saltbush bill-第5节
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The Road to Hogan's Gap
Now look； you see； it's this way like；
You cross the broken bridge
And run the crick down till you strike
The second right…hand ridge。
The track is hard to see in parts；
But still it's pretty clear；
There's been two Injin hawkers' carts
Along that road this year。
Well； run that right…hand ridge along
It ain't； to say； too steep
There's two fresh tracks might put you wrong
Where blokes went out with sheep。
But keep the crick upon your right；
And follow pretty straight
Along the spur； until you sight
A wire and sapling gate。
Well； that's where Hogan's old grey mare
Fell off and broke her back；
You'll see her carcase layin' there；
Jist down below the track。
And then you drop two mile； or three；
It's pretty steep and blind；
You want to go and fall a tree
And tie it on behind。
And then you pass a broken cart
Below a granite bluff；
And that is where you strike the part
They reckon pretty rough。
But by the time you've got that far
It's either cure or kill；
So turn your horses round the spur
And face 'em up the hill。
For look； if you should miss the slope
And get below the track；
You haven't got the whitest hope
Of ever gettin' back。
An' half way up you'll see the hide
Of Hogan's brindled bull；
Well； mind and keep the right…hand side；
The left's too steep a pull。
And both the banks is full of cracks；
An' just about at dark
You'll see the last year's bullock tracks
Where Hogan drew the bark。
The marks is old and pretty faint
And grown with scrub and such；
Of course the track to Hogan's ain't
A road that's travelled much。
But turn and run the tracks along
For half a mile or more；
And then； of course； you can't go wrong
You're right at Hogan's door。
When first you come to Hogan's gate
He mightn't show； perhaps；
He's pretty sure to plant and wait
To see it ain't the traps。
I wouldn't call it good enough
To let your horses out；
There's some that's pretty extra rough
Is livin' round about。
It's likely if your horses did
Get feedin' near the track；
It's goin' to cost at least a quid
Or more to get them back。
So； if you find they're off the place；
It's up to you to go
And flash a quid in Hogan's face
He'll know the blokes that know。
But listen； if you're feelin' dry；
Just see there's no one near；
And go and wink the other eye
And ask for ginger beer。
The blokes come in from near and far
To sample Hogan's pop；
They reckon once they breast the bar
They stay there till they drop。
On Sundays you can see them spread
Like flies around the tap。
It's like that song 〃The Livin' Dead〃
Up there at Hogan's Gap。
They like to make it pretty strong
Whenever there's a charnce；
So when a stranger comes along
They always holds a darnce。
There's recitations； songs； and fights
A willin' lot you'll meet。
There's one long bloke up there recites；
I tell you he's a treat。
They're lively blokes all right up there；
It's never dull a day。
I'd go meself if I could spare
The time to get away。
。 。 。 。 。
The stranger turned his horses quick。
He didn't cross the bridge；
He didn't go along the crick
To strike the second ridge；
He didn't make the trip； because
He wasn't feeling fit。
His business up at Hogan's was
To serve him with a writ。
He reckoned if he faced the pull
And climbed the rocky stair；
The next to come might find his hide
A land…mark on the mountain side；
Along with Hogan's brindled bull
And Hogan's old grey mare！
A Singer of the Bush
There is waving of grass in the breeze
And a song in the air；
And a murmur of myriad bees
That toil everywhere。
There is scent in the blossom and bough；
And the breath of the Spring
Is as soft as a kiss on a brow
And Spring…time I sing。
There is drought on the land； and the stock
Tumble down in their tracks
Or follow a tottering flock
The scrub…cutter's axe。
While ever a creature survives
The axes shall swing；
We are fighting with fate for their lives
And the combat I sing。
〃Shouting〃 for a Camel
It was over at Coolgardie that a mining speculator；
Who was going down the township just to make a bit o' chink；
Went off to hire a camel from a camel propagator；
