AN AUSTRALIAN - DROVER'S CHRISTMAS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 82

AN AUSTRALIAN - - DROVER'S CHRISTMAS.

a PAGE FROM A SWAGMAN'S DIARY. j By Edwaud S. Sorenso^ (For the Witness.) We were travelling towards the border with stores from Cooper's Creek. Our eleventh cook left us as we approached the Maranoa, and that evening a thin, stiff old man named Frank came along and took the job. Frank wasn't a bad sort, take him all round. He was the first in our camp who made any attempt at spinnine a yarn. The rest of us were mostly too dead-tired to talk. His yarns beguiled the doff-watch; but on the whole they lacked interest. They consisted mostly of what he said to somebody, and what somebedy said to him, and the majority of them commenced in the middle and finished at both ends. Frank's reign was very short. He woke us xtip at daylight next morning, and told us of a serious trouble he was in. He'd tied the horse up wjuen the last man came off watch to finish laying the breakfast — on the- grass. The horse broke the bridle

and got away. The cattle had left the camp, and were spreading on the plains. "What's that? What's that?" roared Swiker from the tent, and we heard him bustling into his clothes. Swiker was our boss — a big, corpulent man, with a long beard. He had managed a station once, but for all that he didn't know much aboxit cattle, and less about droving. He w-as a hard maon to work for — a nigger driver, — and was well hated by every man in camp. Fz-auk told him what had happen eJ. "Well, that's a dashed fine thing!" said Swiker, choking with rage. "What the dickens did you tie him up for?" "To see to breakfast, don't I tell you," said Frank. "Why hadn't you the breakfast ready before?" Swiker demanded. "Oh, what's the use o' talkin' to him?" said Frank, turning impatiently to us ; "the man's a fool !" "You old crawler!" cried Swiker; "I'll wring your cussed neck!" "You try it on!" Frank returned, his face- getting very ugly. "I will !" yelled Swiker. "I'll kick your confounded ribs in !" "You iry it on!" Frank was very cool, and spoke quietly. . v "I will !" roared Swiker, rushing out of llio tent, pulling his braces up. His face was crimson; his eyes blazed. We all /stood expectantly by. Swiker carried a tet of boxing gloves in the trap, which were always left in a conspicuous place, and he had tdie reputation of being a good man with his hands. He'a made sausage' meat of a good many big men "down below," and could knock out any three ordinary men before breakfast. His record was five. We got this information from Jim, tho horso boy, who came up with him from "below." Jim always bristled with tit-bits of this kind whenever a new nuvn came, into the camp ; consequently the men were a little frightened of Swiker. When we saw him rush out of the tent like a roaring bull, we moved up to protect old Frank. But it wasn't necessary. Frank had been at the game before. He parried Swiker's wild swing, and shot out his right. Swiker stopped it with his mouth. ■ He rushed again, and fell over the camp-oven. We dived into the- tent to kugh. Swiker made one more rush, and ran his eye against the cook's fist. As he stooped dovra to rub it his undamaged cptic rested on a piece of tine broken bridle. He picked it up, and searched about for more. The fight was over. When Swiker had washed himself lie oidered Frank to leave the camp, and installed Jim as cook and yours truly as horse driver. Frank filled nis ration bags, and helped himself to bread and meat, whilst Swiker cursed Jim for not putting them away quickly. Frank then took his things away, and put them down under a tiee. * The €ies took kindly to Swiker's black eye. "Confound them old botchers!" Swiker said; "I'll have no more old men." He shouted to me several times to shift myself. He was in a hurry to get to the other side of "over yonder." I didn't care if we got tihtere to-day or to-morrow^ and showed it. I had Swiker's measure Next day after sunrise-~and the cattle still in camp — ire were killing a bullock. Swiker had first shot. The old blunderbuss kicked, and he" missed. He also fell off. George fired the next tihree shots, which <ill took effect — but not sufficient. TEfcn Peter had a try. He was a good shot ; but just as be was pulling the trigger he thought of Swiker falling off, and he mi&sed. "Dyer think you can hit that bullock? said Swiker to me. I said I could. "Then hit him — hit him, for goodness sake!" said Swiker. I took the blunderbuss and fired. The bullock dropped. "Good!" Swiker exclaimed. The bullock got up again and ran into the mob. "Confound such blanky sihootm' !" said Swiker. Jim was then called over from the waggonette. He put two more bullets into the unfortunate animal t but be still stood on his feet. Swiker reloaded blunder, and, said he'd shoot him. He was walking sideways and backwards, trying to get a gcod shot,* when he stumbled into a bush. Out flew a host of wasps, and they attacked Swiker with great vim. A yell of agony came from him, and he tore round, clawing at his ears and hair. The wasps didn't follp-v him far ; they returned to their nest Swiker sat down, and cursed 9 £E«a* Jnany things at once. Then he Sk-iS Tor the blunderbuss, and, sneaking back to the bush, took deliberate aim at the wasps' nest, and blew it into smithereens. . . Having loaded again, he was pointing blunder at the bullock, when it staggered and fell. We ran up to hold it down. George chopped at his head with the axe, Swiker drove a long knife into his ribs, and Jim stuck him under the throat. By-and-bye he died. The meat— bruised, and black with clotted blood— was stripped off the bones, leaving the skeleton lying intact. That evening an old swagman asked Sviker for a bit of meat. Swiker, being prejudiced against old men, said he had ncne. He was sitting under a tree, reading a paper. "You're a confounded liar !" said swaggie. "I saw a stack o' meat in yer trap." Swiker turned his back to him, and read his paper. "You miserable old cow'! You [several