How some drovers moved stolen cattle along the journey…

The author writes: The number of cattle that allowed themselves to be “borrowed” between Boulia and Cloncurry was considerable, and Walter learnt one of the basic ruses used on cattle duffing while on this drove. The boss drover followed a simple plan. He pushed the legitimate mob along the main stock-route tracks and the few men he could reasonably spare pushed the stolen cattle along parallel to but well wide of the stock route. As there were no fences in those days this was not normally a great problem unless one became too greedy and mustered a large stolen mob. The boss drover on this trip was not greedy, and he ensured that the stolen mob was out of sight and out of hearing except when the situation demanded that all of the cattle be watered at the same waterhole.

Fred Klau’s brother was very pleased to receive all of the cattle and the men had a spree in Cloncurry. Some of them decided to stay on in Queensland, but others, including Walter, returned to central Australia.

-See Man from Arltunga by R.G. Kimber, which is the life story of Australian bushman Walter Smith. It has many anecdotes and insights into the traditional culture of the Aboriginal people of central Australia, and about other bush people.

-readersvoice.com