322 REMINISCENCES OF 



back to you. The system works beautifully. I went 

 out ' mustering ' one day, which consisted in fourteen 

 men on horses and as many good dogs as they could 

 get going out at 4 a.m. and beating the hills for 

 sheep. We worked till three in the afternoon and 

 gathered about 8,000 from that one run. We then 

 drafted and dipped them. They were short-handed, 

 so I worked like a nigger. We dipped 2,200 a day ; 

 not bad considering the size, weight and ' dourness ' 

 of the so-called gentle sheep. 



" They do everything themselves. Every man 

 is his own groom. I had an Arab given me for the 

 time I was there, and I didn't have to ask leave 

 every time I wanted a ride. Besides cleaning the 

 stables I took over the dairy and made the butter, 

 and boasted in the skill Mrs. Drumdrum had instilled 

 into me. I dipped the sheep, helped to thresh, rode 

 twelve miles for the letters in the rain, mended the 

 silver kettle, measured the house, tested the water- 

 wheel with a view to lighting it electrically (it's 

 under consideration), and I've the promise of the job ; 

 I fed the calf night and morning, constructed a 

 manger, drank quantities of their best brown sherry, 

 shot and hunted rabbits with my Arab and a mongrel 

 dog. We went three picnics to the bush, river, 

 stalactite caves, etc. We rode to two, and took 

 four-in-hand to the third. Walked in the moonlight, 

 got up at 6 a.m. regular, helped to carry sacks of 

 oats, played euchre and crib, and in the evenings 

 Captain G. used to read out Jorrocks to us. A free, 

 happy, busy life, fun every moment of it. 



