The stallion’s Welsh ancestors had known and conquered fear like this long ago. Welsh mountain ponies were used in the coal mines of Wales for years before their descendants reached New Zealand shores and bred with the wild horses. They had a history of working and living in dark and narrow spaces. It was as if this memory was being passed down now to the stallion. Images and feelings from this different time and place drifted through his mind.
An ancestor of the white stallion, a Welsh pony named Whistler, had galloped free across the rugged hills of Wales before being captured and sent to work as a pit pony. Whistler was a plucky pony full of spirit and bravado, but his first experience down the mine petrified him. He was manhandled into a narrow iron cage and dropped down a shaft into the deepest pits of the mine. The clatter of machinery was ear-shattering and the darkness pitch-black. His first instinct was to run from the noise, yet he couldn’t see a thing. He froze in fear. Then out of the blackness he heard a soothing voice and felt a reassuring pat on his shoulder. A lamp was lit, bathing the tunnel in light. A boy of about fifteen stood in front of him, his face grimy with coal dust. ‘Yer be fine; ‘tis only the dark,’ he said gently to the frightened pony.
The meeting was the start of a great friendship. Billy was to be Whistler’s driver for the next twenty years as they worked together down the mine. It could have been a dismal existence for a pony living and working in that dark place, but Billy helped him through it and shared the hardships.
Billy taught Whistler how to pull the empty carts safely along the narrow tunnels to the coalface where they were piled high with coal and hauled to the pit shaft. He walked beside the pony, lighting the way and encouraging him. He shared his sandwiches and, when the long day was over, stabled Whistler alongside the other ponies that worked the mine. He groomed the thick coal dust from his coat and fed him the finest corn. Best of all, in the summer when the pit was on holiday, he brought Whistler up to the surface to run free in green fields bathed in sunlight.
With these distant memories of his ancestors to reassure him, the white stallion managed to calm down in the dark, narrow shed where Tusker held him prisoner. He could not understand all the messages passed down to him from his forefathers, but he did sense one thing they were telling him: not all men were like Tusker. Some might be deserving of his trust.
21
Freeing friends
Lara and Aroha raced to the corral where the white stallion’s band was penned. The old grey mare stamped her feet as they approached. Lara unhitched the gate to the corral and told Aroha to stand back. She pulled open the wooden gate and the grey mare charged through, leading the others. Mud flew into the air as they tore past the girls and they were gone.
Lara ran back to the shed where Kahu was unlocking the padlock to the door with Tusker’s iron key. Tusker was now securely tied and handcuffed to the tree. He continued to curse them. Nobody was listening. Tane and Joe had gone to collect Robbie and the other horses. Still no sounds came from the shed. Lara watched Kahu uneasily. ‘Stand clear of the door,’ he warned her. ‘He may bolt once I’ve untied him.’
Before opening the door, Kahu spoke softly to the stallion inside. He used the same rhythmical Maori words Lara had heard him say to Koura and Hiriwa. Slowly he drew open the shed door. Lara caught her breath. The white stallion stood in the corner, his head covered in a blindfold. He was tied to an iron ring by a chain halter and lead. All four legs were hobbled.
‘You’ll have to trust me if you want to get free,’ Kahu said softly to the trembling horse. He ran his hands lightly along the stallion’s neck and down his legs to the hobbles. Lara could see the stallion quivering, but to her amazement he made no attempt to move away. Kahu unlashed the hobbles on his legs and untied the lead. He talked soothingly to the horse all the while. When he slipped off the blindfold, the stallion jerked away from the sudden light. ‘It’s all right, it’s only the light,’ Kahu said, taking off the halter. ‘Now you are free.’
The white stallion snorted at Kahu and lunged out of the shed door. He disappeared into the bush in the same direction his band had gone. ‘Quick, grab the horses and let’s go after them before we lose them!’ Kahu yelled. Tane and Joe came out of the bush leading Robbie, Koura and the other horses. Lara, Kahu, Tane and Aroha mounted swiftly and swung their horses around to chase after the retreating stallion. Joe stayed behind to free Tusker. He would untie him from the tree but leave on the handcuffs. He couldn’t risk being beaten by the furious man. He’d ring Tusker’s mates on his cellphone to tell them where he was and then race after the others.
