Landtakers: The Story of an Epoch

When Cabell came home early in June without having found anywhere to feed his surplus sheep, Emma said nothing, but waited, expecting to see McGovern on the doorstep at any moment. A week passed and nothing happened. She had to talk with Gursey again. He was worried, too. "The damned rat. He's funked, " he said. "He knows what's coming to him if he makes a false step. Cabell nearly got him once, and the big galoot hasn't been the same since."

Cabell had forgotten everything but his sheep, and did not notice how worked up these two were. He was beginning to see that he would have to fight hard to get through the drought. It was a thin year rather than a drought, and only for the loss of the Stony Creek land he would have pulled through with a pinch. But after the lambing he would have nearly fifty thousand sheep on the run, besides cattle and the horses. The land could carry a sheep to the acre in a good season, but they made almost twice that now.