"These Early
Showers Are A Bit Tricky," He Explained, "Can't Tell How Long They'll
Last.
Heard of a chap once who reckoned it was good enough for a bath,
but by the time he'd
Got himself nicely soaped the shower was travelling
on ten miles a minute, and there wasn't another drop of rain for a
fortnight, which wasn't too pleasant for the prickly heat."
The homestead rubbed its back in sympathy against the nearest upright,
and Dan added that "of course the soap kept the mosquitoes dodged a bit,"
which was something to be thankful for. "There generally is something to
be thankful for, if you only reckon it out," he assured all. But the
traveller, reduced to a sweltering prickliness by his exertions, wasn't
"noticing much at present," as he rubbed his back in his misery against
the saddle of the horse he was unpacking. Then his horse, shifting its
position, trod on his foot; and as he hopped round, nursing his stinging
toes, Dan found an illustration for his argument. "Some chaps," he said,
"'ud be thankful to have toes to be trod on"; and ducking to avoid a
coming missile, he added cheerfully, "But there's even an advantage about
having wooden legs at times. Heard once of a chap that reckoned 'em just
the thing. Trod on a death-adder unexpected-like in his camp, and when
the death-adder whizzed round to strike it, just struck wood, and the
chap enjoyed his supper as usual that night.
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