Humor As Life's Essence

The Loaded Dog by Henry Lawson – Story Outline

I. Setting & Premise

  • Goldfields at Stony Creek, where three mates — Dave Regan, Jim Bently, and Andy Page — are sinking a shaft in search of a quartz reef.
  • The environment is typical Lawson: rough, dry, practical, and full of bush improvisation.

II. The Men and Their Work

  • The trio uses old‑fashioned blasting powder and time‑fuses to break rock.
  • Lawson details their method of making cartridges, emphasizing:
    • calico or canvas skins
    • tallow sealing
    • clay and brick wadding
  • This technical realism sets up the later chaos.

III. The Fishing Problem

  • The creek is low; fish won’t bite in winter.
  • Andy and Dave try baling and muddying waterholes.
  • Both get painfully pricked by catfish — a detail that motivates Dave’s next idea.

IV. Dave’s Big Idea

  • Dave proposes blowing up fish with a large cartridge.
  • Andy, the practical one, constructs an absurdly overbuilt bomb:
    • triple‑sized powder charge
    • beeswax waterproofing
    • canvas layers
    • brown paper “gun‑cracker” wrapping
    • fishing‑line binding
    • fencing wire
    • more tallow
  • The result: a rigid, deadly, comically overengineered explosive.

V. Enter Tommy, the Retriever

  • A big, foolish, good‑natured dog who retrieves everything.
  • Known for:
    • returning camp rubbish
    • dragging home a week‑dead cat
    • “rescuing” swimmers
  • He watches the cartridge‑making with interest.

VI. The Fuse is Lit

  • While Andy cooks chops, the dog finds the cartridge.
  • The loose fuse drags into the fire and ignites.
  • Tommy proudly approaches Andy with the live, hissing bomb in his mouth.

VII. The Great Bushland Chase

  • Andy runs. The dog follows.
  • Dave and Jim run. Andy follows them.
  • The dog joyfully circles everyone, thinking it’s a game.
  • Chaos escalates:
    • attempts to kick or throw things at the dog
    • Dave grabs the dog’s tail and flings the cartridge — which Tommy retrieves
    • Jim climbs a sapling; the dog lays the cartridge at the base
    • Jim falls, flees, and hides in a digger’s hole
    • Andy dives behind a log, remembering a war illustration

VIII. The Shanty Panic

  • Dave flees to a nearby hotel.
  • Tommy follows, still carrying the cartridge.
  • Patrons scatter; some hide in the stable.
  • Dave and the publican barricade themselves in the kitchen.

IX. The Yellow Dog & The Explosion

  • Under the kitchen is a vicious yellow mongrel.
  • It attacks Tommy, causing him to drop the cartridge.
  • The yellow dog investigates the object…
  • The cartridge explodes, producing:
    • a kitchen that “jumped off its piles and on again”
    • horses bolting down the road
    • dogs fleeing in all directions, some not returning until evening
    • one dog walking on two legs
    • a one‑eyed cattle dog traumatized for years

X. Aftermath

  • Bushmen collapse laughing behind the stable.
  • Women are hysterical; a half‑caste runs with water.
  • The publican restrains his panicked wife.
  • Dave decides to apologize later.
  • Tommy returns to camp, slobbering, tail‑wagging, delighted with himself.
  • Andy chains him up and cooks more chops.
  • Dave helps Jim out of the hole.

XI. Closing Irony

  • For years afterward, passing Bushmen tease Dave with: “’Ello, Da-a-ve! How’s the fishin’ gettin’ on, Da-a-ve?”
  • The story ends on Lawson’s signature blend of bush camaraderie, absurdity, and affectionate mockery.