Mike Dixon

CHAPTER 36
Welding job
ed lost no time putting David to work. There was
T painting to be done. Then he discovered that David
had welding skills and asked him to fix the hotel‟s trailer. It
was David‟s fourth day at the Wombat‟s Den and he was out
in the backyard amongst a heap of discarded machinery and
other ancient junk. The electric welder was in good condition
but depended on a wind generator with diesel backup.
In a stiff breeze the system worked well but most of the
time its performance was poor to useless. The wind kept
dropping and the diesel failed to cut in. David couldn‟t understand
how anyone could live under such conditions, let alone
run a business. Yet Ted and his clientele at the Wombat‟s Den
seemed to have no problems when the wind dropped and the
lights dimmed – so long as the beer remained cold.
He was keeping a low profile, pretending to be shy. He‟d
told Ted he had a liver condition and had to lay off the grog.
That way he avoided going into the bar and being seen – not
that the hotel had many customers.
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