The horrible discomforts of this evil day were for a while lessened by thinking of the phenomenon of the electrically charged body of the car. Fisher was not sure that the driver’s explanation of the cause was correct, although it was certainly feasible. Petrol-wagons had been known to explode, or ignite, by the static charge generated, so some said, by the constant movement of petrol within the tank. It was certainly interesting. This may be the real cause of aeroplanes exploding in mid-air during great storms. It was, indeed, a problem of interest to a thinking man.
Fisher came upon the swagman mentioned by the car driver. He was trying to boil water in a small billy at a fire partially sheltered by a track-side bluebush. That he was an old man of fixed ideas was already proved by his refusal of a lift this terrible day. At Fisher’s sudden appearance he leapt to his feet, with surprising agility, obviously much frightened.
“Good day!” shouted Fisher. “D’youmindme boiling my billy at your fire?”
The old man stretched his bent body, venting a sigh of relief.
“I suppose you can,” he consented grudgingly. “You pass a car?”
“Yes. The driver had stopped to fill his radiator, and the machine was so charged with static electricity that he couldn’t remove the cap. He said there is more electricity in these wind-storms than there is in a thunder-storm.”
“ ’Coursethere is,” agreed the old man readily. “You don’t ’ear no thunder, but the electricity’s in the air all right. You get a cat a day like this and rub ’erfur and see the sparks fly! I know a bloke wot gets a terrible ’eadachewhen she blows, so’s he’s got to lie down. Where you headed for today?”