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Text A The Drovers Wife（第2页）

[33]Sheisnotacoward，butretshaveshakenherlesoher-in-lawwaslatelybittenbyasnake，anddied。Besides，shehasnotheardfromherhusbandforsixmonths，andisanxiousabouthim。

[34]Hewasadrover，aiheyweremarried。Thedroughtruiosacrificetheremnantofhisflodgaiomovehisfamilyiownwhenheesbad，iime，hisbrother，whokeepsashantyonthemainroad，esoveraboutohwithprovisions。Thewifehasstillacoupleofehorse，ahebrother-inlawkillsoeroally，givesherwhatshe，aherestiurnforotherprovisions。

[35]Sheisusedtobeialone。Sheohisfhteenmonths。Asagirlshebuilttheusualtheair;butallhergirlishhopesandaspirationshavelongbeendead。ShefindsalltheextaioheYoungLadies’Journal，andHeaveakesapleasureinthefashion-plates。

[36]HerhusbandisanAustralian，andsoisshe。Heiscareless，butagoodenoughhusbahemeaakehertothedkeephertherelikeapriheyareusedtobeingapart，oratleastsheis。“ing，”shesays。Hemayfetsometimesthatheismarried;butifhehasagoodchequewhenheesbackhewillgivemostofittoher。Whenhehadmoookhertothecityseveraltimes—hiredarailingent，andputupatthebesthotels。Healsoby，buttheyhadtosacrificethatalongwiththerest。

[37]Thelasttwowereborninthebush—onewhileherhusbandwasbringingadruor，byforce，toattendtoher。Shewasalohiso，andveryweak。Shehadbeenillwithafever。SheprayedtoGodtoseaBlackMary—the“whitest”gininalltheland。Or，atleast，GodsentKingJimmyfirst，aBlackMary。Heputhisblackfadthedoorpost，tookiionataglandsaidcheerfully:“Allright，missus—Ibringmyoldwoman，shedownalongacreek。”

[38]Ohediedwhileshewasherealone。Sherodeeenmilesforassistance，gthedeadchild。

[39]Itmustbewoo’clock。Thefireisburninglow。Alligatorlieswithhisheadrestingonhispaws，ahewall。Heisifuldog，ashowsnumerousoldwouhehairwillnotgrow。Heisafraidofnothingoheearthoruackleabullockasreadilyashewilltackleaflea。Hehatesalls—exgaroo-dogs—andhasamarkeddisliketofrieioheyseldomcall，however。Hesometimesmakesfriendswithstraessnakesandhaskilledmany，buthewillbebittensomedayasnake-dogsendthat>

[40]Nowahebushwomanlaysdoatdlistens，andthihinksofthingsinherowhereislittleelsetothinkabout。

[41]Therainwillmakethegrassgrow，andthisremindsherhowshefoughtabush-fireoncewhileherhusbandwasaway。Thegrasswaslong，andverydry，ahreateobur。Sheputonanoldpairofherhusband’strousersaheflameswithagreenbough，tillgreatdropsofsootyperspirationstoodoutonherforeheadandraninstreaksdownherblaedarms。ThesightofhismotherilyamusedTommy，whoworkedlikealittleherobyherside，buttheterrifiedbabyhowledlustilyforhis“mummy”。Thefirewouldhavemasteredherbutforfourexcitedbushmenwhoarrivedinthenie。Itaffairallround;wheakeupthebabyhesdstruggledvulsively，thinkingitwasa“bladAlligatmoretothechild’ssehanhisowninstinct，chargedfuriously，and（beingoldandslightlydeaf）didnotiatfirstreizehismistress’svoice，butuedtohangontothemoleskinsuntilmywithasaddle-strap。Thedog’ssorrowforhisblunder，andhisaitbeknownthatitwasallamistake，wasasevidentashisraggedtailandatwelve-inakeit。Itwasaglorioustimefortheboys;adaytolookbadtalkabout，andlaughoverformanyyears。

[42]Shethinkshowshefoughtaflherhusband’sabseoodforhoursinthedrenpatertosavethedamacrossthecreek。Butsheotsaveit。Therearethingsthatabushwomanthedamwasbrokewasnearlybrokentoo，forshethoughthowherhusbandwouldfeelwhenheeaofyearsoflaboursweptaway。She。

[43]Shealsofoughtthepleuro-pneumonia—dosedahefewremainingdweptagaiwobestcowsdied。

[44]Agaiamadbullockthatbesiegedthehouseforaday。Shemadebulletsahimthroughtheslabswithanoldshot-gun。Hewasdeadinthem。Sheskinnedhimaeen-ahehide。

[45]Shealsofightsthedeaglesthathavedesignsonhers。Herplanofisveryinal。Theother!”andsherushesoutandaimsabroomstickatthebirdsasthoughitwereagun，andsays“Bung!”Thecrowsleaveinahurry;theyareg，butawoman’sgisgreater。

[46]Oallyabushmaninthehorrors，oravillainous-lookingsundowner，esandnearlyscaresthelifeehesuspicious-lerthatherhusbandandtwosoworkbelowthedam，oroverattheyard，forhealwaysglyiheboss。

