Robbery Under Arms [188]
in front of us. He'd got home first, of course, and there was Aileen's bundle, a biggish one too, alongside of him. We could hear father raving and screaming out inside dreadful. Starlight wasn't nigh hand anywhere. He had walked off when Warrigal came home, and left him to watch the old man.
`He been like that all the time, Warrigal?'
`No! Captain say big one sleep. Him give him medicine like; then wake up and go on likit that. I believe him bad along a cobra.'
Aileen had jumped off her horse and gone in to the old man the moment we came up and she heard his voice.
All that long night we could hear him talking to himself, groaning, cursing, shouting, arguing. It was wonderful how a man who talked so little as father could have had so many thoughts in his mind. But then they all are boxed up together in every man's heart. At a time like this they come racing and tumbling out like a flock of sheep out of a yard when the hurdle's down. What a dashed queer thing human nature is when you come to think of it. That a man should be able to keep his tongue quiet, and shut the door on all the sounds and images and wishes that goes racing about inside of his mind like wild horses in a paddock!
One day he'll be smiling and sensible, looking so honest all the time. Next day a knock on the head or a little vein goes crack in the brain (as the doctor told me); then the rails are down, and everything comes out with a rush into the light of day -- right and wrong, foul and fair, station brands and clearskins, it don't make no difference.
Father was always one of the closest men that ever lived. He never told us much about his old life at home or after he came out here. Now he was letting drop things here and there that helped us to a few secrets he'd never told to no man. They made poor Aileen a bit more miserable than she'd been before, if that was possible; but it didn't matter much to us. We were pretty tired ourselves that night, and so we got Aileen all she wanted, and left her alone with him.
While we were away to meet her some one had taken the trouble to put up a bit of a partition, separating that part of the cave from the other; it was built up of stone -- there was plenty about -- and not so roughly done either. It made Aileen feel a lot more comfortable. Of course there was only one man who could have done it; and that was Starlight.
Chapter 39
Towards morning father went into a heavy sleep; he didn't wake till the afternoon. Poor Aileen was able to get a doze and change her dress. After breakfast, while we were having a bit of a chat, in walks Starlight. He bowed to Aileen quite respectful, as he always did to a woman, and then shook hands with her.
`Welcome to the Hollow, Miss Marston,' he said. `I can't say how charmed I am in one sense, though I regret the necessity which brought you here.'
`I'm glad to come, and only for poor father's being so bad I could delight in the life here.'
`How do you find your father?'
`He is asleep now, and perhaps the rest will do him good.'
`He may awake free from fever,' says Starlight. `I took the risk of giving him an opiate before you came, and I think the result has been favourable.'
`Oh! I hope he will be better when he wakes,' says Aileen, `and that I shall not have to watch through another dreadful night of raving. I can hardly bear it.'
`You must make your brothers take their share; it's not fair to you.'
`Thank you; but I feel as if I couldn't leave him to anybody but myself. He seems so weak now; a little neglect might kill him.'
`Pardon me, Miss Marston; you overrate the danger. Depend upon it, your respected parent will be quite a different man in a week, though it may be a month or more before he is fully recovered. You don't know what a constitution he has.'
`You have given me fresh hope,' she said. `I feel quite cheered up -- that is' (and she sighed) `if I could be cheerful again about anything.'
Here she walked into the cave and sat down by father to watch till he awoke, and we all went out
`He been like that all the time, Warrigal?'
`No! Captain say big one sleep. Him give him medicine like; then wake up and go on likit that. I believe him bad along a cobra.'
Aileen had jumped off her horse and gone in to the old man the moment we came up and she heard his voice.
All that long night we could hear him talking to himself, groaning, cursing, shouting, arguing. It was wonderful how a man who talked so little as father could have had so many thoughts in his mind. But then they all are boxed up together in every man's heart. At a time like this they come racing and tumbling out like a flock of sheep out of a yard when the hurdle's down. What a dashed queer thing human nature is when you come to think of it. That a man should be able to keep his tongue quiet, and shut the door on all the sounds and images and wishes that goes racing about inside of his mind like wild horses in a paddock!
One day he'll be smiling and sensible, looking so honest all the time. Next day a knock on the head or a little vein goes crack in the brain (as the doctor told me); then the rails are down, and everything comes out with a rush into the light of day -- right and wrong, foul and fair, station brands and clearskins, it don't make no difference.
Father was always one of the closest men that ever lived. He never told us much about his old life at home or after he came out here. Now he was letting drop things here and there that helped us to a few secrets he'd never told to no man. They made poor Aileen a bit more miserable than she'd been before, if that was possible; but it didn't matter much to us. We were pretty tired ourselves that night, and so we got Aileen all she wanted, and left her alone with him.
While we were away to meet her some one had taken the trouble to put up a bit of a partition, separating that part of the cave from the other; it was built up of stone -- there was plenty about -- and not so roughly done either. It made Aileen feel a lot more comfortable. Of course there was only one man who could have done it; and that was Starlight.
Chapter 39
Towards morning father went into a heavy sleep; he didn't wake till the afternoon. Poor Aileen was able to get a doze and change her dress. After breakfast, while we were having a bit of a chat, in walks Starlight. He bowed to Aileen quite respectful, as he always did to a woman, and then shook hands with her.
`Welcome to the Hollow, Miss Marston,' he said. `I can't say how charmed I am in one sense, though I regret the necessity which brought you here.'
`I'm glad to come, and only for poor father's being so bad I could delight in the life here.'
`How do you find your father?'
`He is asleep now, and perhaps the rest will do him good.'
`He may awake free from fever,' says Starlight. `I took the risk of giving him an opiate before you came, and I think the result has been favourable.'
`Oh! I hope he will be better when he wakes,' says Aileen, `and that I shall not have to watch through another dreadful night of raving. I can hardly bear it.'
`You must make your brothers take their share; it's not fair to you.'
`Thank you; but I feel as if I couldn't leave him to anybody but myself. He seems so weak now; a little neglect might kill him.'
`Pardon me, Miss Marston; you overrate the danger. Depend upon it, your respected parent will be quite a different man in a week, though it may be a month or more before he is fully recovered. You don't know what a constitution he has.'
`You have given me fresh hope,' she said. `I feel quite cheered up -- that is' (and she sighed) `if I could be cheerful again about anything.'
Here she walked into the cave and sat down by father to watch till he awoke, and we all went out