Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python, Global Edition Mark J. Guzdial instant download
Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python, Global Edition Mark J. Guzdial instant download
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computing-and-
programming-in-python-global-edition-mark-j-guzdial/
https://textbookfull.com/product/a-concise-introduction-to-
programming-in-python-second-edition-mark-j-johnson/
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-scientific-
programming-with-python-joakim-sundnes/
https://textbookfull.com/product/bite-size-python-an-
introduction-to-python-programming-1st-edition-april-speight/
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computing-and-
problem-solving-using-python-1st-edition-e-balaguruswamy/
Introduction to Computation and Programming Using
Python 3rd Edition John V. Guttag
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computation-and-
programming-using-python-3rd-edition-john-v-guttag/
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computation-and-
programming-using-python-3rd-edition-john-v-guttag-2/
https://textbookfull.com/product/python-programming-an-
introduction-to-computer-science-john-m-zelle/
https://textbookfull.com/product/how-to-design-programs-an-
introduction-to-programming-and-computing-matthias-felleisen/
https://textbookfull.com/product/introduction-to-computation-and-
programming-using-python-with-application-to-understanding-data-
guttag/
Introduction to
Computing and
Programming
TM
in Python
A MULTIMEDIA APPROACH
Fourth Edition
Global Edition
MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY OF THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THE DOCUMENTS AND RELATED GRAPHICS PUBLISHED AS PART OF THE SERVICES FOR ANY PURPOSE. ALL SUCH
DOCUMENTS AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS
RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION,
INCLUDING ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE
SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING
FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION,
ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM THE SERVICES. THE
DOCUMENTS AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED HEREIN COULD INCLUDE TECHNICAL INACCURACIES OR TYPOGRAPHICAL
ERRORS. CHANGES ARE PERIODICALLY ADDED TO THE INFORMATION HEREIN. MICROSOFT AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS
MAY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND/OR CHANGES IN THE PRODUCT(S) AND/OR THE PROGRAM(S) DESCRIBED HEREIN AT ANY TIME.
PARTIAL SCREEN SHOTS MAY BE VIEWED IN FULL WITHIN THE SOFTWARE VERSION SPECIFIED.
The rights of Mark J. Guzdial and Barbara Ericson to be identified as the authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Authorized adaptation from the United States edition, entitled Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python™ : A Multimedia Approach, Fourth
Edition, ISBN 9780134025544, by Mark J. Guzdial and Barbara Ericson published by Pearson Education © 2016.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a license permitting restricted copying in
the United Kingdom issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6−10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. The use of any trademark in this text does not vest in the author or publisher any
trademark ownership rights in such trademarks, nor does the use of such trademarks imply any affiliation with or endorsement of this book by such owners.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1 INTRODUCTION 25
1 Introduction to Computer Science and Media
Computation 27
1.1 What Is Computer Science About? 27
1.2 Programming Languages 30
1.3 What Computers Understand 33
1.4 Media Computation: Why Digitize Media? 35
1.5 Computer Science for Everyone 37
1.5.1 It’s About Communication 37
1.5.2 It’s About Process 37
1.5.3 You Will Probably Need It 38
2 Introduction to Programming 42
2.1 Programming Is About Naming 42
2.1.1 Files and Their Names 44
2.2 Programming in Python 45
2.3 Programming in JES 46
2.4 Media Computation in JES 47
2.4.1 Showing a Picture 51
2.4.2 Playing a Sound 54
2.4.3 Naming Values 54
2.5 Making a Program 57
2.5.1 Functions: Real Math-Like Functions That Take
Input 61
6 Contents
2 SOUND 225
7 Modifying Sounds Using Loops 227
7.1 How Sound Is Encoded 227
7.1.1 The Physics of Sound 227
7.1.2 Investigating Different Sounds 230
7.1.3 Encoding the Sound 235
7.1.4 Binary Numbers and Two’s Complement 236
7.1.5 Storing Digitized Sounds 237
