"Got Through With The First Draught, Anyway," Dan Commented, And, No
Second Book Being At Our Service We Settled Down
To Kipling's "Just-So
Stories." Then the billabong "petering out" altogether, and the soakage
threatening to follow suit, its yield
Was kept strictly for personal
needs, and Dan and the Maluka gave their attention to the elements.
"Something's got to happen soon," they declared, as we gasped in the
stifling calm that had now settled down upon the Territory; for
gradually the skirmishings had ceased, and the two great giants of the
Territory element met in the centre of the arena for their last desperate
struggle. Knee to knee they were standing, marvellously well matched
this year, each striving his utmost, and yet neither giving nor taking an
inch; and as they strove their satellites watched breathlessly.
Even the Willy-Willys had lain down to watch the silent struggle, and
Dan, finding himself left entirely without occupation, "feared he would
be taking to booklearning soon if something didn't happen!" "Never knew
the showers so late," he growled; and the homestead was inclined to agree
that it was the "dead-finish"; but remembering that even then our Fizzer
was battling through that last stage of the Dry, we were silent, and Dan
remembering also, devoted himself to the "missus," she being also a
person of leisure now the Willy-Willys were at rest.
For hours we pitched near the restful green of the melon-beds, and as we
pitched the Maluka ran fencing wires through two sides of the garden
fence, while Tiddle'ums and Bett-Bett, hovering about him, adapted
themselves to the new order of things, finding the line the goats had to
stop at no longer imaginary.
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