t; and four split into
units as I swung round the outside edge of them in a wide circle. The
rottenness of the ground gave chances, and made it hazardous. But
Beeswing knew her work and the paddock, and now she was warm and as keen
as fire, and any touch of lameness went away from her. She stretched out
her fine lean head, and her eyes were quick; her open nostrils almost
smelt and swept the ground as her head swung to and fro. Beneath me she
was live steel, tense and wonderful as she sprang to this side and that
of danger, and yet galloped. Again and again she swerved, and then, as a
ten-foot hole showed before her, she leapt it in her stride. And again,
another and another, for here the ground was crumbling, patchy, sunken,
with little rims of hard earth in between cup-like openings. And as we
went, and the day came, I swung my long stock-whip and shouted when it
cracked. I was on them, into them, and they broke back, being
over-pressed. But Beeswing was a bred stock-horse, she knew the game and
loved it. Back she swung right upon her haunches, and was away upon the
hunt after a great raking mare called Mischief. We galloped almost side
by side, and then Mischief quailed and turned coward. As Beeswing swung
again I brought the whip down on my quarry's quarters.

And now the joy of the game of dawn was great, for selection came in and
the skill of the game. To-day I wanted Mischief and Black Jack and the
grey mare. So as I galloped, still with swinging and reverberating whip,
I edged up and put my knees into Beeswing. As she answered and sprang
forward, with a rush I was within whip length of Mischief and Tom, with
Mischief on the outside. One flick of the lash and the mare outpaced
Tom, leaving him last of the seven. Had I edged up outside of him
Beeswing might have doubted whether I wanted him or not, but I sent her
up on his near side, and when I flicked him he plunged back and out and
she let him go. There were six to deal with, though he came after us
whinnying; yet not being urged he presently stayed, and then I shot
forward again and cut off two that I did not want, and now among the
four there was but one I wished to leave behind. They were well aware
that one or more of them was not to work to-day, for I still hung upon
them with some eager discrimination. They knew the final shout of
victory as well as I who sent it up. But Lachlan, the horse I wished to
leave, was the fastest of the four and kept ahead. So I