7.2 Manipulating Sounds 239
7.2.1 Open Sounds and Manipulating Samples 239
7.2.2 Using the JES MediaTools 242
7.2.3 Looping 243
7.3 Changing the Volume of Sounds 244
8 Contents
4 MOVIES 407
14 Creating and Modifying Movies 409
14.1 Generating Animations 410
14.2 Working with Video Source 419
14.2.1 Video Manipulating Examples 419
14.3 Building a Video Effect Bottom-Up 423
15 Speed 430
15.1 Focusing on Computer Science 430
15.2 What Makes Programs Fast? 430
15.2.1 What Computers Really Understand 431
15.2.2 Compilers and Interpreters 432
15.2.3 What Limits Computer Speed? 436
15.2.4 Does It Really Make a Difference? 438
15.2.5 Making Searching Faster 441
15.2.6 Algorithms That Never Finish or Can’t Be Written 443
15.2.7 Why Is Photoshop Faster than JES? 444
15.3 What Makes a Computer Fast? 444
15.3.1 Clock Rates and Actual Computation 445
15.3.2 Storage: What Makes a Computer Slow? 446
15.3.3 Display 447
Contents 11
APPENDIX 506
A Quick Reference to Python 506
A.1 Variables 506
A.2 Function Creation 507
A.3 Loops and Conditionals 507
A.4 Operators and Representation Functions 508
A.5 Numeric Functions 509
A.6 Sequence Operations 509
A.7 String Escapes 509
12 Contents
Bibliography 512
Index 515
Preface for the
Fourth Edition
We started Media Computation in the of Summer 2002, and taught it for the first time
in Spring 2003. It’s now over ten years later, which is a good time to summarize the
changes across the second, third, and fourth editions.
Media Computation has been used successfully in an undergraduate course at Geor-
gia Tech for the last dozen years. The course continues to have high retention rates (over
85% of students complete the class with a passing grade), and is majority female. Both
students and teachers report enjoying the course, which is an important recommendation
for it.
Researchers have found that Media Computation works in a variety of contexts.
The University of Illinois-Chicago had the first Media Computation paper outside of
Georgia, and they showed how switching to MediaComp improved their retention
rates in classes that were much more diverse than those at Georgia Tech [41]. The
University of California-San Diego adopted Media Computation as part of a big change
in their introductory course, where they also started using pair-programming and peer
instruction. Their paper at the 2013 SIGCSE Symposium showed how these changes
led to dramatic improvements in student retention, even measured a year later in the
Sophomore year. The paper also won the Best Paper award at the conference [27].
It’s been particularly delightful to see Media Computation adopted and adapted for
new settings, like Cynthia Bailey Lee’s creation of a MATLAB Media Computation
curriculum [12].
Mark wrote a paper in 2013, summarizing ten years of Media Computation research.
Media Computation does often improve retention. Our detailed interview studies with
female students supports the claim that they find the approach to be creative and engag-
ing, and that’s what keeps the students in the class. That paper won the Best Paper award
at the 2013 International Computing Education Research (ICER) Conference [33].
• Let the students be creative. The most successful Media Computation classes
use open-ended assignments that let the students choose what media they use.
For example, a collage assignment might specify the use of particular filters and
compositions, but allow for the student to choose exactly what pictures are used.
These assignments often lead to the students putting in a lot more time to get just
the look that they wanted, and that extra time can lead to improved learning.
14 Preface for the Fourth Edition
• Let the students share what they produce. Students can produce some beautiful
pictures, sounds, and movies using Media Computation. Those products are more
motivating for the students when they get to share them with others. Some schools
provide online spaces where students can post and share their products. Other
schools have even printed student work and held an art gallery.
• Code live in front of the class. The best part of the teacher actually typing in code
in front of the class is that nobody can code for long in front of an audience and
not make a mistake. When the teacher makes a mistake and fixes it, the students
see (a) that errors are expected and (b) there is a process for fixing them. Coding
live when you are producing images and sounds is fun, and can lead to unexpected
results and the opportunity to explore, “How did that happen?”
