DULL-WITTED 325 



An Apt Retort 



A meeting between a steamer smartly captained and a 

 sailing boat steered by a smart black boy familiar with the 

 rules of the road at sea was taking place. The steamer 

 having too much way on, the boat narrowly escaped being 

 run down. " Why didn't you keep out of the road," yelled 

 the captain, " Why do you let the nigger steer ? " Tom in 

 reply, " Why you no luff up ? You got blurry steamer, I 

 no got 'em ! " 



Missis's Trousers 



Lady Constance Mackenzie is not the only bold female 

 who rides astride in befitting costume. On some North 

 Queensland cattle stations, squatters' wives and daughters 

 have adopted divided skirts, and black gins employed as 

 stockriders wear shirts and trousers, which are returned to 

 the store when not in active service. One bleak evening — 

 and it can be bleak on the North- Western Downs — the 

 tender heart of a new jackeroo storekeeper was touched by 

 the sight of two black boys quaking with the cold, the 

 attire of each being limited to a singlet tugged down to its 

 extreme limit. 



" You no got trousers ? " he asked. 



" Baal got 'em ! " 



" All right. Me give you fella some," and the store- 

 man produced two pairs well worn, which were thankfully 

 accepted. 



Half an hour later one of the boys returned, bursting 

 with indignant language. "What for, you blurry fool. 

 You bin gib it my missis's trousers ? " 



Dull-witted 



At a western station the manager, in order to save a 

 fence newly erected, thought to satisfy the blacks by leaving 

 a loose coil of wire here and there for spear heads. But 



