by Jane Corrie
She sighed inwardly. She would just have to stick it out until the new man arrived. He might turn out to be a very understanding man and Holly was not above using her feminine wiles to get her own way, and that was to stay on the working force; she asked for nothing more. Such tactics would not work on Hayes, and she was too proud to risk receiving a rebuff; besides, he was a little too astute for her liking.
CHAPTER FOUR
RIDING full pelt beside Dave, Holly saw Hayes moving in on the flank of the strays. With a skill only Hal could match she watched him slowly gather them into a bunch and turn them northwards towards the valley. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a movement in the bush beside her and reined in ready to flush the beast out of its hiding place. When the large limping form showed itself she smiled and called across to Dave, who had swung back to join her. 'It's only old Pegleg,' she said. 'You go on.' Dave grinned and went to join the rest of the boys.
Holly moved cautiously round the thick bush. 'Where are you, you old sinner?' she called softly. There was a rustling sound and a great shaggy bull's head appeared opposite her and slowly moved out of its cover. With a pang she noticed the beast's limp was even more pronounced. Pegleg, as she had christened him, had a special place in Holly's heart. The great white bull no longer lured the heifers away from the herd and was therefore harmless. Known as 'Holly's white knight', he was left in peace to roam the bush. 'Well now,' she smiled, 'I trust you're behaving yourself?'
The great head flicked the flies away from the blunt nose almost as if answering. Holly smiled. It had taken her months of patience in getting its trust. 'Well,' she went on softly, 'watch it. We've lost Hal now, you know, and I'd hate anything to happen to you.'
She did not hear the approach of the rider, but Pegleg did, although not a sound was heard until he was almost upon them. With a snort he turned and limped back into the scrub.
'What the devil are you doing?' demanded Hayes. 'Haven't you more sense than to try and round him up on your own? I want no heroics on this muster,' he snapped. 'Now get back to camp.'
Holly stared at him and saw him raise an arm and point in the direction Pegleg had gone.
'No!' she cried, knowing full well what that gesture meant. 'It's only old Pegleg. He's harmless; he's so lame he can't cause mischief.'
Dave and Tim rode up and Hayes, ignoring Holly's plaintive plea, nodded curtly towards the scrub. 'I want him out of there and with the rest,' he said. 'Get to it! I hear the beast's lame, so you shouldn't have much trouble.'
Holly appealed to Dave. 'Tell him about Pegleg, Dave—he's harmless, isn't he?' she pleaded.
Hayes eyes narrowed. 'No strays I said, and no strays I meant,' he said in a deadly soft voice. 'What are you waiting for?' he asked the men.
Dave's rueful eyes met Holly's for a brief second and Tim shook his head slightly at her. She knew she had lost. Hayes was boss and they knew it. They took off in pursuit of the lame bull.
'As for you, young lady,' Hayes said furiously, 'I had my doubts in letting you take part in the muster. I will not—repeat not, have my orders questioned, understand? You no longer have any authority in the running of the ranch. We made an agreement, remember? From now on you will confine yourself strictly to the homestead affairs. Now get back to camp !'
Holly was beyond words, in any case she didn't trust herself at that particular moment. Her fingers clenched round her whip, and seeing the action his eyes opened a fraction wider as if in disbelief, then narrowed again. Holly's eyes spoke volumes. Not a word passed between them. His said, 'Try me and see what you get!'
She abruptly turned Silky and spurred her into a mad gallop, wanting to go as far and as fast as she could away from his presence. As she flew along she could hear Pegleg's furious bellows as the riders closed in on him. The tears gathered in her eyes, it was her fault; if she hadn't spoken to him he would be well away by now. Pegleg was a past master at avoiding round-ups.
Within a short space of time she was back at the now deserted camp. Cookie alone reigned supreme and was preparing the evening meal. He looked up quickly as Holly thundered into the clearing and threw herself out of the saddle. 'Brew up in five secs,' he told her, grinning.
'Don't bother for me, Cookie,' she said breathlessly. 'I'm off again once I've packed my gear.'