• Pair programming leads to better learning and retention. The research results on
pair programming are tremendous. Classes that use pair programming have better
retention results, and the students learn more.
• Peer instruction is great. Not only does peer instruction lead to better learning
and retention outcomes, but it also gives the teacher better feedback on what the
students are learning and what they are struggling with. We strongly encourage
the use of peer instruction in computing classes.
• Worked examples help with creativity learning. Most computer science classes
do not provide anywhere nearly enough worked-out examples for students to
learn from. Students like to learn from examples. One of the benefits of Media
Computation is that we provide a lot of examples (we’ve never tried to count the
number of for and if statements in the book!), and it’s easy to produce more
of them. In class, we do an activity where we hand out example programs, then
show a particular effect. We ask pairs or groups of students to figure out which
program generated that effect. The students talk about code, and study a bunch of
examples.
AP CS PRINCIPLES
The Advanced Placement exam in CS Principles1 has now been defined. We have
explicitly written the fourth edition with CS Principles in mind. For example, we show
how to measure the speed of a program empirically in order to contrast two algorithms
(Learning Objective 4.2.4), and we explore multiple ways of analyzing CSV data from
the Internet (Learning Objectives 3.1.1, 3.2.1, and 3.2.2).
Overall, we address the CS Principles learning objectives explicitly in this book as
shown below:
• In Big Idea I: Creativity:
• LO 1.1.1: . . . use computing tools and techniques to create artifacts.
• LO 1.2.1: . . . use computing tools and techniques for creative expression.
1
http://apcsprinciples.org
Preface for the Fourth Edition 15
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our sincere thanks go out to all our reviewers and bug-finders:
• At the top of the list is Susan Schwarz of the US Military Academy at West Point.
Susan runs a large course with many instructors, and pays careful attention to
what’s going in all of the sections of the course. She turned that attention on
the third edition of this book. She caught many bugs, and gave us lots of useful
feedback. Thanks, Susan!
2
http://home.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp and http://www.mediacomputation.org
Preface for the Fourth Edition 17
• Our other bug finders for the book were John Rutkiewicz, U. Massachusetts–
Dartmouth; Brian Dorn, U. Nebraska–Omaha; Dave Largent, Ball State Univer-
sity; Simon, University of Newcastle; Eva Heinrich, Massey University; Peter
J. DePasquale, The College of New Jersey, and Bill Leahy, Georgia Institute of
Technology.
• Matthew Frazier, North Carolina State University, worked with us in the summer
of 2014 to create a new version of JES – fixing many bugs, and improving JES
considerably.
• We are grateful for the feedback from our book reviewers for the 4th edition:
Andrew Cencini, Bennington College; Susan Fox, Macalester College; Kristin
Lamberty, University of Minnesota-Morris; Jean Smith, Technical College of the
Lowcountry; and William T. Verts, University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
• We are grateful for the input from our book reviewers for the 3rd edition, too:
Joseph Oldham, Centre College; Lukasz Ziarek, Purdue University;Joseph
O’Rourke, Smith College; Atul Prakash, University of Michigan; Noah D. Bar-
nette, Virginia Tech; Adelaida A. Medlock, Drexel University; Susan E. Fox,
Macalester College; Daniel G. Brown, University of Waterloo; Brian A. Malloy,
Clemson University; Renee Renner, California State University, Chico.
(as they tell us in surveys and interviews [6, 18]). The relevant context is part of the
explanation for the success we have had with retention in the Georgia Tech course for
which this book was written.
The late entrance of abstraction isn’t the only unusual ordering in this approach. We
start using arrays and matrices in Chapter 3, in our first significant programs. Typically,
introductory computing courses push arrays off until later, because they are obviously
more complicated than variables with simple values. A relevant and concrete context
is very powerful [19]. We find that students have no problem manipulating matrices of
pixels in a picture.
