MONEY-SHOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18827, 30 September 1924, Page 3

MONEY-SHOCK.

- BY CASTLEDEN DOVE. ' ;| (Copyright.) - • CHAPTER XlX.—(Continued). .Gowar nodded agreement.?/ He had re-1 joined his friend and now stood looking I at him keen, vital strength contemplating dreamy sensitiveness. "I'll ;go all ; the | way with you there," he endorsed. "I often do a bit of gloiting myself." "Only you arc more restrained about it. Well, that's all in keeping. I always cry out sooner than you do fur pain or pleasured" " I catch your flattering,idea of lbs— a dolt, a clod! A stick, a stone!" Wish I had the whole lot by me to hurl at your head to pay yoa for that. No, no my fucnd, you are- the ' Still waters run deep ' kind of fellow. Ai.hl if you ask my opinion, which you don't—but I'll give it you all tho same—the waters of your life will run all; the deeper and the more tranquilly for the work you have put in here." . ..'".-/'■ •■'". . Gowar waved this apostrophe aside. "I was about to say that I' perfectly realise the tyranny of an obsessing idea like ours. It grudges you your sleep. It counts no race run that isn't run to a win. It flogs you to the winning post! " ./.-. " For all I could see,- you required about as much flogging to the pursuit of your ideas as a terrier does when he's after a rat.'' '. : > Oh, I don't know. Do you remember the day when I smashed up" He stopped to sniff the air tentatively. " I believe I cau smell smoke. That's the second time to-day." . \ Wilton waved an acknowledging pipe. "You're poking it at,, me, I suppose, ' he laughed. " But after smelling your way out of that last tangle of ours, I'd back •your nose against all-comers." "Would you indeed! Poof It's • hot here." ■' ''/'•)//

Leaning from the open window, he suddenly drew in his head to say, " Here, Beaumont, you dreamer, what's this haze I can see 1 Smoke, I'll bet you something." ,■ /' . :/■,•//.,/, -'.-"./'. ■■.'' Beaumont arose and crossed to, the window. '' Here, give me room. Where By George, -I believe vou are right. That's smoke right enough. ' Where, would you reckon? " - " South. South-west. Ponyara, I should say. I don't like the look of it at all. I'm off home. Blake! I say, Blake!" He ! strode off to the kitchen impatiently. "Blake, I am off down to the house. There is a smoke haze in the south-west. If things are right I'll come back in the morning. If not I must stay down at'the house.'' " ;■';;,■:"-/

"Are you going right off, Mr. Beaumont ? The laig of mutton is just beginning to grizzle in the oven." ' ;-;;': }(. .."There will be lots of legs of mutton grizzling in the fire if we let it get ; away from us," said Beaumont grimly. "Where's that pile of old sacks? Look them up for me, quick." He hurried off to the work room. In that drawer in the laboratory table lay the precious plans and drawings. • The cupboard fastness held the still more precious model. Beaumont glanced at these treasures and then locked them ; away securely. Slipping the bunch of keys into his pocket he called Blake for a last word. "I have left everything safe here," he explained, "but I want you to look to this room. You know what we have here. See that no one enters the room until I get back. What about you, Gowar?" Gowar was hurrying into an old suit. No thought now of trips to Sydney when there was any danger of a bush fire. He waved a gesture towards the work ■ room. ' ' ' - "I suppose that it is all right! I heard what you told Blake. But suppose the fire reached here!" • ; "No fear. It would have to pass right over Goondooloo first, and we will scotch it before it does that. Besides, can you name a safer place. That smoke i may mean nothing but. that Ponyara is burning a fire break, though you would think they would wait till nightfall for that.'' Blake had the horses ready in record time. He handed up a dusty bundle of old sacks to each arid promised that no one should be allowed to enter the house, let alone the 'workroom. Southward they rode in the hot noon over the sun-bleached gold of rustling grasses that broke to' stubble under foot. Miles on miles stretched that pale carpet over the plain to the horizon's rim, broken here and thereby dim, cool looking reaches of blue grass that marked the spread of the bore waters on Immarna. Miles on miles over Goondooloo pastures where one vast, sweep of dried, pale grasses met the eye endlessly. Still further south, above _ that sea of .swaying grass, the air quivered in a 'cloudy haze. Tree trunks showed dimly through the smoke drifts- and waves of hot air, heavy with the pungent smell of burning vegetation/ met and swept over them. And over all hung that pillar of cloud, seeming to gain in threatening density with every yard cf their approach. Yet, with the old homestead' in sight there was still no certainty as to the place or power of the fire. They found Mrs., Wilton on the verandah and Beaumont pressed his horse close to the garden fence and called out, "Hullo, mother! Where's the fire What's the damage?"' h _ '- Surprised from her scanning of the prospect, Mrs. Wilton joined them at the gate. The fire, she told them,' was on Mr. Mann's paddocks. A lightning fire they thought. ' Her husband and the men had been over there since morning. "They think they can hold it," she said, looking up at them from under her, slender, shading hand. "Oh, I do hope they can-!"' . Beaumont leant over and kissed the sun-flushed: face tenderly. • "They'll hold it, all right, mother," he comforted. Don't you worry. We are going over straight away.'! v "Better take some lunch with you None of them can leave, I expect." On rode the two friends south-west tc: wards the smoke. Beaumont led the wav through devious short-cuts, Gowar close, behind. At last, under those rolling billows of "-blackness the fire was visible, an oncoming army of greedy, snatching flames. Bound the edge of that menacing murky glow were the workers all beating with wet sacks, with green boughs: beating, thrashing desperately at that desolating advance, striking with flagging strength, but striking still, backing, giving grudging way to .that crackling, scorching enemy. Tongues of fire, darting forward among the stubble, burnt a blackened swath and pressed on to fresh destruction. And still y- the workers, blistered by heat, blinded smoke, bent to their work ceaselessly. • The two newcomers had tethered their horses at a safe distance back from the fire. They hurried down to. the fighting line, scanning the dark forms for Beaumont's father.'...Then,''' on either side of ; that gallantly.'; fighting figure ; they fell into line.

