Mr.M'Intyre looked quite surprised.

But Mr.Falkland praised us up, and was proud we were going to turn over a new leaf.
Nobody could say at that time we didn't work.

Fencing, dam-making, horse-breaking, stock-riding, from making hay to building a shed, all bushwork came easy enough to us, Jim in particular; he took a pleasure in it, and was never happier than when he'd had a real tearing day's work and was settling himself after his tea to a good steady smoke.

A great smoker he'd come to be.

He never was much for drinking except now and again, and then he could knock it off as easy as any man I ever seen.