Easu searched Jack's face intently with his pale-blue eyes.
"How's that?" he asked curtly.
Jack stared at the red, heavy face with the smallish eyes, and thought to himself: "You pig! You intolerable white fat pig!" But aloud he said nothing.
Easu smiled a defeated grin, and strode away heavily to his horse. He unhitched, swung heavily into the saddle, and moved away, then at a little distance reined in to hear what Jack and Herbert were talking about. He couldn't go.
Herbert was giving Jack directions, how to find Joe Low down Busselton way. Then he sent various items of news to his old pal. But he asked Jack no questions, and was careful to avoid any kind of enquiry concerning Jack's business.
Easu sat on his black horse a little way off, listening. He had a rope and an axe tied to his saddle. Presumably he was going into the bush. Herbert was asking questions about the North-West, about the cattle stations and the new mines. He talked as if he would like to talk all day. And Jack answered freely, laughing easily and making a joke of everything. They spoke of Perth, and Jack told how Tom and he had been at the Governor's ball a few nights ago, and what a change it was from the North-West, and how Tom enjoyed himself. Herbert listened, impressed.
"Gosh! That's something to rag old Tom about!" he said.
"When you've done gassing there!" called Easu.
Jack turned and looked at him.
"You don't have to wait," he said easily, as if to a servant.