’Let’s go and see how they’re getting on,’ he said in a low tone.
’No—why?’ she said. ’It only makes us miserable, and we can’t help.’
’All right, you go back,’ Bart said. ’I’ll have to go. I might have to light another fire.’
The sheep crept away from the house to die, once they found no water was to be had there. They chose to lie down and cease to be at the spot where once had been a dam. Patches of ashes showed where Bart had piled wood over the poor carcases and burnt them up, in his wise young knowledge that the air must be kept pure.
None were dead to-day, though fifty seemed dying. Half a dozen brown ragged little lambs filled the air with piteous outcry.
’No,’ he said, ’they’ll have to go. I’ve had to give them up, dear. If I can get water for the house for the next week, I’ll be glad. Daly is running very short himself.’
There were footsteps in the bush just near, a panting of breath, a curious dragging sound.
’Floss,’ said Hermie, and remembered for the first time she had not seen her little sister for hours. ’Where can she have been?’
The child was dragging a bucket. Her face was almost purple with the heat; she had kept her eyes half closed, to shut out the almost unendurable glare, and did not know she was so close to home till she stumbled almost into Bart’s arms.
When she saw Hermie there too, she clung to the handle jealously.
’It’s not for the house,’ she said, ’so don’t you think it. Let it alone, Bart! Bart, if you take it, I’ll scratch.’
’I’m only going to carry it for you, Chucks,’ Bart said. ’You shall do what you like with it.’
The little girl relinquished her hold, but kept a guarding eye on the precious fluid.
’Where did you get it, old girl?’ Bart said.
’I took it,’ she said. ’Don’t care, I’m glad. They’ve got a whole cask, the greedies, and lots of money, so they can get as much as they like. They get casks from the Bore, and they’re sent down in the train, and they’ve got a cart to fetch it. They drink it all themselves—pigs! They don’t care about the sheep.’
’Not the Scotts, Floss—you’ve not been stealing the poor Scotts’ water?’ cried Hermie, aghast. The Scotts lived in a miserable hut on the adjoining selection, and were the nearest neighbours.
’Them!’ she said. ’They’ve got less than us! I got it from those mean measuring men.’