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           Drogheda’sgrasshadalwaysmanagedtooutlastthedroughtsMeggieremembered,butthiswasdifferent.Thegrasswaspatchynow;inbetweenitstussocksthedarkgroundshowed,crackedintoafinenetworkoffissuresgapinglikeparchedmouths.Forwhichmostlythanktherabbits.Inthefouryearsofherabsencetheyhadsuddenlymultipliedoutofallreason,thoughshesupposedtheyhadbeenbadformanyyearsbeforethat.Itwasjustthatalmostovernighttheirnumbershadreachedfarbeyondsaturationpoint.Theywereeverywhere,andthey,too,atethepreciousgrass.

           Shelearnedtosetrabbittraps,hatinginawaytoseethesweetlittlethingsmangledinsteelteeth,buttoomuchofalandpersonherselftoflinchfromdoingwhathadtobedone.Tokillinthenameofsurvivalwasn’tcruelty.

           "GodrotthehomesickPommywhoshippedthefirstrabbitsoutfromEngland,"saidBobbitterly.

           TheywerenotnativetoAustralia,andtheirsentimentalimportationhadcompletelyupsettheecologicalbalanceofthecontinentwheresheepandcattlehadnot,thesebeingscientificallygrazedfromthemomentoftheirintroduction.TherewasnonaturalAustralianpredatortocontroltherabbitnumbers,andimportedfoxesdidn’tthrive.Manmustbeanunnaturalpredator,butthereweretoofewmen,toomanyrabbits.

           ***

           AfterMeggiegrewtoobigtositahorse,shespentherdaysinthehomesteadwithMrs.Smith,MinnieandCat,sewingorknittingforthelittlethingsquirminginsideher.