And the Afghan said he'd lend it if he'd stand the beast a drink。
Yes； the only price he asked him was to stand the beast a drink。
He was cheap； very cheap； as the dromedaries go。
So the mining speculator made the bargain； proudly thinking
He had bested old Mahomet； he had done him in the eye。
Then he clambered on the camel； and the while the beast was drinking
He explained with satisfaction to the miners standing by
That 'twas cheap； very cheap； as the dromedaries go。
But the camel kept on drinking and he filled his hold with water；
And the more he had inside him yet the more he seemed to need；
For he drank it by the gallon； and his girths grew taut and tauter；
And the miners muttered softly； 〃Yes； he's very dry indeed！
But he's cheap； very cheap； as the dromedaries go。〃
So he drank up twenty buckets it was weird to watch him suck it；
（And the market price for water was per bucket half…a…crown）
Till the speculator stopped him； saying； 〃Not another bucket
If I give him any more there'll be a famine in the town。
Take him back to old Mahomet； and I'll tramp it through the town。〃
He was cheap； very cheap； as the speculators go。
There's a moral to this story in your hat you ought to paste it；
Be careful whom you shout for when a camel is about；
And there's plenty human camels who； before they'll see you waste it；
Will drink up all you pay for if you're fool enough to shout；
If you chance to strike a camel when you're fool enough to shout；
You'll be cheap； very cheap； as the speculators go。
The Lost Drink
I had spent the night in the watch…house
My head was the size of three
So I went and asked the chemist
To fix up a drink for me；
And he brewed it from various bottles
With soda and plenty of ice；
With something that smelt like lemon；
And something that seemed like spice。
It fell on my parching palate
Like the dew on a sun…baked plain；
And my system began to flourish
Like the grass in a soft spring rain；
It wandered throughout my being；
Suffusing my soul with rest；
And I felt as I 〃scoffed〃 that liquid
That life had a new…found zest。
I have been on the razzle…dazzle
Full many a time since then
But I never could get the chemist
To brew me that drink again。
He says he's forgotten the notion
'Twas only by chance it came
He's tried me with various liquids
But oh！ they are not the same。
We have sought； but we sought it vainly；
That one lost drink divine；
We have sampled his various bottles；
But somehow they don't combine：
Yet I know when I cross the River
And stand on the Golden Shore
I shall meet with an angel…chemist
Who'll brew me that drink once more。
Mulligan's Mare
Oh； Mulligan's bar was the deuce of a place
To drink and to fight； and to gamble and race；
The height of choice spirits from near and from far
Were all concentrated on Mulligan's bar。
There was 〃Jerry the Swell〃； and the jockey…boy Ned；
〃Dog…bite…me〃 so called from the shape of his head
And a man whom the boys； in their musical slang；
Designed as the 〃Gaffer of Mulligan's Gang〃。
Now Mulligan's Gang had a racer to show；
A bad 'un to look at； a good 'un to go；
Whenever they backed her you safely might swear
She'd walk in a winner； would Mulligan's mare。
But Mulligan； having some radical views；
Neglected his business and got on the booze；
He took up with runners a treacherous troop
Who gave him away and he 〃fell in the soup〃。
And so it turned out on a fine summer day；
A bailiff turned up with a writ of 〃fi。 fa。〃；
He walked to the bar with a manner serene；
〃I levy；〃 said he； 〃in the name of the Queen。〃
Then Mulligan wanted； in spite of the law；
To pay out the bailiff with 〃ONE on the jaw〃；
He drew out to hit him； but； ere you could wink；
He changed his intentions and stood him a drink。
A great consultation there straightway befel
'Twixt jockey…boy Neddy and Jerry the Swell；
And the man with the head； who remarked 〃Why； you bet！
Dog…bite…me！〃 said he； 〃but we'll diddle 'em yet。
〃We'll slip out the mare from her stall in a crack；
And put in her place the old broken…down hack；
The hack is so like her； I'm ready to swear
The bailiff will think he has Mulligan's mare。
〃So out with the racer and in with the screw；
We'll show him what Mulligan's tal
