g,
spectral-seeming herd 'in the droving days'. Amid such scarce
congenial surroundings comes oft that finer sense which renders visible
bright gleams of humour, pathos, and romance, which,
like undiscovered gold, await the fortunate adventurer.
That the author has touched this treasure-trove, not less delicately
than distinctly, no true Australian will deny. In my opinion
this collection comprises the best bush ballads written
since the death of Lindsay Gordon.

Rolf Boldrewood

A number of these verses are now published for the first time,
most of the others were written for and appeared in "The Bulletin"
(Sydney, N.S.W.), and are therefore already widely known
to readers in Australasia.

A. B. Paterson

Prelude

I have gathered these stories afar,
In the wind and the rain,
In the land where the cattle camps are,
On the edge of the plain.
On the overland routes of the west,
When the watches were long,
I have fashioned in earnest and jest
These fragments of song.

They are just the rude stories one hears
In sadness and mirth,
The records of wandering years,
And scant is their worth
Though their merits indeed are but slight,
I shall not repine,
If they give you one moment's delight,
Old comrades of mine.

Contents with First Lines:

Prelude
I have gathered these stories afar,

The Man from Snowy River
There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around

Old Pardon, the Son of Reprieve
You never heard tell of the story?

Clancy of the Overflow
I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better

Conroy's Gap
This was the way of it, don't you know --

Our New Horse
The boys had come back from the races

An Idyll of Dandaloo
On Western plains, where shade is not,

The Geebung Polo Club
It was somewhere up the country, in a land of rock and scrub,

The Travelling Post Office
The roving breezes come and go, the reed beds sweep and sway,

Saltbush Bill
Now this is the law of the Overland that all in the West obey,

A Mountain Station
I bought a run a while ago,

Been There Before
There came a stranger to Walgett town,

The Man Who Was Away
The widow sought the lawyer's room with ch