The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

Blasted blacks.

And most of them are likely to disappear at any time.

If a person could be certain that he'd imbued

one of them with decent ambition.

I thought Jimmie.

He's half white.

Why would he disappear now when we need him?

He knows I needed him.

He's rotten.

- He knows I needed him for the Easter choir.

Possummin' probably.

You shut up your mouth.

Big brother reverend don't wanna hear your nonsense.

- Jimmie! - Jimmie Blacksmith?

Master Blacksmith?

Where have you been Master Blacksmith?

Catching possums, sir.

I can't understand you.

How do you mean, sir'?

Hadn't it occurred to you

that you might be needed for higher things?

Hm?

What about the school you missed?

Yes, sir.

- Very well, I must ask you to come to my study, please.

Thanks, thanks boss.

, mister.

You want me, mister'?

- Hey, Jimmie Blacksmith, you paley bastard!

Here, a mongrel man.

Here, drink it, ya paley bastard.

Here, you gotta start sometime.

Make you a man.

Make you a mongrel man.

They're gone!

Here, you drink, man.

You've been away from your tribe too long.

You've been livin' with that reverend too long.

Comin' out, catchin' possums.

White fellow don't like Wongee Tom

hanging around a homestead.

Says that bugger all black, black.

He's been living with us

ever since we moved.

He's always been.

Oh, once, at the mission.

That was six years ago.

I take it.

All right.

Jimmie Blacksmith?

Me boss?

You're friggin' lucky.

The Reverend's come for ya.

Mrs. Reverend, too.

Right, out!

And don't tread on no one's balls.

Come on.

Hope ya know how to show you're fuckin' grateful.

Yes.

- Get off to the pump and wash yourself down.

Christ, why do you have to be

the cleanest fuckin' darkie in Australia?

It's cold.

Won't be a second boss.

You must promise to stay away from

those drunken roustabouts.

I promise.

That crowd make me feel sick, Mr. Neville.

If you do fall in with them,

they will certainly lead you astray.

You won't be able to get a job.

And if you do, you will not be able to keep it.

I promise Mr. Neville.

I don't wanna know.

You and Mrs. Neville have given me good education.

Now I'm gotta start workin'

so's I can get some property, get some money.

So I can get married to a nice girl, respectable.

A nice girl from a farm.

Of good stock, then your children

will be only quarter caste.

And your grandchildren only one-eighth caste.

Scarcely black at all.

- I thought I could get a job at the open cut digging coal.

Yes.

Wouldn't have to go down into the mines, ruin your lungs.

All the work's done on the surface.

How's your chicken, deal'?

What?

Chicken.

Oh, good, very good.

Did you?

The seasoning is excellent.

- Well, I think we're going to miss you around here, Jimmie.

Mm.

- I'll miss you, too, Mrs. Neville and Mr. Neville.

- Well, I think I should give the boy reference.

Think he deserves that.

It's no good to you

around here, Jacko, now shove off.

All right Boss.

Look, there's a depression on.

You know what a depression means?

Yes, boss.

A depression means no jobs, right?

Okay, boss.

- Still a lot of these guys are out of work.

See,.

- Want you to fence in the east paddock, the east boundary.

How do I know you won't bugger off'?

It's the white in me, boss.

I reckon me dad, whoever he were,

must've been a hard workin' respectable fella.

- I want you finished by the end of September.

I'll work fast, boss.

Hard wood, right?

I'll give you one and six a rod.

That will make it just a little bit more than...

Two pounds 12 shillings.

Two pounds 12 shillings?

Right, boss.

Start tomorrow'?

Two metres a day.

That's okay, boss.

Oh, you can take a cup of tea at noon.

Thanks, boss.

- You can in the shed out the back.

Do you have any religion other than nigger'?

Methodist, boss.

And I give you me a Christian promise.

I'll cut your bloody black balls out if you mess this job.

Any post that's out by more than an inch

will cost you a shilling.

Fair enough, boss.

- You power through that, we should get along all right.

Eh?

- We've got a Federal government, my friend.

It'll pass a law to give to every single whinging

bloody Pommie his fare home to England.

Back to the smoke, the sun shinin' 10 days a year,

and the shit in the streets.

You can have it.

- Goodness, your attitude to England is inflammatory.

What a pity you've never been there.

- What a pity you didn't fuckin' well stay there.

Hey, Jacko?

I wanna know about fences boss.

What do you wanna know about it?

What sort of wood to use.

What you do to 'em before you put 'em in the ground.

Oh yeah.

You see, boss, I got a contract,

and I wanna do a fucking good job.

No language in here, huh?

Beg your pardon, boss.

Me, that's a word the glorious English

created to describe what they mainly do to choir boys.

Anyhow, it's not to be stolen

by sepoys, gyppos or boongs, you understand, Jacko?

I'm recording every word, Carmichael.

- I mean, Jacko, what would you say of a New Zealand Maori

or a Canadian Redskin who said he wanted

to fuckin' well know about fences?

- I'd say he's a fucking foul mouth, boss.

Right, out.

That's it, Carmichael.

Here, Jacko.

You do read don't you?

Course I read.

That's not too bad at all.

, come here, come here.

Oy!

Nigel, g'day.

Jimmie?

Jimmie!

Morning boss, missus.

Good day.

Have a nice time at mass.

Jesus.

But it oughta be 12 shillings more, boss.

I'm not denying it.

But two quid's all you're gettin'.

12 of them posts are three inches out.

One of them by more than four inches.

Not by my rule, boss.

It's my rule that counts.

Well, posts are solid, boss.

Rails cut good.

Can you give me a reference?

But Jesus you're a fussy bloody black.

What you want references for'?

A job in the bank?

- So I can show it to other people

who want fences done.

I haven't got me writin' glasses.

And I want ya off the property by 10 in the mornin'.

- Can I get a ride into Merriwa with you, Mr. Healey?

I got a lot of things to carry.

- We're not going to Merriwa tomorrow.

- I was thinking you might, it being Friday.