Page:Australian Emigrant 1854.djvu/210

186 as to form a kind of couch. He had fallen into a reverie and as the blue wreaths of smoke rose from his pipe sluggishly in the sunshine, they formed the fantastic groundwork on which he built up many a hope for the future. Happy Slinger! thy airy castles were destined to assume something like reality.

Dodge, who was not given to dream, particularly in broad daylight, had been more practically engaged. He had been so unfortunate as to break his only pipe, and had nearly completed the construction of another, the only means at his disposal being the bone of a leg of mutton, out of which he had formed the bowl, and the wing bone of a swan serving for a stem.

"You seem to like the sunshine," Dodge observed, boring into the mutton bone with his pocket knife.

"I do," Slinger replied, "how bright everything appears!"

"Ah, so it does. What in the world have you been looking so pleased about? Did you find the tobacco so very excellent?" Dodge asked, advancing to the fire to turn a pair of shoes he had hung up to dry:—they were sadly deficient of soles, as was rendered palpable by the two forks of the stick on which they depended protruding through the bottoms.

"I've been to England," was Slinger's reply. "I've looked in upon Raymond at home."

"Capital!" Dodge cried smiling, "well, and how did you find him?"

"Dear me," said Slinger, "my mind was engaged on other things, and I forgot to inquire. Suppose we drink his health in a bumper of tea made extra strong."

"With all my heart," Dodge said, dipping into the tea-chest and casting a handful or two of its contents into the kettle. An economical housekeeper would never have overlooked such extravagance, but then, bushmen and washerwomen know of no moderation in their cups.