It's getting on for 1860 now, and there seems more of it about than ever there was.
Most of our lives we'd been used to the southern road, and we kept to it still.

It wasn't right in the line of the gold diggings, but it wasn't so far off.

It was a queer start when the news got round about to the other colonies, after that to England, and I suppose all the other old world places, but they must have come by ship-loads, the road was that full of new chums--we could tell 'em easy by their dress, their fresh faces, their way of talk, their thick sticks, and new guns and pistols.
Some of them you'd see dragging a hand-cart with another chap, and they having all their goods, tools, and clothes on it.

Then there'd be a dozen men, with a horse and cart, and all their swags in it.

If the horse jibbed at all, or stuck in the deep ruts--and wasn't it a wet season ?--they'd give a shout and a rush, and tear out cart and horse and everything else.