His duties were menial — cleaning, painting, repairing, carrying, general labouring. For quite a time though hardly anyone except Mayon and a couple of other stringers spoke to him, even to give him a ‘good morning’. ‘Be patient,’ Mayon advised. ‘They’re used to stringers coming and going every week or two, like I told you. They get sick of being friendly with someone who leaves the next day.’ So Argus took particular trouble to do his jobs well and to be polite to everyone, and soon he was pleased to see that the thaw forecast by Mayon was taking place. As he got to know his new companions better he met with many surprises. The fat lady, whose name was Ruth, was the easiest — besides Mayon — to befriend. She was naturally gregarious, spending all her spare time sitting in the sun at the front of her caravan, collecting gossip and chatting with all who passed. She could not walk far without suffering loss of breath and overheating, so she found it easier to avoid exertion.
