Page:Kangaroo, 1923.pdf/183

 "You never can tell," he said.

"That's true," said Somers. "I don't really know how much Jack Callcott cares. I really can't make out."

"He cares as much as about anything," said Jaz. "Perhaps a bit more. It's more exciting."

"Do you think it is the excitement they care about chiefly?"

"I should say so. You can die in Australia if you don't get a bit of excitement." There was silence for a minute or two.

"In my opinion," said Somers, "it has to go deeper than excitement." Again Jaz shifted uneasily in his chair.

"Oh, well—they don't set much store on deepness over here. It's easy come, easy go, as a rule. Yet they're staunch chaps while the job lasts, you know. They are true to their mates, as a rule."

"I believe they are. It's the afterwards."

"Oh, well—afterwards is afterwards, as Jack always says." Again the two men were silent.

"If they cared deeply—" Somers began slowly—but he did not continue, it seemed fatuous. Jaz did not answer for some time.

"You see, it hasn't come to that with them," he said. "It might, perhaps, once they'd actually done the thing. It might come home to them then; they might have to care. It might be a force-put. Then they'd need a man."

"They've got Kangaroo," said Somers.

"You think Kangaroo would get them over the fence?" said Jaz carefully, looking up at Somers.

"He seems as if he would. He's a wonderful person. And there seems no alternative to him."

"Oh yes, he's a wonderful person. Perhaps a bit too much of a wonder. A hatchet doesn't look anything like so spanking as a lawn-mower, does it now, but it'll make a sight bigger clearing."

"That's true,' said Somers, laughing. "But Kangaroo isn't a lawn-mower."

"Oh, I don't say so," smiled Jaz, fidgetting on his chair. "I should like to hear your rock-bottom opinion of him though."

"I should like to hear yours," said Somers. "You