Mulga Snakeyes

Mulga Snakeyes Yes we went a Droving on the job As we rode around the mob With the cattle, just to earn our bit of pay with Uncle Charlie, to earn a bob a watching watching of watching for the cow that often strays I was 13 down near Hebel on the border came the evil When the Mulga snake came a charging at me n Burkie hey (Jonny Burke of Dirranbandi) a man of 15 Maybe 10 foot long or longer old brownie seemed the stronger unsuitable for townies and deadly in his way And he panted and he frothed as he lurched and lunged our way Just now me little brain did rattle and the verse went round n round And I couldn’t sleep no more at 1am I can see him in the darkness vivid bloody starkness So I’m sitting at the puter, saw this brute one sunny day Very blackly brown a coming coming as we rode to get away We cantered quick through Mulga sticks (tree 13% protein in leaves for stock) and the snake was catching up So we spurred into a gallop this I say, He was still a coming coming, head up running running still coming only half a mile away we could see his head up a looking our death he was a cooking Still casting fear to make us run away If I had been there on foot As Burkie said old chook He’d have killed us both No problem anyway! Don Johnson 14-may-11