Australian Tales - Setis

“Now, off with your coat, waistcoat, and boots,” shouted the
bushranger, cocking his pistol again.
“I will, I will, sir! Och, mercy, don't slaughter me outright, as well as
frighten me to death! Pray don't, sir,” shrieked Micky, hurriedly
disrobing himself as directed.
“Pitch your dirty duds into the creek,” roared the bushranger. “They
want washing too.”
With a yell of anguish Micky obeyed; and away floated his garments,
while his boots sank at once, like water-logged colliers.
“Now you can dance as long as you like, Mr. Paddywhack, and the
more you caper the less likely you are to catch cold. Think yourself lucky
you've got a whole skin to dance in. You are the most troublesome
customer I ever traded with; and mark me, if I meet with you again, I'll
bore a hole through you, as shure as my name isn't Dick Turpin;” saying
which, the ruffian rode away through the bush, and left Micky to his
solitary meditations.
“Well, well! this is a suparior situation for a poor crater bothered wid
rheumatiz, and no mishtake,” muttered Micky, after he had somewhat
recovered from the effects of the terror which the foregoing incidents had
naturally caused him. “Here I am — bedash'd if I know where — but I'm
here shure enough, half-naked, half-murdered, and frightened to death, in
the bargain. Dear knows what I'll do at all at all, for I'm afeard me sinces
are clane gone, as well as me swag. Well, well! I've heered tell of
revarses av fortin, but I never seed any afore, cos I never had any fortin
till to-day, an shure it's turned out misfortin afther all. Ugh! what for did
I lave the station, where I could get all I wanted to make meself
comfortable, and put by a dacint little bit av money every year for a rainy
day — as the saying is — if I had a mind? What a donkey I was to think
of going to the diggings. My own gumption might ha told me, that an
owld crawler like me ud do no good there; and mayhap, have me toes
trodden off by gettin in the way av the hapes av great busy fellows who
are diggin and delving and staring their eyes out in search for big
nuggets, and some av them as savage as sharks bekase they can't find
any. Joe Griddle, you were right me bhoy! an I wish I'd a tuk yer advice.
Denis Whackduffy, you're a blatherin guffy, and maybe, ye're a rogue to
boot. Ye may say what you like about working wid yer wits, but it's my
exparienced opinion that a man can make more by the honest work of his
hands than by schaming, anyhow, he'll get more pace an comfort through
his life. But it's no good me stoppin here, howlin over me troubles; I'll
get no pity out av these iron-bark trees. I'd betther find me way back agin
to me owld berth as fast as I can crawl widout boots; an then if any of
these bush tigers catch me on another such a cruise as this, I'll give em
lave to skin me out an out.”
Micky then began to retrace his way towards the high road, stepping