Part 19 (1/2)
”Faugh--” Jerry began, but dick interrupted
”If you two asses are trying to say pshaw you are both wrong I happened to see it in the dictionary a few days ago and it is pronounced shaw; it's a silly sort of word anyhow No one uses it in real life Shut your jaws and stop your shaws and let's go and get a drink”
”You can go,” said Hugh, whose feelings were injured by the lack of interest in his new grape ”I' to stay here for the present”
”Leave hirape behind hih pretended not to hear
”I wish I was a Red Indian,” hedown the road ”I'd invent soed along the track between the trees The air was full of dust stirred up by the carts, the sun see on a sprint before the finish”, dick groaned, and the children grew thirstier and thirstier, till Mollie felt she could hardly bear it for one ue were dry and parched, and, although she kept her mouth shut, the dust blew up her nose and down her dry throat She felt as if the sun were hitting her on the back between her shoulders, and her feet kept stu over the deep ruts in the road ”A Guide's ht to herself
”There _are_ times when I wish I were not a Guide, and this is one of them 'Be Loyal' Oh--_bother_ Baden-Powell!” She held up three fingers to remind herself of the Guide Law, and tried her best to set on without it?” she wondered, watching Prue and Grizzel as they loitered along just before her, Grizzel dragging weary little feet in the dust ”I suppose they are used to it Life in Australia isn't _all_ beer and skittles I wonder what skittles are? If they are so nice to drink I e had so I _a for all I am worth” She hurried her steps a little and made up to the boys
”Let's ested ”She looks about done We can do it in turns, dick and hto!” said both boys at once
”But you girls needn't do it,” dick added ”Jerry and I have carried heavier loads than that, haven't we, old son-of-a-gun?”
”Faugh!” said Jerry, with a wink
Fortunately for the boys, and for Mollie, whose pride as a Patrol Leader was now up in arht was by no means fairy-like, they were overtaken at that moment by an empty cart, the driver of which pulled up and invited theh the floor of the cart was far from clean, and they were rattled and buht the road would never end, and began to wonder at what stage of thirst deliriu, and at last they ca in the arden
The usual balcony ran round it, but this ti up froate, and without a word Prue led the way to the back veranda, where a row of canvas bags hung swinging fronored the, dipped a tu, and handed it down to Mollie
Oh, the exquisite joy of that drink! The water was deliciously cold; it trickled over Mollie's parched tongue, irrigated her dried-up throat, washed away the dust she had been inhaling, and in half a irl
”It is worth while being thirsty,” she said, as she watched the others revive under the sa water is I'd like soiraffes,” Grizzel said, with a sigh ”I'd like to have a throat a yard long and just sit here for ever letting cold water bubble down its hotness”
”What about Hugh?” asked Jerry, his conscience s effect of heat and thirst had departed, and he reflected that his slighting reh's absence fro entertain he is the only one who did any work”
”He had his billy-can of cold tea with hi,” Prue answered, ”and if he _is_ thirsty it is his own fault for being so huffy Anyhow, he likes to practise enduring things; he says it is a useful habit The worst of it is he thinks everyone else should endure too I don't see the slightest use in s happen ten tih seeot ho with Mr von Greusen, who caes and vines, the prospects of the wine industry, the possibilities of olive culture, and other subjects interesting to Australians but a trifle dull for the English listeners
Presently, however, the name of John Smith was introduced, and the boys pricked up their ears
”He asks many questions,” said Mr von Greusen, ”but I do not think that his heart is in the vineyard, as the heart of a man must be if he wishes to make his orld-famous In your work, that is where your heartsolemnly at the boys
”And where do you think that the heart of Mr John Smith is?” Papa asked, with a twinkle in his blue eyes
”Ah!” said Mr von Greusen, shaking his head, ”that know I not The heart of a young s himself to Australia and whose feet tread the vineyard while his eyes look far away, so that he repeatedly trips over obstacles--where is it?” He shook his head again and hummed in a melodious baritone:
”Madchen lein suss und klar”
”Aha!” laughed the professor, ”I have seenman come to Australia to cure _that_ disease But I don't recommend the vineyard”