anagement, I was able to gather the following account of
_Two-handed Dick's Fight and Ride_.

"When first I met Dick he was second stockman to Mr. Ronalds, and I took
a shepherd's place there; it was my second place in this country, for
you see I left the old country in a bad year for the weaving trade, and
was one of the first batch of free emigrants that came out, the rest
were chiefly Irish. I found shepherding suit me very well, and my missis
was hut-keeper. Well, Dick and I got very thick; I used to write his
letters for him, and read in an evening, and so on. Well, though I
undertook a shepherd's place, I soon found I could handle an ax pretty
well. Throwing the shuttle gives the use of the arms, you see, and Dick
put into my head that I could make more money if I took to making
fences; I sharpening the rails, and making the mortice-holes, and a
stranger man setting them. I did several jobs at odd times, and was
thought very handy. Well, Mr. Ronalds, during the time of the great
drought, five years ago, determined to send up a lot of cattle to the
north, where he had heard there was plenty of water and grass, and form
a station there. Dick was picked out as stockman; a young gentleman, a
relative of Mr. Ronalds, went as head of the party, a very foolish,
conceited young man, who knew very little of bush life, and would not be
taught. There were eight splitters and fencers, besides Charley Anvils,
the blacksmith, and two bullock drivers.

"I got leave to go because I wanted to see the country, and Dick asked.
My missis was sorely against my going. I was to be storekeeper, as well
as do any farming and work, if wanted.

"We had two drays, and were well armed. We were fifteen days going up
before we got into the new country, and then we traveled five days;
sometimes twenty-four hours without water, and sometimes had to unload
the drays two or three times a day, to get over creeks. The fifth day we
came to very fine land; the grass met over our horses' necks, and the
river was a chain of water-holes, all full, and as clear as crystal. The
kangaroos were hopping about as plentiful as rabbits in a warren; and
the grass by the river side had regular tracks of the emus, where they
went down to drink.

"We had been among signs of the blacks, too, for five days, but had not
seen any thing of them, although we could hear the devils cooing at
nightfall, calling to each other. We kept regular watch and watch at
first--four