Поющие в терновнике

           Sehedecidedhewantedtobethebosscocky,themanwhostrolledupanddownthelinesofstoopingshearerstowatchthefleecesheownedbeingstrippedawaybythatsmooth,flawlessmotion.

           Attheendofthefloorinhiscane-bottomedchair

           Sitsthebossoftheboardwithhiseyeseverywhere.

           Thatwaswhattheoldshearingsongsaid,andthatwaswhoLukeO’Neilldecidedtobe.Thebosscocky,theheadpeanut,thegrazier,thesquatter.Notforhimtheperpetualstoop,theelongatedarmsofalifelongshearer;hewantedthepleasureofworkingoutintheopenairwhilehewatchedthemoneyrollin.OnlytheprospectofbecomingadreadnoughtshearermighthavekeptLukeinsideashed,oneoftherarehandfulofmenwhomanagedtoshearoverthreehundredmerinosheepaday,alltostandard,andusingnarrowboggis.Theymadefortunesonthesidebybetting.Butunfortunatelyhewasjustalittletootall,thoseextrasecondsbendingandduckingmounteduptothedifferencebetweengunanddreadnought.

           Hismindturnedwithinitslimitationstoanothermethodofacquiringwhathehungeredfor;ataboutthisstageinhislifehediscoveredhowattractivehewastowomen.HisfirsttryhadbeenintheguiseofastockmanonGnarlunga,asthatstationhadanheirwhowasfemale,fairlyyoungandfairlypretty.IthadbeensheerbadluckthatintheendshepreferredthePommyjackaroowhosemorebizarreexploitswerebecomingbushlegend.