de himself obnoxious by swelling
round for'ard. He was a big bull-necked "Britisher" (that word covers
it) with a bloated face, prominent gooseberry eyes, fore 'n' aft cap,
and long tan shoes. He seemed as if he'd come to see a "zoo," and was
dissatisfied with it--had a fine contempt for it, in fact, because it
did not come up to other zoological gardens that he had seen in London,
and on the _aw_--continong and in the--_aw_-er--_aw_--the States,
dontcherknow. The fellows reckoned that he ought to be "took down a peg"
(dontcherknow) and the sandy-complexioned comedian said he'd do it. So
he stepped softly up to the swell, tapped him lightly on the shoulder,
and pointed aft--holding his arm out like a pump handle and his
forefinger rigid.

The Britisher's face was a study; it was blank at first and then it went
all colours, and wore, in succession, every possible expression except
a pleasant one. He seemed bursting with indignation, but he did not
speak--could not, perhaps; and, as soon as he could detach his feet
from the spot to which they had been nailed in the first place by
astonishment, he stalked aft. He did not come to see the zoo any more.

The fellows in the fore-cabin that evening were growling about the bad
quality of the grub supplied.

Then the shearer's volcano showed signs of activity. He shifted round,
spat impatiently, and said:

"You chaps don't know what yer talkin' about. You want something to
grumble about. You should have been out with me last year on the Paroo
in Noo South Wales. The meat we got there was so bad that it uster
travel!"

"What?"

"Yes! travel! take the track! go on the wallaby! The cockies over there
used to hang the meat up on the branches of the trees, and just shake
it whenever they wanted to feed the fowls. And the water was so bad
that half a pound of tea in the billy wouldn't make no impression on the
colour--nor the taste. The further west we went the worse our meat got,
till at last we had to carry a dog-chain to chain it up at night. Then
it got worse and broke the chain, and then we had to train the blessed
dogs to shepherd it and bring it back. But we fell in with another chap
with a bad old dog--a downright knowing, thieving, old hard-case of
a dog; and this dog led our dogs astray---demoralized them--corrupted
their morals--and so one morning they came home with the blooming meat
inside them, instead of outside--and we had to go hungry for breakfast."

"You'd b