This story was written by Henry Lawson and I rewrote it into a poem...
Dave, Jim and Andy,
Three blokes from days of old...
They sank a shaft at Stony Creek,
In the hope of striking gold...
The going was really tough,
With water and hard rock below...
So they’d thought a little blasting powder,
Would see their profits grow...
They rolled it in a sausage shape,
And some canvas they did choose...
Then sewed it up and around the thing,
Until they reached the fuse...
They dipped it in some tallow,
To make it water tight...
Then dropped in the drill hole,
Before clearing out of sight...
As the fuse burnt down so quickly,
They waited for the blast...
The dust and rocks flew everywhere,
Some went whistling past...
But as they checked the shaft,
It hardly did a thing...
A wheelbarrow full of rocks,
But it made their ears ring...
They gave away the mining,
To go fishing in the creek...
Maybe some cod or catfish,
Would be the highlight of the week...
But they did no good at fishing,
The holes were getting low...
Although they tried to bail them out,
The boys were just too slow...
Then young Dave got an idea,
We could blow the buggers out...
We’ll just make up another cartridge,
It will work I have no doubt...
So Andy made that bunger,
It was huge in every way...
They wrapped it up in bees wax,
It was done without delay...
Round and round were layers,
Of brown paper and fishing line...
With another layer of canvas,
Then more tallow then some twine...
After finally wrapping it up in wire,
Another coat of tallow to help it seal...
He placed it against the tent peg,
And went to cook a meal...
Dave and Jim were at the claim,
Digging a few holes...
As it was Andy’s turn to cook a meal,
For these tired and weary souls...
They had a big black young retriever dog,
An overgrown pup at that...
It was foolish four footed mate of theirs,
With a tail that would knock you flat...
This dog they called it Tommy,
It was stubborn as a mule...
As he always wagged his tail,
And his mouth would always drool...
Most of his head was a reddish colour,
With an idiotic grin...
It was his comical nature,
That had taken these young boys in...
He’d retrieve anything,
That boys and Andy threw away...
With most of it returning,
To camp throughout the day...
They once found at dead cat,
It had a foul and rotten scent...
They threw in the scrub,
But the dog brought back into to their tent...
He would retrieve anything,
Chasing you with it as you ran...
He’d like to go swimming,
He come and grab you by the hand...
That day he was watching Andy,
As he made that cartridge up...
He watched with great interest,
He was an inquisitive little pup...
Andy was cooking dinner,
When he saw the boys returning from the claim...
He threw some mutton chops on,
In a frypan over the flame...
Dave and Jim just stood there,
With backs onto the fire...
Unaware of that big fool dog’s,
Curious desire...
Andy still was day dreaming,
Of how he to improve his the blast...
When he noticed an old kero tin,
To where his eyes were cast...
Jim thought he was silly,
And looked the other way...
Then Andy spotted a treacle tin,
And knew it was okay...
Dave turned to check the chops,
And made a dash towards the pan...
Then Jim looked behind him,
And towards young Dave he ran...
Andy was a little startled,
As the boys told him to run...
The dog picked up that cartridge,
He was looking for some fun...
As he circled the boys round that fire,
The fuse then caught a light...
That silly dog was chasing them,
It was a funny sight...
The ran in every direction,
Andy throwing sticks and stones galore...
But that coloured fool dog of theirs,
Kept coming back for more...
Dave went and made a dive,
He tried to grab him by the tail...
And as the dog swung around,
He snatched the cartridge without fail...
Then Dave threw it far away,
But that dog ran and brought it back...
And Dave cursed at the foolish dog,
And he his tail fell limp and slack...
Then he turned and ran towards Jim,
Who was climbing up a sapling...
Only to drop it at the base,
This cartridge he was grappling...
Jim climbed that tree,
As high as he could go...
Away from that barking dog,
That was jumping to and fro...
But that sapling started bending,
With a crack down came old mate Jim...
He hit the ground running,
With that dog chasing after him...
Jim jumped into a hole,
It was ten foot deep it was at least...
As that dog stood at the top,
Jim’s heartbeat was increased...
He thought that dog may drop it,
So he told Tommy to go away...
To Jim’s surprise he left,
And didn't want to not stay...
The dog bounded after Dave,
Who was the only one left in sight...
As Andy bunkered down behind a log,
He really had a fright...
Dave he made a dash to a shanty,
Just a little up the road...
With that dog in quick pursuit,
With that mother load...
He ran into the bar,
People went north and south...
As he told them about their dog,
With that cartridge in his mouth...
The dog went around the back,
As the door at front was closed..
Then he sat there in the hallway,
Smoke was wafting pass his nose...
The ran in all directions,
And Tommy lapped it up...
He chased every one of them,
This foolish stupid pup...
As they all cursed poor old Dave,
Calling him a crimson fool...
Why did he bring that dog to town,
He was stupid as a mule...
Then Tommy went under the kitchen,
Beneath the wooden piles...
Only to face a yellow mongrel cattle dog,
That was a little short on smiles...
Yellow dog was a sneaking thieving canine,
That had a price upon its head...
And most of all the neighbours,
Just want to see that old dog dead...
Tommy saw the danger,
He had a run in with him before...
So Tommy quickly bolted,
And across the yard he tore...
But he was to slow for Yellow dog,
As he caught him with his bite...
Causing Tommy to drop the cartridge,
Before clearing out of sight...
So the Yellow dog turned around,
To see what Tommy dropped...
But as he neared the cartridge
The yellow dog was stopped...
As dozen or more mongrel dogs,
All circled in a pack...
Then there was a flash of light,
And I heard a thundering crack...
They say the old kitchen,
Was seen to jump up and down...
As the dust was clearing slowly,
From around that little town...
The yellow dog,
Was found against the fence...
That poor old yellow dog,
Just had no defence...
There was horses galloping,
In the clouds of dust...
And those mongrel dogs,
Their punishment was just...
Dave will one day apologise,
When things settled a bit..
As they made a dash to camp...
Where they were all seen to split...
That slobbering retriever,
Was running by his side...
With that silly grin,
It made him teary eyed...
When they finally got back to camp,
He tied that dog onto a tree...
While he helped Jim get out of the hole,
Where he waited patiently...
The three sat down at the fire...
And they laughed about the day...
About Tommy the loaded dog,
And the trouble he brought their way...
Len Newey 2012