‘I am glad,’ said Edgar. ‘Ben Brody is a real good sort; he’s a rough diamond, but I like him better than if he were polished.’
The hands on Yanda were in high glee about Ben leaving them for a time. They fancied the mutton diet would be knocked off, but Ben said he should leave strict injunctions behind about that.
The time passed quickly, and the morning the Cuzco was to leave Circular Quay a large crowd of people assembled to see the New South Wales members of the team leave for London. There was so much hand-shaking, and so many parting good-byes, that Edgar felt sure some of them would be left behind.
Wal Jessop and his wife brought Eva down to see Edgar off, and the child did not like to see him leave her in the big steamer.
‘I will come back for you, Eva,’ said Edgar; ‘I promise you I will come back. Be a good girl while I am away, and I will bring you back the best doll I can find in London.’
‘With brown hair, and blue eyes?’ said Eva.
‘Yes,’ said Edgar. ‘It shall have bonny blue eyes, and bright brown hair like yours, Eva.’
He took her in his arms, and kissed her over and over again, and then handed her to Mrs. Jessop. Just as the gangway was about to be raised they saw a tall figure flying up it with long strides. It was Ben Brody.
‘You nearly missed us,’ said Edgar, laughing. ‘Where have you been? I thought I saw you on board some time back.’
‘So I was,’ said Ben, gasping for breath; ‘but I left my ‘bacca behind in a box at the hotel, and I’d sooner have gone back to Yanda than been on board without my usual brand.’