A drink would banish the pain and enable him to work.
He had not known it fail since he drove over to Wilkinson's one afternoon, when he had been loading prairie hay since early morning and had forgotten his lunch.

He reached the homestead scarcely able to sit upright on the driving seat, and a man asked him what was the matter.
When Charnock told him he sent Wilkinson for whisky.
"I know all about it; the blamed thing grips me now and then if I work too hard and cut out a meal," he said.

"I'll fix you up for the rest of the day, but won't answer for your feeling pert to-morrow." As a matter of fact, Charnock had felt worse, but obtained relief by increasing the dose.

Indeed, he had once or twice done so with unfortunate consequences; but after Sadie bought the farm and saw he led a regular life the pain had gone and had not returned until he went to work on the track.

Now he was not going to give in, but did not want to talk, and was glad that Festing was occupied with some calculations and left him alone.
Next morning he felt better and had two days' ease, after which the pain wrung him for the rest of the week.