Andy Page's Rival by Henry Lawson — Read

Tall and freckled and sandy, Face of a country lout; That was the picture of Andy -- Middleton's rouseabout. On Middleton's wide dominions Plied the stock-whip and shears; Hadn't any opinions -- -- --

And he hadn't any "ideers" -- at least, he said so himself -- except as regarded anything that looked to him like what he called "funny business", under which heading he catalogued tyranny, treachery, interference with the liberty of the subject by the subject, "blanky" lies, or swindles -- all things, in short, that seemed to his slow understanding dishonest, mean or paltry; most especially, and above all, treachery to a mate. THAT he could never forget. Andy was uncomfortably "straight". His mind worked slowly and his decisions were, as a rule, right and just; and when he once came to a conclusion concerning any man or matter, or decided upon a course of action, nothing short of an earthquake or a Nevertire cyclone could move him back an inch -- unless a conviction were severely shaken, and then he would require as much time to "back" to his starting point as he did to come to the decision.