72 Australian Life 



picturesquely on the frame of the machine, plug 

 earnestly over the dusty roads and rugged tracks 

 of the back country. Or he may sling "bluey" 

 over his shoulders, and with waterbag in one hand 

 and billy-can in the other, tramp steadfastly along 

 the wallaby tracks with a trusted mate. In any 

 case, he is a "traveller," and does not care to be 

 referred to by any other term. 



Among travellers, the man who rides his own 

 horse enjoys a deserved prestige. His application 

 for work is likely to receive first consideration 

 from managers and owners of stations. When 

 he wishes to replenish his "tucker-bag," he can 

 usually approach the station store-keeper with 

 money in his hand; for he is careful to preserve 

 his status. From the tucker-bag, a sort of pillow- 

 slip with the mouth in the middle, which is slung 

 across the front of the saddle so that a bulging 

 end hangs down on either side, he gets his bush- 

 name of "bag-man." The bag-man, who is gen- 

 erally a shearer first and a handy-man when 

 shearing is over, probably has a round of stations 

 where he can rely upon a pen at shearing time, 

 as well as station work of other kinds. 



The old order of bushmen still affect to look 

 down upon the bush cyclist as an innovation and 

 a destroyer of time-honoured' customs and prac- 

 tices. There can be no doubt of the genuine 

 utility of the bicycle to the bushman, who con- 

 trives to cover immense distances on his machine, 

 and to carry with him a quantity of luggage that 



