我们的斯基塔结婚了，我们的斯基塔!她是这个地方的假小子和宠儿，我们再也不会像一个少女那样欢迎她，她那张娇小的脸再也不会照亮客厅的阴冷;她那双灵巧的小手再也不会为那些去南方的旅行者奉上饮料;不再将她粗糙的糠,微笑着把他们送走,不再将马登她的爱人,认真地,用柔弱的诡计——从大非真实的“王子”,轻触的嘴唇和手,永远奴役她——一个有权势的大胡子和晒黑的地方死亡的白色幻影舞蹈的舞蹈在平原,与太阳的光芒在他的目光,西方的欲望在他的静脉;当舌头在嘴唇上干裂的时候，他谈到了长时间的干旱;当他在危险的旅途中疾驰时，他和那些可怜的黑鬼打架。他是一个柔弱的、在沙漠中长大的流浪者，没有什么值得称赞的，只有一点:他是她的偶像，她的情人，他用一个吻拴住了她的心。他们结了婚，他把她带到沃伦，在那里，她对他的爱感到满足;但是城市生活对他来说太陌生了，所以他又回到了马车上:一个人在维克的边界上。从科布那里买了一些牛。 And gave Harry Parker the order to go to ?the Gulf? for the mob: And he went, for he held her love cheaper than his wish to re-live the old life, Or his reason might have been deeper - I called it deserting his wife. Then one morning his horses were mustered, the start on the journey was made - A clatter, an oath through the dust heard, was the last of the long cavalcade. As we stood by the stockyard assembled, poor child, how she strove to be brave! But yet I could see how she trembled at the careless farewell that he gave. We brought her back home on the morrow, but none of us ever may learn Of the fight that she fought to keep sorrow at bay till her husband's return. He had gone, but the way of his going, `twas that which she dwelt on with pain - Careless kiss, though there sure was no knowing, when or where he might kiss her again. He had ridden away and had left her a woman, in all but in years, Of her girlhood?s gay hopes had bereft her, and left in their place nought but tears. Yet still, as the months passed, a treasure was brought her by Love, ere he fled, And garments of infantile measure she fashioned with needle and thread; She fashioned with linen and laces and ribbons a nest for her bird, While colour returned to her face as the bud of maternity stirred. It blossomed and died; we arrayed it in all its soft splendour of white, And sorrowing took it and laid it in the earth whence it sprung, out of sight. She wept not at all, only whitened, as Death, in his pitiless quest, Leant over her pillow and tightened the throat of the child at her breast. She wept not, her soul was too tired, for waiting is harrowing work, And then I bethought me and wired away to the agents in Bourke; 'Twas little enough I could glean there; 'twas little enough that they knew - They answered he hadn't been seen there, but might in a week, perchance two. She wept not at all, only whitened with staring too long at the night: There was only one time when she brightened, that time when red dust hove in sight, And settled and hung on the backs of the cattle, and altered their spots, While the horses swept up, with their packs of blue blankets and jingling pots. She always was set upon meeting those boisterous cattle-men, lest Her husband had sent her a greeting by one of them, in from the West. Not one of them ever owned to him, or seemed to remember the name (The truth was they all of them knew him, but wouldn't tell her of his shame) But never, though long time she waited, did her faith in the faithless grow weak, And each time the outer door grated, an eager flush sprang to her cheek ? 'Twasn't he, and it died with a flicker, and then what I had long dreaded came: I was serving two drovers with liquor when one of them mentioned his name. "Oh, yes!" said the other one, winking, "on the Paroo I saw him, he'd been In Eulo a fortnight then, drinking, and driving about with "The Queen" While the bullocks were going to glory, and his billet was not worth a G --- d --- ;? I told him to cut short the story, as I pulled-to the door with a slam - Too late! for the words were loud-spoken, and Skeeta was out in the hall, Then I knew that a girl's heart was broken, as I heard a low cry an