Explore "The Shepherds' Dance: with the Lamb Markers of the Paroo" by Edward S. Sorenson on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Life on a big sheep run is rather monotonous, but it has two welcome breaks in the year that are among the most picturesque features of the bush. Shearing time is one, which is the annual show to residents in a locality like the Paroo; the other is the time of lamb-marking, which does not last so long, but presents much that is equally interesting to visitors.
Not so many men are required for this as for shearing, but as neighbouring runs operate about the same time instead of following one another, it offers employment to hundreds of men for a short period. So the unemployed of all ages from 15 to 75 make for the homesteads when the time of starting draws near, just as they converge from all quarters, when sheep work is over, towards Mildura and thereabouts for the fruit harvest.