Dad wished to be cheerful and complacent4. He said (putting the pick down and dragging his flannel5 off to wring6 it): “It’s a good thing to sweat well.” Dave didn’t say anything. I don’t know what he thought, but he looked up at Dad — just looked up at him — while the perspiration7 filled his eyes and ran down over his nose like rain off a shingle8; then he hitched9 up his pants and “wired in” again.
Dave was a philosopher. He worked away until the axe flew off the handle with a ring and a bound, and might have been lost in the long grass for ever only Dad stopped it with his shin. I fancy he didn’t mean to stop it when I think how he jumped — it was the only piece of excitement there had been the whole of that relentlessly10 solemn fortnight. Dad got vexed11 — he was in a hurry with the grubbing — and said he never could get anything done without something going wrong. Dave wasn’t sorry the axe came off — he knew it meant half-an-hour in the shade fixing it on again. “Anyway,” Dad went on, “we’ll go to dinner now.”
On the way to the house he several times looked at the sky — that cloudless, burning sky — and said — to no one in particular, “I wish to God it would rain!” It sounded like an aggravated12 prayer. Dave didn’t speak, and I don’t think Dad expected he would.
Joe was the last to sit down to dinner, and he came in steaming hot. He had chased out of sight a cow that had poked13 into the cultivation14. Joe mostly went about with green bushes in his hat, to keep his head cool, and a few gum-leaves were now sticking in his moist and matted hair.
“I put her out, Dad!” he said, casting an eager glare at everything on the table. “She tried to jump and got stuck on the fence, and broke it all down. On’y I couldn’t get anything, I’d er broke ’er head — there wasn’t a thing, on’y dead cornstalks and cow-dung about.” Then he lunged his fork desperately15 at a blowfly that persistently16 hovered17 about his plate, and commenced.
Joe had a healthy appetite. He had charged his mouth with a load of cold meat, when his jaws18 ceased work, and, opening his mouth as though he were sleepy, he leaned forward and calmly returned it all to the plate. Dad got suspicious and asked Joe what was up; but Joe only wiped his mouth, looked sideways at his plate, and pushed it away.
All of us stopped eating then, and stared at each other. Mother said, “Well, I— I wrapped a cloth round it so nothing could get in, and put it in the safe — I don’t know where on earth to put the meat, I’m sure; if I put it in a bag and hang it up that thief of a dog gets it.”
“Yes,” Dad observed, “I believe he’d stick his nose into hell itself, Ellen, if he thought there was a bone there — and there ought to be lots by this time.” Then he turned over the remains19 of that cold meat, and, considering we had all witnessed the last kick of the slaughtered20 beast, it was surprising what animation21 this part of him yet retained. In vain did Dad explore for a really dead piece — there was life in all of it.
Joe wasn’t satisfied. He said he knew where there was a lot of eggs, and disappeared down the yard. Eggs were not plentiful22 on our selection, because we too often had to eat the hens when there was no meat — three or four were as many as we ever saw at one time. So on this day, when Joe appeared with a hatful, there was excitement. He felt himself a hero. We thought him a little saviour23.
“My!” said Mother, “where did you get all those?”
“Get ’em! I’ve had these planted for three munce — they’re a nest I found long ago; I thought I wouldn’t say anythink till we really wanted ’em.”
Just then one of the eggs fell out of the hat and went off “pop” on the floor.
Dave nearly upset the table, he rose so suddenly; and covering his nose with one hand he made for the door; then he scowled25 back over his shoulder at Joe. He utterly26 scorned his brother Joe. All of us deserted27 the table except Dad — he stuck to his place manfully; it took a lot to shift HIM.
Joe must have had a fine nerve. “That’s on’y one bad ’n’,” he said, taking the rest to the fireplace where the kettle stood. Then Dad, who had remained calm and majestic28, broke out. “Damn y’, boy!” he yelled, “take th’ awful things outside — YOU tinker!” Joe took them out and tried them all, but I forget if he found a good one.
Dad peered into the almost-empty water-cask and again muttered a short prayer for rain. He decided29 to do no more grubbing that day, but to run wire around the new land instead. The posts had been in the ground some time, and were bored. Dave and Sarah bored them. Sarah was as good as any man — so Dad reckoned. She could turn her hand to anything, from sewing a shirt to sinking a post-hole. She could give Dave inches in arm measurements, and talk about a leg! She HAD a leg — a beauty! It was as thick at the ankle as Dad’s was at the thigh30, nearly.
Anyone who would know what real amusement is should try wiring posts. What was to have been the top wire (the No. 8 stuff) Dad commenced to put in the bottom holes, and we ran it through some twelve or fifteen posts before he saw the mistake — then we dragged it out slowly and savagely31; Dad swearing adequately all the time.
At last everything went splendidly. We dragged the wire through panel after panel, and at intervals32 Dad would examine the blistering33 sky for signs of rain. Once when he looked up a red bullock was reaching for his waistcoat, which hung on a branch of a low tree. Dad sang out. The bullock poked out his tongue and reached higher. Then Dad told Joe to run. Joe ran — so did the bullock, but faster, and with the waistcoat that once was a part of Mother’s shawl half-way down his throat. Had the shreds34 and ribbons that dangled35 to it been a little longer, he might have trodden on them and pulled it back, but he didn’t. Joe deemed it his duty to follow that red bullock till it dropped the waistcoat, so he hammered along full split behind. Dad and Dave stood watching until pursued and pursuer vanished down the gully; then Dad said something about Joe being a fool, and they pulled at the wire again. They were nearing a corner post, and Dad was hauling the wire through the last panel, when there came the devil’s own noise of galloping36 hoofs37. Fifty or more cattle came careering along straight for the fence, bellowing38 and kicking up their heels in the air, as cattle do sometimes after a shower of rain. Joe was behind them — considerably39 — still at full speed and yelping40 like a dog. Joe loved excitement.
