Harry Heathcote of Gangoil | Page 7

The Gangoil pastures extended much further, but in that direction had not as yet been inclosed. Here they both got off their horses and walked along the fence till they came to an opening, with a slip panel, or movable bars, which had been Heathcote's intended destination. "Hold the horses, Jacko, till I come back," he said.
Jacko, when alone, nothing daunted by the darkness or solitude, seated himself on the top rail, took out a pipe, and struck a match. When the tobacco was ignited he dropped the match on the dry grass at his feet, and a little flame instantly sprang up. The boy waited a few seconds till the flames began to run, and then putting his feet together on the ground stamped out the incipient fire. "My word!" said Jacko to himself, "it's easy done, anyway."
Harry went on to the left for about half a mile, and then stood leaning against the fence. It was very dark, but he was now looking over into an inclosure which had been altogether cleared of trees, and which, as he knew well, had been cultivated and was covered with sugar-canes. Where he stood he was not distant above a quarter of a mile from the river, and the field before him ran down to the banks. This was the selected land of Giles Medlicot--two years since a portion of his own run, which had now been purchased from the government--for the loss of which he had received and was entitled to receive no compensation. And the matter was made worse for him by the fact that the interloper had come between him and the river. But he was not standing here near midnight merely to exercise his wrath by straining his eyes through the darkness at his neighbor's crops. He put his finger into his mouth to wet it, and then held it up that he might discover which way the light breath of wind was coming. There was still the low moan to be heard continually through the forest, and yet not a leaf seemed to be moved. After a while he thought he caught a sound, and put his ear down to the ground. He distinctly heard a footstep, and rising up, walked quickly toward the spot whence the noise came.
"Who's that?" he said, as he saw the figure of a man standing on his side of the fence, and leaning against it, with a pipe in his month.
"Who are you?" replied the man on the fence. "My name is Medlicot."
"Oh, Mr. Medlicot, is it?"
"Is that Mr. Heathcote? Good-night, Mr. Heathcote. You are going about at a late hour of the night."
"I have to go about early and late; but I ain't later than you."
"I'm close at home," said Medlicot.
"I am, at any rate, on my own run," said Harry.
"You mean to say that I am trespassing?" said the other; "because I can very soon jump back over the fence."
"I didn't mean that at all, Mr. Medlicot; any body is welcome on my run, night or day, who knows how to behave himself."
"I hope I'm included in that list."
"Just so; of course. Considering the state that every thing is in, and all the damage that a fire would do, I rather wish that people would be a little more careful about smoking."
"My canes, Mr. Heathcote, would burn quite as quickly as your grass."
"It is not only the grass. I've a hundred miles of fencing on the run which is as dry as tinder, not to talk of the station and the wool- shed."
"They sha'n't suffer from my neglect, Mr. Heathcote."
"You have men about who mayn't be so careful. The wind, such as it is, is coming right across from your place. If there were light enough, I could show you three or four patches where there has been fire within half a mile of this spot. There was a log burning there for two or three days, not long ago, which was lighted by one of our men."
"That was a fortnight since. There was no heat then, and the men were boiling their kettle. I spoke about it."
"A log like that, Mr. Medlicot, will burn for weeks sometimes. I'll tell you fairly what I'm afraid of. There's a man with you whom I turned out of the shed last shearing, and I think he might put a match down--not by accident."
"You mean Nokes. As far as I know, he's a decent man. You wouldn't have me not employ a man just because you had dismissed him?"
"Certainly not; that is, I shouldn't think of dictating to you about such a thing."
"Well, no, Mr. Heathcote, I suppose not. Nokes has got to earn his bread, though you did dismiss him. I don't know that he's not as honest a man