Lara, Kahu, Tane and Aroha rode through the dense bush as quickly as they dared. The wet foliage smacked into their faces and the horses slipped and scrambled to keep their footing on the muddy tracks. The wild horses crashed through the bush ahead of them but they were unable to catch up. Kahu called them to a stop. ‘We’re scaring them off,’ he said. ‘We have to try to encourage the stallion to follow us.’
They turned their horses and headed into the bush in a southeasterly direction towards Barry’s station. They went carefully as in many places the tracks veered down steep gullies and crossed boulder-strewn streams. The horses slid down one sheer hill on their haunches. Lara felt she would pitch headfirst over Robbie’s neck. She was thankful that he was sturdy and trustworthy. She clung to his mane and leant back in the saddle, her legs pushed forward and heels planted firmly in the stirrups. She wondered how the others coped when they didn’t even have saddles to grip onto.
Barry had estimated it was about a five-hour ride from Tusker’s hut to his station. Most of the ride would take them through the rugged bush of the Kaimanawa Ranges, then down into sloping valleys leading to his farm. As they rode, they listened out for the band of wild horses. Kahu was certain the stallion would follow Koura as he had done in the past. Lara wasn’t so sure.
They trekked for four long hours through the thick wet bush. A fantail joined them, flitting jauntily in and out of the undergrowth catching insects stirred up by the horses’ passing. Tane and Aroha joked together about Tusker’s capture, but Kahu was quiet. ‘Joe should have caught up by now,’ he said to Lara.
Eventually the track led out of the bush into a rolling valley carpeted in golden tussock. ‘We’ll wait here for Joe and see if the stallion comes out of hiding,’ Kahu told the others. They dismounted and led the horses to a stream winding through the valley. The horses grazed while they lay on the horse blankets in the damp grass and waited.
To Kahu’s relief, it wasn’t long before Joe rode out of the bush and galloped over to them. He pulled his exhausted horse to a stop and said excitedly, ‘Two of Tusker’s mates arrived soon after you left. I heard them coming through the trees and ran for it.’
‘Were they on horseback?’ Kahu asked.
‘Nah, they must’ve been out hunting. They had guns with them and a pack of dogs.’
‘At least they can’t catch up with us on foot,’ Kahu said relievedly.
At that moment, Koura whinnied out shrilly. She lifted her head and stared attentively at the edge of the bush. They followed her gaze. The white stallion trotted out of the shadows. He returned her call urgently and galloped down to meet her. His coat was gleaming white on the dull winter’s day and his long tail streamed out behind him. He looked magnificent, though Lara noticed he had lost weight in the short time Tusker had had him.
‘That’s one cool-looking horse,’ Tane said.
‘Will he hurt us?’ Aroha asked worriedly.
‘He seems to know he has nothing to fear from us, so he has no reason to harm us,’ Kahu said. ‘All the same, don’t get too close.’
Koura cantered up to greet the stallion. They sniffed noses and nibbled each other’s ears. The stallion’s band came out of the bush to say hello to the new mare as well. The old grey mare bared her teeth briefly at Koura, then they all galloped off together, kicking and bucking in high spirits.
‘We’d better try to lead them away fro
m here. We’re still another hour’s ride from Barry’s,’ Kahu said, breaking the spell. He whistled loudly to Koura and she trotted over to him immediately. She waited patiently as he saddled her up again. Lara saddled up Robbie, and Tane and Aroha cinched up the blankets on their horses. The white stallion and his band stood a safe distance away, looking on with interest.
They mounted their horses and cantered through the valley of waving tussock. Kahu led the way on Koura, glancing behind him to see if the stallion was following. Lara heard thudding hooves and looked across as the white stallion galloped up alongside her. He ran with long, loping strides, tossing his head in sheer joy at being free again. In her wildest dreams, Lara had never imagined she would find herself galloping beside a wild horse. He drew up next to Koura and Kahu, matching strides with Koura. They raced as a band, wild and tame together, along the rolling valley. Lara felt so happy she thought she’d burst. She knew Kahu felt the same, riding at the head of the band next to his wild friend.
