Drovers' sweetness and Dan's appreciation of it - the Dandy greeted
us with the news that we had "struck it lucky, as usual," and that a cup
of tea would be ready in "half a shake."
Dan also considered we had "struck it lucky," but from a different point
of view, for he had only just come into camp with the mixed cattle, and
as the bullocks among them more than completed the number required, he
suggested the drovers should take delivery at once, assuring us, as we
drank the tea, that he was just about dead sick of them "little Chinese
darlings."
The "little Chinese darlings," inwardly delighted that the Maluka's
simple trust seemed as guileless as ever, smugly professed themselves
willing to fall in with any arrangement that was pleasing to the white
folk, and as they mounted their horses Dan heaved a sigh of satisfaction.
But Dan's satisfaction was premature, for it took time and much galloping
before the "little Chinese darlings" could satisfy themselves and each
other that they had the very finest bullocks procurable in their mob. A
hundred times they changed their minds: rejecting chosen bullocks,
recalling rejected bullocks, and comparing every bullock accepted with
every bullock rejected. Bulk was what they searched for - plenty for
their money, as they judged it, and finally gathered together a mob of
coarse, wide-horned, great-framed beasts, rolling in fat that would drip
off on the road as they travelled in.
"You'd think they'd got 'em together for a boiling-down establishment,
with a bone factory for a side line," Dan chuckled, secretly pleased that
our best bullocks were left on the run, and, disbanding the rejected
bullocks before "they" could "change their minds again," he gathered
together the mixed cattle and shut them in the Dandy's new yard, to keep
them in hand for later branding.
But the "little Chinese darlings" had counted on the use of that yard for
themselves, and finding that their bullocks would have to be "watched" on
camp that night, they stolidly refused to take delivery before morning,
pointing out that should the cattle stampede during the night, the loss
would be ours, not theirs.
"Well, I'm blowed!" Dan chuckled, but the Maluka cared little whether the
papers were signed then or at sun-up; and the drovers, pleased with
getting their way so easily, magnanimously offered to take charge of the
first "watch" - the evening watch - provided that only our horses should be
used, and that Big Jack and Jackeroo and others should lend a hand.
Dan wouldn't hear of refusing the offer. "Bit of exercise'll do 'em
good," he said; and deciding the bullocks would be safe enough with Jack
and Jackeroo, we white folk stretched ourselves in the warm firelight
after supper, and, resting, watched the shadowy mob beyond the camp,
listening to the shoutings and gallopings of the watchers as we chatted.