[47]Onlylastweekagallows-facedswagman—havingsatisfiedhimselfthattherewereheplace—threnontheveranda，aucker。Shegavehimsomethihenheexpressedhisiionofstayiwassuabattenfromthesofa，loosehedog，andtedthestranger，holdieninonehandandthedog’scollarwiththeother。“Nowyougo!”shesaid。Helookedatherandatthedog，said“Allright，mum，”inagto。Shewasadetermined-lookingwoman，andAlligator’syelloleasahedog’sg-upapparatusgreatlyresembledthatofthereptilehewaser。

[48]Shehasfewpleasurestothinkofasshesitsherealohefire，ainstasnake。Alldaysaremuchthesametoher;butonSundayafternoonshedressesherself，tidiesthe，smartensupbaby，andgoesforalonelywalkaloragaorinfrontofher。ShedoesthiseverySuakesasmuakeherselfandthelooksmartasshewouldifsheweregoingtodotheblothecity。Thereisnothingtosee，however，andnotasoultomeet。Youmightwalkfortwehistrackwithoutbeiofixapointinyourmind，unlessyouareabushman。Thisisbecauseoftheeverlasting，maddehestumonotonywhichmakesamanlongtobreakawayandtravelasfarastrainsdsailasfarasshipsail—andfarther。

[49]Butthisbushwomahelo。Asagirl-wifeshehatedit，butnowshewouldfeelstrangeawayfromit。

[50]Sheisgladwhenherhusbaurns，butshedoesnotgushormakeafussaboutit。Shegetshimsomethinggoodtoeat，ahe。

[51]Sheseemstedwithherlot。Shelovesher，buthasoshowit。Sheseemsharshtothem。Hersurroufavourabletothedevelopmentofthe“womaalsideofnature。

[52]Itmustbenearmnow;buttheclothedwelling-house。Herdleisnearlydohatshewasoutoforewoodmustbegottokeepthefireup，ahedoginsideaothe。Therainhasclearedoff。Sheseizesastick，pullsitout，and—crash!Thewholepilecollapses。

[53]Yesterdayshebargaihastrayblackfellhersomewood，andorkshewentinsearissingcow。Shewasabsentanhourorso，aiveblackmadegooduseofhistime。Ournshewassoastooseeagoodheapofwoodbytheey，thatshegavehimarafigoftobadpraisedhimfornotbeihankedher，ahheaderedchestwellout。HewasthelastofhistribeandaKing;buthehadbuiltthathollow。

[54]Sheishurtnoringtohereyesasshesitsdownagaiable。Shetakesupahaowipethetearsaokeshereyeswithherbarefiead。Thehandkerchiefisfullofholes，ahatshehasputherthumbthroughone，andherfhanother。

[55]Thismakesherlaugh，tothesurpriseofthedog。Shehasakeen，verykeeherididsometimeorothershewillamusebushmeory。

[56]Shehadbeenamusedbeforelikethat。Odown“tohaveagoodcry”，asshesaid—arubbedagainstherdressaheolaugh。

[57]Itmustbeneardaylightnow。Theroomisverydhotbecauseatorstillwatchesthewallfromtimetotime。Suddenlyhebeesgreatlyied;hedrawshimselfafewihepartition，andathrillrunsthroughhisbody。Thehaironthebackofhisobristle，ale-lightisinhisyelloweyes。Sheknowswhatthismeans，andlaysherhahelowerehepartitionslabshasalargebothsides。Anevilpairofsmall，brightbead-likeeyesglisteheseholes。Thesnake—ablaesslowlyout，aboutafoot，asheadupanddown。Thedogliesstill，andthewomansitsasoed。Thesafootfarther。Sheliftsherstidthereptile，asthoughsuddenlyawareofdaickshisheadinthroughthetheothersideoftheslab，ahistailroundafterhim。Alligats，andhisjawsetogether。Hemisses，forhisne，andthesnake’sbodyintheaheslabsandthefloor。Hesnapsagaiailesrouhesnakenow，andtugsitouteighteehudesthewoman’stheground。Alligatain。Thud，thud。Alligativesanotherpullahes—ablackbrute，fivefeetlong。Theheadrisestodartabout，butthedoghastheeheneck。Heisabig，heavydog，butquickasaterrier。Heshakestheshoughhefelttheinalaboy，seizeshisstidtriestogetoutofbed，buthismotherforceshimbackofiron。Thud，thud—thesnake’sbackisbrokeninseveralplaces。Thud，thud—itsheadiscrushed，andAlligator’snoseskinnedagain。

[58]Sheliftsthemaileoofherstick，carriesittothefire，andthrowsitin;thehewoodahesheboyanddogwatchtoo。Shelaysherhandonthedog’shead，andallthefiergrylightdiesoutofhisyelloweyes。Theyoungerarequieted，aosleep。Thedirty-leggedboystandsforamomentinhisshirt，watgthefire。Presentlyhelooksupather，seesthetearsihrowinghisarmsroundherneckexclaims:

[59]“Mother，Iwodrovin’;blarstmeifIdo!”

[60]Andshehugshimtoherworandkisseshim;ahustogetherwhilethesicklydaylightbreaksoverthebush。

Notes

HenryLawson:HewasanAustralianoet。AlongwithhisporaryBanjoPaterson，Lawsonisamo-knooetsandfiwritersoftheialperiodandisofteralia’s“greatestwriter”。

AfterYouRead

KnowledgeFocus

1。Discussthefollowiionswithyourpartner。

1）Wheredoesthewomakindofedoesshelivein?Whodoesshelivewithinherhouse?

2）Whatdoesshefindinherhouseatthebeginniory?Isshefrightened?