Page:The man from Snowy River and other verses.pdf/65

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41

AN IDYLL OF DANDALOO

They went to scale and—cruel fate!—
His jockey turned out under-weight.

Perhaps they'd tampered with the scale!
I cannot tell.I only know
It weighed him out all right.I fail
To paint that Sydney sportsman's woe.
He said the stewards were a crew
Of low-lived thieves in Dandaloo.

He lifted up his voice, irate,
And swore till all the air was blue;
So then we rose to vindicate
The dignity of Dandaloo.
'Look here,' said we, you must not poke
Such oaths at us poor country folk.'

We rode him softly on a rail,
We shied at him, in careless glee,
Some large tomatoes, rank and stale,
And eggs of great antiquity—
Their wild, unholy fragrance flew
About the town of Dandaloo.