' I— unwillin' tho' 1 be— maun stop ; sac, commendin' ye tao the care o' Him " who slumbers not nor sleeps."— l remain, yours eternally, Tarn Shaxks. P.S.—My respects tae yer neebours, Christy and "Wull ;. yer maister an' mistress, an' yer am f dear sel*. T.S.

The intercourse of Tarn and Jears was still carried on as regular as the rotation of the earth round its axis. Tarn, with an observant eye nnd philosophic mind, was ever picking up something worthy of being recorded to his fair correspondent ; while Jean, with all a woman's gossiping propensities, did not forget to " tell the uncos that she saw or heard." Every birth, death, and marriage was as duly recorded in Tarn's ',- letter as it was book of the Session Clerk, while Tarn was as conversant With the ups and downs of every- day 4m at Cowdenbrae as if he were on inmate of the clachan ..... A few years had elapsed since the « date of ihe last published letter when Tarn, with a pardonable pride, posted a lo tter to Jean containing the welcome Jem-^ s t uat ne was tue va PP7 possessor •" of 100 acres of land within 12 miles of Dunedin. This took all his spare money away ; but what did he care so long as he got a home ? Was it not his* own, bought with his hard earned money ? and, moreover, without the sign of that canker-worn — a mortgage — eating its vitals. Another year of service, and Tarn and Jean had agreed to become united in the holy bonds of wedlock ; but " the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agee," for scarcely had this resolution been formed when a great change came over the face of things in Ctago. Gabriel Reid's advent was the beginning of the greatest revolution which New Zealand ever saw He applied to the Government for a prospector's claim, as well as the bonus which the Government had so liberally offered, on the banks of a small tributary of the Molyneux — the Tuapeka. The news spread like wild-fire through the length and breadth ' of the erewhile settled and peaceable Otago j nor was the excitement confined to this particular province or colony,' hut as the news spread the world round, and vessels arrived day by day from the far-off corners of creation, one could not help but exclaim with I ..-..Me seems the^wbrld is run quite out of square. ' In Otago even those who did not know gold when they saw it, and who sometimes effected to dispise it as the Toot of al^w!. were conspicuous in the van of searchers * but the excitement irss confiy-id to no class or creed j.-ricb> ♦and poor, old and young, Briton and

tor eigflßT,* were alike- ihe -victims mrip.frenzy. _ r .Thj^4f^^t4J^ : bis farm, the miller his .mill, -the mechanic: his bench and tools, and the nierchant his counter to try their fortune /a * the' hew El Dorado. Is.it to Tse wondered at then if Ta;m, jubilant of making this a means of shortening, the time between the parting on the Broomielaw to the meeting at Port Chalmers,, was also seized with the gold Tever ? I think not ; but previous to , his. going, and as a trial trip, he agreed to drive up a load of provisions with his master's oxen. Therefore in the latter end of the xnqnth of June Tarn was en route for. Gabriels Gully with a. general assortment of goods for the storekeepers, the weight of which was nearly a ton, and for which his master was to receive the handsome sum of .£9B, payable on delivery. The first day's journey saw him over Saddle Hill and through the boggy : creeks and quagmires that abound on the southern side of the i Taieri .Plain, past the Maoeri kaik, and over the Taieri River by means of the ricketty punt that did duty at the Ferry. After unyeking, he made f6r the holstery which stands on the southern side of the river — and which now, after an eventful existence, does duty as a school — in order to have the cravings of the inner man satisfied, as he in his hurry did not think oi feeding on the road. "In answer to his query, " Could a chap hae a feed?' a stockrider looking youth in tights and top boots, with a flash crimson shirt, and whose sable hue revealed .his ancestry, lazily beckoned him to a door, which he opened, and after half-thrusting him in left him to his fate. Tarn, whose entrance was unknown to some and unheeded by others, looked in amazement at the spectacle which presented itself. Down the middle of a longroom ran a tew planks of wood to the breadth of 3 feet, which had been improvised as a table, which was again surrounded by a course of deal forms correspondingly primitive. Seated on the forms and busily employed in the work of mastication, i.e., when not engaged in expatiating on the glories of the golden country whether they were bound, were about 30 persons with countenances indicative of an civil inner war. Their matted locks, unwashed faces, emaciated and eager looks, and their excitable gestures were alike significant of the unleaved bread of a hasty departure. Mostly all had come from Dunedin, ami like Tarn had turned a deaf ear to the demands of the stomach while on the road, knowing that every step took them nearer their destination ; and now, when time and opportunity were theirs, they showed a disposition to take their moneys worth. The first roast disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, and while the next — rather underdone in appearance — was being discussed, a third was popped into the still warm camp oven, where by a vigorous application of combustible it frizzed away at a violent rate. When the bread ran short flour was taken from the bag, dashed into the baking trough, mixed with water and a tithe of yeast, torn off into junks of no particular shape or size, and thrown into the oven. Loud cries, mingled with exclamations the reverse of complimentary, for more beef caused the cooks to draw out the half-done joint and place it on the table, where the scene of cutting and carving what was scarcely heated through, while the trickling blood half-filled the ashet, was one of a semi-cannibal caste. Again bread must be had to absord the tacte of the blood, and recourse is had to the half-baked loaves (?), which are perhaps a little hotter, but certainly no bigger, since their incarceration in the oven. Tarn, who was a participator in the nocturnal orgies, partook freely of the duffy dampers and gory beef, and, need I say, enjoyed it.

