No Compromise

While Gavan Blake was conferring with his clients, a very different
sort of conference was being held at Kuryong. The return of Charlie
Gordon, accompanied by Carew, had been voted by common consent an
occasion for holiday; and although, according to theory, a bush
holiday is invariably spent in kangaroo-hunting, yet the fact is
that men who are in the saddle from daylight to dark, from week-end
to week-end, generally spend a holiday resting legs that are cramped
from the saddle, and arms that ache from lifting sheep over hurdles
or swinging the gates of drafting-yards.

Thus it was that, on the holiday at Kuryong, the Bachelors' Quarters--two
large dormitory-like rooms that opened into one another--were full
of athletic male figures sprawling on the beds, smoking black pipes
all day, and yarning interminably. The main topic of conversation
was Peggy's claim against the estate. They had all heard the rumours
that were going round; each had quietly been trying to find out what
Peggy had to go on, and this pow-wow was utilised for the purpose
of comparing notes. They had one advantage over Gavan Blake--they
knew all about Considine, which Blake did not.

On one bed lay Pinnock, who had come up to make arrangements for
carrying on the station till the will was proved. On another bed
sprawled Carew, who, by virtue of his trip out back, was looked
upon as a bit of an oracle by Poss and Binjie, who had never been
further than the mountains. Poss and Binjie had dragged an old
couch out of the next room and were stretched on that, listening
to the talk, and occasionally throwing in a word of such wisdom
as they had. Hugh sat in an armchair by the window, smoking and
dreaming.