by Paula Boer
Dust from the horses" hooves clouded the scene in the early morning light. Ben felt his pulse race in time to the throb of the quickening helicopter"s propeller. The excitement of a muster overrode his concern for his dog, his horse and his father. Grabbing a halter, he entered the round yard to catch the chestnut mare that he had been assigned. She threw up her head and tried to duck away from him as he approached.
Telling himself to calm down, Ben relaxed and let her settle before sidling up to her shoulder. Now that he had let go of his tension, the mare responded and stood still. Wrapping the rope around her neck, Ben slipped the halter on her head and gave her neck a rub. "Big day today, girl. Come on."
Leading the mare away from the others, he tied her outside the yard to a rail and commenced brushing her down.
Jacinta walked out with Graeme from the house with Louise trailing behind. Ben had spotted Jacinta"s old skewbald pony in the mob of horses. He hoped Louise wouldn"t mind riding such a small mount.
"Let"s get these horses loaded up." Graeme"s voice rose above the sound of the departing helicopter as it banked away from the yards, its tail almost vertical in the air, en-route to the muster.
"Why are we putting the horses on the truck?" Louise appeared at Ben"s side, trying to keep the pony from rubbing his head on her hip. She smacked the pink nose as the skewbald tried to nip.
Ben straightened up from checking his mare"s feet. "The chopper will bring the cattle to a meeting place where we"ll hold them. There"s no point wearing the horses out riding there, so we truck out and ride back with the cattle."
Louise shivered and rubbed her arms through her cotton shirt. "I hope it warms up later."
Nodding, Ben untied his horse. "Yeh, it will. Have you got plenty of water with you?"
"Heaps. And you forgot your sandwiches. Here." Louise handed Ben a bag of food for his saddlebags.
With their gear and lunch sorted out, Ben and Louise joined the others at the truck. The horses had calmed down since the helicopter had departed and clattered up the ramp, one after the other. Ben"s mare tried to bite the horse next to her until he tied her short to the side of the truck.
Striding back down the ramp, Ben couldn"t see how Louise"s pony would fit with a full load of stockhorses. Before he could ask, the tiny horse trotted up the ramp and forced his way under the neck of all the others.
"He hates being left behind. He"ll keep those young ones in line, too." Jacinta patted the rump of her old favourite, swinging down after closing the tailgate.
The journey only took twenty minutes. The horses came off the truck in a rush of anticipation, leaping from the ramp. Ben unclipped one end of his reins and lunged his mare to settle her. Bringing her back to a halt and holding her head around to her shoulder, he tightened her girth and mounted. She fidgeted and stepped sideways. Ben held his reins short ensuring that the only place she could go was in a circle. After a couple of spins, she stopped.
Rising above the outcrops of rock, the sun shone straight in Ben"s eyes causing him to blink. Everywhere he looked, the landscape glowed a deep orange—the rocky ground, the craggy hills in the distance, the castle-like termite mounds, even the dust on the leaves of the sparse scrub—unlike the towering greenery of the trees back at home in the mountains.
Leaving the truck to be collected later, the riders walked their horses a couple of kilometres to the meeting point. Louise rode up beside Ben. "Why didn"t the truck take us all the way to the start?"
"This way the horses" muscles have a chance to warm up in case we have to chase after any cattle." Ben cocked his head to one side. He could hear the throb of the helicopter in the distance, roving to and fro like a sheep dog working a flock. His mare napped and snatched at the bit, ignoring his attempts to keep her straight. Ben could tell the young chestnut had not been ridden much. He steadied her and came to a halt.
"Here they come." He pointed out the first of the cattle heading towards them.
Graeme directed everyone to line up a distance away from the nearby waterhole to block the cattle from trotting past. Seeing the riders, the cattle pulled to a stop and milled around at the edge of the water.
Ben"s mare snorted and pawed at the ground. He tapped her on the shoulder with the end of his reins to make her behave. After tossing her head, she stopped fidgeting.
As the sun rose higher, more and more cattle thronged in to join the mob. Ben had forgotten how slowly a muster started. There had been little for him to do with the experienced stockmen chasing back cattle that didn"t want to stop. He"d hoped to have a chance to chat to Jacinta, but they needed to keep their separate posts. Looking across to where Louise sat on Splash, he thought she seemed relaxed in the shade. The pony appeared to be asleep; an old hand at this game, he knew he"d need his energy for later.
A shrill whistle alerted Ben. Graeme signalled for them to start walking the cattle out. He had explained earlier how he wanted everyone to work—Ben and Jacinta on the wings, the head stockman and one other in the lead, and Louise with the remainder of the riders on the tail. They planned to keep the cattle close together and move at the pace of the slowest calves.
Ben"s chestnut mare pranced as she closed in on a large Brahman bull, his neck hump wobbling with each step. Pushing his horse into the bull"s shoulder, Ben guided the old male back towards the mob. He turned without complaint, lumbering his great bulk with plodding steps. Pleased how his horse responded to his leg aids, Ben patted her neck.
