THE BOUNDARY-RIDES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4855, 21 November 1883, Page 4

THE BOUND ARY- RIDES.

(idttaicU Observer.) Ghapxbb I. 3& was sitting under the shadow of a light wood, lost is meditation. Xhe bright spring sun was oasting its radianoe on the varied forms of vegetation around him with picturesque effeots of light and shade and colouring, the blue iky shone down on him with a benignant smile, and the soft south wind fanned his cheek, but he heeded them not. The faint smoke of a dying fire ourled upwards in dim wreaths at a little distance, and the homely bosh utensils beside it showed that a hasty meal had been prepared. A fine collie stood watching the semi-reoum-bent figure with an air of puzzled sagacity. A few paces off a aidctied but unbndled hone grazed intermit '<■■ won the groan herbage which grew iv . turiant but scattered patohes on the v<vv of the heath, whioh was enoiroled by » dark fringe of forest. The eyes of the bouadary-rider retted on the piotureiqne soene before him, but his thoughts were travelling baok over the days of his youth and early manhood. Be thought with a bitter smile of the bright hopes and ■anguine anticipations with whioh he had entered life, and his face grew dark and mournful aa he recalled the Joat opportunities and wasted time of the past. Frank M?rvyn was one of a class whioh is not uncommon in the Colonies. He had been brought up with the tastes and eduoation of a gentleman, and had found himself on the death of an indulgent but reckless father reduced to depand upon hia own exertions for a livelihood. As a subaltern in a rather fast regiment of tho line, his pay hod never been regarded by him as more than mere pooket-money. Living with wealthy men, and believing himself the heir of wealth, he had never learned the value of money or the necessity of economy. Though cot extravagant or a gambler, he was in debt when the crash camo ; and the only honourable way out of hi* difficulties was to sell bis commission. With tho few hundred pouncta which remained to him when every thing was *■• • !ud he dooided to emigrate. England «•<<- oo full of young men of his position and auuinments to offer any char.cc of aohioving independence, and he came— as many more have done, and are 4oing still— to Australia. The first letter of introduo ;.••' which he delivered in Sydney was ack)>i^-li-dgQd with a cold politeness whioh tia .deaa ut Australian hospitality and heartiness had not prepared him for. In his independent spirit he resolved to trust no more in suoh epistolary communications, but to aot on Ir.a own judgment. Destitute aa he was of a>l colonial experience, and frank and open-hearted in the extreme, there was but little grcund for wonder that he fell an easy prey to a reeaiberof the land shark fraternity. His little capital was swallowed up instantly in b " b.-.gus " land speculation, and in six months )w was penniless. Frank did cot — like too jn.nj ia hh position — degonerate into a 1-Ji'f-r about torn, living on hia whiat and hdUiiL-d?, or on the profits of a bettingbook. ThiTß was genuine* :>laok and determination in him, and when ho came to grief he plunged into the bush -ad began to get his "colonial experience as an ordinary station hand. He knew i>ithiog of either sheep ox- cattle, but ho could ride, and ride anything. This was a sufficient recommendation to tho manager of a cattle station, and he eauly found work. Three years had pas?e j, and he was now in Victoria, a boun-dary-rider on one of the wild heathy sheep stations of tho Western Distriot. The life was not unpleasant, and it had its little eroitements and pleasures. The wild breathless bursts over swampy heath and tangled forest after wild-dog or emu, whioh varied the monotony of his long days in the saddle, were draughts of deep delight. The wide swamps and lagoons abounded with all sorts of wild fowl, and many a keen sportsman would have envied him his opportunities. It was only when he returned at night to his lonely hut that the dreariness and sadness of solitude oast a temporary.shadow over his buoyant spirit. He could, it is true, have had plenty of company had he phosen to live at the Btation and mix is the society of the "men's hut ; " but the station hands, uncouth bub generally genial young Colonials, were not the sooiety that pleased him. Their uncsisiug but meaningless profanity, their rude, broad jocularity and ear-grating concertina-playing jarred upon him. He preferred solitude to euoh companionship, and though generally respacted and liked, he was left to his own devices. A few well- worn volumes of standard literature constituted his library, and the manager, a shrewd, weatherbeaten old Sootohman, with whom ho was a great favourite, supplied