114 FRUIT RANCHING. 



porlant casting had snapped, and we learned (by tele- 

 phone) that a new casting could not be instantly found 

 in Nelson. 



" How long shall we have to wait for a new 

 piece ? ' ' 



" About a week." 



Just then, owing to the great heat of the sun and 

 the long drought, we used a very large quantity of 

 water every day. Even assuming that the tank were 

 full — which, as a matter of fact, was not the case — it 

 would have sufficed for all purposes little more than 

 two days. How, then, were we to obtain a sufficient 

 supply for a whole week ? To carry up water from 

 the lake in such quantities as wc should need was not 

 for one moment to be thought of. 



Lawrie, however, with his usual happy instinct 

 when a difficulty confronted us, affixed one of the 

 long rubber hoses to a stand-pipe in the water pipe 

 from off the mountain, and lifting the other end over 

 the edge of the tank, thus compelled the stream to do 

 the work which the mill had suddenly refused to do. 

 And it obeyed — it yielded— for one night ! Next day, 

 even in the morning, when we hurried in to snifT up 

 the savoury odour of porridge, there was not a drop 

 of water to be drawn off the mountain. The mountain 

 stream had dried up again — before the day's work was 

 begun. And the windmill was broken! 



That day it was hotter than ever, and the next, 

 and the next day after that — not a pin to choose 

 between them. Our tank was nearly empty. Tele- 

 phoning frantically to inquire if there were no news 

 of the casting, I was answered, " Not come yet. 

 Know nothing about it." 



