Dad sighed and turned away from the awful prospect4. He went and looked into the water-cask. Two butterflies, a frog or two, and some charcoal5 were at the bottom. No water. He sighed again, took the yoke6 and two kerosene-tins, and went off to the springs.
About an hour and a half after he returned with two half-tins of muddy, milky-looking water — the balance had been splashed out as he got through the fences — and said to Mother (wiping the sweat off his face with his shirt-sleeve)—
“Don’t know, I’m SURE, what things are going t’ come t’; . . . no use doing anything . . . there’s no rain . . . no si ——” he lifted his foot and with cool exactness took a place-kick at the dog, which was trying to fall into one of the kerosene-tins, head first, and sent it and the water flying. “Oh you ——!” The rest is omitted in the interests of Poetry.
Day after. Fearful heat; not a breath of air; fowl7 and beast sought the shade; everything silent; the great Bush slept. In the west a stray cloud or two that had been hanging about gathered, thickened, darkened.
The air changed. Fowl and beast left the shade; tree-tops began to stir — to bend — to sway violently. Small branches flew down and rolled before the wind. Presently it thundered afar off. Mother and Sal ran out and gathered the clothes, and fixed8 the spout9, and looked cheerfully up at the sky.
Joe sat in the chimney-corner thumping10 the ribs11 of a cattle-pup, and pinching its ears to make it savage12. He had been training the pup ever since its arrival that morning.
The plough-horses, yoked13 to the plough, stood in the middle of the paddock, beating the flies off with their tails and leaning against each other.
Dad stood at the stock-yard — his brown arms and bearded chin resting on a middle-rail — passively watching Dave and Paddy Maloney breaking-in a colt for Callaghan — a weedy, wild, herring-gutted brute14 that might have been worth fifteen shillings. Dave was to have him to hack15 about for six months in return for the breaking-in. Dave was acquiring a local reputation for his skill in handling colts.
They had been at “Callaghan”— as they christened the colt — since daylight, pretty well; and had crippled old Moll and lamed16 Maloney’s Dandy, and knocked up two they borrowed from Anderson — yarding the rubbish; and there wasn’t a fence within miles of the place that he hadn’t tumbled over and smashed. But, when they did get him in, they lost no time commencing to quieten him. They cursed eloquently17, and threw the bridle18 at him, and used up all the missiles and bits of hard mud and sticks about the yard, pelting19 him because he wouldn’t stand.
Dave essayed to rope him “the first shot,” and nearly poked20 his eye out with the pole; and Paddy Maloney, in attempting to persuade the affrighted beast to come out of the cow-bail, knocked the cap of its hip21 down with the milking-block. They caught him then and put the saddle on. Callaghan trembled. When the girths were tightened22 they put the reins23 under the leathers, and threw their hats at him, and shouted, and “hooshed” him round the yard, expecting he would buck24 with the saddle. But Callaghan only trotted25 into a corner and snorted. Usually, a horse that won’t buck with a saddle is a “snag.” Dave knew it. The chestnut26 he tackled for Brown did nothing with the saddle. HE was a snag. Dave remembered him and reflected. Callaghan walked boldly up to Dave, with his head high in the air, and snorted at him. He was a sorry-looking animal — cuts and scars all over him; hip down; patches and streaks27 of skin and hair missing from his head. “No buck in him!” unctuously28 observed Dad, without lifting his chin off the rail. “Ain’t there?” said Paddy Maloney, grinning cynically29. “Just you wait!”
It seemed to take the heart out of Dave, but he said nothing. He hitched30 his pants and made a brave effort to spit — several efforts. And he turned pale.
Paddy was now holding Callaghan’s head at arms’-length by the bridle and one ear, for Dave to mount.
A sharp crack of thunder went off right overhead. Dave didn’t hear it.
“Hello!” Dad said, “We’re going to have it — hurry up!”
Dave didn’t hear him. He approached the horse’s side and nervously31 tried the surcingle — a greenhide one of Dad’s workmanship. “Think that’ll hold?” he mumbled32 meekly33.
“Pshaw!” Dad blurted34 through the rails —“Hold! Of course it’ll hold — hold a team o’ bullocks, boy.”
“’S all right, Dave; ’s all right — git on!” From Paddy Maloney, impatiently.
