isonous's place an' handed
the can to the girl that was grinnin' on the verandah. Poisonous come
out with a grin on him like a parson with a broken nose.

'"Good day, boys!" he says.

'"Good day, Poisonous," we says.

'"It's hot," he says.

'"It's blanky hot," I says.

'He seemed to expect us to get down. "Where are you off to?" he says.

'"Mulgatown," I says. "It will be cooler there," and we sung out,
"So-long, Poisonous!" and rode on.

'He stood starin' for a minute; then he started shoutin', "Hi! hi
there!" after us, but we took no notice, an' rode on. When we looked
back last he was runnin' into the scrub with a bridle in his hand.

'We jogged along easily till we got within a mile of Mulgatown, when
we heard somebody gallopin' after us, an' lookin' back we saw it was
Poisonous.

'He was too mad and too winded to speak at first, so he rode along with
us a bit gasping: then he burst out.

'"Where's them other two carnal blanks?" he shouted.

'"What other two?" I asked. "We're all here. What's the matter with you
anyway?"

'"All here!" he yelled. "You're a lurid liar! What the flamin' sheol do
you mean by swiggin' my beer an' flingin' the coloured can in me face?
without as much as thank yer! D'yer think I'm a flamin'----!"

'Oh, but Poisonous Jimmy was wild.

'"Well, we'll pay for your dirty beer," says one of the chaps, puttin'
his hand in his pocket. "We didn't want yer slush. It tasted as if it
had been used before."

'"Pay for it!" yelled Jimmy. "I'll----well take it out of one of yer
bleedin' hides!"

'We stopped at once, and I got down an' obliged Jimmy for a few rounds.
He was a nasty customer to fight; he could use his hands, and was cool
as a cucumber as soon as he took his coat off: besides, he had one
squirmy little business eye, and a big wall-eye, an', even if you knowed
him well, you couldn't help watchin' the stony eye--it was no good
watchin' his eyes, you had to watch his hands, and he might have
managed me if the boss hadn't stopped the fight. The boss was a big,
quiet-voiced man, that didn't swear.

'"Now, look here, Myles," said the boss (Jimmy's name was Myles)--"Now,
look here, Myles," sez the boss, "what's all this about?"

'"What's all this about?" says Jimmy, gettin' excited agen. "Why, two
fellers that belonged to your party come along to my place an' put up
half-a-dozen drinks, an' borrered a sovereign, an' got a can o' beer on
the strength of their cheques. They se