man:

"The landlord of the next pub. is not a bad sort. I won't go in--he
might remember me. You'd best go in. You've been tramping round in the
Wairarapa district for the last six months, looking for work. You're
going back to Wellington now, to try and get on the new corporation
works just being started there--the sewage works. You think you've got a
show. You've got some mates in Wellington, and they're looking out for
a chance for you. You did get a job last week on a sawmill at
Silverstream, and the boss sacked you after three days and wouldn't pay
you a penny. That's just his way. I know him--at least a mate of mine
does. I've heard of him often enough. His name's Cowman. Don't forget
the name, whatever you do. The landlord here hates him like poison;
he'll sympathize with you. Tell him you've got a mate with you; he's
gone ahead--took a short cut across the paddocks. Tell him you've got
only fourpence left, and see if he'll give you a drop in a bottle. Says
you: 'Well, boss, the fact is we've only got fourpence, but you might
let us have a drop in a bottle'; and very likely he'll stand you a
couple of pints in a gin-bottle. You can fling the coppers on the
counter, but the chances are he won't take them. He's not a bad sort.
Beer's fourpence a pint out here, same's in Wellington. See that
gin-bottle lying there by the stump; get it and we'll take it down to
the river with us and rinse it out."

They reached the river bank.

"You'd better take my swag--it looks more decent," said Steelman. "No,
I'll tell you what we'll do: we'll undo both swags and make them into
one--one decent swag, and I'll cut round through the lanes and wait for
you on the road ahead of the pub."

He rolled up the swag with much care and deliberation and considerable
judgment. He fastened Smith's belt round one end of it, and
the handkerchiefs round the other, and made a towel serve as a
shoulder-strap.

"I wish we had a canvas bag to put it in," he said, "or a cover of some
sort. But never mind. The landlord's an old Australian bushman, now
I come to think of it; the swag looks Australian enough, and it might
appeal to his feelings, you know--bring up old recollections. But you'd
best not say you come from Australia, because he's been there, and he'd
soon trip you up. He might have been where you've been, you know, so
don't try to do too much. You always do mug-up the business when you
try to do more than I tell you. You might tell him