s. I
am not preaching as a man who has been taught to preach comfortably, but
as a man who has learned in the world's school. I know what trouble
is. Men," he said, still speaking quietly, "and women too! I have been
through trouble as deep as any of yours--perhaps deeper. I know how you
toil and suffer, I know what battles you fight, I know. I too fought a
battle, perhaps as hard as any you fight. I carry a load and am fighting
a battle still." His eyes were very haggard just them. "But this is
not what I wanted to talk to you about. I have nothing to say against
a young man going away from this place to better himself, but there
are young men who go out back shearing or droving, young men who are
goodhearted but careless, who make cheques, and spend their money
gambling or drinking and never think of the old folk at home until it
is too late. They never think of the old people, alone, perhaps, in a
desolate but on a worked-out farm in the scrub."

Jim Bullock squirmed again. He had gone out back last season and made a
cheque, and lost most of it on horse-racing and cards.

"They never think--they cannot think how, perhaps, long years agone in
the old days, the old father, as a young man, and his brave young wife,
came out here and buried themselves in the lonely bush and toiled
for many years, trying--it does not matter whether they failed or
not--trying to make homes for their children; toiled till the young man
was bowed and grey, and the young wife brown and wrinkled and worn out.
Exiles they were in the early days--boy-husbands and girl-wives some
of them, who left their native lands, who left all that was dear, that
seemed beautiful, that seemed to make life worth living, and sacrificed
their young lives in drought and utter loneliness to make homes for
their children. I want you young men to think of this. Some of them came
from England, Ireland, Bonnie Scotland." Ross straightened up and let
his hands fall loosely on his knees. "Some from Europe--your foreign
fathers--some from across the Rhine in Germany." We looked at old Kurtz.
He seemed affected.

Then Peter paused for a moment and blinked thoughtfully at Ross, then he
took a drink of water. I can see now that the whole thing was a battle
between Peter M'Laughlan and Robert Ross--Scot met Scot. "It seemed to
me," Jim Bullock said afterwards, "that Peter was only tryin' to make
some of us blanky well blubber."

"And there are men," Peter went on, "who ha