Blake turned to Mary. "Do you want to stop and see it killed?" he
said. "It's rather a murderous business. The 'possum has no chance.
One of the boys will go up the tree and shake the branch till the
'possum falls off, and when it falls the dogs will kill it."
"No, I don't think I would like to see it. I have seen so many things
killed since I came here. Let us walk back towards the house."
"I'll tell Gordon. Gordon," he said, "Miss Grant doesn't care to
see the massacre. We will walk back towards the house."
Ellen Harriott made a sudden step forward. "I will go back too,"
she said.
"Why, Miss Harriott!" said Poss in astonishment, "You've seen lots
of 'em killed. Native cats, too. Watch me knock him out of that
with a stick."
"No, no, I'll go back, too. I don't feel like killing anything
to-night. You come back too, Hugh."
So the four walked back together, and as Blake had monopolised Mary
on the way out, she now put herself beside Hugh, and the others
walked behind. Hugh and Mary soon began to talk, but the other
pair walked in silence for a while. Then Ellen Harriott said in a
low voice, "Go a little slower, Gavan. Let them get away." As they
passed under the dense shadows of a huge wild-apple tree, Ellen
stopped and, turning to Blake, held up her face to be kissed.
Pages:
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112