As this was being told, a good deal was said of Harry Heathcote.

Nokes declared that he had come right across Gangoil, and explained that he would not have been at all sorry to meet Master Heathcote in the bush.

Master Heathcote had had his own way up at the station when he was backed by a lot of his own hands; but a good time was coming, perhaps.

Then Nokes gave it to be understood very plainly that it was the settled practice of his life to give Harry Heathcote a thrashing.
During all this there was an immense amount of bad language, and a large portion of the art which in the colony is called "blowing." Jerry, Boscobel, and Nokes all boasted, each that on the first occasion he would give Harry Heathcote such a beating that a whole bone should hardly be left in the man's skin.
"There isn't one of you man enough to touch him," said Joe, who was known as the freest fighter of the Brownbie family.
"And you'd eat him, I suppose," said Jerry.
"He's not likely to come in my way," said Joe; "but if he does, he'll get as good as he brings.

That's all." This was unpleasant to the visitors, who, of course, felt themselves to be snubbed.