ome along, in parties or gangs. They are a difficult lot of men to
deal with, as they have a very powerful trade union which stands by its
members, with little regard to right or wrong. The shearing is done by
piece work. We used to pay three pence for shearing a sheep, or rather
we paid five shillings a score. A good shearer can do fourscore in a
day, and consequently he earns twenty shillings or one sovereign. That's
pretty good pay, isn't it?"

"Seems to me that it is," replied Harry. "Do you board the shearers, or
do they find themselves?"

"Oh, we have to board them, of course, and we have to board their
horses, as most of the shearers travel on horseback. But the feed of a
horse isn't of much consequence, as we simply turn him into the paddock
and let him graze there. Sometimes we hire a fiddler to play for the men
while they are at work in the shearing house, and also in the evening,
when they are off duty. Sometimes a gang of shearers brings along its
own cook. They pay the cook's wages themselves, but the employer
supplies the material out of which the shearers' meals are made. These
fellows are very particular as to their treatment, and if they feel that
they are ill-used in any way, they are liable to quit work and go away."

"They ought to earn a very nice little sum of money during the shearing
season," observed Harry.

"They certainly do," was the reply; "especially as, for the last two
years, they have demanded four pence and even five pence for each sheep
sheared. I expect they'll get it up in time so as to take most of the
profits of the business. It makes little difference to the great
majority of them how much they get for their work, as it is generally
gone by the end of the shearing season."

"That reminds me," said Mr. Johnson, "of the visit of a gentleman from
Melbourne to a sheep station up country. He went there with a friend,
reaching the station about dinner time. He was introduced to the owner
of the station, who greeted him cordially enough, and invited the two of
them to remain at dinner, which would be ready shortly. He strolled
about the buildings for a little while, and when dinner was announced,
he went in and joined the others at table.

"The table was well supplied, and he had no occasion to complain of the
quality or quantity of the food set before him; but he was somewhat
surprised to find that no one spoke to him, except in the briefest
manner, and that every one seemed desir