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[Page 82]
the rope snapped, and the bucket disappeared with a dull thud and rattle to the bottom of the well. That was, of course the finish of the watering. This was all the more disappointing in view of the fact that the teams had not had water [indecipherable] for 36 hours. This is the heartbreaking part of these stunts. The way the poor horses have to suffer. Very often [indecipherable] (Chaff) is unprocurable and the horses only have their "Iron ration" i.e. about 7 or 8 double handfuls of grain three times a day to live on. In addition to this they often as in this case 24, 36 and 48, and in some case 60 hours without a drink, and yet they stand it marvellously. The Australian horse is a wonder. No matter how long he has been hungry, how long he has been without water or what [indecipherable] work he has been doing one can always get a gallop out of them as required and [indecipherable] it is hard to know your horse is hungry, and in spite of all your foraging you cannot find [indecipherable], to know he is thirsty and see the dumb appeal in his eyes for both food and water and you can give him neither. A man very often goes short himself. Transport of rations is a great difficulty when troops are moving forward at the rate ours have been the last few days but there is hardly a man who would