by Mark Stewart
JESSICA WATCHED the stars blinking out a dozen at a time. The temperature was dropping. Sitting on the back of her horse she pulled the collar of her long coat up towards her ears and pulled down on her wide-brimmed hat. Glancing at the rider next to her she whispered.
“I didn’t expect to be riding back to the station in the dark.”
Lightening Dawn looked across at her. He nodded reassuringly. “It’ll be okay. If we take it slow, we’ll be fine. The only thing out here at night is the foxes.”
“Do you want to change your story?” asked Jessica, pointing at the darkening clouds.
Lightening Dawn studied the sky. “Provided we get across the river before it swells I’m positive we’ll be fine. If the weather holds it’ll be easy getting back to the Rosedale.”
The first rain drop from the second storm smacked against the bridge of Jessica’s nose. She wiped the water away before tilting her hat back so she could view the sky again. The stars were gone. The billowing black clouds were visible against the dark sky. They were hanging so low to the ground they looked ready to burst.
The two pressed on, keeping to the narrow trail which led down to the river. In the distance, lightning blanketed the horizon. The flashes of blue easily illuminated the scrub and the trees making the bush terrain look hostile. A fox darted across the trail. Before the four horses could sense the animal’s presence, it ran off.
Heavy raindrops started to smack against the leather saddles. Jessica and Lightening Dawn pulled the two spare horses closer. The bush flattened slightly then quickly opened to a small plateau. Jessica stopped her horse and dismounted.
“We’ll take a rest stop. My horse feels tired.”
Lightening Dawn dismounted. He walked over, pushing his arm around her waist. He came in close to steal a kiss. She gently pushed him away. Their bravery had netted them a small fortune. Jessica could think of nothing else except getting back to the Rosedale to hide the loot where nobody could find it.
“The gold and the money the bushrangers stole might be a problem,” hinted Lightening. “I’m sure the law will be searching by now.”
“Possibly,” replied Jessica, deep in thought. “The only people who know we have stolen the money and the gold are the bushrangers. If nobody else finds out how can anyone ever trace the loot back to us?”
“It’s an interesting proposal. The only problem I can think of, what happens if the Forland bloke you’ve been talking about finds his way to the Rosedale?”
“Forland and the law will be busy searching for the bushrangers, not us. I’ll drop a false trail along the lines, ‘I heard the bushrangers discussing plans to ride their horses to Sydney to bask in the sun, taking the blue diamond ring and the silver guns.’”
“Speaking of the bushrangers, I’m sure they’re on their way,” Lightening added.
“I sure hope so. The trail we left should be easy to follow.”
“Not to mention the information you told the old timer.”
Jessica pursed her lips. “I hope the bushrangers didn’t murder him.”
“His chances are good.”
“You don’t sound too confident.”
“I’m not. Those men are ruthless. I’m certain they’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on the money.”
“When they come looking for their loot they’ll be shot dead,” snarled Jessica.
“What if the law comes sniffing around? The loot will have to be in a great hiding place.”
“I know the perfect place. As for the bushrangers, they’ll take their knowledge of who has the money and the gold they stole to their graves.”
Lightening Dawn slowly placed his hands on Jessica’s hips. “I’m backing you all the way. We’re in this together.”
“Thank you; I’m positive everything will work out.”
Lightening bent his head to try again at stealing a kiss. His lips touched Jessica’s. In the middle of the clearing, she wrapped her arms around his torso to make sure the kiss remained for a long time.
Eventually, she loosened her grip. The act instantly broke the moment. Lightening looked a little perplexed at the move. He showed nothing except love towards her as he stood listening to the remainder of her idea.
“I’ve been thinking on how to disperse the loot. If we were to spend the money wisely, I believe nobody will ever suspect a thing.”
“What about the gold nuggets, they might arouse suspicion?”
“A few times a year we can go to the bank to exchange the nuggets for pound notes. The money could quite easily be recorded in our bank account. If the teller ever questions us over where we found the gold, we’ll simply say we’ve been gold prospecting on the Rosedale.”
