Another song of the McKenzie legend.

THE OLD MACKENZIE TRAIL
(Bob Edwards)

There's a story that you're bound to hear
if you're down Otago way
About an outlaw and the dog that bought him fame
Of an ancient Maori trail
To a grassy mountain vale
In the rugged land that bears Mackenzie's name

And the station riders say
When Aurob'ralis play
And the stars that form the Southern Cross are shining high and pale
You may F see a phantom collie
Drive a ghostly mob of sheep
Through the mists along the old Mackenzie Trail

When the campfires are a blazin'
And the drovin' men are lazin'
All fired with Hokonui mountain grog
There's a story in the makin'
Wth perhaps a little bacon
As they weave their legends round Mackenzie's dog

Now Mackenzie so the story goes
Rode the ranges on a steer
Preselecting squatters' sheep then when he'd done
He would tell his collie pup
To go back and round them up
And to punch them homeward to his mountain run

Then the troopers took the trail
Swore to bring this Scot to jail
And recover all the mossy faces too
And they captured him at last
In a rugged mountain pass
And he went before the judge in Timaru

There was no sign of repentance
When Mackenzie heard his sentence
But the last words rang from him a broken cry
He defied the law and told them
That no prison bars could hold him
When the judge condemned his faithful dog to die.

That was years ago but the records show
That Mackenzie kept his word
On the evening of a cold and wintry day
When he rolled the dice with fate
How the troopers fired too late
Though they wounded him Mackenzie got away

Now there are city folks who swear
That Mackenzie and his dog
Were nothing more than thievin' scoundrels wrapped in hair and hide
But along the mountain stations
Where the campfires burn at night
You can hear oldtimers speak their names with pride.

There's a story that you're bound to hear
If you're down Otago way
When the night winds through the mountain passes wail
They will tell you tat's Mackenzie
Whistling home his collie dog
Through the mists along the old Mackenzie's trail

You can hear a shortened version here:

Youtube clip

The above lyrics are from the NZ folk song site. The page also gives links to a traditional song and historical material re McKenzie.

Click

--Stewie.