第16章 The Mystery of Dave Regan(1)

"And then there was Dave Regan," said the traveller. "Dave used to die oftener than any other bushman I knew. He was always being reported dead and turnin' up again. He seemed to like it -- except once, when his brother drew his money and drank it all to drown his grief at what he called Dave's `untimely end'. Well, Dave went up to Queensland once with cattle, and was away three years and reported dead, as usual.

He was drowned in the Bogan this time while tryin' to swim his horse acrost a flood -- and his sweetheart hurried up and got spliced to a worse man before Dave got back.

"Well, one day I was out in the bush lookin' for timber, when the biggest storm ever knowed in that place come on.

There was hail in it, too, as big as bullets, and if I hadn't got behind a stump and crouched down in time I'd have been riddled like a -- like a bushranger. As it was, I got soakin' wet.

The storm was over in a few minutes, the water run off down the gullies, and the sun come out and the scrub steamed -- and stunk like a new pair of moleskin trousers. I went on along the track, and presently I seen a long, lanky chap get on to a long, lanky horse and ride out of a bush yard at the edge of a clearin'.

I knowed it was Dave d'reckly I set eyes on him.

"Dave used to ride a tall, holler-backed thoroughbred with a body and limbs like a kangaroo dog, and it would circle around you and sidle away as if it was frightened you was goin' to jab a knife into it.

"`'Ello! Dave!' said I, as he came spurrin' up. `How are yer!'

"`'Ello, Jim!' says he. `How are you?'

"`All right!' says I. `How are yer gettin' on?'

"But, before we could say any more, that horse shied away and broke off through the scrub to the right. I waited, because I knowed Dave would come back again if I waited long enough; and in about ten minutes he came sidlin' in from the scrub to the left.

"`Oh, I'm all right,' says he, spurrin' up sideways; `How are you?'

"`Right!' says I. `How's the old people?'

"`Oh, I ain't been home yet,' says he, holdin' out his hand; but, afore I could grip it, the cussed horse sidled off to the south end of the clearin' and broke away again through the scrub.

"I heard Dave swearin' about the country for twenty minutes or so, and then he came spurrin' and cursin' in from the other end of the clearin'.

"`Where have you been all this time?' I said, as the horse came curvin' up like a boomerang.

"`Gulf country,' said Dave.

"`That was a storm, Dave,' said I.

"`My oath!' says Dave.

"`Get caught in it?'

"`Yes.'

"`Got to shelter?'

"`No.'

"`But you're as dry's a bone, Dave!'

"Dave grinned. `------ and ------ and ------ the --------!' he yelled.

"He said that to the horse as it boomeranged off again and broke away through the scrub. I waited; but he didn't come back, and I reckoned he'd got so far away before he could pull up that he didn't think it worth while comin' back; so I went on.