Settling in for a long walk, Ben rode automatically, watching the cattle for any that might try to stray. Every so often, another small group would come running in from the scrub to join the herd, chased from far away by the buzzing helicopter. The heat had returned to the day and dust clung to his sweaty skin. Ben took a long swig from his canteen, letting some of the cool water dribble down his chin. While trying to re-secure his water bottle, the chestnut mare shied.
"Whoa! Steady there!" Ben slipped sideways, almost coming off. Grabbing the mane, he hauled himself back into the saddle. Overhead, a kite flew low with a snake in its claws, the writhing body of its meal casting shadows over the horse. The reptile had been easy prey while slithering away from the thousands of trampling hooves.
"So that"s what spooked you." Ben shortened up his reins and sat deep, preventing the mare from bolting as she continued to panic. As he brought her back under control, the helicopter appeared from behind a small bluff with a roar.
Too much for the green horse, she snatched at the bit and broke into a gallop. Ben slung the strap of his canteen around his neck and concentrated all his efforts into trying to stop. Years of experience paid off and, with only a little trouble, he brought the mare back to a walk. Returning to the herd, he realised his absence had caused a break in the cattle. Three heifers split in different directions, two stockmen chasing after a pair of them.
Ben spun his mare to head after the last of the fleeing cattle, but his mare, agitated from her fright, stopped responding to his aids. From the corner of his eye, Ben spotted Louise urge Splash after the retreating heifer. Glad she had understood the need not to stop the beast getting away, though embarrassed that it had escaped due to his inattention, Ben turned his concentration back to his horse. This mare wasn"t going to be as easy to control as he"d first hoped.
Chapter 3
Louise hadn"t expected to feel lonely while being surrounded by so many people. Everyone seemed to know how everything worked except her. She had no idea how long she had been sitting on Splash in the middle of nowhere, nor how much longer the walk back to the homestead would take. In fact, she didn"t even know if the track led back to the homestead or whether the cattle were headed towards other yards on the station. She had overheard Graeme telling John about various places on the property when they chatted after dinner, but one of the conversation had meant anything to her.
The sun beat down on her back as she let Jacinta
"s old skewbald pony walk along behind the cattle, trying not to choke on the dust. From the numbers of cattle she had seen in the yards the day before, Louise calculated there must be at least two thousand head trailing out in front of her. Massive bulls shoved and bellowed amongst cows calling to their calves; young heifers and steers cavorted in attempts to break free and head out to feed; old dry cows dragged behind, perhaps knowing this would be their last long walk.
The cream and beige backs of the cattle blended in with the haze. She watched with admiration as the stockmen guided the mob along the cattle pads, following fence lines wherever they could but more often than not stringing the herd along a well-worn path through the scrub. Even after they had left the first waterhole, cattle continued to stream in and disturb the drive. When any beast tried to veer away, the horses leapt into action even before their riders instructed them.
Splash slowed and quickened his pace to keep an even distance behind the herd. Louise hadn"t ridden such a small pony for many years and his bouncy short stride tired her. She wished she had been able to bring Honey—the experience would have been wonderful for her young brumby. Louise imagined her mare pawing at the cold ground back in her paddock, her shaggy coat protecting her from the winter winds. She knew that Ben"s mother would throw out feed for the horses, but she"d rather be there herself.
She also thought of the tame magpie she had rescued when its nest had been blown out of a tree in the spring. Her mother had said she"d feed Fred when he came by each afternoon. The bird no longer needed human assistance, but Louise still worried that he"d suffer in the cold and her family were not animal-minded like her. Thinking of home made the mountains feel as far away as another planet.
Although she had been disappointed in being given Jacinta"s old pony to ride rather than one of Graeme"s home- bred stockhorses, Louise liked the feisty small gelding. He had a spring in his step and could be quite hard to hold when he set his mind to go in a particular direction. Louise enjoyed experiencing the outback even if she wished Ben would spend more time with her, but she could see that he and Jacinta had a lot to catch up on.
"I hope you"re drinking plenty of water." Graeme had ridden close to her as he returned a steer to the mob.
"How much longer do we drive them?" Louise"s stomach rumbled as she thought how long it had been since breakfast.
Graeme held up a finger as his radio crackled into life. After conversing with the helicopter pilot, he nodded. "That"s the last mob. We"ll pull them up at the next waterhole for the cattle to rest for an hour while we have lunch. How"s Splash going?"
Louise smiled. "He"s cool, and certainly not a slug. He knows more than I do about how this all works."
With a nod, Graeme left her to relay the message to his men to hold the cattle at the billabong. Few words seemed to be needed. His horse spun on its quarters as he visited each of the stockmen in turn before returning to the tail of the herd. From there, Louise guessed he could best watch out for sick or hurt beasts, or perhaps work out which of the older cattle he would cull. Ben had told her that his uncle knew every bull on the place. With one bull for every thirty or so cows, that took a great memory.
