The Opelousas courier., 1902-08-02
A WILD HORSE DRIVE
e.. LIN He.
AUSTRALIAN BUSH.
By Col. JOHN F. HOBBS.

Creek, when a cloud of black dust
pushed itself around the bend and
across the road at the turn, and two
big horses shot out of it into the
straight.
Its a bolt" shouted some
''No-it's a race. Give IN the road!
It's them two chestnuts settling the
match made up at Carmichael's," cried
others.
The thump, thump, thump on the
level, black prairie indicated the earn
estness of the contest, and along came
the two horses like a physical cyclone.
With a snort and whish they shot past
the waiting crowd, who mingled a yell
with the dust as they passed.
The cloud had barely cleared behind
them when the chestnuts cantered
back and were joined by the incongru-
tumble of hacllneys, cobs and pie
balds of all sorts, the mounts Of the
stockmen gathered for the brumby
drive, at which half the country side
was expected.
What is the exact nature Of a
brumby driye?" asked Burnaby, a
newcomer, of one of the older men.
Its a sort J rough horse frolic for
us bush coves," the bushman explained
politely, and seeing that the stranger
did not understand, he continued:
"McIntyre's leased the Range from the
government. It's wild crown lands on
tn maps, an them fats an scrubs is3
full O brumbys, which re a no-bred
sort O. wild horses that no one don't
know how they got here. That amt
no matter; they're here, an the beg
gers got to be shifted, or the whole
ranges no food FIR stock breedin'. So
Macs goin' t'round 'em up an drive
EN- out. That's tn meanin o this
gatherin' o. hands at Carmichaels.
Dye understand"
care there many to drive out?'
"Many! there're more an a thous-
and over there in tn scrub, an Mac
has tn gov'ment contrac' t scrub up
tn lot. We coyes'll make a clean job
# the Goomburra, Joudaryan. an Yam
dilla boundary riders come in. An +
them Gumbungee blokes hear o this
| drive they'll muster down there too
| with their houn's, an guns-Well,
/ there1l be racin', an shootin'. enough
t. satisfy ever old Tipperary.' You
| keep y'r eyes op'n an yr mouth shut
n you'll have no rows to settle after
| wards
An hour later the company turned
| the southern nose of the mountain and
cantered up to the general meeting
place. From this point they circled
east and west, bending north, because
brumbys come down out OF the hills
i to Craze toward the creek in the early
morning, and by one they return to
the shades Of the dense woods where
they remain during the parching hours
of the afternoon sun.
"Now," said McCurdy, whom Meln-
tyre had engaged to command, lets
see. There are nearly one hundred OF
us, an we should yard a good mob
out'r that lot if they're down in force.
It's been pretty dry, and they've got
t. make tn creek and back. It's now
after ten o'clock. IT'S a good two miles
round t Womba paddock, an three
more t tn range. It'll take some care
full ridin' mates, an ticklish work, t
keep tn mob from breakin' through.
i Hol' 'em steady, an hol 'em t'gether.
II they breaks, an the leaders amt
turned, old Nick 'imself couldn't stay
tn break they'll make for them hills,
an tn jigll be up FIR a couple o
weeks, 'ntil tn scare's out'r them"
Jollity had ceased; a dead, earnest
calm settled in its place. The noisy
hilarious crowd of an hour before had
settled down into a sober, silent pha.
lanx on business intent. The .rollick'
ing bushman had quoted into the
stolid, fearless frontiersman, ready tc
throw life and skill into a desperate
encounter with a ~treacherous foe, fol
the Australian wild horse, when press
ed, attacks like a d~emon-rushes
rears, kicks, bites and fights doggedly
vicious when retreat is cut off.
In such a hazardous and rapid con
fict his pursuers who do no COM
down or suffer in the encounter mus
be daring and accustomed horsemen
AS the line Of mounted men strunt
around the base of the mountain t.
the northeastern extremity, the trainet
bush eye could discern a big forest ris
ing on the horizon miles away toward
the treeless creek.
"There they are, watering, Is
said" observed McCurdy, pointing t
the north. Taking his nickel-plate
watch from it's leather pocket at hi
side on his waiststrap and looking a
If. he continued, land it's 1915. Their
coyes.H be in coo-ee in another quar-
ter. Bail up a minute, mates" tn
leader called to the line behind him.
81 don't see anything" said th
stranger, withdrawing his tired eye
from the shimmering main, "exceI
the lake out there and the forest BIZ
You'd it"
Al burst of laughter about hil
greeted this observation.
The merriment was understood b
the visitor when a drover said:
aYou amt used t dry plains mucl
mate. Old-timers don't hunt water \
more when they sees a glass face Lii
that. If they're pretty dry then
se1,s, ans been pushed in r dry spel
in II dry country, an strike a gla'
lawn like that out there, why they ju
looks ,roun' FIR a shady place t die j
an leave tl'r white bones fr the
epitaph."