"Cognac!" He Would Call, And Also Invariably, Dan Made A
Great Show Of Expectant Haste, And A Corresponding Show Of
Disappointment, When The Teapot Only Was Forthcoming.
But Cheon's little joke and the afternoon tea were only interludes in the
heat and thirst and dust.
Daily things hummed faster and faster, and the
South-east Trades skirmished and fought with the North-west monsoon,
until the Willy-Willys, towering higher and higher sped across the plain
incessantly, and whirled, and spun and danced like storm witches, in, and
out and about the homestead enclosure, leaving its acres all dust, and
only dust, with the house, lightly festooned in creepers now, and set in
its deep-green luxuriant garden of melons, as a pleasant oasis in a
desert of glare and dust.
Daily and hourly men waved and perspired and rubbed against scratching
posts, and daily and hourly the Willy-Willys whirled and spun and danced,
and daily and hourly as they threatened to dance, and spin, and whirl
through the house, the homestead sped across the enclosure to slam doors
and windows in their faces, thus saving our belongings from their
whirling, dusty ravages; and when nimbler feet were absent it was no
uncommon sight to see Cheon, perspiring and dishevelled, speeding towards
the house like a huge humming-top, with speeding Willy-Willys speeding
after him, each bent on reaching the goal before the other. Oftentimes
Cheon outraced the Willy-Willys, and a very chuckling, triumphant Cheon
slammed-to doors and windows, but at other times, the Willy-Willys
outraced Cheon, and, having soundly buffeted him with dust and debris,
sped on triumphant in their turn, and then a very wrathful, spluttering,
dusty Cheon sped after them.
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