登陆注册
5199600000029

第29章

A few days went by. Dan still accompanied Dad to the plough; but did n't walk up and down with him. He selected a shade close by, and talked to Dad from there as he passed on his rounds. Sometimes Dan used to forget to talk at all--he would be asleep--and Dad would wonder if he was unwell.

Once he advised him to go up to the house and have a good camp. Dan went.

He stretched himself on the sofa, and smoked and spat on the floor and played the concertina--an old one he won in a raffle.

Dan did n't go near the plough any more. He stayed inside every day, and drank the yeast, and provided music for the women. Sometimes he would leave the sofa, and go to the back-door and look out, and watch Dad tearing up and down the paddock after the plough; then he'd yawn, and wonder aloud what the diggins it was the old man saw in a game like that on a hot day; and return to the sofa, tired. But every evening when Dad knocked off and brought the horses to the barn Dan went out and watched him unharnessing them.

A month passed. Dad was n't so fond of Dan now, and Dan never talked of going away. One day Anderson's cows wandered into our yard and surrounded the hay-stack. Dad saw them from the paddock and cooeed, and shouted for those at the house to drive them away. They did n't hear him. Dad left the plough and ran up and pelted Anderson's cows with stones and glass-bottles, and pursued them with a pitch-fork till, in a mad rush to get out, half the brutes fell over the fence and made havoc with the wire.

Dad spent an hour mending it; then went to the verandah and savagely asked Mother if she had lost her ears. Mother said she had n't. "Then why the devil could n't y' hear me singin' out?" Mother thought it must have been because Dan was playing the concertina. "Oh, DAMN his concertina!" Dad squealed, and kicked Joe's little kitten, that was rubbing itself fondly against his leg, clean through the house.

Dan found the selection pretty slow--so he told Mother--and thought he would knock about a bit. He went to the store and bought a supply of ammunition, which he booked to Dad, and started shooting. He stood at the door and put twenty bullets into the barn; then he shot two bears near the stock-yard with twenty more bullets, and dragged both bears down to the house and left them at the back-door. They stayed at the back-door until they went very bad; then Dad hooked himself to them and dragged them down the gully.

Somehow, Dad began to hate Dan! He scarcely ever spoke to him now, and at meal-times never spoke to any of us. Dad was a hard man to understand.

We could n't understand him. "And with DAN at home, too!" Sal used to whine. Sal verily idolised Dan. Hero-worship was strong in Sal.

One night Dad came in for supper rather later than usual. He'd had a hard day, and was done up. To make matters worse, when he was taking the collar off Captain the brute tramped heavily on his toe, and took the nail off. Supper was n't ready. The dining-room was engaged. Dan was showing Sal how the Prince of Wales schottische was danced in the huts Out Back.

For music, Sal was humming, and the two were flying about the room. Dad stood at the door and looked on, with blood in his eye.

"Look here!" he thundered suddenly, interrupting Dan--"I've had enough of you!" The couple stopped, astonished, and Sal cried, "DAD!" But Dad was hot. "Out of this!" (placing his hand on Dan, and shoving him). "You've loafed long enough on me! Off y' go t' th' devil!"Dan went over to Anderson's and Anderson took him in and kept him a week.

Then Dan took Anderson down at a new game of cards, and went away West again.

同类推荐
  • 钱塘遗事

    钱塘遗事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 郊庙歌辞 禅社首乐

    郊庙歌辞 禅社首乐

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陆氏家制

    陆氏家制

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天台通玄寺独朗禅师语录

    天台通玄寺独朗禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Ivanoff

    Ivanoff

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 掌中珠

    掌中珠

    一朝家破,顾玥决定自强自立养家糊口。哪成想有个不争气的姨娘拖累。绝望求助,陆之初慷慨解囊善意庇护。情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 奇灵公主

    奇灵公主

    仙术,仙友,仙情,你想拥有哪一样?抑或是,你不想失去哪一样?答案是能够选择的吗?对于杳一,答案是无法选择的。因为她是奇国公主。
  • 红豆与长情

    红豆与长情

    伊始,她觉的自己就是一粒尘,第一段感情,她发现自己不过像尘土一样迷了他的眼,短暂的相处,她被遗弃了。第二段感情,他像一滴露珠,与她这粒尘相融,她以为不会再有分离,分离却像一阵风来的突然。最终当她带着耀眼的光环回归,心中的爱,又该何去何从。
  • 医学从众录

    医学从众录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生又见重生

    重生又见重生

    重生一回,自命不凡,结果却是父亲劈腿,父母离异。未婚夫接近自己不过是为了他们家的水果、翡翠、药材,妹妹更是为了报复自己,怀上了未婚夫的孩子。最后,她更是死在了亲生妹妹的手上。若能重来,她只愿父母安康和乐,妹妹乖巧懂事,全家平淡幸福~!
  • 红尘禅影2:我用《金瓶梅》解《心经》

    红尘禅影2:我用《金瓶梅》解《心经》

    《心经》是流传最广的佛经,是打开心灵的钥匙。本书以《金瓶梅》解《心经》,使之更加容易理解,开篇先录《心经》全文,标以白话。主体是“心经七品”,每讲一个主题,就讲几个《金瓶梅》里的人物,正讲反讲,反复讲解。前置“开讲的话”阐明主旨,及“心经夜谈”深入人生感悟,与主体文字照应。
  • 天涯游侠

    天涯游侠

    一场灭门之灾面前,他身负使命,只能眼睁睁看着师门毁于一旦,一个初入江湖的少年,是怎样改变着自己的性格?一次关外的旅行,又让他经历了什么?一个充满灵异的村子,背后究竟隐藏了什么阴谋?一件惊世而出的宝物,又将引起怎样的腥风血雨?
  • 咸鱼展了翅

    咸鱼展了翅

    一个人,一条路,坑坑洼洼,一道疤,一个印,淡然一笑。看你,笑的云淡风轻。苦楚时,宁愿躲着哭泣。多想是条鱼的记忆。
  • 低原反应

    低原反应

    季涛一接到他母亲从内地打到拉萨的电话,就气不打一处来。季涛用劲将电话扔在沙发上,一屁股坐下,拿起一根香蕉,胡乱剥了一下皮,看也不看,就径直塞进了嘴巴里。不想刚咬一口,就被噎住了。他连连咳嗽,表情很是怪异。妻子卓玛看到他那付难受的神情,连忙上前,帮他拍了拍背,又递了一杯水给他。季涛接过,喝了大大的一口。水顺喉而下,季涛终于觉得好受了一些,然后,就转向了卓玛,挥舞着手里还没有咬完的那半截香蕉,说,你看,这孩子!你说我们现在应该怎么办?!反正,我是没有一点办法了!卓玛轻轻地靠近了他一些,拿过他手里的香蕉,扔在桌上,说,你现在终于说没有办法了?
  • 田园娇媳

    田园娇媳

    一次有意的谋杀,竟然错误的使她重生另一个时代……极品亲戚一大堆,各种刁钻,各种陷害……这也就算了,居然还附带萌丫一枚,傻相公一个?可是,我现代还没有结过婚,来到这里居然成了娘?“咋滴,你想干嘛?”女主瑟瑟发抖的看着他“媳妇儿,你离我近一点”男主讨好的看着她……幸亏有幸得之空间一枚,看我如何带着相公萌丫如何逗极品,看这田园满春光……