For weeks those cattle had been accustomed to go in and out between the posts; and they didn’t seem to have any thoughts of wire as they bounded along. Dave stood with gaping41 mouth. Dad groaned42, and the wire’s-end he was holding in his hand flew up with a whiz and took a scrap43 of his ear away. The cattle got mixed up in the wires. Some toppled over; some were caught by the legs; some by the horns. They dragged the wire twenty and thirty yards away, twisted it round logs, and left a lot of the posts pointing to sunset.
Oh, Dad’s language then! He swung his arms about and foamed44 at the mouth. Dave edged away from him.
Joe came up waving triumphantly45 a chewed piece of the waistcoat. “D-d-did it g-give them a buster, Dad?” he said, the sweat running over his face as though a spring had broken out on top of his head. Dad jumped a log and tried to unbuckle his strap46 and reach for Joe at the same time, but Joe fled.
That threw a painful pall47 over everything. Dad declared he was sick and tired of the whole thing, and wouldn’t do another hand’s-turn. Dave meditated48 and walked along the fence, plucking off scraps49 of skin and hair that here and there clung to the bent50 and battered51 wire.
We had just finished supper when old Bob Wren52, a bachelor who farmed about two miles from us, arrived. He used to come over every mail-night and bring his newspaper with him. Bob couldn’t read a word, so he always got Dad to spell over the paper to him. WE didn’t take a newspaper.
Bob said there were clouds gathering53 behind Flat Top when he came in, and Dad went out and looked, and for the fiftieth time that day prayed in his own way for rain. Then he took the paper, and we gathered at the table to listen. “Hello,” he commenced, “this is M’Doolan’s paper you’ve got, Bob.”
Bob rather thought it wasn’t.
“Yes, yes, man, it IS,” Dad put in; “see, it’s addressed to him.”
Bob leaned over and LOOKED at the address, and said: “No, no, that’s mine; it always comes like that.” Dad laughed. We all laughed. He opened it, anyway. He hadn’t read for five minutes when the light flickered54 nearly out. Sarah reckoned the oil was about done, and poured water in the lamp to raise the kerosene55 to the wick, but that didn’t last long, and, as there was no fat in the house, Dad squatted56 on the floor and read by the firelight.
He plodded57 through the paper tediously from end to end, reading the murders and robberies a second time. The clouds that old Bob said were gathering when he came in were now developing to a storm, for the wind began to rise, and the giant iron-bark tree that grew close behind the house swayed and creaked weirdly58, and threw out those strange sobs59 and moans that on wild nights bring terror to the hearts of bush children. A glimmer60 of lightning appeared through the cracks in the slabs61. Old Bob said he would go before it came on, and started into the inky darkness.
“It’s coming!” Dad said, as he shut the door and put the peg62 in after seeing old Bob out. And it came — in no time. A fierce wind struck the house. Then a vivid flash of lightning lit up every crack and hole, and a clap of thunder followed that nearly shook the place down.
Dad ran to the back door and put his shoulder against it; Dave stood to the front one; and Sarah sat on the sofa with her arms around Mother, telling her not to be afraid. The wind blew furiously — its one aim seemed the shifting of the house. Gust63 after gust struck the walls and left them quivering. The children screamed. Dad called and shouted, but no one could catch a word he said. Then there was one tremendous crack — we understood it — the iron-bark tree had gone over. At last, the shingled64 roof commenced to give. Several times the ends rose (and our hair too) and fell back into place again with a clap. Then it went clean away in one piece, with a rip like splitting a ribbon, and there we stood, affrighted and shelterless, inside the walls. Then the wind went down and it rained — rained on us all night.
Next morning Joe had been to the new fence for the axe for Dad, and was off again as fast as he could run, when he remembered something and called out, “Dad, old B-B-Bob’s just over there, lyin’ down in the gully.”
Dad started up. “It’s ’im all right — I w-w-wouldn’ter noticed, only Prince s-s-smelt him.”
“Quick and show me where!” Dad said.
Joe showed him.
“My God!” and Dad stood and stared. Old Bob it was — dead. Dead as Moses.
“Poor old Bob!” Dad said. “Poor-old-fellow!” Joe asked what could have killed him? “Poor-old-Bob!”
Dave brought the dray, and we took him to the house — or what remained of it.
Dad couldn’t make out the cause of death — perhaps it was lightning. He held a POST-MORTEM, and, after thinking hard for a long while, told Mother he was certain, anyway, that old Bob would never get up again. It was a change to have a dead man about the place, and we were very pleased to be first to tell anyone who didn’t know the news about old Bob.
We planted him on his own selection beneath a gum-tree, where for years and years a family of jackasses nightly roosted, Dad remarking: “As there MIGHT be a chance of his hearin’, it’ll be company for the poor old cove24.”
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1
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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shingle
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| n.木瓦板；小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌)；v.用木瓦板盖（屋顶）；把（女子头发）剪短 | |
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9
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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relentlessly
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| adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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12
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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13
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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slaughtered
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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32
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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33
blistering
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| adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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34
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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35
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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36
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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37
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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38
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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39
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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40
yelping
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 ) | |
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41
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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42
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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43
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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45
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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46
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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47
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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48
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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49
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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50
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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51
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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52
wren
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| n.鹪鹩；英国皇家海军女子服务队成员 | |
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53
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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54
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
kerosene
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| n.(kerosine)煤油，火油 | |
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56
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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57
plodded
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| v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作） | |
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weirdly
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| 古怪地 | |
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59
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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60
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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61
slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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62
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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63
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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64
shingled
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| adj.盖木瓦的；贴有墙面板的v.用木瓦盖(shingle的过去式和过去分词形式) | |
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