"That's the style," he added, when I began to laugh in spite of my
disappointment, "We'll soon get you educated up to it."
But already the Sanguine Scot had found the bright side of the situation,
and reminded us that we were in the Land of Plenty of Time. "There's
time enough for everything in the Never-Never," he said. "She'll have
many a pleasant ride along the Reach choosing trees for timber. Catching
the hare's often the best part of the fun."
Mac's cheery optimism always carried all before it. Pleasant rides
through shady forest-ways seemed a fair recompense for a little delay;
and my spirits went up with a bound, to be dashed down again the next
moment by Dan.
"We haven't got to the beginning of things yet," he interrupted,
following up the line of thought the Maluka had at first suggested.
"Before any trees are cut down, we'll have to dig a saw-pit and find a
pit-sawyer." Dan was not a pessimist; he only liked to dig down to the
very root of things, besides objecting to sugar-coated pills as being a
hindrance to education.
But the Dandy had joined the group, and being practical, suggested
"trying to get hold of little Johnny," declaring that "he would make
things hum in no time."
Mac happened to know that Johnny was "inside" somewhere on a job, and it
was arranged that Dan should go in to the Katherine at once for nails and
"things," and to see if the telegraph people could find out Johnny's
whereabouts down the line, and send him along.
