# Who's Riding Old Harlequin Now?

They are mustering cattle on Brigalow Vale  Where the stock-horses whinny and stamp, And where long Andy Ferguson, you may go bail,  Is yet boss on a cutting-out camp. Half the duffers I met would not know a fat steer  From a blessed old Alderney cow. Whilst they're mustering there I am wondering here —  Who is riding brown Harlequin now?
Are the pikers as wild and the scrubs just as dense  In the brigalow country as when There was never a homestead and never a fence  Between Brigalow Vale and The Glen? Do they yard the big micks 'neath the light of the moon?  Do the yard-wings re-echo the row Of stockwhips and hoof-beats? And what sort of coon  Is there riding old Harlequin now?
There was buckjumping blood in the brown gelding's veins,  But, lean-headed, with iron-like pins, Of Pyrrhus and Panic he'd plentiful strains,  All their virtues, and some of their sins. 'Twas the pity, some said, that so shapely a colt  Fate should with such temper endow; He would kick and would strike, he would buck and would bolt —  Ah! who's riding brown Harlequin now?
A demon to handle! a devil to ride!  Small wonder the surcingle burst; You'd have thought that he'd buck himself out of his hide  On the morning we saddled him first. I can mind how he cow-kicked the spur on my boot,  And though that's long ago, still I vow If they're wheeling a piker no new-chum galoot  Is a-riding old Harlequin now!
I remember the boss — how he chuckled and laughed  When they yarded the brown colt for me: "He'll be steady enough when we finish the graft  And have cleaned up the scrubs of Glen Leigh!' I am wondering today if the brown horse yet live,  For the fellow who broke him, I trow, A long lease of soul-ease would willingly give  To be riding brown Harlequin now!
'Do you think you can hold him?' old Ferguson said —  He was mounted on Homet, the grey; I think Harlequin heard him — he shook his lean head,  And he needed no holding that day. Not a prick from a spur, nor a sting from a whip  As he raced among deadwood and bough While I sat fairly quiet and just let him rip —  But who's riding old Harlequin now?
I could hear 'em a-crashing the gidgee in front  As the Bryan colt streaked to the lead Whilst the boss and the niggers were out of the hunt.  For their horses lacked Harlequin's speed; The pikers were yarded and skies growing dim  When old Fergie was fain to allow: 'The colt's track through the scrub was a knocker' to him —  But who's riding brown Harlequin now?
From starlight to starlight — all day in between  The foam-flakes might fly from his bit, But whatever the pace of the day's work had been,  The brown gelding was eager and fit. On the packhorse's back they are fixing a load  Where the path climbs the hill's gloomy brow; They are mustering bullocks to send on the road,  But — who's riding old Harlequin now?
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
* published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
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Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
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This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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