An Outback Marriage · Chapter
Considine explained
Carew and Gordon find Considine, who signs over his land rights.
What happens
Carew and Gordon find Considine, who signs over his land rights. Carew reveals that Considine is heir to a fortune in England. Considine celebrates with rum, then reveals he is already married to a woman he met at Pike's pub, which complicates his plans to take his two Aboriginal companions, Maggie and Lucy, to England.
Themes in this chapter
Colonial Identity and the Bush
Considine's lifestyle, his relationship with Aboriginal women, and his disdain for English hunting customs illustrate the divide between bush life and English society.
Deception and Fraud
Considine's marriage under a false name (Keogh) raises questions about the validity of the marriage and potential fraud.
Survival and Resilience
Considine's ability to endure isolation, hard work, and physical hardship in the bush exemplifies survival and resilience.
Characters to notice
- Patrick Henry Considine
Revealed as the missing heir; signs over his land; discloses his marriage to a woman at Pike's pub.
- Mr. Carew
Identifies Considine as the heir; struggles with the hard ground while camping.
- Charlie Gordon
Witnesses the signing and the revelation of Considine's inheritance.
- Ah Loy
Drinks rum slowly; described as a connoisseur of the spirit.
- Maggie Donohoe
One of Considine's Aboriginal companions; drinks rum with the others.
- Lucy
Considine's other Aboriginal companion; drinks rum and is described as a good horse-hunter.
Key passages
“So I goes after 'em down the river to the lagoons, and there was hundreds of blacks; but these two beauties had heard me coming, and was planted in the reeds, and the other blacks, of course, they says, 'No more' when I arst them.”
I chased them down to the lagoons where many Aboriginal people were camped, but the two women had hidden in the reeds, and the others denied knowing where they were.
Considine describes pursuing his Aboriginal companions after they ran away.
“I married her under the name of Keogh, though. Will that make any difference?”
I used the name Keogh when I married her. Does that affect the legality?
Considine questions the validity of his marriage due to using a false name.
“I'm alive all right, I believe. But look, Mister—you aren't trying to take the loan of me? Is this straight?”
I'm definitely alive. But are you sure you're not playing a trick on me? Is this genuine?
Considine expresses disbelief at the news of his inheritance.