And As The Fence Grew, Dan Lent A Hand Here
And There, The Rejected And The Staff Indulged In Glorious
Washing-days
among the lilies of the Reach; Cheon haunted the vegetable patch like a
disconsolate ghost; while Billy Muck,
The rainmaker, hovered bat-like
over his melons, lending a hand also with the fence when called upon. As
Cheon mourned, his garden also mourned, but when the melons began to
mourn, at the Maluka's suggestion, Billy visited the Reach with two
buckets, and his usual following of dogs, and after a two-mile walk gave
the melons a drink.
Next day Billy Muck pressed old Jimmy into the service and, the Reach
being visited twice, the melons received eight buckets of water Then
Cheon tried every wile he knew to secure four buckets for his garden.
"Only four," he pleaded, lavish in his bribes. But Billy and Jimmy had
"knocked up longa a carry water," and Cheon watched them settle down to
smoke, on the verge of tears. Then a traveller coming in with the news
that heavy ram had fallen in Darwin - news gleaned from the gossiping
wire - Cheon was filled with jealous fury at the good fortune of Darwin,
and taunted Billy with rain-making taunts. "If he were a rain-maker," he
taunted, "he would make a little when he wanted it, instead of walking
miles with buckets," and the taunts rankling in Billy's royal soul, he
retired to the camp to see about it.
"Hope he does the trick," the traveller said, busy unpacking his team.
"Could do with a good bath fairly soon." But Dan cautioned him to "have
a care," settling down in the shade to watch proceedings.
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