f his own generous handful of black Indian leaves, well
stewed in a billy to a strength suited for hide-tanning. Of this inky
mixture he will cheerfully consume (several times a day) a quart, as
an aid to the digestion of a pound or two of corned beef, with pickles
and other deadly things, none of which seem to do him much harm. And
if they should, the result rather amuses and interests him than
otherwise; for, of all amateur doctors (and lawyers), he is the most
enthusiastic and ingenuous. He will tell you (with the emphatic winks,
nods, and gestures of a man of research who has made a wonderful
discovery, and, out of the goodness of his heart, means to let you
into the secret) of some patent medicine which is already advertised,
generally offensively, in every newspaper in the land; and, having
explained how it made a new man of him, will very likely insist with
kindly tyranny upon buying you a flagon of the costly rubbish.

'I assure you, Mr. Freydon, you won't know yourself after takin' a
bottle or two of Simpkins's Red Marvel.' I agree cordially, well
assured that in such a case I should not care to know myself. 'Why,
there was a chap down Sydney way, Newtown I think it was he lived in,
or it mighter bin Balmain. Crooil bad he was till they put him on to
the Red Marvel. Fairly puzzled the doctors, he did, an' all et up with
sores, somethin' horrible. Well, I tell you, I wouldn't be without a
bottle in my camp. Sooner go without 'baccy. An', not only that, but
it's such comfortin' stuff is the Red Marvel. Every night o' my life I
takes a double dose of it now; sick or sorry, well or ill--an' look at
me! I useter to swear by Blick's Backache Pills; but now, I wouldn't
have them on me mind. They're no class at all, be this stuff. Give me
Simpkins's Red Marvel, every time, an' I don't care if it snows! You
try it, Mr. Freydon. I was worsen you afore I struck it; an' now, why,
I wouldn't care to call the Queen me aunt!' (His father before him, in
Queen Victoria's reign, had no doubt used this quaint phrase, and it
was not for him to alter it because of any such trifling episodes as
the accession of other sovereigns.)

VIII

I gladly abide by my word of yesterday. The portion of my days here in
the bush which I like best is the dawn time. But the nights have their
good, and--well--and their less good times, too. My evening meal is
apt to be sketchy. There is a special vein of laziness in me which
makes me shirk th