He was holding an earnest argument with Joe...Still the crowd waited.

Still Dad and Joe argued the point...There was a murmur and a movement and much merriment.

Dad was coming; so was Joe--perched behind him, "double bank," rapidly wiping the tears from his eyes with his knuckles.
Hooray! They were off.

Paddy Maloney and Dave took the lead, heading for kangaroo country along the foot of Dead Man's Mountain and through Smith's paddock, where there was a low wire fence to negotiate.

Paddy spread his coat over it and jumped his mare across.