In the act of placing the billy on the fire, he stared at her. 'To where?' he said. 'No panic on, is there?'
'Where I'm concerned, yes,' she replied grimly. 'I'm going back.,' and she carried on with the packing of her sleeping bag.
'Be dark afore you get back,' he commented. 'Boss know?'
Holly's eyebrows rose haughtily. 'No affair of his,' she said coldly.
Cookie took the hint and grinned. 'I get it,' he said. 'In a paddy, are you? What happened?'
Holly tied her gear to Silky's saddle and frowned at him. As her eyes met the old pale blue ones it was all she could do not to burst out crying. She set her lips firmly. It was what Hayes Chester would have expected her to do, so she didn't. Swinging herself back into the saddle, she said quietly, 'They've rounded Pegleg up.' Her green eyes misted over. 'You know he's harmless, Cookie, but he wouldn't listen.'
Cookie nodded slowly. He knew of her attachment to the old bull. 'Must be nigh on rounding up time for him anyway, girl,' he said quietly. 'He's had a good run.'
She flashed him a look of utter disgust. 'You're as bad as he is,' she said furiously. 'I thought you'd understand.'
'Now hold on, girl,' he protested. 'It don't do to get sentimental over cattle.' He shook his grizzled head at her. 'Hal ought to have knocked that out of you years ago. Too soft with you, he was.'
Holly's indignant eyes met the old ones. 'Soft!' she ejaculated. 'All I seem to remember is being told off!' Her mouth set. 'No, Cookie, Hal wasn't soft, he was human—which,' she added scathingly, 'is more than can be said for Hayes Chester !'
There was another shake of the head. 'You're wrong, you know, girl. He's a fine man, as you'll find out one day. Time was you went on about Hal when you couldn't get your own way.' He grinned up at her.
Holly gave up. She didn't know how Hayes had done it, but the men not only respected him, they stood up for him as they had once done for Hal. Look at Dave and Tim, she thought wearily. They hadn't even tried to come to Pegleg's defence. She absently stroked Silky's soft mane. No—she had to admit that was not quite fair—they had no choice in the matter; they were under orders and had they tried to help the result would have been instant dismissal, and Holly could have only blamed herself for it. She raised a hand to Cookie and turned Silky.
He had one more try to get her to wait for the boys. 'They'll be back soon,' he said coaxingly.
'Boss won't like the idea of you going back on your own.'
She stared down at him. 'I know every inch of the way,' she said scornfully. 'So does Silky,' and she spurred her into a gallop.
Green Paddocks was in sight just before the sun went down. Jamie appeared from nowhere as she reached the yard and she knew he had heard her coming long before she had reached the homestead boundary. Holly handed Silky over to him. 'That round-up finished?' he queried in his soft voice.
'For me anyway,' she replied, trying to sound cheerful, and before he could ask another question she walked towards the homestead.
Once inside, she made straight for her room, not feeling able to answer the same question posed by Milly. Perhaps later when she was more in command of herself, but right now all .she wanted was solitude although she had had plenty of that on the long ride back, but her thoughts had been far from peaceful.
Pegleg wasn't just any old bull; if it hadn't been for him she wouldn't have made that ride back— any ride, come to that; in fact she wouldn't be around anyway, for Holly was convinced Pegleg had once saved her life, when as a belligerent twelve year-old she had disobeyed Hal's order to keep away from the muster and, determined not to be thwarted, had followed the team at a safe distance, moving closer when attention was concentrated
elsewhere. When a clap of thunder turned the terrified beasts in her direction she didn't stand a chance.
With wide eyes Holly had sat mesmerised, watching the huge herd pounding down on her. Her horse had reared in terror and she was flung to the ground where she lay huddled, a small figure waiting for the inevitable. There seemed but a few minutes between life and death—then she saw the great white bull. At first she thought he was the foreleader of the mob and pressed her face into the earth. The sound of pounding hoofs intensified, then suddenly they seemed to be slowing up and away from her. Holly had looked up unbelievingly and saw they were heading away from her. The white bull was standing by her. Then had come Hal's voice, a frantic, 'I'm coming, Holly girl!' The next minute the beast near her lumbered off into the nearby bush and Holly saw he was lame.
