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CUMNER'S SON AND OTHER SOUTH SEA FOLK

(AUSTRALIANA)

by Gilbert Parker

Volume 2.


THE HIGH COURT OF BUDGERY-GAR
AN EPIC IN YELLOW
DIBBS, R.N.
A LITTLE MASQUERADE
DERELICT
OLD ROSES
MY WIFE'S LOVERS
THE STRANGERS' HUT



THE HIGH COURT OF BUDGERY-GAR

We were camped on the edge of a billabong. Barlas was kneading a damper,
Drysdale was tenderly packing coals about the billy to make the water
boil, and I was cooking the chops. The hobbled horses were picking the
grass and the old-man salt-bush near, and Bimbi, the black boy, was
gathering twigs and bark for the fire. That is the order of merit--
Barlas, Drysdale, myself, the horses and Bimbi. Then comes the Cadi all
by himself. He is given an isolated and indolent position, because he
was our guest and also because, in a way, he represented the Government.
And though bushmen do not believe much in a far-off Government--even
though they say when protesting against a bad Land Law, "And your
Petitioners will ever Pray," and all that kind of yabber-yabber--they
give its representative the lazy side of the fire and a fig of the best
tobacco when he bails up a camp as the Cadi did ours. Stewart Ruttan,
the Cadi, was the new magistrate at Windowie and Gilgan, which stand for