Part 3 (2/2)
Then in the mornin', you can fix the fence so's the ole-man divil his self could n't ball you out Ah!----! That's what co wild and free in the grain, had burst along the two round
”Serve people right for puttin' in rails ould do,”
he continued, re'lated famblies 'Tain't our business, anyho, chaps, round up yer carrion, an' shove 'em in”
The four wires in the lower part of the fence rung like harp strings as the cattle stepped into or over them, and in a few hty-four bullocks and seven horses-- were in the selection, but too thirsty to feed Then whilst Thohby and I tailed theallon oil-drum, in order to replenish it before the water was disturbed; and Price, by Mosey's orders, accompanied him on the same business We steadied the bullocks at the tank till all were satisfied, then headed theons, where we hobbled all the horses, except bum's mare
”Steve,” said I to my old schoolmate: ”of course, you and I are seized of the true inwardness of duffing; but to those who live cleanly, as noblemen should, this would appear a dirty transaction”
”The world's full of dirty transactions, Tom,” replied the bullock driver wearily ”It's a dirty transaction to round up a man's team in a ten-mile paddock, and stick a bob a head on the that I'm very familiar with; it's a dirty transaction to refuse water to perishi+ng beasts, but I've been refused times out of number, and will be to the end of the chapter; it's a dirty transaction to persecute , yet that's what nine-tenths of the squatters do, and this Montgomery is one of the nine
You're a bit sarcastic How long is it since you were one of the cheekiest grass-stealers on the track?”
”Never, Steve You've been drinking”
”Anyway, you need n't be rumbled Thompson ”If you want a problem to work out, just consider that God constructed cattle for living on grass, and the grass for theht, and to-ht, we've a choice between two dirty transactions-- one is, to let the bullocks starve, and the other is to steal grass for the why soo out of their way to do wrong, and other people are cornered to that extent that they can't live without doing wrong, and can't suicide without ju-pan into the fire Wonder if any allowance is made for bullock drivers?-- or are they supposed to be able to h money to retire into soood camp, at all events”
”How's the water?” asked Cooper, ht,” replied Thompson; ”but very little left for posterity”
”After us, the Deluge,” observed Willoughby
”I hope so,” replied Cooper devoutly ”Lord knows, it's badly wanted; and I'e nobody the benefit Turnin' out nice an' cool, ain't it? The bullocks'll be able to do their selves soht; the dark blue canopy spangled with randeur, peace, and purity above; squalor, worry, and profanity below Fit basis for y-- unscientific, if you will, but by nocooks, had kindled an unobtrusive fire in a crabhole, where three billies were soon boiling And the tea, when cool enough, needed no light to escort a due proportion of simple provender into that mysterious laboratory which should never be considered too curiously
After supper, we lay around, resting ourselves; everyone shby Dixon and bum were evidently old friends; they reclined with their heads together, occasionally laughing and whispering--a piece of bad ly resented by the rest of the coo an' have a squint at the carrion,” reth, with the inevitable adjective; and, passing through the broken fence, he disappeared in the timber and old-man salt-bush
”Wants soant assertion of parental authority, yet glancing apprehensively after Mosey as he spoke
”Should 'a' thought about that before,” observed Cooper gravely
”Too late now You ain't good enough”
A few ht the matter over in his oay Then Mosey returned
”Grass up over yer boots, an' the carrion goin' into it leive this Runnymede the benefit o' the act
'On't ole Martin be ropeable when he sees that fence! Magomery's as hard as nails, his own self; but he ain't the class o' feller that watches from behine a tree--keeps curs like Martin to do his dirty work
But he'd like to nip every divil of us if he got half a slant I notice, the more swellisher a rass for a teae on you, Thoham--for workin' on Nosey Alf's horse-paddick, an' for leavin' soates open Moriarty, the storekeeper, he told me about it”
”Well, we did n't work on Alf's horse-paddock, and we did n't leave any gates open,” replied Thompson ”We lost the steers from the ram-paddock, here, and we found theht in the Connelly paddock, but we never touched Alf's grass, and we left no gates open”
”Chorus, boys!” said Mosey flippantly
”O, what a (adj) lie!” echoed Dixon, burowled; and Willoughby coughed deprecatingly