Chapter IV: Prologue: The Bush-Fire

THE HOUSE THAT WAS NEVER BUILT

“BARNEY, TAKE ME HOME AGAIN”

A DROVING YARN

GETTIN' BACK ON DAVE REGAN

“SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER?”

HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER

THE STORY OF “GENTLEMAN ONCE”

THE GHOSTS OF MANY CHRISTMASES

WHILE THE BILLY BOILS By Henry Lawson CONTENTS

WHILE THE BILLY BOILS

FIRST SERIES

AN OLD MATE OF YOUR FATHER'S

SETTLING ON THE LAND

ENTER MITCHELL

STIFFNER AND JIM

WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN

THE MAN WHO FORGOT

HUNGERFORD

A CAMP-FIRE YARN

HIS COUNTRY-AFTER ALL

A DAY ON A SELECTION

THAT THERE DOG O' MINE

GOING BLIND

ARVIE ASPINALL'S ALARM CLOCK

STRAGGLERS

THE UNION BURIES ITS DEAD

ON THE EDGE OF A PLAIN

IN A DRY SEASON

HE'D COME BACK

ANOTHER OF MITCHELL'S PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

STEELMAN

DRIFTED BACK

REMAILED

MITCHELL DOESN'T BELIEVE IN THE SACK

SHOOTING THE MOON

HIS FATHER'S MATE

AN ECHO FROM THE OLD BARK SCHOOL

THE SHEARING OF THE COOK'S DOG

“DOSSING OUT” AND “CAMPING”

ACROSS THE STRAITS

“SOME DAY”

“BRUMMY USEN”

SECOND SERIES

THE DROVER'S WIFE

STEELMAN'S PUPIL

AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY

BOARD AND RESIDENCE

HIS COLONIAL OATH

A VISIT OF CONDOLENCE

IN A WET SEASON

“RATS”

MITCHELL: A CHARACTER SKETCH

THE BUSH UNDERTAKER

OUR PIPES

COMING ACROSS

THE STORY OF MALACHI

TWO DOGS AND A FENCE

JONES'S ALLEY

BOGG OF GEEBUNG

SHE WOULDN'T SPEAK

THE GEOLOGICAL SPIELER

MACQUARIE'S MATE

BALDY THOMPSON

FOR AULD LANG SYNE

NOTES ON AUSTRALIANISMS.

THE RISING OF THE COURT

By Henry Lawson

Note: Only the prose stories are reproduced here, not the poetry.

CONTENTS

THE RISING OF THE COURT

“ROLL UP AT TALBRAGAR”

