这是很多年前的事了，在灌木丛被清除之前，那时每个人都有六英尺高，留着飘动的胡须。在一个炎热多风的日子，沿着老马车路，走向乔·墨菲?一个蓄着胡子的丛林人大步走来。他是一个巨大而沉重的人，超过六英尺高，头上戴着一顶旧的驼背帽，眼睛里充满了凶光。他手里没有罐子，也没有沉重的行李，但那昂首阔步的人发的誓深沉而可怕。最后，他走到小屋门口，冲进酒吧，他把帽子扔在地板上，咒骂着，咒骂着，咒骂着。隔壁的一间棚子刚刚拆掉;酒吧里几乎挤满了剪羊毛的人和打牛皮的人谁?我来拉羊毛。布须曼人聚集在那里，他们是一群粗野而又准备好的人，但每个人都被这个陌生人的咒骂吓得哑口无言。他诅咒灌木丛，诅咒人类，诅咒整个宇宙。听到那个大摇大摆的诅咒，他们的血液都凝固了。 Joe Murphy seized an empty pot And filled it brimming full. The stranger raised it to his lips And took a mighty pull. This seemed to cool him down a bit; He finished off the ale, And to the crowd around the bar He told his awful tale. ?I met the Ben Hall gang,? he said, ?The blankards stuck me up! They pinched me billy, pinched me swag, And pinched me flamin? pup! They turned me pockets inside out, And took me only quid! I never thought they?d pinch me pipe, But swelp me gawd they did! I spoke to ?em as man to man, I said I?d fight ?em all; I would have broke O?Mealleys neck, And tanned the hide of Hall. They only laughed, and said good-bye, And rode away to brag Of how they stuck a swaggie up And robbed him of his swag. ?I never done ?em any harm, I thought ?em decent chaps. But now I wouldn?t raise a hand To save ?em from the traps. I?m finished with the bush for good, I?m off to Wagga town Where they won?t stick a swaggie up Or take a swaggie down. The bushmen were a decent lot, As bushmen mostly are. They filled the stranger up with beer; The hat went round the bar. The shearers threw some blankets in To make another swag, The rousers gave a billy can And brand new tucker bag. Joe Murphy gave a meerschaum pipe He hadn?t smoked for years. The stranger was too full of words, His eyes were dim with tears. The ringer shouted drinks all round And then, to top it up, The babbling brook, the shearers cook, Gave him a kelpie pup. Next day, an hour before the dawn, The stranger took the track Complete with pup and billy can, His swag upon his back. Along the most forsaken roads, Intent on dodging graft, He headed for the Great North West, And laughed, and laughed and laughed.