In article , "doozer"
says...
snip
I thought bricks had to be dry before laying or the mortar wouldn't
stick to them properly. AIUI the dryness of the brick draws in some of
the fluid from the mortar (along with some mortar particles) to
producing the bond. I've not laid bricks though so I might be speaking
from the wrong orifice.

You've got it the wrong way around - if a brick is bone dry it will
draw the water out of the mortar, so the mortar dries before it's had
a chance to harden properly.