TALES OF THE COAST.

Inangahua Times, 9 January 1880, Page 2

TALES OF THE COAST.

m Ti\ Tbosd. "You tell a slory well, said Sam, when Donald had finished, tifd if it had not such a sad ending I Would mk yoa for n song ; but, as it U jont tjirn who will you now call on fttstiM W& file P" " I want Gus to follow m*, "aid Donald, but the moon is down. I w, ai d it tn<»st he 'ate, so we'll give him antii iosraonvw night to think of what he will tell us. and now, good night." Accordingly on the following night, Gustav or Gus as we eallftl l»im. a fair-haired Swede, the hero of a" hundred »ushes in California, Aas* tralia, and New Zealand, after carefully filling and lighting his pipe eave us the f Mowing story :«—" I think I mentioned to you hefore that I was working on the Six-mile for a lo~g time at the first of the Coast, however, that may be, one of mv mates on that place was a countryman of my own named' Hans, a man of mild and inoffensive manners, and especially fond of pet animals, such as cats and doss. ITe had been for some years before coming «o the Coast gaining * living as a shepherd on the stations in Adelaide, and the so!i<d tude be hnd been used to there seemed tM render him averse to join, or mix, wUjfl any society, rude or otherwise, and^^fl preferred, when work was over, ( "^^H nbout by himself in the hnt, and^^^H went to town without he requiret^^^H thing from the store, and retnrJ^^^J mediately after getting it. V^^^^M went to Gulgong he was stil^^^H working then as a hatter, and thought saved a I 'it of money. hardly two years since I returned the Sydney sHe, aril as a matt^^H course when I sot bank I made er^^^^J about old friends, and acquaint^^^^H | Mans I could learn no ro^re th^^^^| [ time after I had left the Stx*mile,^^^H j shifted eamp up tb^^^^H | Y;tl!ey, but I was unable to l^^^^^A | whereabouts. During the 6?ej^^^^^H T was away from the Coast jj^^^^^^l I gone surprising chanees ' better unfortunately, and^^^^^^^^H i the old spot 9. I had ne^^^^^^^^^^H O-rev, and before settij^^^^^^^^^^| ! made up my mind to^^^^^^^^^^^| ! principal places and^^^^^^^^^^^^^J like. A young fell^^^^^^^^^^^^H the steamer jninedi^^^^^^^^^^^^H to the Arnold, Half-Ounce, in^^^^^^^^^^^^M and saw many^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H some of ihose^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M the ' gravel-pit^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H were work'm^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M Ballarat. l^^^^^^^^^^^H managed *°^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| three pile c '^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| along expe^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^f another r ' se^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| friends, winn^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H other parts °^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| again. Pigeo^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H time, so one da^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^J set out by myset^^^^^^^^^^^^^^J I travelled a lonj^^^^^^^^^^^^^H getting a shoHtf|^^^^^^^^^^^^H ing shifted t a^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H was intendin^|^^^|^^^^^^^^^^^H like rain, but beftig qm^^^^^^^^^^H I was puzzled which w^^^^^^^^^^H on a steep ridge with a^^^^^^^^^^H either side ; one of the^^^^^^^^^^H lead me home, but, as such occasions I took* the^^^^^^^^^^| was down into the bed of it my mistake, and then I thougkll^^^^H be safer to Wlow the ym<>r nnd i^^^^|

be sure to bring *^^^^^^^^^^^^| bat it was a bad c^^^^^^^^^H took a long time. Tberl^^^^^^^^H in it, and I bad to climbQP^^^^^J a bit, go round (be cliff- an^^^^^H its bed again ; there was also^^^^^^H of dead wood lying in the c^^^^^^^| in places like a barricade, when I found it joined a 1 came on some faint trd^^^^^^^H By this time, however, I *^^^^^^^| skin, for it had rained neat^^^^^^^H since I had got into the I began to feel hungry and^^^^^^^H should get to any but bcfo^^^^^^^H lowing down the large cree^^^^^^^f upon sons *M gold workin^^^^^^^H came in sight of a hut^^^^^^^J sight, smoke was issuiojf^^^^^^^f chimney. The terrace oQ |^^^^^^^| stood had been staiced a^^^^^^^^H few feet of the door, and^^^^^^^^l running close under the o^^^^^^^l ing it still more. Some v^^^^^^^^l growing in a small plot *^^^^^^^H rear of the hut, enclosed^^^^^^^H fence, and on either sid^^^^^^^J gate sweet honeysuckle j^^^^^^^H Going up to the but I c^^^^^^^H knocked, enquiring if anyon^^^^^^^f In a moment there issued f^^^^^^^f ney, under the door, and^^^^^^^J opening in the side of the hnt^^^^^^J for a window, dozens of ca's.^^^^^H ages, and colors, whilst from^^^^^^H the sliarp bark of a terrier i^^^^^H the unusual summons, I w^^^^^^| the cats disappear as they se^^^^^H into the bush, when the dooq^^^^^J little, and a meek, scared, and e^^^^^f Fess face showed itself. Its °^^^^^| his unkempt hair hanging shonlders, and his skin had^^^^^H dried and unheaUhy appearaDce^^^^H was something about him, howe^^^^H spemed familiar, and when he opened^the door and asked me &^S^^| the sound of bis voice gave me H|^^| stand that I had fallen in wj^rij^^H nnfce Ifnni. His memorir^|^^^^^| clear, and I had to remind^^^^^^^^ ent circumstances bcfor^^^^^^^^J me ; hi« reserve nnd tim^^^^^^^^H off, and pres-ing me accepted brs offer of a c^^^^^^^^H and a bed, for I learned^^^^^^^^H w«s six mifos fmm «b?^^^^^^^^H morning, and night was^^^^^^^^H though the rain had ceast^^^^^^^^H for solitude had grown on^^^^^^^J he was miles away from with these cats and a gnl, bis only CoQ lß||^i^^^^^^^^^| three years id always alone/ oeessj^^^^^^^^^H di<;sers tfiinkf&j^Sifl^^^^^^^^H herau«e h&rpmtmed^^^^^^^^^^M come onirjfolr % day p^m^^^^^^H nothing pavable go ba,ck however, so he saiß. found gotd^^^B main creek, hut (he water. was tWs^^H and be had to aMfiHon .\t,i^^^^M show me Ho- if ;I U^^^^f it ; Hans had a'smaH rnce^^^^^^^l the terra^gkd hetnannsjd^^^^^^^M out a]^^^^^|^|^^^^^^H the^^^^^^^^^^^^H