In that mighty thunderclap the Wet rushed upon us with a roar of falling
waters, and with them Billy Muck appeared at the house verandah dripping
like a beaver, to claim further credit.
"Well?" he said again, "Me rainmaker, eh ?" and the Maluka shouted above
the roar and din:
"You're the boy for my money, Billy! Keep her going!" and Billy kept her
going to such purpose that by sun-up the billabong was a banker, Cheon
was moving over the face of the earth with the buoyancy of a child's
balloon, and Billy had five inches of rain to his credit. (So far,
eleven inches was the Territory record for one night). Also the fringe
of birds was back at the billabong, having returned with as little
warning as it had left, and once more its ceaseless chatter became the
undertone of the homestead.
At sun-up Cheon had us in his garden, sure now that Pine Creek could not
possibly outdo us in vegetables and the Dandy coming in with every
commission fulfilled we felt ham was a mere detail.
But Cheon's cup of happiness was to brim over that day, for after
answering every question hurled at him, the Dandy sang cheerfully: "He
put in his thumb and pulled out a plum," and dragged forth a ham from its
hiding-place, with a laughing, "What a good boy am I.
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