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[28]“Lord!HowamItoknow，child?Gotosleep.”
[29]“Willyouwakemeifthes?”
[30]“Yes.Gotosleep.”
[31]Nearmidnight.Theareallasleepaherestill，sewingandreadingbyturns.Fromtimetotimesheglahefloorandlate，and，whenevershehearsanoise，shereachesforthestick.Thethuormeson，andthewind，rushingthroughthetheslabwall，threatenstoblowoutherdle.Sheplaashelteredpartofthedresserandfixesupaectit.Ateveryflashoflightning，thecracksbetweentheslabsgleamlikepolishedsilver.Thethunderrolls，andtherainesdows.
[32]Alligatorliesatfulllengthonthefloor，withhiseyesturoartition.Sheknowsbythisthattheshere.Therearelargethatehefloorofthedwelling-house.
[33]Sheisnotacoward，butretshaveshakenherlesoher-in-lawwaslatelybittenbyasnake，anddied.Besides，shehasnotheardfromherhusbandforsixmonths，andisanxiousabouthi
[34]Hewasadrover，aiheyweremarried.Thedroughtruiosacrificetheremnantofhisflodgaiomovehisfamilyiownwhenheesbad，iime，hisbrother，whokeepsashantyonthemainroad，esoveraboutohwithprovisions.Thewifehasstillacoupleofehorse，ahebrother-inlawkillsoeroally，givesherwhatshe，aherestiurnforotherprovisions.
[35]Sheisusedtobeialone.Sheohisfhteenmonths.Asagirlshebuilttheusualtheair;butallhergirlishhopesandaspirationshavelongbeendead.ShefindsalltheextaioheYoungLadies’Journal，andHeaveakesapleasureinthefashion-plates.
[36]HerhusbandisanAustralian，andsoisshe.Heiscareless，butagoodenoughhusbahemeaakehertothedkeephertherelikeapriheyareusedtobeingapart，oratleastsheis.“ing，”
shesays.Hemayfetsometimesthatheismarried;butifhehasagoodchequewhenheesbackhewillgivemostofittoher.Whenhehadmoookhertothecityseveraltimes—hiredarailingent，andputupatthebesthotels.Healsoby，buttheyhadtosacrificethatalongwiththerest.
[37]Thelasttwowereborninthebush—onewhileherhusbandwasbringingadruor，byforce，toattendtoher.Shewasalohiso，andveryweak.Shehadbeenillwithafever.SheprayedtoGodtoseaBlackMary—the“whitest”
gininalltheland.Or，atleast，GodsentKingJimmyfirst，aBlackMary.Heputhisblackfadthedoorpost，tookiionataglandsaidcheerfully:“Allright，missus—Ibringmyoldwoman，shedownalongacreek.”
[38]Ohediedwhileshewasherealone.Sherodeeenmilesforassistance，gthedeadchild.
[39]Itmustbewoo’clock.Thefireisburninglow.Alligatorlieswithhisheadrestingonhispaws，ahewall.Heisifuldog，ashowsnumerousoldwouhehairwillnotgrow.Heisafraidofnothingoheearthoruackleabullockasreadilyashewilltackleaflea.Hehatesalls—exgaroo-dogs—andhasamarkeddisliketofrieioheyseldomcall，however.Hesometimesmakesfriendswithstraessnakesandhaskilledmany，buthewillbebittensomedayasnake-dogsendthat>
[40]Nowahebushwomanlaysdoatdlistens，andthihinksofthingsinherowhereislittleelsetothinkabout.
[41]Therainwillmakethegrassgrow，andthisremindsherhowshefoughtabush-fireoncewhileherhusbandwasaway.Thegrasswaslong，andverydry，ahreateobur.Sheputonanoldpairofherhusband’strousersaheflameswithagreenbough，tillgreatdropsofsootyperspirationstoodoutonherforeheadandraninstreaksdownherblaedarms.ThesightofhismotherilyamusedTommy，whoworkedlikealittleherobyherside，buttheterrifiedbabyhowledlustilyforhis“mummy”
.Thefirewouldhavemasteredherbutforfourexcitedbushmenwhoarrivedinthenie.Itaffairallround;wheakeupthebabyhesdstruggledvulsively，thinkingitwasa“bladAlligatmoretothechild’ssehanhisowninstinct，chargedfuriously，and（beingoldandslightlydeaf）didnotiatfirstreizehismistress’svoice，butuedtohangontothemoleskinsuntilmywithasaddle-strap.Thedog’ssorrowforhisblunder，andhisaitbeknownthatitwasallamistake，wasasevidentashisraggedtailandatwelve-inakeit.Itwasaglorioustimefortheboys;adaytolookbadtalkabout，andlaughoverformanyyears.
[42]Shethinkshowshefoughtaflherhusband’sabseoodforhoursinthedrenpatertosavethedamacrossthecreek.Butsheotsaveit.Therearethingsthatabushwomanthedamwasbrokewasnearlybrokentoo，forshethoughthowherhusbandwouldfeelwhenheeaofyearsoflaboursweptaway.She.
[43]Shealsofoughtthepleuro-pneumonia—dosedahefewremainingdweptagaiwobestcowsdied.
[44]Agaiamadbullockthatbesiegedthehouseforaday.Shemadebulletsahimthroughtheslabswithanoldshot-gun.HewasdeadintheSheskinnedhimaeen-ahehide.
