Sniff The Digger's Dog

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