Soon after sunset, the line of billowing smoke could be made out from Goondooloo house. Mrs.' Wilton saw it, arid Sarah, the cook. Together they returned to the kitchen and devoted their time if not their thoughts to making fresh relays of (scones and cakes arid meat pies, anything' that could be safely carried to, and easily eaten by, exhausted fire .workers. But always a few minutes leisure found them gazing at that threatening line where now in ':. the darkness a thin edge of red could be seen under the smoke. ' ; ;

At ; ten o'clock the ;heat, had driven them to the verandah for a breathing spell from the heated kitchen. Hot air. laden ; with -.cinders, .: met \' and almost blinded them for a moment. Cinders crunched 11 under foot as they walked. No distant thin red line now, but a wall of living fire raced across the home paddock's, for. the beaters had failed to check those insidious encroachments. Mighty trees, landmarks of years, great spreading coolababs and belahs, stood framed in glowing coals.'; As they watched, an awesome uprush of sparks hurled seemingly at the darkened heavens, told;: of the fall of some burnt out giant. , :; ,,r.,

Mrs. .Wilton's pale lips' wots r tightly ... : pressed together in, the stress of her agonised thought. i* Out there in the ' blackness,'fighting that resistless advance ~, : : were >husband and:•■' 550111 and; many */: others. ' ~ •■."..- ' "■" God keep them," she breathed. "God keep them .ill!" <v ■" Mrs. ? Wilton!" '■,;,/"-■ ; ; - ; , ' She ;turned m alarm at the sudden call to find old Tom.on the steps. " The master sent mb to say;" explained * Tom, " that the fire ain't 'near ; so. close as . • it looks, nor half so bad. : ; And /we'reV holding it now. -It got away from ,us a , bit back' and ''come over on to ourfpaddocks. 1 But we've got it beat this time. And, anyway, the ploughed break round, the : house will keep it off. But the mas- -' - ter wants you to be ready. ; Jest in case. I'm to drive' you to Mr. : Beaumont's camp./)) There's no danger at all, there." ■ " I'll not leave : them," : said Mrs. ■ Wil-;)) ■■ ton stiffly. "I could not v hear to leave // them." , , "But they're coming too," said: Tom, blandly. "That is, if so be as it gets past : us. We mightn't have to. But be ready. Sarah too." . "We will be ready." ' -.'■ v - The master would like his desk; took ;y with; you and anything partie'lar you can /:; think of. I'm off to ; get: the trap ready. j? ' j Jest in case. Come daylight, we're out > ' after the rest of the sheep, . Sandy and // roe. We're moving them all," all we' can ;; find, tip;/: to Mr. Beaumont's - camp. If , you've got any fresh tucker?: ready, Mrs. %;; Wilton, I'll take it with me this trip, so's it'll be there if; they get a chance at it.'We've got every man •in the district except Blake. The men working ; )pn/ the5 -;■■ bore drains and all. A pound an hour Mr. Mann offered to: pay the beaters when be saw it rushing aw3y* from them. Not that we want his ; pound an hour," said Tom independently. Mrs. Wilton turned kitchenwards* I'll get the tucker at once, Tom." , ■' With the bundle of 'scones -and pies under his arm Tom slid off into' the dark- : ■ ness, well pleased-with the tact with / which : he; had handled that '')". pesky news." v'-// // ■■■' )//-//•' '//• '//:.''•:■ So Sarah and Mrs. ) Wilton waited :1 through the night hours for the silence ■ they dreaded. No news, they; felt, J was good hews; and at sunrise a message told // of the fire being well in hand, its advance slackened to a standstill. . Adventurous, flames still thrust forward, but these were " quickly beaten out. ■• The wreck and dan- ,/ ger of the burning trees was past. -;s ; « By breakfast time the labourers from the bore drains were at work widening the fire break round the house. - ; Mrs. 