Sarah Thornhill Read Online Free PDF Page B

the face, yes, but the men who worked the ships all got dark. A heaviness round the brow. That might tell you. And the colour of his eyes. A greeny colour, very bright against his skin.
    But he was no different from the rest of us. Talked about the blacks the same way everyone did. They were strange to him the same way they were strange to us. He knew Mrs Langland wasn’t his real ma. But he’d never known the native woman. She died when he was too young.
    He was on the outer in that family, though. Called Mrs Langland Ma , but she had no warmth for him, and there was no love lost between Jack and his half-brothers and sisters. Didn’t know them that well, because he’d been away on the ships since he was a lad, didn’t have the easy life they’d had.
    Jack was younger than Will by a good few years, he’d of been around fifteen when I first got to know him, and Will into his twenties. I was only a girl still, seven or eight. The two of them like brothers, everything about them on a grand scale. Both of them deep in the chest and wide across the shoulder. Black beards, and faces burnt from the sun and the salt. Worked side by side on Industry , Jack a match for many an older man.
    When Industry put in to Sydney they’d stop with us till she sailed again. Come up the river on someone’s boat if they could, or on the new road, catch rides off the wagons. Jack would be with us for a night or two, then he’d borrow one of Pa’s skiffs.
    Off to Langlands now, he’d say. Back in a few days.
    That’s what he called it, Langlands.
    Don’t think anyone at Langlands cared if Jack visited or not. But it was the right thing to do, visit your kin, so that’s what he did. Be back from Langlands a few days later, with us the rest of the time.
    Pa and Jack sat by the hour with their pipes. Will with them sometimes, but more often away up and down the river visiting, a sociable feller our Will.
    Jack knew as much about the weather and boats as Pa, but clever enough to make out he didn’t.
    In for a bit of a blow, Pa would say and whether Jack agreed or not he’d say, Yes, Mr Thornhill, looks that way.
    A rough unlettered man, but had a natural courtesy.
    Pa thought Jack Langland was near as good as a son of his own. That Jack Langland, he’d say, good a man as ever you’d find. Honest as three men.
    Ma not so warm.
    Well Jack, here you are again, she’d say when he first arrived with Will. Be off to see your pa and Mrs Langland directly I expect.
    Pa would come in very hearty. Your ma and pa can do without you for a time, he’d say. Stop with us long as you like, Jack lad.
    We had a dog, white with dark speckles all over and silky black ears. Jack was always a soft touch for a dog. Now get away off! he’d say when it lay on his feet, and it’d stand up and turn round, but next thing it’d be lying closer than before. Wherever Jack was, that speckled dog would have its paws one over the other, grinning up at him with its black lips as if he was the best thing in the world.

    Will and Jack kept us entertained of an evening, the fire flickering shadows about the parlour. The ship’s biscuits so full of maggots they was rich as a Welsh rabbit when you roasted them. The weather so hard the trees grew on a slant.
    Get away, Johnny said. Pull the other one!
    So Will and Jack stood on the hearthrug leaning sideways together being the trees of windy New Zealand, but we still didn’t know if they was having a lend of us.
    Now what about the seals, Pa said. How would you go about the killing?
    They’ll be on the rocks with a flipper in the air, Will said. Like they’re waving good-day. Get your stick, one good whack on the nose. Not spoil the skin, see.
    Then what, Bub said. Peg them out or salt them down or what?
    Peg them out, salt them down, the both, Jack said. Got to peg them out perfect to get the good price.
    What would a skin be worth,