Tarn returned to the dray,-shonldered his blankets, and determined to enjoy a snooze under a watertight roof while such a delicacy was obtainable. In the rather capacious bedroom, which had answered many other purposes, the spectacle was well worth beholding. By the aid of a few tallow candles two tiers of would-be sleepers could be seen. They were divided into little coteries. Here two or three were discussing as to when they would reach the golden gully, and what would be the result of their labors there. There a few were wondering how their mates fared, and if they were still open to take them as partners ; while here and there were sleepless sleepers gazing into the darkness above them with a vacant and almost idiotic expression. Others again who Tiad managed "to steep their senses in forgetful ness," if indeed such were possible, were tossing restlessly about, which, along with the brevity of their naps and the inconstancy of their respiration, told of a state of delirium tremens occasioned by_the gold fever. Gold! gold 1 gold! was at once their text in discoursing; their watch-word in. marching, and their very highest ambition in life. ; Tarn procured some straw, and" despite his own excit- '-i able emotions, consequent upon his first visit to a place which had hitherto only : existed to him in ; dimly; ! shadowed dreams, soon„ was tossing and tumbling I with tbo , other ' frenzied sleepers. The' dawn of another morning was anxiously looked for ; long ere dawn a striking t of msttches accompanied hy inquiries aato the time of the day, testified to the ' unpleasantness of the cduchep and, the -unconquerable desire to be; up,. .and

way^-^ ing his lair, yet ere he: got his hpvine mates in harness, all had -star ted,. save vonesoliciting drayman, who was glad of Tarn's company,,. Now the troubles of the journey.,, began. -t^The Waihola Lake,.arounp;|whbse|marj^u their road lay, was *st.6m^a^d^itpJ^o.4X}v^red with, bouldersjfhild^, thltViofomotioTri was not 01% a w^ork of Acuity, &t> also one .of djragei\ '-^h^^oiy^i) power — the horses s ari d%u^ck's~^hh-' acustomed/to Isucn turDuleh^fad.w^^, . more than once /evinced a-^bellious' spirit , but a -little" moral, sujasion, „and -perchance a '-foMbl^^u^/^i^^T^iiy: cow-hide whip servea^td-v'j^in^.^e^ of their subordinate . positions in " the scale of life, and so. they struggled on, splash, splashing through the water, ; while the Oscillating drays every moment threatened, according to the laws of gravitation, to occupy an inverted position. From the dangers of tbe lake to those of the v land — or to put it cleri- ' cally, as some of your Balclutha divines have a knack of doing — from tbe "perils by sea" to the," perils by land" — w&s but the work of a moment. They, in Chinaman fashion, . threaded the sinuous and flax- bordered sledge-' tracks which then formed the highway of traffic, now plunging axle' deep into some creek, or exploring the depths of some mossy swamp; now slowly ascending the confronting gazers (pinches), or sometimes too quickly: descending them. They at length found themselves glad to halt for a spell. • The place so chosen was a hostelry kept by a townie -of Tarn's, as he afterwards learned. As Tarn and his companion entered the sitting room after attending to the creature '■ comforts of their respective animals, they were rather surprised to be greeted by the hearty " Gude day, . freens !" of mine host, who, along with two other worthies was the sole occupant of'the room. After a brief salutation, the discussion, which had been* disturbed, was renewed as follows (of course aqua vitceh&d been flowing :•-—

Mr A. (a well to do farmer in the district) : v Davie, Davie ! I avss aye suspicious of ye. "Se've such a hangdog look." Davie : " Ye needna be suspicious o' me, Mr A. I never in a' my life tuke onything that wasna-my am. Oor host' 'ill back me oot in this, I'm sure." Host : " Od, damit ye ken, Mr A., be carefu' ; Davie 'ill bring ye up for slander." Mr A: " I do'nt care. I haven't the least hesitation in stating that he did steal my cattle !" Host : "Od keep me ! Yell be in' fort as shure's guns are iron, if ye dinna look out (addressing Davie). Od Davie, ye maivna pit out yer haun' an' tak' what's no a er am." Davie : " I'm fairly ashamed o 5 Mr A. in makin' sic sinfu' chairges, an' I'm ready to swear on my aith that I never meddl'd wi' either him or his. coos." Mr A.: ''I've not the least doubt o' Davie's guilt, and I beg to state emphatically that he built his house in that position for no other purpose but to steal my cattle." Host : " Hoots, toots, Mr A., ye're gaun yer length noo, Davie ; '11 hae ye up for defamation o' character, as he will, an' then .yell be in a nice fix (turning to Davie). Davie, man, ye inaui.a take the man's coos or yell be hanged ! They'll" hang, ye, Davie ! As fac's death the wuddie '11 be yer end."

Things wei;.e beginning to assume a serious form. Davie's stock of patience was thorougly : exhausted, and he was preparing, as he said, "tae fecht him/ Mr A., on the other hand, instead of being daunted by the warlike preparations of Davie, was.. hurling out fresh accuasations against him, while mine host, with all- the eloquence of which he wae possessed, was pouring oil on the troubled waters.-, Addressing the accuser he would say, "Mr A., recollec' that yer the faither o' a sma' family, an elder o' the kirk, an' a respectable decent kind o' body tae ; boot." Then turning to Davie, who by this time 'had off his coat— no, I. beg .pardon, his blue shirt — was bmsily rolling up his sleeves for the sanguinary conflict, he said, " Man, Davie, I thocht ye had mair sense than tae heed onything he says, Od, damitye ken, the body's drunk— blin' fou ! . Pit on yer coat like a man; dinna disgrace yer countrie by fechtin' wi' a man as foil's the Baltic."

I say things were looking rather seriously when the hostess announced that dinner was ready, and instead of being treated to a drunken tussle, our friends were regaled by a substantial dinner. So much for feminine interference.

(To be continued.}