Pip stood up and halloed,
absolutely beside himself with excitement. Then he held his breath
again.
Mr. Hassal and one of the black boys were creeping cautiously up
near the gateway through which the tumultuous stream of horns and
backs was pouring. Half a dozen mighty blows from the men, and
the last leader fell back for an instant, driving the multitude back
behind him.
In that second the two had slipped up the rails and the herd was in
two divisions.
Two lines of stockmen again, whip-crackings, bellows, blood, horns,
hide and heels in the air, and some forty or fifty were secure in a
third yard, a long narrow place with a gate at the end leading into
the final division.
Pip learnt from Mr. Gillet the object of these divisions: some of
the beasts were almost worthless things, and had been assigned to a
buyer for a couple of pounds a head, just for the horns, hides, and
what might be got for the flesh. Others were prime, fat creatures,
ready for the butcher and Sydney market. And others again were
splendid animals, of great value for prize and breeding purposes,
and were to be made into a separate draft.
The man at the last gateway was doing the all important work of
selecting.
Pages:
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175