Paddy, an out-and-out cur amongst horses himself, was anxious to be relieved of the colt’s head. Young horses sometimes knock down the man who is holding them. Paddy was aware of it.
Dave took the reins carefully, and was about to place his foot in the stirrup when his restless eye settled on a wire-splice in the crupper — also Dad’s handiwork. He hesitated and commenced a remark. But Dad was restless; Paddy Maloney anxious (as regarded himself); besides, the storm was coming.
Dad said: “Damn it, what are y’ ’FRAID o’, boy? THAT’ll hold — jump on.”
Paddy said: “NOW, Dave, while I’ve ’is ’ead round.”
Joe (just arrived with the cattle-pup) chipped in.
He said: “Wot, is he fuf-fuf-fuf-f-rikent of him, Dad?”
Dave heard them. A tear like a hailstone dropped out of his eye.
“It’s all damn well t’ TALK,” he fired off; “come in and RIDE th’—— horse then, if y’ s’—— GAME!”
A dead silence.
The cattle-pup broke away from Joe and strolled into the yard. It barked feebly at Callaghan, then proceeded to worry his heels. It seemed to take Callaghan for a calf35. Callaghan kicked it up against the rails. It must have taken him for a cow then.
Dave’s blood was up. He was desperate. He grabbed the reins roughly, put his foot in the stirrup, gripped the side of the pommel, and was on before you could say “Woolloongabba.”
With equal alacrity36, Paddy let the colt’s head go and made tracks, chuckling37. The turn things had taken delighted him. Excitement (and pumpkin) was all that kept Paddy alive. But Callaghan didn’t budge38 — at least not until Dave dug both heels into him. Then he made a blind rush and knocked out a panel of the yard — and got away with Dave. Off he went, plunging39, galloping40, pig-jumping, breaking loose limbs and bark off trees with Dave’s legs. A wire-fence was in his way. It parted like the Red Sea when he came to it — he crashed into it and rolled over. The saddle was dangling41 under his belly42 when he got up; Dave and the bridle were under the fence. But the storm had come, and such a storm! Hailstones as big as apples nearly — first one here and there, and next moment in thousands.
Paddy Maloney and Joe ran for the house; Dave, with an injured ankle and a cut head, limped painfully in the same direction; but Dad saw the plough-horses turning and twisting about in their chains and set out for them. He might as well have started off the cross the continent. A hailstone, large enough to kill a cow, fell with a thud a yard or two in advance of him, and he slewed43 like a hare and made for the house also. He was getting it hot. Now and again his hands would go up to protect his head, but he couldn’t run that way — he couldn’t run much any way.
The others reached the house and watched Dad make from the back-door. Mother called to him to “Run, run!” Poor Dad! He was running. Paddy Maloney was joyful44. He danced about and laughed vociferously45 at the hail bouncing off Dad. Once Dad staggered — a hail-boulder had struck him behind the ear — and he looked like dropping. Paddy hit himself on the leg, and vehemently46 invited Dave to “Look, LOOK at him!” But Dad battled along to the haystack, buried his head in it, and stayed there till the storm was over — wriggling47 and moving his feet as though he were tramping chaff48.
Shingles49 were dislodged from the roof of the house, and huge hailstones pelted50 in and put the fire out, and split the table, and fell on the sofa and the beds.
Rain fell also, but we didn’t catch any in the cask — the wind blew the spout away. It was a curled piece of bark. Nevertheless, the storm did good. We didn’t lose ALL the potatoes. We got SOME out of them. We had them for dinner one Sunday.
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1
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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2
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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3
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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6
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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7
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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9
spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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10
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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11
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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12
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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13
yoked
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| 结合（yoke的过去式形式） | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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hack
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| n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳 | |
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16
lamed
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| 希伯莱语第十二个字母 | |
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eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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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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21
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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22
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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23
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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24
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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25
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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26
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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27
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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28
unctuously
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| adv.油腻地，油腔滑调地；假惺惺 | |
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29
cynically
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| adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地 | |
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30
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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31
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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32
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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34
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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36
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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37
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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38
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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39
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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40
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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41
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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42
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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43
slewed
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| adj.喝醉的v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去式 )( slew的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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45
vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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46
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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47
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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48
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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49
shingles
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| n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板 | |
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50
pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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