However, you'll just have to keep
your eyes open. Luckily, your creek can't burn--you'll always have so
much safeguard, because your stock could take to it; and that row of
willows along the bank would check any grass fire."
"My word, wouldn't a fire race across the Billabong plains this year!"
said Wally.
"Yes, it would certainly travel," agreed Mr. Linton. "Well, we've
ploughed fire-breaks, and burned round the house, and we can only hope
for good luck. You'd better burn a break round your house soon, Bob."
"Bill was saying so only this morning," Bob answered. "I nearly chucked
the races and stayed at home to do it--only I was afraid it might get
away from me single-handed, and I couldn't very well keep Bill at home."
"Oh, time enough," the squatter said lightly. "You're not so dry as we
are, and we only burned last week."
"We'll come over and help you to-morrow, if you like," Jim said. "Wally
wants work; he's getting too fat. A little gentle exercise with a racing
fire on a hot day would be the very thing for him. We'll come and burn
off with you, and then have a bathing party in the creek, and then you
and Tommy must come back to tea with us." Which was a sample of the way
much of the work was done on the Creek Farm. It had never occurred to
the two Rainhams that life in Australia was lonely.
The road to Cunjee was usually bare of much traffic, but on the one
race day of the year an amazing number of vehicles were dotted along
it, light buggies, farm wagonettes, spring carts and the universal
two-wheeled jinker, all crammed with farmers and settlers and their
families.
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