A SKETCH OF MATESHIP

Bill and Jim, professional shearers, were coming into Bourke from the Queensland side. They were horsemen and had two packhorses. At the last camp before Bourke Jim’s packhorse got disgusted and home-sick during the night and started back for the place where he was foaled. Jim was little more than a new-chum jackaroo; he was no bushman and generally got lost when he went down the next gully. Bill was a bushman, so it was decided¹ that he should go back to look for the horse.

 

Now Bill was going to sell his packhorse, a well-bred mare², in Bourke, and he was anxious to get her into the yards before the horse sales were over; this was to be the last day of the sales. Jim was the best “barracker” of the two; he had great imagination; he was a very entertaining story-teller and conversationalist in social life, and a glib³ and a most impressive liar⁴ in business, so it was decided that he should hurry on into Bourke with the mare and sell her for Bill. Seven pounds, reserve.

 

Next day Bill turned up with the missing horse and saw Jim standing⁵ against a veranda-post of the Carriers’ Arms, with his hat down over his eyes, and thoughtfully spitting in the dust. Bill rode over to him.

 

“’Ullo, Jim.”

 

“’Ullo, Bill. I see you got him.”

 

“Yes, I got him.”

 

Pause.

 

“Where’d yer find him?”

 

“’Bout ten mile back. Near Ford’s Bridge. He was just feedin’ along.”

 

Pause. Jim shifted his feet and spat⁶ in the dust.

 

“Well,” said Bill at last. “How did you get on, Jim?”

 

“Oh, all right,” said Jim. “I sold the mare.”

 

“That’s right,” said Bill. “How much did she fetch?”

 

“Eight quid;” then, rousing himself a little and showing some emotion, “An’ I could ’a’ got ten quid for her if I hadn’t been a dam’ fool.”

 

“Oh, that’s good enough,” said Bill.

 

“I could ’a’ got ten quid if I’d ’a’ waited.”

 

“Well, it’s no use cryin’. Eight quid is good enough. Did you get the stuff?”

 

“Oh, yes. They parted all right. If I hadn’t been such a dam’ fool an’ rushed it, there was a feller that would ’a’ given ten quid for that mare.”

 

“Well, don’t break yer back about it,” said Bill. “Eight is good enough.”

 

“Yes. But I could ’a’ got ten,” said Jim, languidly, putting his hand in his pocket.

 

Pause. Bill sat waiting for him to hand over the money; but Jim withdrew his hand empty, stretched, and said:

 

“Ah, well, Bill, I done it in. Lend us a couple o’ notes.”

 

Jim had been drinking and gambling⁷ all night and he’d lost the eight pounds as well as his own money.

 

Bill didn’t explode. What was the use? He should have known that Jim wasn’t to be trusted with money in town. It was he who had been the fool. He sighed and lent Jim a pound, and they went in to have a drink.

 

Now it strikes me that if this had happened in a civilized⁸ country (like England) Bill would have had Jim arrested and jailed for larceny⁹ as a bailee, or embezzlement¹⁰, or whatever it was. And would Bill or Jim or the world have been any better for it?

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

3 glib   

adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的

参考例句：

• His glib talk sounds as sweet as a song.他说的比唱的还好听。
• The fellow has a very glib tongue.这家伙嘴油得很。

4 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

7 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

8 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

9 larceny   

n.盗窃（罪）

参考例句：

• The man was put in jail for grand larceny.人因重大盗窃案而被监禁。
• It was an essential of the common law crime of larceny.它是构成普通法中的盗窃罪的必要条件。

10 embezzlement   

n.盗用，贪污

参考例句：

• He was accused of graft and embezzlement and was chained and thrown into prison.他因被指控贪污盗窃而锒铛入狱。
• The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement of funds.法官因他盗用公款将其送入监牢。