Page:While the Billy Boils, 1913.djvu/33

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SETTLING ON THE LAND
13

live for; but he took a job of fencing, got a few pounds together, and prepared to settle on the land some more. He got 'a missus' and a few cows during the next year; the missus robbed him and ran away with the dummy, and the cows died in the drought, or were impounded by the squatter while on their way to water. Then Tom rented an orchard up the creek, and a hailstorm destroyed all the fruit. Germany happened to be represented at the time, Jacob having sought shelter at Tom's hut on his way home from town. Tom stood leaning against the door post with the hail beating on him through it all. His eyes were very bright and very dry, and every breath was a choking sob. Jacob let him stand there, and sat inside with a dreamy expression on his hard face, thinking of childhood and fatherland, perhaps. When it was over he led Tom to a stool and said, 'You waits there, Tom. I must go home for somedings. You sits there still and waits twenty minutes;' then he got on his horse and rode off muttering to himself: 'Dot man moost gry, dot man moost gry.' He was back inside of twenty minutes with a bottle of wine and a cornet under his overcoat. He poured the wine into two pint pots, made Tom drink, drank himself, and then took his cornet, stood up at the door, and played a German march into the rain after the retreating storm. The hail had passed over his vineyard and he was a ruined man too. Tom did 'gry' and was all right. He was a bit disheartened, but he did another job of fencing, and was just beginning to think about 'puttin' in a few vines an' fruit trees' when the Government surveyors―whom he'd forgotten all about―had a resurrec-