After satisfying himself that she was unharmed Hal had shaken her hard and shouted at her. Holly had never heard Hal swear before but knew it was a furious reaction on his part because of the fright she had given him, so she didn't mind a bit. Later, she had told Hal about the bull and had described him.
He had been inclined to put her story down to the terror and confusion she had gone through, but there was no denying that something had turned that herd from its course. Holly was determined to prove that Pegleg was not a figment of her imagination and had spent days searching for him.
After a fortnight's fruitless searching, Holly herself wondered whether he existed or not, then she found him, and Hal knew no peace until he had agreed to accompany her and see for himself. She remembered him sitting astride his horse, his eyes screwed up in that characteristic way of his with his hat pushed back and looking at Pegleg warily watching them from the shade of a gum tree. She could even remember what was said. 'You see, Hal,' she had said excitedly. 'He knows me, I know he does ! He did save my life I know he did !'
Hal's answer had been a thoughtful one. 'Guess he knew you were a young 'un—it's a sort of instinct to protect the young.'
The story soon went round the ranch and Pegleg was given another name, 'Holly's white knight'. She knew they were all inclined to think it had been a quirk of fate; a terrified mob of cattle were apt to veer off course for practically no reason at all. Even Hal, she suspected, had his doubts on the matter, but not Holly.
Inside her room Holly stood staring at herself in the dressing table mirror. Her eyes took in her appearance; there were streaks of dirt across her face and she knew she ought to get out of her dusty clothes and make for the shower, but she just stood there, then with a half-hearted gesture she flung off her bush hat and ran a dust-streaked hand through her hair, not caring about the result. Since Hayes Chester had joined them she had found herself making some attempt to at least appear feminine, if only to show him she did know how to behave as a woman even though he treated her as a young girl. Well, she'd plenty of time to clean up now hadn't she? All the time in the world; her mustering days were over.
She sat down wearily on the bed. Never had she imagined this happening—to be turned away from the life she had led since she was old enough to sit in the saddle. Her fingers played with the leather handle of her whip. Pete would not have treated her like that—one incident and she was out. Hayes Chester had been waiting for just such an opportunity. Holly had not missed his disapproval of her fraternising with the stock hands round the camp fire in the evenings. With Hal gone, Dave and Tim had taken on his role and Holly would sit with them, leaning against Dave's broad back while they listened to Cookie's guitar. She knew all her movements were closely watched by Hayes and nothing went unnoticed.
She had been amused at his direction of her sleep-out, usually alongside the men, but this time: placed in the centre of the camp and ringed round by the men. It could have been a protective gesture, but Holly was sure it served another purpose. The light from the camp fire illuminated her position, so it was just another way of keeping an eye on her. As far as he was concerned she was a potential troublemaker. He wouldn't know she had grown up with these men—in a sense they were part of her family, the only one she had ever known.
Her hand clenched round the whip. Pete, she thought miserably, would not have rounded old Pegleg up either. At the thought of the bull she swallowed convulsively. She hated him! Not content with ignoring her pleas, he had to rub her position in, as if she had not noticed day by day the way he had completely altered the familiar routine of the ranch to a way that suited his purpose.
Even where the homestead was concerned there had already been several alterations. Milly now had a huge deep freeze which was her pride and joy. The old stove had been replaced by the latest on the market. There were certainly no complaints where Milly was concerned. Right now, Holly thought scathingly, she would be up to her ears in baking; Hayes had told her he was expecting company that weekend, and a room had been prepared in Holly's section of the house, so it was obvious a female was expected, and that was something else that had made Holly furious. He had told Milly, not her.
Her presence, it seemed, served as an irritant he had to put up with. At the meal table he was withdrawn and cold and Holly wished he would make some other arrangement such as taking his meals in
what was now his section of the homestead. He might just as well for all the company he gave. It did occur to Holly that he was probably afraid she would begin to get ideas about him since the evening they had confronted Pete, yet this was hardly plausible. The man was impregnable, his cold and distant manner was effective enough to quash even the slightest approach at familiarity. Her thoughts were interrupted by the man himself. After a perfunctory knock on the door he strode in. Holly sat staring at this autocratic behaviour. Had she no privacy?