Lightening Dawn grinned at the plan. A long passionate kiss sealed the idea. They scarcely noticed the rain starting to fall. They certainly missed the fact the animals had left the area.
Bright lightning arcs forked across the sky piercing the blackness. A thunder clapped directly above their heads.
“We have to get going if we want to get across the river before it floods,” urged Lightening Dawn. For the first time, his voice sounded overly concerned. “I feel we rested for too long. Crossing the river before it swelled might be a touch too late.”
Jessica nodded, mounted her horse, snatched up the reins of the spare mare and led the way to the river.
The scrub turned thick. When they finally came to a low hill the horses easily trotted up the side. They burst through the scrub and into a clearing on the crest of the final hill. A few more minutes ambling down the side of the hill would find them almost at the river.
At the bottom of the hill where the land flattened, and the trees thinned Lightening Dawn led the canter to the river’s edge. At the water’s edge, he pulled back hard on the horse’s reins. Jessica brought her horse to an abrupt stop slightly in front.
Both riders looked dismayed at realizing the storm had beaten them.
Looking upstream for an easier crossing, Jessica said slowly. “If I remember correctly I think there is a creek running into this river. If it’s not swollen, there should be dry land between the forks making it possible to get across.”
“What if the fork has gone?”
“We’ll have to either wait it out right here or our journey will take an extra week. If the bushrangers are hot on our trail and with the rising river in front, staying here isn’t a favorable option. I wanted to be back on the sheep station, boxes of ammunition at the ready long before they tracked us down.”
“We don’t have time to debate a different idea.” Lightening Dawn clicked his tongue to urge his horse to make a move.
Jessica glanced about the bush hoping not to see the bushrangers. She gave a gentle kick to her horse’s ribs making it start following the one in front.
Ten minutes of walking ankle deep in the water saw Lightening Dawn push his hand into the air. When Jessica drew level, he faced her.
“There doesn’t seem to be a good place to get across. Are you sure there is a fork? Maybe we missed it in the half dark.”
“I’m almost certain.”
Lightening Dawn looked skywards to study the billowing black clouds.
“Every minute we delay our crossing of the river, the angrier the storm’s looking. It’s a shame we didn’t get across the river sooner.”
“I think the fork is on the bend further upstream,” said Jessica, trying to sound confident. “Hopefully, the place will be there. The narrow strip of dry land between the forks is our lifesaver.”
“You’ve been gone for a number of years. If the creek has already burst its banks or has changed course for any reason, the fork you’re talking about will be gone. We’ll be cut off.”
“Lightening Dawn, have some faith in the God you believe in.” Jessica placed her hand on his shoulder. “She’ll be right.’”
“Where did you hear such a saying?”
“I overheard an elderly man on the train tell it to his wife when the bu
shrangers were robbing us.”
“She’ll be right,” echoed Lightening Dawn, looking slightly mystified. “Those words have a sort of poetic ring to them. They might even stick in one’s mind for generations to come.”
“You could be right. Let’s keep moving. We’ll travel upstream for another ten minutes. If we haven’t found the fork by then, we’ll have to decide what to do.”
Lightening Dawn led the way along the fast swelling river by following the low ridge. Several times their horses were up to their chest in water. The usual sedate river had been transformed into froth covered turbulent water. Debris from fallen trees littered the surface as they were being washed downstream towards the sea many hours from their location.
In only a few minutes the storm had completely plunged the bush into darkness.
The bend Jessica remembered slowly came into view. She stood straight legged in the stirrups hoping for a clearer view. At exactly the right time several lightning arcs lit the sky directly above their heads. For a few seconds at a time, Jessica could plainly see the entire area. Though the grass covered land looked narrow there was no mistaking the strip of green between the creek and the river.
Jessica could feel her face drain of colour. She flopped back onto the saddle, closed her eyes, bowing her head.
“Are you okay?” asked Lightening.
Jessica slowly lifted her head. “Yes. I’m just relieved the fork is there. For the past few minutes, I thought we might be in real trouble.”
