Pay Night. A Bush Nocturne.

Observer, Volume XXXII, Issue 51, 31 August 1912, Page 18

Pay Night. A Bush Nocturne.

[For the Observer.] TOGETHER the two men passed into the night. The great iron roof of the timber mill gleamed strangely white in the starlight, and from the tiny windows in * the row of men's huts bright patches of light made fantastic squares on the stacks of boards thai lay awaiting the advent of to-morrow's train. The door*of a shanty was open, and a silver bar of light lost itself in the darkness ; gruff laughter floated out; then there was silence for a moment, to be soon broken by a burring sound, which finally resolved itself into a tinny and wobbly invitation to come and drink wine at a hotel called the " Old Bull and Bush -" • , • » w "They've gotter goin' again, whispered one of the shadows, " an' y'can bet a.bit the' Boss' won't be out to-night. Gramaphones and arguments is his tipple, and, if one or other's on the surface he's anchored for keeps." In a clump of manuka, on the hillside, a match flickered; then a pin point of light showed from a daik shadow away to the right; then another flash higher up. Flash ! flash! flash! until the whole desolate hillside seemed to be holding a torch-light revel. "We're late," commented one of the scrambling figures. "The 'boys'are at it already. Better get a move on." They dodged great stumps of trees that rose at them from the darkness; drashed through clumps ot clinging 44 bush-lawyer " vines, and finally pushed into a patch of ti-tree, where half-a-dozen men, sitting in a circle on the ground, swore, and laughed and made bets with one another. In the centre of the group, a tall, thin individual, in singlet and "dungarees," was drawling in a monotonous voice: '"Arfa quid I 'cad 'em ! 'Arfa quid I 'cad em!" The other members of the party considered he could, and he couldn't—from " 'arf a dollar" upwards. The thin person ceased his wailing. "Gotcher money placed?'' he inquired. "No I Well, blime! don't keep 'er cove messin' about all night! Get back outer the ring there! Righto! 'Arfa quid I 'cad em ! Wot 1 A 'ale jim IMy oath ! Stick 'er up ! Itsabet! 'Arfa quid I 'cad —outer th' ring, yer Maori blighter! Cau't yer 'ear a bloke w'en 'c arsks ? In yer mind ! It it wasn't dark I'd dotcher one, in two twos 1 Nar then! 'Arfa quid I 'cad 'em. 'Oo the'll lit that match ? Yer'll 'aye th' boss up 'ere in 'arf a mo ! Rot! See it I Bust it, carn't yer FEEL the dough 1 Some o' yous blokes wanter be in th' King Country to learn this 'ere game. Nar! Are we all ready? Well, letter —Were th' blazes is that ' kip' ? See it, anybody 1 Keep yer matches doused. Feel—struth, y' make me sick. Someone found the piece of wood and handed it up. The two pennies were balanced carefully on its surface; "Sit back, all of yous I" commanded the " header." He gave a twist to his wrist, and the coppers spun away into the air. " Bar'em I" called a burly youth, and he was immediately bombarded with the " Wot fors 1" of his companions. " Didn't see 'em go," he explained. . " Course not! 'ow th' devil couldjer ?" asked the "header," contemptuously. " Nar then, yous with matches come ter light 1 This great big splaw 'ere wants, er clotch. Keep back, can'tcher, an' letter bloke see! Wot are they lyin'? . Two 'cads 1 Blime! there's er bit er stiffness, ain't it now ? Backin' 'cads, too, weren't yer, matey ? Yer th' kinder cove as wants ter play crib for matches. More excitin' 'n this. Well, any'ow, 'ere she goes again." Up spun the coins, turned, and plonked down on the hard ground. Then a match flashed, and eager eyes searched for the pennies. ." Tail here !" came a yell. " Here tool Two tails," answered a voice. " Blime ! wot a bit o' luck." "Luck!" the ".header" spat disgustedly. "Luck be blowed! I'm as stiff as er crutch. Done every bean o' me pay on that throw. Strike me fat 1 I 'ain't even gotter shirt left, or I'd toss yer fer that. 'Ere! Oo'll lend me a thick 'un till next pay day ? It's up ter yer, long bloke wot barr'd 'em first time. , Blime yer a torf! Nar then ! 'Arfa quid I 'cad 'em 1 'Arfa quid I 'cad 'em." * ♦ * * *

Two shadows slipped into the shanty.* One applied a match to the candle. " Owjer come out on th* night, Wowser ?" asked Jimmy. " Let's see! Pretty decent ! Lost three weeks' pay w'ich I 'adn't got! Borrowed er quid — H'm! Owe er months' tucker bill at the store, and —I ear the blokes at Mangatitree are wantin' a pair o' crosscutters —comin' 1" —Te PANA.