The rate of students withdrawing from introductory computing courses or receiving
a D or F grade (commonly called the WDF rate) is reported in the 30–50% range or
even higher. A recent international survey of failure rates in introductory computing
courses reported that the average failure rate among 54 U.S. institutions was 33% and
among 17 international institutions was 17% [24]. At Georgia Tech, from 2000 to 2002,
we had an average WDF rate of 28% in the introductory course required for all majors.
We used the first edition of this text in our course Introduction to Media Computation.
Our first pilot offering of the course had 121 students, no computing or engineering
majors, and two-thirds of the students were female. Our WDF rate was 11.5%.
Over the next two years (Spring 2003 to Fall 2005), the average WDF rate at Georgia
Tech (across multiple instructors, and literally thousands of students) was 15% [29].
Actually, the 28% prior WDF rate and 15% current WDF rate are incomparable, since
all majors took the first course and only liberal arts, architecture, and management
majors took the new course. Individual majors have much more dramatic changes.
Management majors, for example, had a 51.5% WDF rate from 1999 to 2003 with the
earlier course, and had a 11.2% failure rate in the first two years of the new course [29].
Since the first edition of this book was published, several other schools have adopted
and adapted this approach and evaluated their result. All of them have reported similar,
dramatic improvements in success rates [4, 42].
Further, it gives us the opportunity to point out that the same algorithm can have
similar effects in different media (e.g., scaling a picture up or down and shifting a
sound higher or lower in pitch are the same algorithm). But it could certainly be
skipped to save time.
• Chapter 12 (on movies) introduces no new programming or computing concepts.
While motivational, movie processing could be skipped to save time.
• We recommend getting to at least some of the chapters in the last unit, in order to
lead students into thinking about computing and programming in a more abstract
manner, but clearly not all of the chapters have to be covered.
TYPOGRAPHICAL NOTATIONS
Examples of Python code look like this: x = x + 1. Longer examples look like this:
def helloWorld():
print "Hello, world!"
When showing something that the user types in with Python’s response, it will have
a similar font and style, but the user’s typing will appear after a Python prompt (>>>):
>>> print 3 + 4
7
User interface components of JES (Jython Environment for Students) will be spec-
ified using a small caps font, like Save menu item and the Load button.
There are several special kinds of sidebars that you’ll find in the book.
INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES
The instructor resources are available on the Pearson Education’s Instructor Resource
Center at www.pearsonglobaleditions.com/guzdial:
• PowerPoint Presentation slides
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Our sincere thanks go out to the following:
• Jason Ergle, Claire Bailey, David Raines, and Joshua Sklare, who made the initial
version of JES with surprising quality in an amazingly short amount of time. Over
the years, Adam Wilson, Larry Olson, Yu Cheung (Toby) Ho, Eric Mickley, Keith
McDermott, Ellie Harmon, Timmy Douglas, Alex Rudnick, Brian O’Neill, and
William Fredrick (Buck) Scharfnorth III have made JES into the useful and still
understandable tool that it is today.
• Adam Wilson built the MediaTools that are so useful for exploring sounds and
images and processing video.
• Andrea Forte, Mark Richman, Matt Wallace, Alisa Bandlow, Derek Chambless,
Larry Olson, and David Rennie helped build course materials. Derek, Mark, and
Matt created many example programs.
• There were several people who really made the effort come together at Georgia
Tech. Bob McMath, Vice-Provost at Georgia Tech, and Jim Foley, Associate Dean
for Education in the College of Computing, invested in this effort early on. Kurt
Eiselt worked hard to make this effort real, convincing others to take it seriously.
Janet Kolodner and Aaron Bobick were excited and encouraging about the idea
of media computation for students new to computer science. Jeff Pierce reviewed
Preface to the First Edition 23
and advised us on the design of the media functions used in the book. Aaron
Lanterman gave me lots of advice on how to convey the digital material content
accurately. Joan Morton, Chrissy Hendricks, David White, and all the staff of the
GVU Center made sure that we had what we needed and that the details were
handled to make this effort come together. Amy Bruckman and Eugene Guzdial
bought Mark time to get the final version completed.