Lightening Dawn reached over. He touched her leg to reassure her. “Take a few deep breaths. It’ll help you to relax.”
Jessica inhaled then slowly exhaled. She eventually sat bolt upright. “She’ll be right.”
“You and your saying,” he chuckled.
“I’m fine. I’m just over tired.” Focusing on the river, she added. “The depth of the water looks shallow at the bend.”
In silence, the two riders trotted onwards. At the bend, the trees thinned.
Lightening Dawn brought his horse to a halt so he could study the area at length. “I guess crossing here will have to do. It’s raining harder. We’re almost out of time. If we don’t hurry, we won’t be able to get across.”
Jessica pulled a length of rope from off the side of her saddle. She gave one end to Lightening. Dragging one of the bushranger’s horses behind her, she dug her heels into the side of her mare urging the beast to wade into the water. Slowly they pushed towards the middle of the swelling creek. The opposite bank looked to be no more than thirty feet away. Green grass greeted her mare’s hooves after it plowed out of the water.
Jessica dismounted, allowing both horses to graze on the shrinking land. She marched to the nearest tree to tie one end of the rope around its girth. When she felt satisfied the knot looked tight, she walked to the water’s edge. Slowly she waded back into the river towards Lightening. He entered the water dragging the spare horse behind him. Jessica mounted the spare horse in midstream.
“So far so good,” Jessica yelped, the moment they were standing on the grass.
“Now for the dangerous part,” added Lightening. “Already the land we’re standing on has shrunk to the size of a train station.”
They stood at the water’s edge, both alarmed at the speed in which the water rose. If they didn’t hurry in minutes the debris-filled water might be above their knees.
Lightening Dawn, perched securely on his horse’s saddle, waded into the water. Jessica watched wide-eyed as the gap between the horse’s stomach and the water quickly eroded. By the time they’d travelled to the middle of the stream Lightening’s boots were completely submerged. Dragging a horse behind him in fast flowing water which deepened by the second looked to be a slow exhaustive exercise. Not being hit by debris further complicated the crossing. At one point in the journey, it looked as though both horses were swimming. Finally, the group trotted up the opposite bank. Lightening dismounted. Jessica exhaled her fear. Forty feet of turbulent water now separated them both.
Lightening Dawn stood in ankle deep water lashing the rope to another sturdy gum tree. When he finished he beckoned Jessica to cross the river. For the first time in her life, she felt scared. Jessica frowned at the emotion. She’d never been frightened of anything in her life, so why now? Even when she scurried further into the bush to escape her Uncle’s murderers, she remained calm, easily keeping fear at bay.
Staring at the man standing on the other side of the river she saw him giving her a reassuring wave.
Jessica moved her attention to the water flowing over her feet. The revelation of being alone engulfed her mind. Old thoughts came to life.
‘The day after her fourteenth birthday a seventeen-year-old boy attending the same boarding school left her a note. ‘It’s imperative we meet. Come to my room at 10:00pm.’
They were in the middle of kissing passionately on his bed when the trouble alarm sounded. Three knocks on the door signaled imminent danger. The headmaster of the school had heard of the rendezvous. He was on his way up to the third floor. If Jessica or the boy were caught, they’d have been expelled. The school rules were; there will be no girls in the boy’s dormitory and vice-versa for the girls.
Jessica threw open the window and ran along the roof tiles, jumping the four-foot gap to the other building and only just managed to dive into her best friend’s room in time. The headmistress smelt the same rat. She made a beeline for the girl’s dorm for a surprise inspection. She met Jessica in the corridor. The old woman looked down her nose at her. She looked uncertain about her explanation of suffering from stomach cramps. Jessica added she threw up in the downstairs laundry. Escorting her back to her room the headmistress finally accepted the story. After the close encounter, the boy made up a lousy excuse he never wanted to see her again.’
“Hang onto the rope when you ride your horse through the water,” called Lightening Dawn. “You’ll have to hurry. The rain is starting to fall even harder.”
