I thought
it might be better for me in the near future if the spikes of his
running-shoes were inside.

"There, you'll find that better, I fancy," I said, standing the boot on
the bar counter, but keeping my hand on it in an absent-minded kind of
way. Presently I yawned and stretched myself, and said in a careless
way:

"Ah, well! How's the slate?" He scratched the back of his head and
pretended to think.

"Oh, well, we'll call it thirty bob."

Perhaps he thought I'd slap down two quid.

"Well," I says, "and what will you do supposing we don't pay you?"

He looked blank for a moment. Then he fired up and gasped and choked
once or twice; and then he cooled down suddenly and laughed his nastiest
laugh--he was one of those men who always laugh when they're wild--and
said in a nasty, quiet tone:

"You thundering, jumped-up crawlers! If you don't (something) well part
up I'll take your swags and (something) well kick your gory pants so you
won't be able to sit down for a month--or stand up either!"

"Well, the sooner you begin the better," I said; and I chucked the boot
into a corner and bolted.

He jumped the bar counter, got his boot, and came after me. He paused
to slip the boot on--but he only made one step, and then gave a howl and
slung the boot off and rushed back. When I looked round again he'd got
a slipper on, and was coming--and gaining on me, too. I shifted scenery
pretty quick the next five minutes. But I was soon pumped. My heart
began to beat against the ceiling of my head, and my lungs all choked
up in my throat. When I guessed he was getting within kicking distance
I glanced round so's to dodge the kick. He let out; but I shied just in
time. He missed fire, and the slipper went about twenty feet up in the
air and fell in a waterhole.

He was done then, for the ground was stubbly and stony. I seen Bill on
ahead pegging out for the horizon, and I took after him and reached for
the timber for all I was worth, for I'd seen Stiffner's missus coming
with a shovel--to bury the remains, I suppose; and those two were a good
match--Stiffner and his missus, I mean.

Bill looked round once, and melted into the bush pretty soon after that.
When I caught up he was about done; but I grabbed my swag and we pushed
on, for I told Bill that I'd seen Stiffner making for the stables when
I'd last looked round; and Bill thought that we'd better get lost in the
bush as soon as ever we could, and stay lost, too, fo