The band rode on together for almost an hour, the wild horses sometimes falling behind, the white stallion always keeping alongside Koura and Kahu. When they reached the station, Barry was there to meet them on a big stock horse. He wore a wide grin on his ruddy face. ‘The stallion did follow you!’ he said in wonder. ‘Did Tusker give you any trouble?’
‘Some of his mates turned up soon after we left. They were on foot, so there’s no way they can catch up with us,’ Kahu told him.
The white stallion was the first to hear the helicopter. He remembered the sound, and it filled him with dread. He squealed a warning to the band and herded them close together. He included Koura and Kahu in the group, driving them into the safe inner circle. The others turned in disbelief as the helicopter swooped down the valley towards them. It hovered above them, its rotor blades beating the air. It was a small chopper, the type used by deer hunters. It had no doors and a rusted, beaten body. Tusker sat in one of the gaping doorways, a rifle aimed squarely at the white stallion.
The stallion was not going to run from the horrible bird this time. He reared up on his hind legs as high as he could reach and pawed the air in a challenge to the huge bird. ‘No!’ Kahu screamed out as Tusker fired the rifle. The bullet hit the stallion in the chest and he crashed to the ground.
22
Fenced in
The last time Tusker shot the white stallion, the horse had had the strength to scramble away and seek refuge in the mud pools which helped heal his wounds. Now he was unable to move. The pain sliced through his chest like a burning shard. He fought to stand but his legs paddled hopelessly in the air. He felt Kahu’s strong hands on his neck, holding him down. He didn’t have the will to resist and fell back, sighing heavily. Kahu placed something wet and cool against his chest and he blacked out.
The next thing he knew, the boy was leading him into a dark cavern. His first instinct screamed ‘Run!’, but he trusted Kahu since he’d freed him from the shed. He walked after him into the horse truck. The bumpy drive to Kahu’s place was scary but the boy and his favourite mare, Koura, were by his side for the entire journey.
The following months were very strange for him. He found himself in a small area enclosed by sharp wires which bit at him when he rubbed against them. There was no escape. To start with, he had no inclination or energy to go anywhere. He enjoyed the daily visits and attention from Kahu. His wounds always felt better after the boy had massaged the warm, sweet-smelling lotion onto his chest. And he had Koura and his son, Hiriwa, to keep him company. Most days the girl was there too. She moved slowly and thoughtfully around him and he liked the carrots and apples she brought him.
The stallion had many other visitors as well. He was more aloof with them. Lara’s mother came to take photos. The flickering of the digital camera nearly drove the stallion crazy. He’d plunge to the other side of the field, leaping and prancing like a circus horse. Tane, Joe and Aroha also visited, though they were noisy and he preferred to keep his distance. Barry was more softly spoken and the stallion sometimes allowed him close enough to pat him.
The goings-on in the paddock fascinated him. He watched as Kahu worked with his son, teaching Hiriwa on a lunge line how to walk calmly with a saddle on his back, then to canter, and to slow to a walk again. When the day finally came for Kahu to hop onto Hiriwa’s back, the young horse didn’t even flinch. He’d become so used to the presence of the boy that it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He walked around the paddock gently as if he was carrying something precious on his back. The white stallion was intrigued. He sidled alongside his son and pressed against Kahu’s leg. ‘So you want me on your back, too,’ the boy laughed. The stallion enjoyed the companionship of the boy and his son and followed the pair everywhere as they trained.
However, as he regained his strength he began to feel restless in the confines of his new home. Often he’d gallop to the far corner of the paddock and whinny shrilly. Somewhere out there was his band. The better and stronger he got, the more agitated he became. At these times, the boy joined him in the paddock. He spoke to him with the same lilting tone that always helped calm his restive spirit. They stood together gazing out at the wild, both lost in their own worlds. The stallion sensed the boy was troubled too, and would stretch out his nose and nudge Kahu. The boy would pat his neck in return, take a lock of his long mane and twirl it around his fingers. ‘Te wairua whakariuka,’ he’d say to him. The stallion couldn’t understand his words, but he knew the boy understood him.
