CHAPTER IV


The swim being beyond the horses, they were left hobbled out on the north
banks, to wait for the river to fall, and after another swift race down
and across stream, Mine Host landed every one safely on the south side of
the flood, and soon we were clambering up the steep track that led from
the river to the "Pub."

Coming up from the river, the Katherine Settlement appeared to consist
solely of the "Pub" and its accompanying store; but beyond the "Pub,"
which, by the way, seemed to be hanging on to its own verandah posts for
support, we found an elongated, three-roomed building, nestling under
deep verandahs, and half-hidden beneath a grove of lofty scarlet
flowering ponchianas.

"The Cottage is always set apart for distinguished visitors," Mine Host
said, bidding us welcome with another smile, but never a hint that he was
placing his own private quarters at our disposal. Like all bushmen, he
could be delicately reticent when conferring a favour; but a forgotten
razor-strop betrayed him later on.

In the meantime we discovered the remainder of the Settlement from the
Cottage verandahs, spying out the Police Station as it lurked in ambush
just round the first bend in a winding bush track--apparently keeping
one eye on the "Pub"; and then we caught a gleam of white roofs away
beyond further bends in the track, where the Overland Telegraph
"Department" stood on a little rise, aloof from the "Pub" and the Police,
shut away from the world, yet attending to its affairs, and,
incidentally, to those of the bush-folk: a tiny Settlement, with a tiny