WE OF THE NEVER-NEVER
the first hint that a missus was not wanted at the Elsey.
‘Would advise leaving wife behind till homestead can be repaired,” it said; and, still confident of success, Mac felt that ‘‘ ought to do the trick.” “If it doesn’t,” he added, “we'll give her something stronger.”
We in Darwin, having exhausted the sight-seeing resources of the little town, were wishing “‘ some- thing interesting would happen,” when the message was handed to the Maluka.
“This may do as a stopgap,” he said, opening it, adding as he read it, “It looks brimful of possi- bilities for interested onlookers, seeing it advises leaving the wife behind.” The Maluka spoke from experience, having been himself an interested onlooker * down south,” when it had heen suggested there that the wife should be left behind while he spied out the land; for although the Maluka knew most of the Territory, he had not yet been to the Elsey Cattle Station.
Preferring to be “the interested onlooker ” myself this time, when we went to the telegraph office it was the Maluka who wired: “‘ Wife coming, secure buggy’; and in an incredibly short space of time the answer was back: “No buggy ob- tainable,”
Darwin locked interested. ‘‘Mac hasn’t wasted much time in making inquiries,” it said.
“Or in apologies or explanations,’ the Maluka added shortly, and sent in reply :
‘* Wife can ride, secure suitable mount.”
3
