The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-07-03
| WILD HORSE DRIVE
LIN ? He.
AUSTRALIAN BUSH.
By Col. JOHN F. AoBBs.


passed friendly greetings with the
squad which mad ridden up from Emu
Creek, when 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 seme
'No-it's race, Give 'n the roads
It's them two chestnuts settling the
match made up at Caraiichael's," cried
Others
The thGmp, thump, thump on the
level, black prairie indicated the earn
estness of the contest. and along came
the two horses like physical eyeleae,
With snort and whish they shet past
the waiting crowd, who mingled a yell
with the dust as they passed.
The cloud had barely cleared hehind
them when the chestnutS cantered
back and were joined by the incongru-
Gus tumble of hackneys, cobs and pie
balds of all sorts, the mounts Of the
stockmen gathered for the hrumhy
drive, at which half the country side
was expected.
What is the. exact nature Of a
brumby drive7" asked Burnaby, a
newcomer, ef One OF the older men.
"It's a sort O. rough horse frol:c for
US bush coves," the bushman explain ed
politely, and seeing that tho stranger
did not understand, be Continued:
"McIntyre's leased the Range from the
government It's wild crown lands on
tn maps, an them flats an scrubs IS
null O. brumbys, which re no-brea
sort O. wild horses that no enc don't
know how they cat here. That amt
no matter they're here, an the beg
gers got to be shifted, or the whole
ranges no food f'r stock breedin', So
Macs goin' t'rodnd EN- up an drive
'em out. That's tn meanin' O. this
gatherin' O. hands at Carmichael's.
Dye understand"
"Are there many to drive out9"
MANY! there're more an thous-
and over there in "a scrub, an Mac
has tn gav'ment contrac' t. scrub up
tn lot. We coves'H make a clean Job
f the Goomburra. Joudaryan, an Yam
dilla boundary riders come In. An +
them Gumbungee h3okea hear o this
drive they'll muster down there too
with their houn's, an guns--well,
therell be racin', an shootin, enough
t. satisfy even old Tipperary.' You
keep y'r eyes op'n an y'r 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 oifelcd
east and west. bending north, because
brumbys come down out Of the hills
to graze toward the creek in the early
morning, and by one they return to
the shades of the dense woods where
they remain during the psrehing hours
of the afternoon sun.
"Now," said McCllrdy, whom Mctn-
tyre had engaged to command, let's
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'n take some care
full ridi1l' mates, an ticklish work, t.
keep tn mob from breakin' through.
Hol' 'em steady, an hol 'em t'gether.
If they breaks, an the leaders aint
turned, old Nick 'imself couldn't stay
tn break they'll make for them hills,
an tn tig'll be up fr a couple O
weeks, 'ntil tn scare's out'r them
Jollity mad ceased; dead, earnest
calm settled in its place. The noisy,
hilarious crowd of an hour before had
settled down into sober, silent pha-
lanx on business intent. The rollick-
ing bushman had quieted into the
stolid, fearless frontiersman, ready to
throw life and skill into a desperate
encounter with a treacheraus foe, fof
the Australian wild horse, when press
ed, attacks like a demon-rushes
rears, kicks, bites and fights doggedly
vicious when retreat is cut off.
In such hazardolls and rapid cen
fiict his pursueTs who do not come
down or suffer in the encounter must
be daring and accustomed horsemen
AS the line of mounted men struna
around the base of the mountain tC
the northeastern extremity. the trained
bush eye could discern a big forest ris.
ing on the horizon miles away towards
the treeless creek.
There they are, watering, as
said" observed McCurdy, pointing tc
the north. Taking his nickel-plated
watch from its leather pocket at his
side on his waiststIap and looking al
it, he continued, "and it's 1915. Them
coves'll be in coo-ee in another quar-
ter Bail up minute. mates" the
leader called to the line behind him.
II don't see anything" said the
stranger, withdrawing his tired eyes
from the shimmering main, Except
the lake out there and the forest be-
yond it."
A burst of laughter about him
greeted this observation.
The merriment was understood by
the visitor when drover said:
"You amt used t. dry plains much
mate Cld-timers don't hunt water nc
more when they sees a glass face like
that. If they're pretty dry them.
sells, ans been bushed in r dry spell
in r dry country, an strike a glace
lawn like that out there, why they just
looks 'roun' f'r shady place t die in
an leave th'r White bones f'r theil
epitaph."
That white glimmer is not water;
il is the hot air, and the evaporation
from the earth. Look back. 1t is
everywhere the same See?"
Il can see the shadows of the trees