him with newspapers. Hia life was not an arduous or hard* one, but when he compared, as he sometimes did, the present with the pnst, he was apt to feel sad. " Yes," he soliloquised, " I might have been worse off and had harder times in the Cololies. I might have taken to liquor or turned into a black-leg. Others who started better than I did have done so. If I have luok I may xise in course of years to be a manager— proud position— and even become in my old age a squatter. In the meantime the spring time •f life is passing by, and my chances of enjoying oiviiised sooiety are remote enough, God Icows. It isn't the men 1 care for, but I ihould like t» Bpeak to a lad r as an equal and • gentleman onoe more. I üßod to be rather a favourite with the fair sex in the old times. Ah ! the pleasant smile?, tha dainty rosebuds, the soft hand clasps that I used to get in those days ! Shall I evsr meet with suoh welcomes again. Pshaw ! I'm getting senti. mental and wasting time besides. He rose " with a half sigh, pioked up the straw hat whioh lay beside the half-smoked meerschaum at his feet, and as he would have styled it, " palled himself together." He was sot a handsome man, but he was oertainly good-looking. Of average height, well proportioned yet musoular limbs, he moved with easy grace and freedom. A broad fair brow, keaeath which shone a pair of brilliant brown . -«yes whioh could flash angry lightning or melt with sympathy and tenderness, was •■mounted by thick clustering look? of silky brown hair.. Hia features, so far as they could ie^seen through the long sweeping aonstaehe and rippling beard, were irregular aad deeply bronzed by sun and weather ; bnt there was, an air of frankness and qandour ia their expression that was very attractive. Jle whistled softly to hi? V-rse, who priokad m its ears at the sopnd a:-. \ cantered up to * him with a joyful neigh » »ng to b« bridled. .Mervyn .carefully extin n^hed the fire, strapped his quart-pot »" t.he saddle, and with the never absent whip m hand prepared to mount. 1 A sharp, quick bark from the dog drew his, attention, and turning halfsound he ejaculated in wonder — " A lady — alone — and ne'e 1" There was no mistake abont it, for over the heath at a rapid rate came a bright bay 'thoroughbred oarrying a slight female figure in a dark-blue habit and a graceful little riding hat. The lady wu evidently making fer the camp fire, bnt on coming into full view of the solitary figure standing beside his horse, she hesitated, and, moderating the jpace of her steed, seemed half inolined to ■top or turn baok. Mervjn took in the situation at one glance, and, »>ying to himself "Lost!" stepped forward to meet her. As ke approached he oould not help notioing that the style of the lady's dress and equipment was deoidedly not local. " Bhe must be a visitor from Melbourne," he thought. "But when — and how oould she get here -alone ?" There were token* of troubles and anxiety on the fair pale face ; the delioate sensitive lips quivered slightly, and the splendour of the glorious violet eyes was slightly dimmed as they were turned half «ppealingly half timorously on him. He raited his hat, and, anticipating the request, asked in formally respeotful tones, "Can I be of anyaervioe to you, Madam P" Her faoe brightened up at onoe, and it was with .an air of relief that she replied, " Ob, yea ! Can you dirVot me to the Warregal Station ? 1 have lostt tayself ." "So I imagined," he said. "Tofltreot you would be difficult, but 2 shall be fcost happy to be your guide." « Ton are vety kind, sir ; but " " You need not beHfraid of troubling me," he interrupted. «tPam myself hound for Wurrajpl—in faclVfll'am boundu.y-rider on the Station ; aß#°ff, as I understand, you are staying thersTlfl'is a duty as well as a pleasure to guide yoif fhere." The young lady looked at him withtofeir of surprise. His manner and style oVspftoh, and even the neatness and taste wftfa&whiob his bush attire was ■worn, had Mt led her to take him for a itation-hand&OP'MOh, thank you ! but I thought Old nfekson was our boundary-rider." ''Jackson hU "been- dead >: o than a year, and I have fjfcif iis place. I suppose, then, that I am adlWSsiflg'Misa Si^nlay ?" Thelady bowed in ail*»j < aW Mervyn continued, " I

