第9章 Part I.(8)

When two men fight who don't know how to use their hands,they stand a show of knocking each other about a lot.

I got some awful thumps,but mostly on the body.Jimmy Nowlett began to get excited and jump round --he was an excitable little fellow.

`Fight!you --!'he yelled.`Why don't you fight?That ain't fightin'.

Fight,and don't try to murder each other.Use your crimson hands or,by God,I'll chip you!Fight,or I'll blanky well bullock-whip the pair of you;'then his language got awful.They said we went like windmills,and that nearly every one of the blows we made was enough to kill a bullock if it had got home.Jimmy stopped us once,but they held him back.

Presently I went down pretty flat,but the blow was well up on the head and didn't matter much --I had a good thick skull.And I had one good eye yet.

`For God's sake,hit him!'whispered Jack --he was trembling like a leaf.

`Don't mind what I told you.I wish I was fighting him myself!

Get a blow home,for God's sake!Make a good show this round and I'll stop the fight.'

That showed how little even Jack,my old mate,understood me.

I had the Bushman up in me now,and wasn't going to be beaten while I could think.I was wonderfully cool,and learning to fight.

There's nothing like a fight to teach a man.I was thinking fast,and learning more in three seconds than Jack's sparring could have taught me in three weeks.People think that blows hurt in a fight,but they don't --not till afterwards.I fancy that a fighting man,if he isn't altogether an animal,suffers more mentally than he does physically.

While I was getting my wind I could hear through the moonlight and still air the sound of Mary's voice singing up at the house.I thought hard into the future,even as I fought.The fight only seemed something that was passing.

I was on my feet again and at it,and presently I lunged out and felt such a jar in my arm that I thought it was telescoped.

I thought I'd put out my wrist and elbow.And Romany was lying on the broad of his back.

I heard Jack draw three breaths of relief in one.He said nothing as he straightened me up,but I could feel his heart beating.

He said afterwards that he didn't speak because he thought a word might spoil it.

I went down again,but Jack told me afterwards that he FELT I was all right when he lifted me.

Then Romany went down,then we fell together,and the chaps separated us.

I got another knock-down blow in,and was beginning to enjoy the novelty of it,when Romany staggered and limped.

`I've done,'he said.`I've twisted my ankle.'He'd caught his heel against a tuft of grass.

`Shake hands,'yelled Jimmy Nowlett.

I stepped forward,but Romany took his coat and limped to his horse.

`If yer don't shake hands with Wilson,I'll lamb yer!'howled Jimmy;but Jack told him to let the man alone,and Romany got on his horse somehow and rode off.

I saw Jim Bullock stoop and pick up something from the grass,and heard him swear in surprise.There was some whispering,and presently Jim said --`If I thought that,I'd kill him.'

`What is it?'asked Jack.

Jim held up a butcher's knife.It was common for a man to carry a butcher's knife in a sheath fastened to his belt.

`Why did you let your man fight with a butcher's knife in his belt?'asked Jimmy Nowlett.

But the knife could easily have fallen out when Romany fell,and we decided it that way.

`Any way,'said Jimmy Nowlett,`if he'd stuck Joe in hot blood before us all it wouldn't be so bad as if he sneaked up and stuck him in the back in the dark.But you'd best keep an eye over yer shoulder for a year or two,Joe.That chap's got Eye-talian blood in him somewhere.

And now the best thing you chaps can do is to keep your mouth shut and keep all this dark from the gals.'

Jack hurried me on ahead.He seemed to act queer,and when I glanced at him I could have sworn that there was water in his eyes.I said that Jack had no sentiment except for himself,but I forgot,and I'm sorry I said it.

`What's up,Jack?'I asked.

`Nothing,'said Jack.

`What's up,you old fool?'I said.

`Nothing,'said Jack,`except that I'm damned proud of you,Joe,you old ass!'and he put his arm round my shoulders and gave me a shake.

`I didn't know it was in you,Joe --I wouldn't have said it before,or listened to any other man say it,but I didn't think you had the pluck --God's truth,I didn't.Come along and get your face fixed up.'

We got into my room quietly,and Jack got a dish of water,and told one of the chaps to sneak a piece of fresh beef from somewhere.

Jack was as proud as a dog with a tin tail as he fussed round me.

He fixed up my face in the best style he knew,and he knew a good many --he'd been mended himself so often.

While he was at work we heard a sudden hush and a scraping of feet amongst the chaps that Jack had kicked out of the room,and a girl's voice whispered,`Is he hurt?Tell me.I want to know,--I might be able to help.'

It made my heart jump,I can tell you.Jack went out at once,and there was some whispering.When he came back he seemed wild.

`What is it,Jack?'I asked.

`Oh,nothing,'he said,`only that damned slut of a half-caste cook overheard some of those blanky fools arguing as to how Romany's knife got out of the sheath,and she's put a nice yarn round amongst the girls.

There's a regular bobbery,but it's all right now.Jimmy Nowlett's telling 'em lies at a great rate.'

Presently there was another hush outside,and a saucer with vinegar and brown paper was handed in.

One of the chaps brought some beer and whisky from the pub,and we had a quiet little time in my room.Jack wanted to stay all night,but I reminded him that his little wife was waiting for him in Solong,so he said he'd be round early in the morning,and went home.

I felt the reaction pretty bad.I didn't feel proud of the affair at all.