158 THE HORSE: ITS TAMING, 



show by the side of some noted Austrahan events 

 possibly unrecorded. In knocking about Queensland 

 on station and surveying life, some good things have 

 come under my notice in the way of riding. 



" I recollect one by Mr. Archie Ferguson, of Walloon, 

 on the Dawson River, who made a smart night's run 

 from Banana to the station. It was occasioned by his 

 venerable father (who was in the habit of roaming by 

 himself) having been lost. The old gentleman not 

 turning up at nightfall, all hands on the station were 

 scouring the country for him up till 12 o'clock without 

 success, and then it was decided to send a black boy 

 to Banana for Archie. The boy started, leading ' Billy 

 Button,' a small but compact animal, the boss's favour- 

 ite ; the distance was 35 miles to Banana ; how long 

 the boy was going is not known, but by daylight 

 Archie was at the door with ' Billy Button,' and a little 

 after sunrise had his father home. This celebrated 

 feat was long remembered on the Dawson, and is 

 probably fresh in the minds of some few at the present 

 time. 



" A good day's performance was done by T. S. 

 Collings, of Eton Vale, Kennedy, on a dapple gray, 

 ' Bonnie Doon,' well known at Bowen. Collings left 

 Eton about 8 a.m. for town, the road being at that 

 time some 40 good bush miles (before the short track 

 over the range was made), and after doing some 

 business at Bowen, rode out to Adelaide Point, at that 



