14 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



keeping very still and not allowing his bell to ring, 

 dodge me until it was dawn. Sometimes at this 

 station I was for long spells fifteen or sixteen hours 

 in the saddle every day. I got thus absolutely sick 

 of the sight of horses. The work on a sheep station, 

 too, was dull and unexciting after my experience 

 with the cattle. The cattle life appealed much more 

 to the imagination than life among the sheep, which 

 is mostly hard, dull work. 



I can sympathise with that jolly versifier of the 

 Australian bush, poor Harry Morant, in his disgust 

 over the cattle run which had been turned into a 

 sheep station : 



" Young Merino bought the station, fenced the run and built ashed, 

 Sacked the stockmen, sold the cattle, and put on sheep instead ; 

 But he wasn't built for Queensland, and every bloomin' year 

 One hears of labour troubles when Merino starts to shear. 



There are ructions with the rouseabouts, and shearers strike 



galore : 



The like was never heard of in the cattle days of yore ; 

 Whilst slowly round small paddocks now the sleepy lizards 



creep 

 And Goorybibil's beggared since the country carried sheep ! 



They've built bush yards on Wild Horse Creek, where in the 



morning's hush 



We've sat silent in the saddle, and listened for the rush 

 Of the cleanskins when we heard 'em it was ' wheel 'em if 



you can,' 

 While gidgee, pine, and mulga tried the nerve of horse and man ! 



From sunrise unto sunset through the summer days we'd ride 

 And stockyard rails were up and pegged with cattle safe inside, 



