e at the turn off of the main road. My
first ride through Australian bush was very lonely, and I was very
timid. I heard what sounded like revolver shots, loud shouting, and
much swearing. This I learned later was the ordinary language used when
driving bullocks, while what I took to be revolver shots, was the
cracking of bullock-whips. At the time I imagined a battle was being
fought with bushrangers, but it turned out that it was merely the
station bullock teams going to Maryborough for stores, and to bring up
the hands engaged by me, with their belongings.

I found the station in charge of a manager, and that my uncle had gone
north in search of new country for the sheep. Grass seed and foot rot
were playing havoc with the sheep on "Stanton Harcourt." Shortly after
my arrival, 1,000 head of cattle purchased from White, of Beaudesert,
reached the station. In those days pounds were unknown, and I now had my
first experience in drafting cattle in an open yard. An old cow,
evidently knowing that I was raw, came at me, and would have caught me,
but that my hat fell off and attracted her attention. She impaled the
hat instead of me. My next lesson was in bullock driving. I was sent
with two loads of wool to Maryborough, having a black boy to drive one
team, and another boy to muster the bullocks. These would not allow the
black boys to go near them to yoke up, so I had to do this for both
teams. After capsizing my dray three times on the road, and pulling down
a fence in the town, I delivered the wool. The blacks had a short time
before stuck up several drays, and carried the loading in their canoes
across the river.

On the far side there was a dense scrub through which it was difficult
to track them. My boys said I would be stuck up when passing this spot,
so I rode on the dray, carrying a loaded revolver. However, I was not
molested, probably due to the fact that, unknown to me, Lieutenant
Wheeler with his troopers were at the moment busy among the blacks.

My uncle had returned before me, but had not been successful in securing
country. When lambing came on, Custard and I were sent out without any
special instructions to lamb a flock of ewes. Following the strong mob
back to the yards in the evening, the lambs tried my temper. I provided
myself with stones, and being a fairly good shot, I reduced the
percentage of lambs to some extent.

One night there was a great stampede in the yard, and thinking it was a
dingo a