• We are grateful to Colin Potts and Monica Sweat who have taught this class at
Georgia Tech and given us many insights about the course.
• Charles Fowler was the first person outside of Georgia Tech willing to take the
gamble and trial the course in his own institution (Gainesville College), for which
we’re very grateful.
• The pilot course offered in Spring 2003 at Georgia Tech was very important in
helping us improve the course. Andrea Forte, Rachel Fithian, and Lauren Rich did
the assessment of the pilot offering of the course, which was incredibly valuable in
helping us understand what worked and what didn’t. The first teaching assistants
(Jim Gruen, Angela Liang, Larry Olson, Matt Wallace, Adam Wilson, and Jose
Zagal) did a lot to help create this approach. Blair MacIntyre, Colin Potts, and
Monica Sweat helped make the materials easier for others to adopt. Jochen Rick
made the CoWeb/Swiki a great place for CS1315 students to hang out.
• Many students pointed out errors and made suggestions to improve the book.
Thanks to Catherine Billiris, Jennifer Blake, Karin Bowman, Maryam Doroudi,
Suzannah Gill, Baillie Homire, Jonathan Laing, Mireille Murad, Michael Shaw,
Summar Shoaib, and especially Jonathan Longhitano, who has a real flair for
copyediting.
• Thanks to former Media Computation students Constantino Kombosch, Joseph
Clark, and Shannon Joiner for permission to use their snapshots from class in
examples.
• The research work that led to this text was supported by grants from the National
Science Foundation—from the Division of Undergraduate Education, CCLI pro-
gram, and from the CISE Educational Innovations program. Thank you for the
support.
• Thanks to computing students Anthony Thomas, Celines Rivera, and Carolina
Gomez for allowing us to use their pictures.
• Finally but most important, thanks to our children Matthew, Katherine, and Jennifer
Guzdial, who allowed themselves to be photographed and recorded for Mommy
and Daddy’s media project and who were supportive and excited about the class.
3
http://www.ecepalliance.org
PART
1 INTRODUCTION
1 to Computer Science
and Media Computation
1.1 WHAT IS COMPUTER SCIENCE ABOUT?
To use our metaphor a bit more—think of an algorithm as the step-by-step way that
your grandmother made her secret recipe. She always did it the same way, and had a
28 Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Science and Media Computation
reliably great result. Writing it down so that you can read it and do it later is like turning
her algorithm into a program for you. You execute the recipe by doing it—following
the recipe step-by-step in order to create something the way that your grandmother did.
If you give the recipe to someone else who can read the language of the recipe (maybe
English or French), then you have communicated that process to that other person, and
the other person can similarly execute the recipe to make something the way that your
grandmother did.
If you’re a biologist who wants to describe how migration works or how DNA
replicates, then being able to write a recipe that specifies exactly what happens, in
terms that can be completely defined and understood, is very useful. The same is true
if you’re a chemist who wants to explain how equilibrium is reached in a reaction.
A factory manager can define a machine-and-belt layout and even test how it works—
before physically moving heavy things into position—using computer programs. Being
able to exactly define tasks and/or simulate events is a major reason why computers
have radically changed so much of how science is done and understood.
In fact, if you can’t write a recipe for some process, maybe you don’t really under-
stand the process, or maybe the process can’t actually work the way that you are thinking
about it. Sometimes, trying to write the recipe is a test in itself. Now, sometimes you
can’t write the recipe because the process is one of the few that cannot be executed by
a computer. We will talk more about those in Chapter 14.
It may sound funny to call programs a recipe, but the analogy goes a long way. Much
of what computer scientists study can be defined in terms of recipes.
• Some computer scientists study how recipes are written: Are there better or worse
ways of doing something? If you’ve ever had to separate egg whites from yolks, you
realize that knowing the right way to do it makes a world of difference. Computer
science theoreticians think about the fastest and shortest recipes, and the ones that
take up the least amount of space (you can think about it as counter space—the
analogy works), or even use the least amount of energy (which is important when
running on low-power devices like cell phones). How a recipe works, completely
apart from how it’s written (e.g., in a program), is called the study of algorithms.
