第33章

`Miss Falkland didn't faint, though she turned white and then red, and trembled like a leaf when I lifted her down, and looked up at me with a sweet smile, and said --`"Jim, you have paid me for binding up your wrist, haven't you?

You have saved me from a horrible death, and I shall think of you as a brave and noble fellow all the days of my life."`What could I say?' said Jim.`I stared at her like a fool.

"I'd have gone over the bank with you, Miss Falkland," I said, "if I could not have saved you."`"Well, I'm afraid some of my admirers would have stopped short of that, James," she said.She did indeed.And then Mr.Falkland and all of you came up.'

`I say, Jim,' said one of the young fellows, `your fortune's made.

Mr.Falkland 'll stand a farm, you may be sure, for this little fakement.'

`And I say, Jack,' says old Jim, very quiet like, `I've told you all the yarn, and if there's any chaff about it after this the cove will have to see whether he's best man or me; so don't make any mistake now.'

There was no more chaff.They weren't afraid.There were two or three of them pretty smart with their hands, and not likely to take much from anybody.But Jim was a heavy weight and could hit like a horse kicking; so they thought it wasn't good enough, and left him alone.

Next day Mr.Falkland came down and wanted to give Jim a cheque for a hundred;but he wouldn't hear of so much as a note.Then he said he'd give him a billet on the run -- make him under overseer; after a bit buy a farm for him and stock it.No! Jim wouldn't touch nothing or take a billet on the place.He wouldn't leave his family, he said.

And as for taking money or anything else for saving Miss Falkland's life, it was ridiculous to think of it.There wasn't a man of the lot in the shed, down to the tarboy, that wouldn't have done the same, or tried to.

All that was in it was that his horse was the fastest.

`It's not a bad thing for a poor man to have a fast horse now and then, is it, Mr.Falkland?' he said, looking up and smiling, just like a boy.

He was very shy, was poor Jim.

`I don't grudge a poor man a good horse or anything else he likes to have or enjoy.You know that, all of you.It's the fear I have of the effect of the dishonest way that horses of value are come by, and the net of roguery that often entangles fine young fellows like you and your brother; that's what I fear,' said Mr.Falkland, looking at the pair of us so kind and pitiful like.

I looked him in the face, though I felt I could not say he was wrong.

I felt, too, just then, as if I could have given all the world to be afraid of no man's opinion.

What a thing it is to be perfectly honest and straight --to be able to look the whole world in the face!

But if more gentlemen were like Mr.Falkland I do really believe no one would rob them for very shame's sake.When shearing was over we were all paid up -- shearers, washers, knock-about men, cooks, and extra shepherds.

Every soul about the place except Mr.M`Intyre and Mr.Falkland seemed to have got a cheque and a walking-ticket at the same time.

Away they went, like a lot of boys out of school; and half of 'em didn't show as much sense either.As for me and Jim we had no particular wish to go home before Christmas.So as there's always contracts to be let about a big run like Banda we took a contract for some bush work, and went at it.Mr.M`Intyre looked quite surprised.But Mr.Falkland praised us up, and was proud we were going to turn over a new leaf.