[45]Shealsofightsthedeaglesthathavedesignsonhers.Herplanofisveryinal.Theother!”
andsherushesoutandaimsabroomstickatthebirdsasthoughitwereagun，andsays“Bung!”
Thecrowsleaveinahurry;theyareg，butawoman’sgisgreater.
[46]Oallyabushmaninthehorrors，oravillainous-lookingsundowner，esandnearlyscaresthelifeehesuspicious-lerthatherhusbandandtwosoworkbelowthedam，oroverattheyard，forhealwaysglyiheboss.
[47]Onlylastweekagallows-facedswagman—havingsatisfiedhimselfthattherewereheplace—threnontheveranda，aucker.Shegavehimsomethihenheexpressedhisiionofstayiwassuabattenfromthesofa，loosehedog，andtedthestranger，holdieninonehandandthedog’scollarwiththeother.“Nowyougo!”
shesaid.Helookedatherandatthedog，said“Allright，mum，”
inagto.Shewasadetermined-lookingwoman，andAlligator’syelloleasahedog’sg-upapparatusgreatlyresembledthatofthereptilehewaser.
[48]Shehasfewpleasurestothinkofasshesitsherealohefire，ainstasnake.Alldaysaremuchthesametoher;butonSundayafternoonshedressesherself，tidiesthe，smartensupbaby，andgoesforalonelywalkaloragaorinfrontofher.ShedoesthiseverySuakesasmuakeherselfandthelooksmartasshewouldifsheweregoingtodotheblothecity.Thereisnothingtosee，however，andnotasoultomeet.Youmightwalkfortwehistrackwithoutbeiofixapointinyourmind，unlessyouareabushman.Thisisbecauseoftheeverlasting，maddehestumonotonywhichmakesamanlongtobreakawayandtravelasfarastrainsdsailasfarasshipsail—andfarther.
[49]Butthisbushwomahelo.Asagirl-wifeshehatedit，butnowshewouldfeelstrangeawayfromit.
[50]Sheisgladwhenherhusbaurns，butshedoesnotgushormakeafussaboutit.Shegetshimsomethinggoodtoeat，ahe.
[51]Sheseemstedwithherlot.Shelovesher，buthasoshowit.SheseemsharshtotheHersurroufavourabletothedevelopmentofthe“womaalsideofnature.
[52]Itmustbenearmnow;buttheclothedwelling-house.Herdleisnearlydohatshewasoutoforewoodmustbegottokeepthefireup，ahedoginsideaothe.Therainhasclearedoff.Sheseizesastick，pullsitout，and—crash!Thewholepilecollapses.
[53]Yesterdayshebargaihastrayblackfellhersomewood，andorkshewentinsearissingcow.Shewasabsentanhourorso，aiveblackmadegooduseofhistime.Ournshewassoastooseeagoodheapofwoodbytheey，thatshegavehimarafigoftobadpraisedhimfornotbeihankedher，ahheaderedchestwellout.HewasthelastofhistribeandaKing;buthehadbuiltthathollow.
[54]Sheishurtnoringtohereyesasshesitsdownagaiable.Shetakesupahaowipethetearsaokeshereyeswithherbarefiead.Thehandkerchiefisfullofholes，ahatshehasputherthumbthroughone，andherfhanother.
[55]Thismakesherlaugh，tothesurpriseofthedog.Shehasakeen，verykeeherididsometimeorothershewillamusebushmeory.
[56]Shehadbeenamusedbeforelikethat.Odown“tohaveagoodcry”
，asshesaid—arubbedagainstherdressaheolaugh.
[57]Itmustbeneardaylightnow.Theroomisverydhotbecauseatorstillwatchesthewallfromtimetotime.Suddenlyhebeesgreatlyied;hedrawshimselfafewihepartition，andathrillrunsthroughhisbody.Thehaironthebackofhisobristle，ale-lightisinhisyelloweyes.Sheknowswhatthismeans，andlaysherhahelowerehepartitionslabshasalargebothsides.Anevilpairofsmall，brightbead-likeeyesglisteheseholes.Thesnake—ablaesslowlyout，aboutafoot，asheadupanddown.Thedogliesstill，andthewomansitsasoed.Thesafootfarther.Sheliftsherstidthereptile，asthoughsuddenlyawareofdaickshisheadinthroughthetheothersideoftheslab，ahistailroundafterhiAlligats，andhisjawsetogether.Hemisses，forhisne，andthesnake’sbodyintheaheslabsandthefloor.Hesnapsagaiailesrouhesnakenow，andtugsitouteighteehudesthewoman’stheground.Alligatain.Thud，thud.Alligativesanotherpullahes—ablackbrute，fivefeetlong.Theheadrisestodartabout，butthedoghastheeheneck.Heisabig，heavydog，butquickasaterrier.Heshakestheshoughhefelttheinalaboy，seizeshisstidtriestogetoutofbed，buthismotherforceshimbackofiron.Thud，thud—thesnake’sbackisbrokeninseveralplaces.Thud，thud—itsheadiscrushed，andAlligator’snoseskinnedagain.
[58]Sheliftsthemaileoofherstick，carriesittothefire，andthrowsitin;thehewoodahesheboyanddogwatchtoo.Shelaysherhandonthedog’shead，andallthefiergrylightdiesoutofhisyelloweyes.Theyoungerarequieted，aosleep.Thedirty-leggedboystandsforamomentinhisshirt，watgthefire.Presentlyhelooksupather，seesthetearsihrowinghisarmsroundherneckexclaims:
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