'Wilton could see them working against time,) ploughing. From - the; east ■-' came J the . bleating of sheep as Tom and Sandy and the dogs mustered the frightened creatures / and shepherded them to the safety of Im- );.; marna. : ■:/'. . //' : "" :'-/•;. : -/ ' "The wind is dying down." Mrs. Wil- / ton was glad to: catch' : at. straws of com- : fort. "If it j were not, we couldn't hear; the sheep. They passed an ; hour) ago; and -■. last night's wind would have ; carried' the: ,/;"■ sound noth away from us." -v; ; )//////■/.- " Thank the good Lord!" said Sarah, / fervently. With the dying wind the fire was conquered. ;It still crept forward among the ; grass; and anxious eyes still followed it. But without the flurry and carrying power of the wind, it crept only to extinction; s when it met the barren breaks. - ' , At nightfall on Thursday Mr/ Wilton/; and Beaumont came stumbling home with the first relay of relieved men. Baths, . food, sleep awaited them. Thus:: streng-; thened they would take their turn; on ; the • morrow watching; the r edges ' of; the fire, /- making assurance safe.. ; " Gowar wouldn't come in this first batch," complained Beaumont. -,"Hestuck out that it, wasn't fair to you or J lis not to come. "/; I^ think he knew I;/ wanted, to -get dad home/ But he is the// most obstinate, the most pig-headed man // alive." > "He is nothing of the kind," defended ; Mrs. Wilton warmly, v "You ought to; be ashamed of Yourself, Beau." ■,; Sleep! Could they/ever- getVenough ;; sleep to efface that) strain. It was while the second relay was enjoying that blessed , respite that the news of another disaster;) reached/the; house. ' It was Tom, the : : ever active, - who) / brought the , shattering report. : Hardly ; ' ; had the sheep been, with great; difficulty shepherded en to Immarna,- 1 he) told Mr. Wilton, than he had seen a fresh : outbreak) of fire burst through from)P6nyara)miles / north of the first blaze and sweep across in a north-easterly direction. Tom, him- / self, and Sandy and Blake had done all thev could. "".'.'. ; ■:■■". Well, well?" questioned Mr. Wilton, testily, at ) this ) stage. ))" What of) the sheep 'All safe, sir,") answered Tom sturdily. // They are all rounded up north :of the /V; bore. We tried keeping them between ) ; the big drains at! first but when we ; saw /) the fire coming we reckoned -it might jump the drains, so we shifted the sheep round the bore .dam. They're as safe as if they was' in the ) bank. Plenty grass. ) And plenty water. Plenty company, too / snakes, 'roos, emus and ■ foxes —every ; blessed critter that, the fire ferreted out." " And the Jx&f ma.n V t " Dead, sir. Pulled up at the bore lake. It couldn't.jump that!" ) .--, " :: - "Find Mr. Beaumont, Tom, v and/ tell ■ -. him what you have ; told; me. ; He is over, ; with the shift; of workers at the drafting )' yards." .-'. • " : -■■'■■■■■■■' :■; (To be continued; daily.) ; ; , .

"GLORIOUS . XJNIOK JAGK."

FLEET AT DALMATIAN PORTS. ENTHUSIASTICALLY WELCOMEDAn enthusiastic welcome was extended by the Yugoslavs to the British Mediterranean Fleet of 23 vessels, with H.M.S. V Iron Duke as flagship, on the occasion r' of its visit last month to Dalmatian ports in the Adriatic. . ' The newspaper, Novo Doba, : published i at Spalato, a Dort ; in Dahnatia. Yugo- '/ slavia, contained the following words ;of , welcome, in English: . ■ .'; , ~ Welcome in our harbour, ; the glorious Union ■ Jack! -'«>■' * Gallantry and 0 fine seamanship are. for us synonymous with the f British ; ! sailor,:; and proud we are . and happy to receive you, walls of the greatest nation history registers, in our old town. We axe .all aware of whai, the bluejackets, the JSiosfc.: noble representatives of your race, per* formed during the war. We know that your convoys, your gallant mystery ships, your glorious ; unique i deed of , Zeebrugge, and the • energy and traditional endurance ? of your country won the war,- and gave us the liberty we now enjoy. Our young \ country looks at you with admiration - and sees in you the defender of : honesty and justice. With your flag sails civilisa- ! tion and liberty. Welcome! Rule Britannia over the waves for ever.