" But in the
meantime Dan had become Showman of the Showers.
"See anything?" he asked, soon after sun-up, waving his hands towards the
northern slip-rails, as we stood at the head of the thoroughfare speeding
our parting guests; and then he drew attention to the faintest greenish
tinge throughout the homestead enclosure--such a clean-washed-looking
enclosure now.
"That's going to be grass soon," he said, and, the sun coming out with
renewed vigour after another shower, by midday he had gathered a handful
of tiny blades half an inch in length with a chuckling "What did I tell
you?"
By the next midday, grass, inches tall, was rippling all around the
homestead in the now prevalent northwest breeze, and Dan was preparing
for a trip out-bush to see where the showers had fallen, and Mac and Tam
coming in as he went out, Mac greeted us with a jocular: "The flats get
greener every year about the Elsey."
"Indeed!" we said, and Mac, overcome with confusion, spluttered an
apology: "Oh, I say! Look here! I didn't mean to hit off at the missus,
you know!" and then catching the twinkle in Tam's eyes, stopped short,
and with a characteristic shrug "reckoned he was making a fair mess of
things.
Pages:
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373