Australian Tales - Setis

they had lighted a fire on a rock, and put the potatoes down to roast.
“Halloa, Joey! look at that confounded pony,” said Jasper, about ten
minutes afterwards. “What's the matter with him now, in the name of
wonder? I do believe he's trying to break loose. He's a perfect torment,
that animal; and I would rather have walked here, and carried the basket,
than have been bothered with him, if I had known his vicious disposition
before, I believe he is a thoroughly bad horse, Joey, and that's the reason
we got him so cheap. I must run and fasten him up with double reins; and
I'd tie his legs, too, if I thought he wouldn't kick me.”
Now whether Jerry had never before seen a tall bony man without his
garments, and was, naturally enough scared at the spectacle; or whether
the desire had entered his head to bother his inexperienced drivers as
much as he possibly could for the day; or whether, which is the most
likely, he wanted something to eat and drink, and he saw nothing to
prevent his getting it, but the clumsily fastened tether, I, of course, am
not certain; but he no sooner saw Mr. Spindles striding towards him, like
a “native companion,” than he gave a smart tug, and broke his tether,
then leisurely jogged off into the bush.
“Hoy! Joey!” shouted Spindles; “here's another nuisance, Jerry's got
loose. Come and help me catch him. Make haste, there's a good fellow.
Bring the boots with you, for the ground here is covered with prickly
things, like pins and needles.”
Goosgog emerged from the sea, like some rare amphibious animal, and
was soon waddling towards his friend, as fast as his short legs would
allow him to travel; with two pairs of Wellington boots in one hand, and
a long rough stick in the other, which he thought might be useful to assist
him in catching the pony.
After putting on their boots, which was not a very easy operation with
wet and naked feet (as most people know who were Wellingtons), they
ran after the fugitive beast, and a most uncomfortable run it was, for the
bushes are rather thick about Bondi, and some of them stimulate, very
much like furze or gooseberry bushes, which the wincing pursuers soon
discovered, and they were reminded every minute that they had omitted
to put on their garments as well as their boots. However, they were
sanguine of soon catching Jerry, for Spindle had several times stridden
within seven yards of him; but, after many experiments, he found that he
never could get half a yard closer than that, which was again rather
discouraging when weighing the chances of catching him. After spending
more than an hour in that doubtful chase, Mr. Goosgog, who had
followed up, with his long stick, as fast as he could trot, and who was
grunting like a hunted hippopotamus, and perspiring, too, like a
gentleman lying on a wooden griddle in the Turkish bath, now declared,
with tears in his eyes, he would rather be flogged with a birch broom,
than run any further through those horrible bushes in his present