The Gilpins and their Fortunes | Page 9

for saving from injury, if not
death, those so dear to me."
James and Arthur Gilpin agreed that their "lines had fallen to them in
pleasant places." They were treated as members of the family, and,
what was of the greatest consequence to them as intending settlers, they
were shown all the operations taking place on the farm. As they gave
diligent attention to everything they saw, they rapidly acquired a
sufficient knowledge of agriculture and of the management of sheep
and cattle, as practised in Australia, to enable them, with their previous
experience as farmers in England, to commence farming on their own
account.
While, however, they were in search of a station to suit them, Mr
Prentiss received an application to find a gentleman capable of taking
the management of a sheep and cattle farm, about a hundred and fifty
miles off. "Quite in our neighbourhood, as we measure distances in this
country," he remarked. He proposed to the young Gilpins that they
should accept the post. "You will be allowed to keep a proportion of
sheep and cattle on your own account, and receive wages for looking
after those of your employer, so that you will gain in both ways. You
will find also an established system by which, if it prove a good one,
time and labour may be saved. I would gladly find you employment,
but this will be far more to your advantage. It was hoped, I believe, that
one of my own sons would take it."
The brothers at once agreed to accept the offer.

CHAPTER THREE.
The Gilpins no longer felt like newly arrived immigrants when they
found themselves on their way to Warragong, the station of which they
had undertaken charge. They were far, however, from being
over-confident of success, or of pleasing their employers; but they had
resolved to make up by diligence and perseverance for their want of
experience, and Mr Prentiss assured them that he had no doubt of their
doing well. Sam Green had thrown in his lot with them, and though
receiving good wages from Mr Prentiss, he begged that he might be
allowed to accompany them on the chance of their being able to give
him permanent employment. Knowing by this time the value of a
thoroughly trustworthy servant in Australia, they were very glad to
accept his offer. They, as well as Sam, had been furnished with
excellent horses; and, much to his own satisfaction as well as theirs,
Larry Killock was sent with a light cart to convey their luggage and
various luxuries, which had been provided through the kindness of Mrs
Prentiss. A native black, partly civilised, and able to speak broken
English, accompanied them as guide, and formed the fifth person of
this party. He either travelled in the cart or ran on foot beside it.
"I should think that very few settlers begin a life in the bush with so
many advantages as we possess," observed Arthur, as he rode on with
his brother, a little ahead of the cart; "we appear to have jumped over
all difficulties, and to have arrived at a point which many only reach
after years of toil."
"I am not quite certain that it will prove to our permanent advantage,"
answered James. "I would rather have begun as we proposed, and
worked our way upward; we should the better be able to encounter
difficulties or mishaps which may occur."
"Well, I vote we do not grumble with our good fortune," said Arthur,
laughing; "we shall have plenty to do, depend on that."
There was no great variety of scenery in that part of the country over
which they travelled, but for the want of it the beauty of the climate,

and the sense of present freedom which they enjoyed, made ample
amends. Without luggage they might have performed the journey in
three days, but with the cart, twenty or, at the most, thirty miles could
not be got over in the day. Even supposing that they could have found
their way alone, it would not have been altogether safe to leave the cart
without protection. Bushrangers were occasionally, though rarely,
heard of, and would probably, if they fell in with the cart, make no
scruple of running off with it, and perhaps murder the driver. Any
wandering blacks from the interior might also pillage the cart, and most
probably kill poor Larry.
Larry had been entertaining Sam Green with an account of the
depredations committed by such gentry in the bygone days of the
colony, when the Dick Turpins, who had obtained a short-lived
celebrity on the highway of Old England, laid the settlers in this new
land under contribution; and the white stockmen shot down the black
natives with as little compunction as they would