23
Restless spirit
‘It’s time to free the stallion,’ Kahu said to Lara as they walked home from school together. ‘His wound’s fully healed and he has his strength back.’
‘We can’t send him out into the wild again!’ Lara protested. ‘He’d get caught in the next DOC muster, or become sport for other jerks like Tusker.’
Tusker himself was safely out of the way thanks to the photos Lara’s mother had taken and his own crazy action of shooting at the stallion. He’d been convicted of cruelty to animals, possession of an illegal firearm, and the discharge of a firearm on private property. He was locked up behind bars where he belonged.
‘We can free him on Barry’s station with his band,’ Kahu explained. ‘He has thousands of hectares to roam safely. Neither DOC nor the hunters could touch him there.’
‘What makes you think he’ll stay? What if he goes back to his old haunts in the desert?’ Lara asked in frustration. Kahu didn’t reply. She realised she’d hit a nerve and kept on. ‘He likes you and trusts you. He’d let you gentle him and then you could keep him.’ It all seemed so easy to Lara. The stallion was obviously fond of Kahu; she had watched them together. And she didn’t want to part with the beautiful horse.
‘He’s not happy,’ Kahu said simply. ‘He wasn’t born behind fences and he shouldn’t have to live his life behind them.’
‘You could say that about Koura and Hiriwa, and they’ve settled. Please don’t send him away!’ Lara pleaded.
‘He’s different. He shouldn’t be penned in.’
‘That’s crap,’ Lara said angrily. ‘You’re always saying he’s different. He just needs time and he’ll settle like the others.’
‘I don’t want him to have to,’ Kahu said determinedly. ‘Remember when we all rode together to Barry’s station, before Tusker shot the stallion?’ Lara thought of the wonderful feeling of galloping alongside the wild stallion. He had loved being free again. ‘That’s how he should be,’ Kahu finished.
‘Yeah, and end up shot again!’ Lara retorted angrily. ‘If he’s killed or captured, it’ll be your fault.’ She stormed off, deciding to head home instead of going on to Kahu’s place. She couldn’t face seeing the horses. Kahu made no effort to follow her.
Later that night at dinner, Lara talked to her mother and Barry about the white stallion and Kahu wanting to set him free on Barry’s property. ‘He’ll roam off and get himself shot,’ she said to them. ‘Why can’t Kahu keep him and tame
him? At least then he’d be safe.’
‘Kahu understands horses,’ Barry said. ‘Perhaps he sees something in this horse that makes him think he’ll never be tame.’
‘Go and watch the white stallion in the paddock,’ Lara’s mother advised her. ‘He’s cut up the ground inside the fence line galloping up and down. It reminds me of the polar bear in Auckland Zoo when I was a kid.’
‘Polar bear?’ Lara didn’t have a clue what her mother was on about.
‘The bear lived his entire life in a concrete cage. He went mad. He paced his cage the whole time, swinging his head back and forth. Thankfully zoo enclosures have improved since those days.’
‘That’s different. A polar bear’s a wild animal,’ Lara insisted.
‘So is that horse,’ her mother said. ‘You have to think what is best for him, not what you want for him,’ she added gently.
Lara went to bed, Kahu and her mother’s words ringing in her ears. How many times had she disagreed with Kahu over horses and he had been proven right? She’d never believed the stallion would follow them, and he had. The stallion had put his trust in Kahu; perhaps he knew the boy would do what was right for him in the end.
Lara thought about the stallion all the next day at school. Kahu smiled warmly at her when she walked into the classroom. He never held grudges, even though she said some rotten things to him at times. ‘Are you coming over to see the horses tonight? The stallion missed you yesterday,’ he appealed to her.
‘Well, he won’t see much of me when you free him,’ she said, wishing she could bite back the words before they were even out.
‘We’ll talk about that later,’ Kahu said without rancour.
Lara’s gloom was lifted when Mr Talbot told the art class that one of Kahu’s carvings had been shortlisted for the national school art competition. Mr Talbot sounded very proud of Kahu. He had been working hard in class lately and was creating some great work.
Restless Spirit Page 8