By sun-up the musterers were away, and by sundown we were
coming in to Bitter Springs, driving a splendid mob of cattle before us.
The Maluka and I had had nothing to do with the actual gathering in of
the mob, for the missus had not "shaped" too well at her first muster and
preferred travelling with the pack teams when active mustering was in
hand. Ignominious perhaps, but safe, and safety counts for something in
this world; anyway, for the poor craven souls. Riding is one thing; but
crashing through timber and undergrowth, dodging overhanging branches,
leaping fallen logs, and stumbling and plunging over crab-holed and
rat-burrowed areas, to say nothing of charging bulls turning up at
unexpected corners, is quite another story.
"Not cut out for the job," was Dan's verdict, and the Maluka covered my
retreat by saying that he had more than enough to do without taking part
in the rounding up of cattle. Had mustering been one of a manager's
duties, I'm afraid the house would have "come in handy" to pack the dog
away in with its chain.
As the yard of the Springs came into view, we were making plans for the
morrow, and admiring the fine mattress swinging before us on the tails of
the cattle; but there were cattle buyers at the Springs who upset all our
plans, and left no time for the bang-tailing of the mob in hand.
The buyers were Chinese drovers, authorised by their Chinese masters to
buy a mob of bullocks. "Want big mob," they said. "Cash! Got money
here," producing a signed cheque ready for filling in.
A Chinese buyer always pays "cash" for a mob - by cheque - generally taking
care to withdraw all cash from the bank before the cheque can be
presented, and, as a result, a dishonoured cheque is returned to the
station, reaching the seller some six or eight weeks after the sale. Six
or eight weeks more then pass in demanding explanations, and six or eight
more obtaining them, and after that just as many more as Chinese slimness
can arrange for before a settlement is finally made. "Cash," the drover
repeated insinuatingly at the Maluka's unfathomable "Yes ?" Then,
certain that he was inspired, added, "Spot Cash!"
But already the Maluka had decided on a plan of campaign and, echoing the
drover's "Spot Cash," began negotiations for a sale; and within ten
minutes the drovers retired to their camp, bound to take the mob when
delivered, and inwardly marvelling at the Maluka's simple trust.
Dan was appalled at it; but, always deferential where the Maluka's
business insight was concerned, only "hoped he knew that them chaps
needed a bit of watching."
"Their cash does," the Maluka corrected, to Dan's huge delight; and,
leaving the musterers to go on with their branding work, culling each mob
of its prime bullocks as they mustered, he set about finding some one to
"watch the cash," and four days later rode into the Katherine Settlement,
with Brown and the missus, as usual, at his heels.
