Sniff The Digger's Dog (Old Time Drover's Lament, 2006)
Old Sniff the mangy one eye dog that knocked around the loo A digger’s dog was poor old sniff whom everybody knew He didn't always live down here but came from way out west Where men are men and dogs are dogs both are the very best
At times the dogs would gather round, Sniffs stories listened to Of droving days with traveling sheep round the Darling and Barcoo A drafting contest once said Sniff was held out back of Bourke Ten dogs took part in it with me and dogs who knew their work
As each dog rounded up his sheep, he drove them in the pen He closed the gates put in the peg, the peg fell out again The peg you see was far too small for hole drilled in the post Though I went last I won the day don't think I want to boast
But the way crowd stood up and cheered I still remember well As I dipped the peg in water and I made the darn thing swell Oh the city dogs all looked with awe and they were all agog To hear of daring deeds like these from a simple country dog
Now once with sheep in a mulga scrub said Sniff here’s one that's true A ram got lost from out the mob, the boss kicked up a blue He said “Hey Sniff go find him boy”, when I returned that night It was on the old rams back I rode with glow worms for a light
Then Sniff he took a look around, winking his old blind eye As a big Alsatian said “Aint things getting dry” Old Sniff he looked him over, said “ dry you're telling me” “Oh its way out west where sandflies breed that's where you ought to be”
Then he made their blood all curdle and he looked from left to right When he told the mob about a fight he had in an outback pub one night Said Sniff “the dogs all fell on me, I thought I'd soon be dead” But I crept out of that scramble with camp oven on my head
Old Sniff he took a look at them, his chest swelled out with pride As he spoke of great grandad and how poor grandad died Oh they built a statue to him; don't think I told a lie And I'll tell you where you'll find it, nine miles from Gundagai
Old sniff the mangy one eye dog that knocked around the loo A digger’s dog was poor old sniff whom everybody knew He didn't always live down here but came from way out west Where men are men and dogs are dogs both are the very best.