Up the Country: A Saga of Pioneering Days

The next dawn showed a considerable lowering of the floodwaters, though the main streams were still far from navigable. Bert, Richard, and George Stanton's brother Jack went out early on horseback, exploring in various directions. On their return, Richard reported that he had seen the punt caught in the debris at one of the elbow turns of the Yarrabongo, and that there was also a boat caught behind a log at the same place. Sadly, Jack Stanton told of finding Joseph's creamy pony drowned and jammed against an uprooted tree. At this news, Joseph raised such a howl of bereavement that Bert said, "Don't make such a noise, old buffer. I'll bring you a new pony next time I come. There are whole mobs of ponies at the Head of the Rivers. What would you like--a skewbald or a piebald or a--"

-"He'll have none of those ponies, thank you," interrupted Joseph's father, rather more sharply than the occasion demanded. But the rebuff passed over Bert; Mazere was afraid that a wild pony would not be sufficiently gentled for the little boy, he surmised. Only Charlotte was hurt, for she knew from her father-in-law's tone that Bert was not finding favour as she had hoped.