Software engineers think about how large groups can put together recipes that still
work. (Some programs, like the ones that keep track of credit card transactions,
have literally millions of steps!) The term software means a collection of computer
programs (recipes) that accomplish a task.
• Other computer scientists study the units used in recipes. Does it matter whether
a recipe uses metric or English measurements? The recipe may work in either
case, but if you don’t know what a pound or a cup is, the recipe is a lot less
understandable to you. There are also units that make sense for some tasks and
not others, but if you can fit the units to the tasks, you can explain yourself more
easily and get things done faster—and avoid errors. Ever wonder why ships at
sea measure their speed in knots? Why not use something like meters per second?
Sometimes, in certain special situations—on a ship at sea, for instance—the more
common terms aren’t appropriate or don’t work as well. Or we may invent new
kinds of units, like a unit that represents a whole other program or a computer, or
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
upon the homestead. As it was impossible to guess
when they would come, the place could not be
efficiently guarded unless the whole of the little garrison
always stayed at home—and in that case how was the
work of the station to be done?
“Ah tell thee whet ’tis, Mester Sydney,” said Jawing Jim
(who up in the bush had almost begun to merit his
sobriquet); “if tha wan’t poiason the warmin, tha moost
skeer ’em. Me an’ Boab’ll do it for thee. Boab ain’t
mooch fit for nawthing else nowa, poor lahd!”
This was the stratagem the men contrived: They cut off 212
the head of a dead black fellow, and put it into a full
flour-cask, the top of which was left open. Then leaving
the store door unlocked, and the flour-cask just behind
it, all the pioneers left the buildings; the boys, however,
returning by a roundabout route, and “planting” in some
scrub not far off to witness what might happen. They
had to wait some time, but at last the blacks made their
appearance. Even their keen eyes detecting no trace of
the presence of any whites, they soon swarmed up
boldly to the store. Jooragong, bravest of the brave
when there was nothing to be feared, rolled out the
cask that stood so conveniently near and open, and
began to scoop out the flour with both hands. But
presently they brought up his countryman’s head. The
other blacks raised a wild howl and fled, but Jooragong
stood stock-still, gaping, with eyes starting from his
head at his hideous handful. The firing of the boys’ guns
broke the spell. Off Jooragong bounded also, dropping
the floury head out of his floury hands back into the
cask; and so long as Harry and Donald stayed at Pigeon
Park, the blacks never again ventured within gunshot of
the store.
“THE BLACKS RAISED A WILD HOWL AND FLED.”
213
XII.
A GOLD RUSH.
All the way from Jerry’s Town to Jim Crow Creek the
road, that used to look even more solitary than
Highgate Archway Road looks during the greater part of
the year, was every here and there almost as crowded
as Highgate Archway Road during the time of Barnet
Fair. Men on horseback, with saddle-bags and pistols
peeping from their holsters, were ambling and cantering
along, singly and in couples, and in threes and fours.
Moleskin-trousered pedestrians, who had “humped the
swag,” were toiling along, footsore and perspiring, their
red or blue shirts rolled up and laid upon the top of their
heavy loads. Greenhorn-looking young fellows, fresh
from the counter or the desk, were sitting down, dead
beat. Tarpaulined drays ground along in a long line,
monotonously jingling the pots and pannikins slung
beneath.
Here and there a dray had broken down, and the driver 217
was fussing about as angry as a wasp, or smoking in
sulky idleness, because he could not get any one to stop
to help him right his cargo. Every public was crammed
with rowdy-looking, bronzed, bearded fellows, shouting
for nobblers, spiders, and stone-fences. The free
commons which every traveller in Australia used to look
upon as a right rather than a favour, had ceased to be
supplied by either house or hut. If any passenger
wanted food or drink, he had to pay for them, and pay
smartly too. Some of the parties taking their meals
along the road were faring jollily, but some of the
pedestrians who limped past them cast enviously
hungry glances on their commissariat. To say nothing of
brandy, bitter beer, sardines, and potted salmon, they
were speculating anxiously as to how much longer they
could make sure of tea and damper.
