"I thank you," said Kentish, seating himself tailorwise within arm's length of Stingaree's spurs. "Now, if you will feel in the breast-pocket of my coat you will find a case of very fair cigars—J. S. Murias—not too strong. I shall be honored if you will help yourself and throw me one."
Stingaree took the one, and handed the case with no ungraceful acknowledgment to its owner; but before Mr. Kentish could return the courtesy by proffering his cigar-cutter, the bushranger had produced his razor from a pocket of the white jacket, and sliced off the end with that.
"So you shave every day in the wilds," remarked the other, handing his match-box instead. "And I gave it up on my voyage."
"I alter myself from time to time," said Stingaree, as he struck a light.
"It must be a wonderful life!"
But Stingaree lit up without a word, and Kentish had the wit to do the same. They smoked in silence for some minutes. A gray ash had grown on each cigar before Kentish demanded an opinion of the brand.
"To tell you the truth," said Stingaree, "I have smoked strong trash so many years that I can scarcely taste it."
And he peered rather pathetically through his glass.
"Didn't the same apply to Punch?"
"No; I have always read the papers when I could," said Stingaree, and suddenly he was smiling. "That's one reason why I make a specialty of sticking up the mail," he explained.