How They Ride in New South Wales; Or Hambore's Masterpiece.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 75

How They Ride in New South Wales; Or Ham bore's Masterpiece.

The men were seated down to tea, and Hambore had the "flute" — You've heard of Hambore— he that shears, and talks just like a book. This night he started straight away one of his many tales Of what the horsemen used to do across in New South Wales. "You talk of horsemen here," he said. "There's none of them can ride ; There's none of them know how to sit the blanky wild boar's hide. Bill Barker once was good enough, but now he's lost his nerve; He'd tumble off a blsomin' horse just with a side-jump swerve. There's others of them ricle not bad, but take the tip from me ; I've sesn in New South Wales a lad could beat the lot, d'ye see. I've seen an outlaw mustang there buck- jump in style for miles, While seated on him was the lad, all wreathed in glowing smiles. He turned revolvers in the air, and though he was half drunk, He sat as smoothly on that horse as though he were in bunk. He reared and twisted, plunged and bucked himself into a ball. We thought, with every buck he gave, the lad was bound to fall. But, no! He drew from out his vest a. welldiscoloured pipe, And forthwith then proceeded to supply it with a light ; And all the time you couldn't tell which — head or tail — was fust. As horse and rider, in a haze, were lost to view in dust. He got his pipe well lit, and then each man there gave a, elieer, For all in New South Wales admire a man who has no fear. 'Come off, my lad,' we cried to him ; 'you've given him enough ; You've proved to v>s that you can ride a horse that's pretty tough.' 'Oh, this is nothing great,' lie said; 'this horse can't buck a bit. You should have seen a few of them that I have had to sit. Just wait a moment there, my lads, while I undo the girth, To give the horse a bit of show to prove to you his worth.' And all the time he sat that horse, to take the saddle off He never stopped a moment, but still bucked on like a 'toff.' Just while you'd wink he had it off and thrown upon the ground, When — whew! the horse took o'er the rails with one gigantic bound. Once more again we cheered the lad for this most daring feat, For never for a moment had he shifted in his seat. He brought the horse, all standing, tip, and gave his ribs a kick. 'He couldn't kick a bit,' he said. 'I think he must be sick.' "

Ea-cli listener gaze<3 witli stolid face wliile Hambore told the yarn, And =carce a, word was spoken that would do it any harm. Each one was thinking when he'd heaicl the same yaru tol<3 before. For over here, in shearing-sheds, we get them by the score. Then up rose one, ami saicl, "Won't do!" as his departure took. "I know where you saw that ricle, mate : yem read it in a book. It must be one of Lawson's rhytnes, or !^at Gould's fairy tales, Or one which Banjo Paterson relates of 2vew South Wales. I would just like to see that ride, Just for a bit of fun : That saddle-shifting scene, you know, to learn how it was donp. And see liini take that saddle off, =o quickly and 50 neat, And not to be compelled. Just once, to shift round from its seat."

— C. Gray.

Hurow, April, 1905,

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