WANTED BY THE POLICE

THE BATH

INSTINCT GONE WRONG

THE HYPNOTIZED TOWNSHIP

THE EXCISEMAN

MATESHIP IN SHAKESPEARE’S ROME

VERSES POPULAR AND HUMOROUS BY HENRY LAWSON

CONTENTS PAGE THE PORTS OF THE OPEN SEA Down here where the ships loom large in 1 THE THREE KINGS The East is dead and the West is done, and again our course lies thus:— 5 THE OUTSIDE TRACK There were ten of us there on the moonlit quay, 8 SYDNEY-SIDE Where's the steward?—Bar-room steward? Berth? Oh, any berth will do— 10 THE ROVERS Some born of homely parents 13 FOREIGN LANDS You may roam the wide seas over, follow, meet, and cross the sun,{viii} 18 MARY LEMAINE Jim Duff was a 'native,' as wild as could be; 22 THE SHAKEDOWN ON THE FLOOR Set me back for twenty summers— 25 REEDY RIVER Ten miles down Reedy River 28 OLD STONE CHIMNEY The rising moon on the peaks was blending 31 SONG OF THE OLD BULLOCK-DRIVER Far Back in the days when the blacks used to ramble 35 THE LIGHTS OF COBB AND CO. Fire lighted, on the table a meal for sleepy men, 39 HOW THE LAND WAS WON The future was dark and the past was dead 45 THE BOSS OVER THE BOARD When he's over a rough and unpopular shed,{ix} 48 WHEN THE LADIES COME TO THE SHEARING SHED 'The ladies are coming,' the super says 52 THE BALLAD OF THE ROUSEABOUT A rouseabout of rouseabouts, from any land—or none— 55 YEARS AFTER THE WAR IN AUSTRALIA The big rough boys from the runs out back were first where the balls flew free, 60 THE OLD JIMMY WOODSER The old Jimmy Woodser comes into the bar, 67 THE CHRIST OF THE 'NEVER' With eyes that seem shrunken to pierce 69 THE CATTLE-DOG'S DEATH The plains lay bare on the homeward route, 71 THE SONG OF THE DARLING RIVER The skies are brass and the plains are bare, 73 RAIN IN THE MOUNTAINS The valley's full of misty cloud,{x} 75 A MAY NIGHT ON THE MOUNTAINS 'Tis a wonderful time when these hours begin, 76 THE NEW CHUM JACKAROO Let bushmen think as bushmen will, 78 THE DONS OF SPAIN The Eagle screams at the beck of trade, so Spain, as the world goes round, 81 THE BURSTING OF THE BOOM The shipping office clerks are 'short,' the manager is gruff— 84 ANTONY VILLA Over there, above the jetty, stands the mansion of the Vardens, 90 SECOND CLASS WAIT HERE On suburban railway stations—you may see them as you pass— 96 THE SHIPS THAT WON'T GO DOWN We hear a great commotion 99 THE MEN WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN When God's wrath-cloud is o'er me{xi} 101 THE WAY OF THE WORLD When fairer faces turn from me, 103 THE BATTLING DAYS So, sit you down in a straight-backed chair, with your pipe and your wife content, 105 WRITTEN AFTERWARDS So the days of my tramping are over, 108 THE UNCULTURED RHYMER TO HIS CULTURED CRITICS Fight through ignorance, want, and care— 111 THE WRITER'S DREAM A writer wrote of the hearts of men, and he followed their tracks afar; 113 THE JOLLY DEAD MARCH If I ever be worthy or famous— 121 MY LITERARY FRIEND Once I wrote a little poem which I thought was very fine, 125 MARY CALLED HIM 'MISTER' They'd parted but a year before—she never thought he'd come,{xii} 127 REJECTED She says she's very sorry, as she sees you to the gate; 130 O'HARA, J.P. James Patrick O'Hara, the Justice of Peace, 134 BILL AND JIM FALL OUT Bill and Jim are mates no longer—they would scorn the name of mate— 138 THE PAROO It was a week from Christmas-time, 142 THE GREEN-HAND ROUSEABOUT Call this hot? I beg your pardon. Hot!—you don't know what it means. 146 THE MAN FROM WATERLOO It was the Man from Waterloo, 151 SAINT PETER Now, I think there is a likeness 155 THE STRANGER'S FRIEND The strangest things, and the maddest things, that a man can do or say,{xiii} 158 THE GOD-FORGOTTEN ELECTION Pat M'Durmer brought the tidings to the town of God-Forgotten: 162 THE BOSS'S BOOTS The shearers squint along the pens, they squint along the 'shoots;' 168 THE CAPTAIN OF THE PUSH As the night was falling slowly down on city, town and bush, 174 BILLY'S 'SQUARE AFFAIR' Long Bill, the captain of the push, was tired of his estate, 181 A DERRY ON A COVE 'Twas in the felon's dock he stood, his eyes were black and blue; 185 RISE YE! RISE YE! Rise ye! rise ye! noble toilers! claim your rights with fire and steel! 187 THE BALLAD OF MABEL CLARE Ye children of the Land of Gold,{xiv} 190 CONSTABLE M'CARTHY'S INVESTIGATIONS Most unpleasantly adjacent to the haunts of lower orders 196 AT THE TUG-OF-WAR 'Twas in a tug-of-war where I—the guvnor's hope and pride— 205 HERE'S LUCK! Old Time is tramping close to-day—you hear his bluchers fall, 208 THE MEN WHO COME BEHIND There's a class of men (and women) who are always on their guard— 211 THE DAYS WHEN WE WENT SWIMMING The breezes waved the silver grass, 214 THE OLD BARK SCHOOL It was built of bark and poles, and the floor was full of holes 216 TROUBLE ON THE SELECTION You lazy boy, you're here at last, 220 THE PROFESSIONAL WANDERER When you've knocked about the country—been away from home for years;{xv} 222 A LITTLE MISTAKE 'Tis a yarn I heard of a new-chum 'trap' 225 A STUDY IN THE "NOOD" He was bare—we don't want to be rude— 228 A WORD TO TEXAS JACK Texas Jack, you are amusin'. By Lord Harry, how I laughed 231 THE GROG-AN'-GRUMBLE STEEPLECHASE 'Twixt the coastline and the border lay the town of Grog-an'-Grumble 237 BUT WHAT'S THE USE But what's the use of writing 'bush'— 242 VIGNETTES BY FRANK P. MAHONY Portrait of the Author facing title page The Lights of Cobb and Co. title page My Literary Friend page xvi.