seems t' me it's all the same mixture," he said. "It looks like it,
tastes like, 'n' it smells like. Now I come t' think iv it, I ain't too
sure 'bout these blanky rheumatics o' mine." He reached down his back and
rubbed himself anxiously.

"I thought my diabetes was a-movin', but they're all back at me agin,"
said Coleman.

"The chicken died what I gave the mixture to," explained Anderson.

Dickson scowled and felt himself, for as far as he could reach up and
down his spine. "I'm pretty certain the rheumatics 're comin' back," he
murmured. "Wow!" he gasped, as a bad twinge took him. "It is back!"

"Tell yeh what," Anderson remarked plaintively, "we've been done."

"He's a blanky fraud!"

"A robber!"

"Let's look him up, 'n' 'ave a word or two."

The farmers seized their sticks. They moved towards the door, but already
Nickie had begged to be excused, and passed into the night. The stillness
and mystery of the bush enveloped him.

Next day the neighbours compared notes and bottles, and found that the
medicine for influenza, consumption, liver disease, indigestion and cold
feet, the embrocation for rheumatism, sprains, corns, bruises and
headaches, the cure for pigs, the wash for silvering spoons, and the