IV 



OF HARVEST, WAGES, THE COST OF 

 IMPLEMENTS AND PLANT 



" Is everything ready ? " I inquired of Lai, who 

 had brought me a cream-decked cup of tea, an 

 attention with which he never failed to meet the 

 early morning no matter how firmly we had decided 

 to differ the night before. 



" The horses are ready and your stookers have just 

 turned out of bed. I have been up the last two 

 hours fed everything, groomed the horses. We 

 ought to finish to-day, as our neighbour expects to 

 finish his oats before dinner and is coming along to 

 help us through. But the Jehu of the binder has 

 not turned up yet." 



" Not turned up ! " I cried. " Lai, what shall 

 we do ? And every hour matters ! Do you think 

 he can be ill ? " 



" The aftermath of conviviality, I shouldn't 

 wonder," he answered cheerfully. " He isn't half 

 a bad sort. Jolly good chap all round. Everybody 

 likes him." 



Billy the Boaster didn't fail to turn his neighbour's 

 possible backsliding to his own account at breakfast. 

 " It's a free country," he affirmed, " and I say if a 

 feller has a mind to get full let him get good and 



33 c 



