The Moving Finger

In this vivid Australian sketch, a night‑bound coach crewed by weary travelers finds itself stranded in the endless mud of a remote outback plain. The driver, full of colorful curses and opinionated chatter, spins a local legend about the “Trotting Cob” – a ghostly white horse that haunts the waterhole at Murwidgee. As the travelers seek refuge at a lone slab hut, the harsh heat and stark landscape are contrasted with the quiet charm of a hidden creek fed by springs, drawing the curious eyes of native birds and swans.

Through witty dialogue and keen observation, the narrator paints a picture of life on the stock routes: the relentless travel of sheep and cattle, the sparse hospitality of an old squatter’s family, and the lingering superstitions that give the desolate plains a strange allure. Listeners are drawn into the rhythm of the road, the mystery of the phantom horse, and the simple yet stubborn humanity that endures in an unforgiving land.