The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-04-06
ole New " Bullocky."
A Tasmania Story.

9
81 dinna want wood-cutter," said
Moffat can l dinna want a shoe
man. An I dinna want cook"
"You want bullocky?"
aye. But l hire men tae drive
ma bullocks, an mo- half-baked boy.
I dinnah give such-nke billets tae new
chums."
Never asked you to-" said Tony,
hotly.
'T've driven twenty-team on the
Murrumbidgee heaps of times"
''Harnessed tae go-cart wi you
tied intae it?"
.Harnessed TO a threshing plant
with three rivers to ford, and the fire.
box alight all the time," said Tony.
Moffat looked straight at him. Tony
was the slim-run, light-built Austrai-
Ian breed that grows pluck first and
last and in between, and muscle when
1t has time. Tony had not much mus
Gle as yet.
Moffat rubbed his nose slowly. ''I'll
TAX ye,' he said. ma men air 'gey
rough DOT at the camp; but l jalouse
ye haze a tongue tae hauld We safe. Yell
need it. Weel; I'll send oopward by
ye tae Robinson. Dye ken the way?"
!!Up to Tregellan's Gap, round the
ironstone shoulder, and follow your
nose till you strike the tramline."
Moffat grinned. "Ye has come wi
ye're lessen weet conned. Yell dae .
Aye; I'll send Robinson screed, an
yell git COP theer afore the NIGHT
Tony had tramped eight miles along
the Western Tiers (and these hold
some of the toughest country in Tas-
manial that day. He tramped ten
more before he sighted the logging
camp, sunk deep in great green shad-
ows of heavy bush, and flooded with
scarlet of the after-glow that sifted
through the half-cleared gun-scrub.
Twenty men loafed, smoking. about
the long hut made of unsquared tree
trunks. Tony walked straight into the
midst Of them, and handed over his
letter to a red-bearded, hawk-eyed
man who carried himself as one in
authority. Robinson tore open the
envelope, grinning.
what yer wantin', sonny?" he said.
He read the note through. Then he
sat down on the chopping- block.
well, am best" he said rs old
Moffat gone off his chump?" Tony,s
neck and ears burnt, but he stood the
volley of stares unf1inchingly. Il had
a look at the bullocks as | came
through the clearing" he said.
They're not a bad lot; but you ought
to have more sense than to keep that
aged brute with the twisted horn and
the swelled nearfore. He's got a tenn
per- I'll bet"
A low-browed, bull-necked man
looked up. Where did Moffat pick
up that KIDD" he demanded. 1T TUX
us all o ten months ter find out what
Buster cud do when he liked"
1.-THE kids a bullocky like yerself,"
said Robinson, dryly "Moffat sent
him up ter take Cobham's place. He'll
run on the lines with you, jake" lake
heaved his huge bulk upright. But
the blare of a great cow-bell in the
cooks two hands broke Jake's words,
and the men poured headlong into the
hut
Under the rattle of tin plates and
pannikins, the shouts for tea and milk,
and the rough chaff that flew broad
cast down the length of the unplaned
table, Tony found a place on a form,
and stared round. The smell of the
clean peppermint wood and the wat
tie was in the very breath of the room,
and the gum of bleeding trees was on
the hair of the mems necks and arms.
Tony Rugged himself and his eyes
shone. BY the movements hazy
through the steam from pannikins and
hot meats; by the great ripping mus
cles. and the great roars of laughter,
he knew that he had come to hold his
own amongst men.
Bullock driving is done by the
swing Of a twenty-foot whip, and the
tones of the voice. There are no reins
and just little more harness. A bull
lock team can tangle itself more eff
ficiently than kitten with skein OF
wool when 1t likes; and it is not so
easily picked up and Strengthened.
Tony knew all this. But he had the
love for animals which is really gen.
ius, and the cool head which is the
most valuable asset of the man who
would work amongst them. He saw
just when to strike for present victory,
Three days Tony drove his team
down the ten miles of tram-line to
the mill. By that date he knew each
animal by name, and he knew their
characteristics. And they knew him
as animals do know the human who
loves them On the fourth morning
Buster was sully. He did not obey
the wall-eyed old leader who rounded
the mob at daybreak, and Tony had tc
go out for him with whip. He came
dropping saliva from his great jaws
and stood. four square and unmEying