He stood and looked down at her. He was as dusty as she was, and Holly knew he was furious by the muscle that worked by the side of his mouth. 'Have the goodness to let me know next time you decide to take off, will you?' he bit out. 'I've enough on my hands without wet-nursing you !'
'There won't be a next time, will there?' she spat out at him.
'You're dead right!' he flung out as he stalked to, the door and before he left he added coldly, 'I've ordered an early dinner, I'm off back to camp afterwards. I suggest you get cleaned up or you'll miss it.'
Holly pulled one of her boots off and flung it at the now closed door. It was war ! It was not as if she hadn't tried to get to know him. From the very first day he had joined them Holly had had to admit reluctantly to herself that Hal had been right in confiding in him. She was also grateful for the way Hayes had explained the position to the men. He was under no such obligation to do so, he could have just told them they were now on his payroll and if they didn't like the way things were run they could get out—this would have been Pete's attitude to them. In view of this, Holly had made a special effort to try and show him she was grateful, only to be snubbed again and again for her pains. Milly had said some men were like that. Social chatter did not appeal to them, but it did not make them any the worse for that. 'Give it time,' she had advised Holly. 'He ain't no Pete Mills.'
Hot tears of resentment filled Holly's eyes and spilled over. It wasn't only the fact that Hayes refused to treat her as a person in her own right; knowing nothing but protective friendship from those around her as she did, the kind of treatment he meted out not only hurt, but puzzled her. Holly might have a temper, but she was a friendly soul for all that, and not vindictive. She would have been the first to admit they had got off to a bad start. Impatiently she wiped the tears away. The episode of Pegleg had brought the whole thing to a head as far as she was concerned. She had, she decided, had enough ! In future she would take her meals with Milly etiquette or no etiquette ! Milly could object as much as she liked, but it wouldn't make any difference. Milly had definite ideas on Holly's status and in her way saw it was preserved.
Holly kicked off her other boot and removed her blouse and jeans, then lay down on the bed. She would get cleaned up when his lordship had left for camp. From now on he was welcome to his own
company and the girl-friend he had invited that weekend. Again the tears spilled over.
She must have dozed off and only knew something had awakened her as she opened her eyes to find her door opening again. Thinking it was Milly, she blinked lazily and yawned. 'What time is it, Milly?' she asked sleepily.
'Time you washed some of that dirt off you !' came the curt answer.
Now fully awake, Holly grabbed the counterpane from under her and held it over her scantily clad body. Her eyes blazed back at Hayes, now fresh after a shave and shower. 'This is my room!' she told him furiously. 'Have the goodness to get out! I'm not dressed, in case you hadn't noticed.'
'Oh, I noticed all right,' he drawled. 'Perhaps you'll have the goodness to get cleaned up and report for dinner. You've five minutes. Afterwards I want a word with you.'
'I'm not having dinner,' Holly bit back. 'I'm sure whatever you have to say to me won't take long. It doesn't usually, does it?' she added sarcastically. She felt him glance at her bare shoulders and saw him shrug, and guessed his thoughts. 'Do go on, Mr Chester. It's not as if I embarrass you, is it? I'm only a young girl, after all.'
His eyes narrowed. 'A damn spoilt one at that,' he ground out. 'However, as you said, if you've no pride in your appearance that's your concern. I just wanted to tell you Miss Fields will be arriving at noon the day after tomorrow. I was going to ask you to see to her entertainment for the first day as it's possible I shall still be on the last lap of the muster, but I hardly think it would be a suitable arrangement, do you? You wouldn't have much in common.' He started to leave, then paused at the door, obviously expecting a furious tirade from Holly.
She was hard put to it not to shout and rave, but felt it was not worth the bother. She smiled sweetly at him. 'For once I entirely agree with you,' she murmured with glinting eyes. 'Any friend of yours would hardly find much in common with me.'