Jessica threw off the negative thoughts of being alone to concentrate on the escape route. She slowly made the mare walk into the water, dragging the spare horse along using an extended rein.
‘Lightening’s right,’ thought Jessica. ‘The water level has risen extremely fast. Five minutes earlier could have made all the difference.’
Jessica urged her mare onwards. Several times they were forced to stop to allow debris from fallen trees to drift past. The whole time they were in the water Jessica reassured her mare by patting its neck and talking in its ear. Her horse was used to hard work, but as the seconds ticked away, she grew skittish.
At the deepest part of the river, Jessica’s horse started to swim. The current’s speed quickly doubled, sending more debris their way. Jessica pushed a large dead branch out of the way. Seconds later she needed to kick another away before it hit her horse in the head. The rope Lightening Dawn slung across the river at shoulder height tightened from the strain due to the fact both Jessica and her horse were starting to be swept parallel to the bank.
Four feet from the river bank Jessica felt her horse stumble slightly. They’d made it this far; surely her mare could summon up enough strength to walk up the bank. For a few dreaded seconds, Jessica held her breath. She certainly didn’t want to be thrown back into the water by a frightened horse this close to safety. The beast’s front hooves bit into the soft waterlogged ground, heaving itself and Jessica up the bank. For a short time, the horse stood holding its head low, exhausted from the effort. Jessica jumped from the saddle to help lighten the load. The spare horse bumped Jessica when it rushed for the grass. The moment Jessica’s mare started to walk up the bank she lost her footing in the soft mud forcing the beast to rear up. The horse neared vertical. Not going forward or backwards. The beast lifted its right rear hoof for a firmer hold. She brought it down hard onto Jessica’s foot. She screamed in agony; the horse whined loudly before sprinting off up the hill, only to be stopped by Lightening Dawn.
Jessica tumbled bac
kwards snapping the rope and landing head first in the water. Immediately a half-submerged tree branch hit her in the back and shoulders before smacking her in the temple. She battled to stay conscious. If she lost the fight, she knew drowning would be a foregone conclusion. She clawed at the ground in a desperate move to obtain a strong grip. She could feel the fast-flowing river easily devouring her.
Jessica felt as though she’d fallen victim to an inverted twister determined to suck the life out of her. She became disorientated from the tumble turns. She wanted no end to vomit. Closing her eyes to block out the dizzy feeling she shuddered at the thought of floating through her own bile.
Slowly she mastered the feeling.
Jessica shot her arm upwards. In a blink of an eye, she could feel the wind against her skin. She dug her heels into the ground and pushed against the current. Her head broke the surface. Before she could gulp any air, the water sucked her back under washing her further downstream. The moment Jessica opened her eyes she saw the rope. In a desperate effort, she reached out to grab it, praying the end, still attached to a tree, could hold her weight. The cord eluded her fingers. Again and again, she groped for the rope. The only thing her fingers felt was water. Jessica hoped by swimming sideways away from the safety of the bank where Lightening Dawn stood watching she’d find the rope. The effort felt, overwhelming. The moment she could feel her strength almost gone Jessica made one last ditched downward stroke, forcing her body through the water. She’d almost given up hope when she spied the rope only inches from her face. Again, Jessica reached out. This time, she managed to grab the line. Before she lost her grip on the rope, she braced her feet against the ground in readiness to launch her body upwards. She broke surface, breathing in as much oxygen as she could.
Now she faced a new problem. She wasn’t strong enough to hold on. When she let go the river started pushing her along the surface at breakneck speed.
The stinging cold zapped the rest of Jessica’s strength.
She caught sight of Lightening Dawn’s silhouette sprinting through the bush trying to catch up. He yelled at her and pointed at something further downstream.
“You’re not fast enough to catch me,” Jessica yelled back. Turning her head, she saw what he pointed to.
An old tree lying horizontally just above the water line might be her last chance to live. If she could manage to cling onto the tree long enough, she felt confident Lightening Dawn would catch up and easily haul her from the water.
Facing downstream Jessica prepared to grab the tree.
“I hope this works,” she mumbled.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN