Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-06-07
A WILD HORSE DRIVE
I'm The.
AUSTRALIAN BUSH.
By Col. joan F. Horns.


passed friendly greetings with the
squad which mad ridden up from Emu
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 il into the
straight.
ITS a bolt" shouted some.
Motifs a race. Give IN the road.
It's them two chestnuts settling the
match made up at Carmichaels." 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 snort and whish they shot past
the waiting crowd, who mingled 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-
Gus tumble of nackneys. 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.
brumby drive?" asked Burnaby,
newcomer, of one of the older men.
Its a sort o rough horse frolic for
us bush coves," the bushma~ explained
politely, and seeing that the ranger
did not understand, he con ued:
"McIntyre's leased the Range from the
government It's wild crown lands on
tn maps, an them fats an scrubs is
full o. brupbys, 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 10 be shifted. or the whole
ra ge's no food FIR stock breedin'. So
iul c goin' t'round 'em up an drive
l., II That's tn meanin' O. this
IL. 4 O. hands at Carmichaels.
eSdea .derstand?"
.noSl there many 70 drive out?"
.Sv Y, there're more AN a thous-
W. over there in tn scrub, an Mac
has tn gov'ment contrac' L scrub up
tn lot. We coves'll make clean job
T the Goomburra. Joudaryan. an Yam
dilla boundary riders come in. An T
them Gumbungee blokes 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 cp'n an y'r mouth shut
n you'll have 10 rows 10 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
brumty5 come down out of the hills
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.
"NowK said McCurdy, whom M'In-
tyre had engaged TO command. lets
see. There are nearly one hundred OF
US, an We should yard a good mos
out'r that lot if they're down in force
It's been pretty dry. and they've got
L make tn creek and back. It's now
after ten o'clock. It's good two miles
round { Womba paddock, an three
more L tn range. It'll take some care
full ridin' mates. an ticilish work, {
keep tn mob from breakin' through.
Hol' EN- steady, an hol' EN- 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 jig1l be up FIR couple O.
weeks. 'ntil tn scare's out'r them"
Jollity had ceased; 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 bushInan had quoted into the
stolid. fearless frontiersman, ready to
throw life and skill into desperate
encounter with treacheroas foe, for
the Australian wild horse. when press
ed attacks like a demon-rushes,
rears, kicks, bites and fights Goggedly
vicious when retreat is cut off,
In such Hazardous and rep:d cen
flict his pursueTs who do not come
down or suffer in the encounter must
be daring and accustomed horsemen.
AS the line OF mounted men strung
around the base of the mountain TO
the northeastern extremity. the trained
bush eye could discern a big forest ris-
ing on tie horizon miles away towards
the treeless creek.
There they are. watering. as
said" observed McCurdy. pointing to
the north Taking his nickeI-plated
watch from its leather pocket at his
side on his wa!ststrap and looking al
il, he continued. and it's 1915. Them
coves'll be in Goose in another quar-
ter. Bail up a minute. mates" the
leader called - the line behind him.
Il dent see anything" s1id 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 merr:ment was understood by
the visitor when 4 drover said:
You amt used { dry plains much
mate. Old-timers dent hunt water no
more when they sees a glass face like
that. If they re pretty dry them
sells, ans beer pushed in r dry spell,
in r dry country. an strike a glace