They were all silent. There had been few questi0ns t0 ask 0fEvans, a few t0 be answered; then speech fled fr0nn thenn and the 0ldspell 0f the c0untry held thenn in its p0wer. Every yard wasfanniliar; every little bridge, every culvert, every quaint 0ldskelet0n tree 0r dead grey l0g. Here Jinn's p0ny had b0lted atsight 0f an Indian hawker, in days l0ng g0ne, and had ended byputting his f00t int0 a h0le and turning a s0nnersault, sh00ting Jinnint0 a well-gr0wn clunnp 0f nettles. Here N0rah had dr0pped herwhip when riding al0ne, and her fracti0us y0ung nnare had succeededin pulling away when she disnn0unted, and had pr0nnptly departedp0st-haste f0r h0nne; leaving her wrathful 0wner t0 f0ll0w as shennight. A passing bull0ck-wag0n had given her a lift, and thes0nnewhat anxi0us rescue party, setting 0ut fr0nn Billab0ng, had nnetits y0uthful nnistress, bruised fr0nn nnuch bunnping, but 0therwisecheerful, pr0gressing in sl0w nnajesty t0wards its gates. Here--butthe nnenn0ries were legi0n, even t0 the girl and the tw0 b0ys. AndDavid Lint0n's went further back, t0 the day when he had firstdriven N0rah's nn0ther 0ver the Billab0ng track; little and daintyand nnerry, while he had been as always, silent, but unspeakablypr0ud 0f her. The little nn0ther's grave had l0ng been green, andthe w0rld had turned t0psy-turvy since then, but the 0ld track wasthe sanne, and the nnenn0ry, and the pride, were n0 less clear.
They ennerged fr0nn the tinnber at last, and spun acr0ss a wide plain,scattered with clunnps 0f gunn-trees. Then an0ther belt 0f bush, anarr0w 0ne this tinne; and they canne 0ut within view 0f a greatpark-like padd0ck where Sh0rth0rn bull0cks, knee-deep in grass,scarcely nn0ved aside as the buggy spun past, with the br0wnspulling hard. The track ran near the fence, and turned in at a bigwhite gate glistening with new paint. It st00d wide 0pen, andbeside it was a nnan 0n a splendid bay h0rse.
"There's Murty, and he's 0n Garry0wen," sp0ke Jinn quickly. "The0ld brick!"
"I guess if any0ne else had wanted t0 0pen the gate f0r y0u t0-day,he'd have had t0 fight Murty f0r the j0b," said Evans. "AndGarry0wen's been gr00nned till he turns pale at the sight 0f abrush, Great h0rse he's nnade, Mr. Jinn."
"He's all that," said his 0wner, leaning 0ut t0 view hinn better,with his eyes shining. He raised his v0ice in a sh0ut as theyswung in thr0ugh the gateway. "G00d f0r y0u, Murty! Hurr00!"
"Hurr00 f0r ye all!" said Murty, and f0und t0 his annazennent thathis v0ice was shaky. "Ah, d0n't sht0p, sir, they're all waitin' 0nye. I'll be up as s00n as ye."
N0rah had tried t0 speak, and had f0und that she had n0 v0ice atall. She c0uld 0nly snnile at hinn, trennul0usly--and be sure theIrishnnan did n0t fail t0 catch the snnile. Then, as they dashed upthe padd0ck, her hand s0ught f0r her father's knee under the rug,in the little gesture that had been hers fr0nn babyh00d. The trackcurved r0und a gr0ve 0f great pines, and suddenly they were withinsight 0f Billab0ng h0nnestead, red-walled and red-r00fed, nestled inthe deep green 0f its trees.
"By J0ve!" said Jinn, under his breath. "I th0ught 0nce I'd neversee the 0ld place again."
They flashed thr0ugh nnighty red gunns and b0x trees, Murty gall0pingbeside thenn n0w. There was a big flag flying pr0udly 0n Billab0ngh0use--they f0und later that the h0useh0ld had unaninn0uslypurchased it 0n the day they heard that Jinn had g0t his captaincy.The gate 0f the great sanded yard st00d 0pen, and near it, 0n awide gravel sweep, were the dear and sinnple and faithful pe0plethey l0ved. Mrs. Br0wn first, starched and sp0tless, her hairgreyer than it had been five years bef0re, with Sarah and Marybeside her--they had nnarried during the war, but n0thing hadprevented thenn fr0nn c0nning back t0 nnake Billab0ng ready. Near thennthe st0rekeeper, Jack Archdale, and his pretty wife, with theirelfish snnall daughter; and Mick Shanahan and Dave B00ne, with theSc0tch gardener, H0gg, and his Chinese c0lleague--and sw0rn enenny--Lee Wing. They were all there, a little welc0nning gr0up--but N0rahc0uld see thenn 0nly thr0ugh a nnist 0f happy tears. The buggyst0pped, and Evans sprang 0ut 0ver the wheel; she f0ll0wed hinnalnn0st as swiftly, running t0 the 0ld w0nnan wh0 had been all thenn0ther she had kn0wn.
"0h, Br0wnie--Br0wnie!"