Before Mr. Lawson and the boys reached the “township,” 221
as the Jim Crow Flat was already called, their sheep and
cattle were bought up by a butcher who was waiting on
the road. They bought their chops of him for their
evening meal, and when they found what he charged
for them, Mr. Lawson was not quite so satisfied with his
cattle bargain as he had been when he made it. After
tea, the boys strolled out to look about them, and
presently came to a large tent, with the American
colours flying above it. There was a crowd at the
entrance, and it was as much as two money-takers
could do to make sure that they did take the admission-
money from all the boisterous fellows who were rolling
in. Amongst them were a few women, with faces like
brown leather, who were still more boisterous.
“He’s a nice young man for a small music party,” said 224
Harry, looking after him; “and there seems to be plenty
of his sort. Come along, Donald; we’ve a good step to
go, and I should feel so spoony if I got bailed up by
those fellows; though it isn’t much, is it, they could ease
us of?”
Mr. Lawson had pitched his tent on the other side of the
“township,” some little way down the Jerry’s Town road,
in a place where there were no other tents near.
“It don’t seem game to turn out of the road for those
fellows, does it, Donald?” said Harry. “But I’ll go bail
they’re up to no good, and they’re hulking big beggars,
and I’ll be bound they’ve barkers, and we haven’t.”
This is what the boys heard when they had crept like
cats to a listening-place:
“Ah, but I heard him ask Wilcox for some in cash or 226
notes, if he had it. The fellow said he’d got cleaned out
on the road up, and must have some money to take him
back. So Wilcox gave him some; I can’t say how much it
was, but any’s worth finding. Besides, he’s a gold ticker
—a real handsome one, as big as a frying-pan. And then
there’s the three horses, and first-chop colonial saddles.”
“Is there anybody with him, then?”
“Two young ’uns came with him, but they’ve gone down
into the town, an’ if they’ve come back, it don’t matter
much. I fancy he’s turned in now. I’ve been watching
him this good while, till I come down to hunt up you
and Bill.”
“Well, let’s be off then,” said the mulatto; and the three
began to run. The boys tried to make a short cut for the
tent, but lost ground instead. When they reached the
tent Mr. Lawson was on his back, half-throttling,
however, the mulatto who knelt upon him, whilst the
other two scoundrels were giving him savage blows and
kicks.
“Get your horse, Harry, and ride in for the police,” said
Mr. Lawson. “We’d best tie the scoundrel first, though.”
Harry and Donald went to catch the hobbled horse; Mr. 228
Lawson turned to refasten an up-pulled tent-peg, and to
get a cord, and when he turned round again, the
mulatto was gone.
Mr. Lawson and the boys stayed over the Sunday at Jim 229
Crow Creek, but it was a strange Sunday. The miners
knocked off work, but they economized the Sabbath
hours in fighting out the week’s quarrels, which they
could not spare time to settle on week-days. The only
“service” was one conducted by a tall, gauntly-sinewy
Cornish miner, who shouted at the top of his voice, and
worked himself into a pale perspiration as he flung
about his long limbs as if they were galvanized. A few of
his hearers looked pleased to be reminded anyhow of
what the day was. A few more looked ashamed because
they were ashamed to look pleased too. But most
grinned, and then passed on to find more exciting
amusements.
THE END.
Transcriber’s Notes
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also
govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most
countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the
United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the
terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying,
performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this
work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes
no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in
any country other than the United States.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form,
including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you
provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work
in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in
the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or
expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or
a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original
“Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must
include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in
paragraph 1.E.1.
1.F.
Our website is not just a platform for buying books, but a bridge
connecting readers to the timeless values of culture and wisdom. With
an elegant, user-friendly interface and an intelligent search system,
we are committed to providing a quick and convenient shopping
experience. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery
services ensure that you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading.
textbookfull.com