had heard that Mr Harry Stanley was coming up to take charge of the shed during the shearing." "We arrived yesterday, replied Miss Stanley, who was divided in her mind as to whether she ought to explain to this interesting and gentlemanly station hand how she came to be in hor present position, or to freeze him into silence. Mervyn quiokly mtunted »nd said, " If jou are ready, Mis* Stanley," and they rode off briikly together. For a mile or two nothing was said. Mervyn rode slightly in advance, choosing hia line carefully bo as to leave the sounder and less encumbered ground to his oompanion. When the horßea were pulled up into a walk at the foot of a somewhat steep hill, and Mies Stanley found herself olose beside the silent boundary -rider, she had made up her mind to talk to him. Oatohing his eye for a moment she said, " Yon must have thought it strange to find m c alone on the heath." " I was rather surprised, oertainly, but have no doubt that you had some sufficient reason for riding out alone." " But I didn't go out alone. Harry, my brother, came out with me this morning, and as we were going home, the dogs started a dingo, and Harry went after it. I told him I oould find ray way quite well, but it is so many yoars since I was at Warregal that I mistook the traoks, and went wandering abont for more than an hoar before I saw the smoke of your fire, and then all my troubles were ovor." " Thanks for the compliment, Miss Stanloy, but if you had given your horse his head ho would have carried you aofe home." "Oh, no," she replied, laughingly, " Sultan came up from town, with iin, and he was lost quite as much as I was. He would not move when I slackened tho reins." "Ah, well, as he is nob a bush horse, he will perhaps refuse to negotiate a bush fence. There is one at the top of the rise. Shall I break it down for you ? " " Oh, no j I am Amazon enough to got over suoh an obstaolo without assistance," she said, with a umile. " Let me be your pilot, than," was Mervyn's answer, as he stcrfcod his horse off at a oanter to the leap. In a neoond Sultan and his fair mistress were beaide him, and together they raoed up to and over the fenoe. The ice was now fairlj broken, and the reserve with which the conversation had been carried on melted away under the influence of oongonial companionship. Wervj n came out of hia shell, and talked as he had not done for years. Art, poetry, and literature, all that was likely to interest or amuse a thoughtful and well read girl, he spoke of with fueling and discrimination. They soon dißCOrered that tbeir favourite poeta and authors were identioal, and the miles slipped past unnoticed. When at last the black gate that opened into the home paddock was roaohed, Mervyn awoke with a sigh to ebe realities of the position. " You are et homo, Miss Stanley. _ I will leave you r.o *, and go back to see if your brother has raiaeod you." " But you said you were coming to the Btation." " I can come back again on my own business afterwards." "But," she urged, "my brother may have come back already, and if so you would -waaio your time in looking for him." Marryn acquiotcad at once ; he had thought that the young lady might not oare to ride into tho station in company with one of her father's employe*!, and had therefore proposed to J-wo her at the gate. The station yard was . uip y, and ho felt a strange thrill run lhr;>..j;h >i m as he lifted the beautiful girl from her horae and felt the light touoh of her hind on his shoulder. " How nicely you take mo down. You must have had a great deal of praotioe. Now will you wait a moment till I see if Harry has come baok ?" Mervyn followed the light graceful form with hia eyes, and as she tripped up the verandah and passed from his Bight, the spell whioh had bound him was broken. He put Sultan in the ofable quickly, and oamo back to his own horse with impatient steps, but though he longed to see hor again, he was beginning to regret that he had ever seen her. What was the use of beginning a friendship whioh oould not be carried on ? Better to have no society than to foster a craving for that whioh could not be enjoyed. In spito of his gloomy philo • sophizing, however, his face brightened as Misb Stanley came back to him. "My brother has not returned," she said, " thank you very much for taking oare of me. I don't know what would have become of me but for you." "My small eervioes demand no thanks, Miss Stanley," replied Mervyn, who would willingly hare stayed, bat yet was resolute to get away. He raised his hat onoe more. " Good-bye, Miss Stanley." She held out her hand with a frank impulse of friendliness, and he took it reverently, " Good-bye Mr " "My name is Mervyn,' he said hastily. "Good-bye Mr Mervyn. Be sure to find my brother and toll him I have got home." " Trust me to do your bidding, Miss Stanley," he replied, bowed, once more, and ia another seoond was gone. She watohed him flying with furious speed ovor the green home paddock, and turned away with an air of relief as he cleared the poafc and rail and shot out of sight among the clustering wattles. " How came ho to be a boundary rider, I wonder," she thought, " He has suoh gentlemanly manners, and he seems to know everything. I must ask Harry about him." (To be continued.)