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The air was brilliantly clear as is often the case in the mountains during the fall of the year. The man sat relaxed on the bullock cart as he made his slow way into Arrowtown. He made these journeys twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring. Life was hard but simple on the rugged hill farm at the turn of the century. He had few needs and even fewer wants. He pondered over his life as he often did on these trips and thought how different life would have been had his beloved wife Helga been still alive. They had come to this remote part of the world with such dreams of running a high country sheep farm. It was true he still had his dreams but Helga lay buried with the child that had cost her life. He mentally shook himself to get rid of these sad thoughts.
Then he looked at his two greatest companions in life. One a rather small black and white collie named Moss and a larger dog of unidentified breed named Bing which many would term a mongrel. His dogs, he thought, were almost human. He talked constantly to them and told them of his problems. He looked at Bing and noticed he had a slight limp. He made a mental note to get something for him when in town. He patted them both and told them it wasn’t much further to go. One of the many things he enjoyed at the end of these trips was a drink of cool beer at one of the local Hotels. As it was the only town for miles around there were plenty to choose from. They included the Golden Age, Morning Star, Evening Star, New Orleans, Royal Oak, Provincial and the Bully Hayes Hotel. These were needed to serve the gold miners who came here from all parts of the world. He knew it was not only beer that was offered on these premises. However that did not interest him that part of his life had died along with wife.
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She ate heartily of the breakfast that Too Gum had prepared and then she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. ‘Now I think you are owed an explanation. When I first saw you yesterday I intended to take the coach to Dunedin, but I was early and so I decided to go for a walk first. I had a lot of things on my mind and I thought a good walk would help me sort things out. I walked and walked without realizing where I was going and then suddenly becoming aware of the time I realized I had taken the wrong turning and I was lost. I had seen you pass by earlier presumably on your way home and I assumed that there must be something down this road and I carried on. Then it became night and I was desperately afraid to even sit down and rest. Then I saw your camp fire, but that is all I remember.’
‘You saw me yesterday on the road. Why didn’t you stop me then, where was this anyway I never saw you.’
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