Part 4 (1/2)
”I don't blame ole Martin to have a bit of a nose on it the loan of him cheap las' summer!
Me an' the ole man was comin' down from Karoith the last o' the clip; an' these paddicks was as bare as the paloes on past here, an' camps half-ways between the fur corner o' the raate; an' looses out about an hour after sundown
It was sort o' cloudy ht on, an' shoves 'eate
Then I fetches 'erass was, an' I takes the saddle an' bridle off o' the horse, an' lays down, an' watches the carrion wirin' in Well, you know, ole Martin, the head boundary al Alf; an' the young fellers at the barracks they 'on't corroborate with him, no road; an' he thinks his self a cut above the hut, so he lives with Daddy Montague, in Latham's ole place, down at the fur corner o' the horse-paddick Well, this ole beggar he's buckin' up to Miss King, the governess, an' Moriarty, the storekeeper, he's buckin' up to her too”----
”Clever feller, that Moriarty,” interposed Price, in pathetic sycophancy
”Ruoin', when he likes to cohed heartily ”Las' time I unloaded at Runnyoin' out emp'y for wool, on account o' them two Vic chaps snappin' our loads
I disremember if I tole you the yarn when I pulled you at the Willandra
Anyhoas raining like (incongruous comparison) when I drawed up at the store; an' Moriarty he fetches ivesimprecation) if I don't disremember which But I think it was brandy Yes, it was brandy”
”Well?” interrogated Mosey, after a pause
”On'y jist showin' how one idear sort o' fetches up another,”
replied the old man, with simulated ease of manner
”Well, you are a (adj) fool But as I was telling you chaps: About eleven o'clock, who should coin' down the paddick but ole Martin
Bin pokin' roun' after Miss King, I s'pose He walks right bang through the carrion, thinkin' they was the station bullicks; an' hin' in to oes roun' exa squint at Valiparaiser; an' in the heel o' the hunt he rounds up the lot, an' sails off to the yard with 'em; an' me follerin'
ready to collar 'em when the coast was clear By-'n'-by I sees hioes to it, an' lo an' behold you! there was a padlock on the gate as big as a sardine-box”
” Well, we had a bunch o' keys at the camp I had snavelled 'em at the railway station, las' tiht come in useful So I heads for the caits a drink o' tea, an' takes a bit o' brownie in oes, doin' the trip in about an hour Providential, one o' the keys fits the lock, so I whips out the carrion, an' shoves 'em down to where the ole sinner took 'em from Well, there o station teams in the paddick--I s'pose they wanted 'em very early for somethin'-- so I saddles Valiparaiser an' scoots across to where I seen these bullicks when I was goin' for the keys; an' I shoves 'erey horse, la o' the carrion, an' locks the gate, an' goes back to our lot, an' keeps an eye on 'ehed that night! I seen Martin watchin us nex' ot a set on ot a set on you too?” asked Thompson coldly
”Strikes me, you're not the safest ives en,” replied Mosey coot a leader in a swap at Deniliquin Same time I made the keys Yaller, hoop-horned bullick--I dunno if you seen him with us? Well, this Pilot, you could n't pack hion--”Lazy mountain o' mullick, that”
”Burden to his own self,” assented Price obsequiously
”Thick-headed galoot, appearingly,” suggested buht to be hunted back to the Sydney side,” contributed Dixon
----”You could n't pack him for a near side leader,” resuht You en five bob, Pilot was off Whenever he seen a fence, he'd go through it, an' whenever he seen a river, he'd swiin' after, thinkin' he was on for soar to clear Well, las' year, ent up eot that wonderful drink off Moriarty--who should we fine there but this Alf, waitin' for wool, an' due for the fust load
No fear o' hie to collar six ton”----
”Don't mention that name if you can help it, Mosey,” interrupted Cooper, as he returned to the group, carrying a blanket and the little bag of dead grass which he used as a pillow ”I'y; ”but it gives me the wilds and the oona?”
”No; the other naal Alf, an' (sheol) kno ot reason to hate that name”
”Well,” resumed Mosey, after a pause, ”as I was tellin' you, this cove he was there; an' it so happened his near side leader had got bit with a snake, an' died; an' as luck would have it, he'd sold the pick of his bullicks to a tank-sinker, an' bought steers in theyre place; an' he had n't another bullick fit to shove in the near side lead to tackle sich a road as he'd got in front of him Well, this cove he -poor, so he”----
”Which cove makes fistfuls o' ic dissyllable
”Fine out, you (adj) ole fool So he was flyblowed as usual in regard o' cash; an' he was badly in want of a near side leader; an' I kep' showin' off this Pilot, shi+fting wagons from the door o' the shed, an' tinkerin' about; an' he offered us two good bullicks for the counterfit; an' me an' the ole man we hum'd and ha'd, an' let on we did n't want to part with him; an' me as thin as a whippin'-post atchin'
the yaller-hided dodger every night, to keep hi an' at last apped level for Valiparaiser I seen the workin' o' Providence in it from fust to last
The horse he's worth twenty notes, all out; an' Pilot he was dear at a gift