Her huge, thick fingers twinkled with opal rings; from each of her ears there dangled an opal earring the size of a form; her old dress was secured round her thick, muscular neck by a brooch that looked like an opal quarry, and whenever she turned to the sun she flashed out rays like a lighthouse.
Her face was fat and red, full of a sort of good-humoured ferocity; she moved like a queen among the bystanders, and shook hands gravely with each and all of them.

She was hot, but very dignified.

Evidently she was preparing to start in the coach, for she packed into the vehicle with jealous care a large carpet-bag of garish colouring that seemed to harmonise well with the opals.

While she was packing this away, Charlie and Carew went into the store, and bought such supplies as were needed for the establishment at No Man's Land.

Gordon took the opportunity to ask the shock-headed old storekeeper, Pike's deputy, some questions about the lady, who was still scintillating between the coach and the house, carrying various small articles each trip.
"Don't yer know 'er ?" said the man, in much the same tone that Bret Harte's hero must have used when he was so taken aback to find that a stranger-- "Didn't know Flynn,-- Flynn of Virginia." "Don't yer know 'er ?" he repeated, pausing in his task of scooping some black cockroachy sugar from the bottom of a bin.