In the Days When the World Was Wide and Other Verses Part 3

He's left us in dejection now; Our hearts with him are roving.

It's dull on this selection now, Since Andy went a-droving.

Who now shall wear the cheerful face In times when things are slackest?

And who shall whistle round the place When Fortune frowns her blackest?

Oh, who shall cheek the squatter now When he comes round us snarling?

His tongue is growing hotter now Since Andy cross'd the Darling.

The gates are out of order now, In storms the 'riders' rattle; For far across the border now Our Andy's gone with cattle.

Poor Aunty's looking thin and white; And Uncle's cross with worry; And poor old Blucher howls all night Since Andy left Macquarie.

Oh, may the showers in torrents fall, And all the tanks run over; And may the gra.s.s grow green and tall In pathways of the drover;

And may good angels send the rain On desert stretches sandy; And when the summer comes again G.o.d grant 'twill bring us Andy.

Jack Dunn of Nevertire

It chanced upon the very day we'd got the shearing done, A buggy brought a stranger to the West-o'-Sunday Run; He had a round and jolly face, and he was sleek and stout, He drove right up between the huts and called the super out.

We chaps were smoking after tea, and heard the swell enquire For one as travelled by the name of 'Dunn of Nevertire'.

Jack Dunn of Nevertire, Poor Dunn of Nevertire; There wasn't one of us but knew Jack Dunn of Nevertire.

'Jack Dunn of Nevertire,' he said; 'I was a mate of his; And now it's twenty years since I set eyes upon his phiz.

There is no whiter man than Jack -- no straighter south the line, There is no hand in all the land I'd sooner grip in mine; To help a mate in trouble Jack would go through flood and fire.

Great Scott! and don't you know the name of Dunn of Nevertire?

Big Dunn of Nevertire, Long Jack from Nevertire; He stuck to me through thick and thin, Jack Dunn of Nevertire.

'I did a wild and foolish thing while Jack and I were mates, And I disgraced my guv'nor's name, an' wished to try the States.

My lamps were turned to Yankee Land, for I'd some people there, And I was right when someone sent the money for my fare; I thought 'twas Dad until I took the trouble to enquire, And found that he who sent the stuff was Dunn of Nevertire, Jack Dunn of Nevertire, Soft Dunn of Nevertire; He'd won some money on a race -- Jack Dunn of Nevertire.

'Now I've returned, by Liverpool, a swell of Yankee brand, To reckon, guess, and kalkilate, 'n' wake my native land; There is no better land, I swear, in all the wide world round -- I smelt the bush a month before we touched King George's Sound!

And now I've come to settle down, the top of my desire Is just to meet a mate o' mine called 'Dunn of Nevertire'.

Was raised at Nevertire -- The town of Nevertire; He humped his bluey by the name of 'Dunn of Nevertire'.

'I've heard he's poor, and if he is, a proud old fool is he; But, spite of that, I'll find a way to fix the old gum-tree.

I've bought a station in the North -- the best that could be had; I want a man to pick the stock -- I want a super bad; I want no bully-brute to boss -- no crawling, sneaking liar -- My station super's name shall be 'Jack Dunn of Nevertire'!

Straight Dunn of Nevertire, Old Dunn of Nevertire; I guess he's known up Queensland way -- Jack Dunn of Nevertire.'

The super said, while to his face a strange expression came: 'I THINK I've seen the man you want, I THINK I know the name; Had he a jolly kind of face, a free and careless way, Gray eyes that always seem'd to smile, and hair just turning gray -- Clean-shaved, except a light moustache, long-limbed, an' tough as wire?'

'THAT'S HIM! THAT'S DUNN!' the stranger roared, 'Jack Dunn of Nevertire!

John Dunn of Nevertire, Jack D. from Nevertire, They said I'd find him here, the cuss! -- Jack Dunn of Nevertire.

'I'd know his walk,' the stranger cried, 'though sobered, I'll allow.'

'I doubt it much,' the boss replied, 'he don't walk that way now.'

'Perhaps he don't!' the stranger said, 'for years were hard on Jack; But, if he were a mile away, I swear I'd know his back.'

'I doubt it much,' the super said, and sadly puffed his briar, 'I guess he wears a pair of wings -- Jack Dunn of Nevertire; Jack Dunn of Nevertire, Brave Dunn of Nevertire, He caught a fever nursing me, Jack Dunn of Nevertire.'

We took the stranger round to where a gum-tree stood alone, And in the gra.s.s beside the trunk he saw a granite stone; The names of Dunn and Nevertire were plainly written there -- 'I'm all broke up,' the stranger said, in sorrow and despair, 'I guess he has a wider run, the man that I require; He's got a river-frontage now, Jack Dunn of Nevertire; Straight Dunn of Nevertire, White Jack from Nevertire, I guess Saint Peter knew the name of 'Dunn of Nevertire'.'

Trooper Campbell

One day old Trooper Campbell Rode out to Blackman's Run, His cap-peak and his sabre Were glancing in the sun.

'Twas New Year's Eve, and slowly Across the ridges low The sad Old Year was drifting To where the old years go.

The trooper's mind was reading The love-page of his life -- His love for Mary Wylie Ere she was Blackman's wife; He sorrowed for the sorrows Of the heart a rival won, For he knew that there was trouble Out there on Blackman's Run.

The sapling shades had lengthened, The summer day was late, When Blackman met the trooper Beyond the homestead gate.

And if the hand of trouble Can leave a lasting trace, The lines of care had come to stay On poor old Blackman's face.

'Not good day, Trooper Campbell, It's a bad, bad day for me -- You are of all the men on earth The one I wished to see.

The great black clouds of trouble Above our homestead hang; That wild and reckless boy of mine Has joined M'Durmer's gang.

'Oh! save him, save him, Campbell!

I beg in friends.h.i.+p's name!

For if they take and hang him, The wife would die of shame.

Could Mary or her sisters Hold up their heads again, And face a woman's malice Or claim the love of men?

'And if he does a murder 'Twere better we were dead.

Don't take him, Trooper Campbell, If a price be on his head; But shoot him! shoot him, Campbell, When you meet him face to face, And save him from the gallows, And us from that disgrace.'

'Now, Tom,' cried Trooper Campbell, 'You know your words are wild.

Though he is wild and reckless, Yet still he is your child; So bear up in your trouble, And meet it like a man, And tell the wife and daughters I'll save him if I can.'

The sad Australian sunset Had faded from the west; But night brings darker shadows To hearts that cannot rest; And Blackman's wife sat rocking And moaning in her chair.

'I cannot bear disgrace,' she moaned; 'Disgrace I cannot bear.

'In hards.h.i.+p and in trouble I struggled year by year To make my children better Than other children here.

And if my son's a felon How can I show my face?

I cannot bear disgrace; my G.o.d, I cannot bear disgrace!

'Ah, G.o.d in Heaven pardon!

I'm selfish in my woe -- My boy is better-hearted Than many that I know.

And I will face the world's disgrace, And, till his mother's dead, My foolish child shall find a place To lay his outlawed head.'