Part 61 (1/2)
About onally, without seeing it-- I ca to Runnyed station, like Runnyin of a swa wall, or enclosing ee of the excavation; and under this wall, an iron pipe connects the sith the tank The swa reached the same level, the outer end of the pipe is closed, and the portable pu plant sent out to fill the space inside the wall, thus doubling the capacity of the tank
Three days before the time I speak of, a thunderstoronia Swa a rainless winter, had seized the opportunity to secure a supply of water The pu before, but not started; and now the wind had swept all the water to the other end of the swaine-driver and hisbloay, and were lying in the lee of the tank wall, trying to get a s Mooney had come early from the station, to see how the pump started, and had been drawn into a controversy with his half-broken colt; the point in dispute being whether it was safe to go within forty yards of the engine
Mooney had ative
The Pure Logic which the colt had opposed to Mooney's Applied Logic had ultiuh the rising dust-stor in the lee of the e the day he elected to be a squatter rather than a clergyman
I watered my horses and Pup at the tank, condoled with Mooney, joined the two other chaps in severe criticis, and passed on I may add that the pu blown clean out of the swah the thirsty atot under my hat, and the nextacross the wilderness, for the good of trade At last I had to give-in
The increasing broadside pressure, with the sand and dust, was beco too much for the horses; and, in any case, I should have had to stop on Pup's account I turned Cleopatra's head to leeward, and began carefully to disht branch of h the air, like a bird shot on the wing Recovering foothold, I fought my way to Bunyip, and relieved him of his pack Then, with Cleopatra's rein over round to see it out At this low elevation, the air was thick with skipping crumbs of hard dirt, which rattled onnot anchored to the ground was at racing speed, and all in the sa from the north-western deserts with a clear fetch of a thousandto last many hours; enesis, operation, and hidden purpose The first and second considerations were ely speculative, ad of no ienic necessities required a thorough rousing and ridding-out of microbes, bacteria, and other pests too htened before another day had gone overstudies, I caught a , ten yards away to the left, which see dust was, of course, far froht of the object again It was aslowly and painfully across the stubbly knobs of cotton-bush on his hands and knees I hailed hili; his head bent al the shower, but only to be hurled down on top of the faithful Pup, and savagely snapped at
Then I went like a quadruped till I reached the wayfarer, and caught him by the ankle He looked round; I beckoned, and crept back to my forgard, resolute face, framed by an old hat tied down over the ears, confrontedhard against the stream,”
I shouted
The dry, cracked lips moved without speech, and the bloodshot eyes left my face to scan the pack-saddle beside ested
He nodded Cleopatra was close behind ainst the wind
I drew myself up by the near stirrup, till I could unbuckle the water-bag froallon of water not two hours before, it was now half-empty I drew the cork;hands, and, with fine self-control, barely wetted his lips again and again At last he took a onia Tank,” he hoarsely re past it It 's about a ht across there
I've just coht,” he continued ”It was dark when I struck the little tank I wasfor, and I found her dry; and o any further, so I rested till onia, with a devil of a headache to help
I knew of another tank nearer, but I would n't trust onia Fine tank--ain't she?”
”First-class Have you no swag?”
”I had a very good one a few hours ago, but Lord knohere she is now
I left her behind when the wind put me on all-fours Kept pretty well in the same quarter, I think?”
”About the sa here till she slackens-down?'
”There's nothing else I can do”
”Well, I'll stay with you If you shoot ht at the tank, and then have a try for ”
”You'll find two very decent coves caine and puain”