Watching Ben struggle with his young mare, Louise realised that her riding hadn"t improved enough yet to cope with both a green horse and the newness of mustering a large herd of cattle. Stroking her pony"s neck, she felt glad now that she had been given him to ride. He was certainly well educated, and handsome in a cheeky pony way. Mainly white, he had obviously been named for the huge splash of black on his neck that looked like someone had spilt paint over him. Other blobs of black and brown covered his flanks and rump. His long thick grey mane hung predominantly on the right hand side, but a lank of black on his crest tried to lie the other way.
Louise tried to encourage it with her fingers to hang with the rest of his mane. At that moment, three heifers broke away from the mob. Ben was obviously having trouble getting his mare under control. Two stockmen took chase after one pair, but a fat heifer streaked away in the other direction with her tail straight up in the air, dodging prickly bushes and leaping rocks. No-one pursued her.
Louise realised she would have to chase the animal. As soon as she shortened her reins, Splash surged into a canter and raced after the heifer, nimbly dodging obstacles in the way. Having come from the tail of the herd, Louise was a long way behind the fleeing beast. Keeping an eye on the golden rump, she urged Splash faster.
The pony"s short legs blurred as he scattered stones along the path. Despite his efforts, the heifer disappeared from sight.
She knew Graeme needed to get all the cattle in and that none must be allowed to escape. Frustrated at losing the first beast she had chased after, Louise scoured the bush, trying to pick up signs from the ground or broken twigs. No joy. The beast had vanished into the scrub. Hot and thirsty, Louise didn"t know whether to give up and go back to the herd or keep searching. Ben had explained that once a beast successfully broke away once, it was harder to muster it again and it would often teach the others to run off too.
She scanned the bush again for signs of the heifer. As she peered around her, she realised she had no idea where she was or how to find her way back. Splash"s hoof-prints didn"t show up on the rocky ground. Looking at the sky, she could tell she was heading west, but she didn"t know where the cattle were or where they were heading.
"We"re lost, Splash. At least I am. You must know where you are." Louise fretted at the thought of being out in the wilds alone. She didn"t know this country like the mountains at home, and even there she relied on Ben to show her the way. Releasing her reins, she let the pony have his head. "Take me home, Splash. Nobody seems to need our help with the cattle." She had used the same technique when she had become lost in a snowstorm in the mountains, and Ned, one of Ben"s horses that she often rode, had taken her home.
Upset at having lost the heifer, but confident that Splash would lead her either back to the mob or home, Louise wiped the muck and sweat from her face and settled in to her pony"s brisk walk.
A willy-willy spun dead leaves in a snaking trail ahead of Louise. The column of dust twisted across her path, racing this way and that, as if looking for the next thing to pick up and fling in the air. Tatters of bark settled back to the swept ground as the rattling wind blew away.
Looking at the cattle pad through the spinifex, Louise failed to see any familiar landmarks. Sure she hadn"t come this way when chasing the heifer, Louise started to feel unsure about her decision to trust in Splash"s sense of direction. Her cracked lips tightened as she stopped the pony.
Standing in her stirrups made no difference to what she could see. Arid country stretched to the shimmering horizon. No matter which direction she looked, everywhere seemed the same.
Splash tossed his head and pulled at the reins. "You really want to keep going this way, don"t you?" Letting the skewbald continue to dictate the pace and direction, Louise sighed as she wondered if Ben or Graeme had noticed her go.
A rustle in the bushes made Splash cock his ears. Louise turned her head to the sound. Maybe they had caught up with the runaway heifer? Dry branches cracked to their right as a large grey kangaroo erupted from behind a tree, its front paws hanging loosely in front of its chest as it bounded along. Zigzagging up the trail, its long tail whipped up and down to keep balance. Before Louise could react, it had disappeared. "Awesome! He was huge."
Pleased that her pony had not shied at the sudden disturbance, she began to see her surroundings from a different perspective. The country that had appeared so barren only moments before teemed with life—spiders" webs linked shoulder-high shrubs, trails of ants carried minuscule sticks and leaf litter along well-worn trails, and lizards sunned themselves on brittle timber. Tiny tracks criss-crossed the path, insects shaped like sticks clung to twigs, and golden honeyeaters darted amongst the white blooms on the trees.
By the time an hour had passed, Lou
ise stopped marvelling at the sights around her and started to worry about her predicament. She still had a little water, and her lunch bounced untouched in her saddlebags. Neither of these helped overcome her fear of being lost overnight in this desolate country. Her imagination built vivid images of prowling dingos, snakes coiled under rocks, and preying scorpions.
She longed for the familiarity of the mountains. She"d much rather be riding Honey at Patti"s, improving her skills and educating her brumby. If her parents knew she was lost, they"d worry and blame her for being reckless. They still couldn"t come to terms with her love of an outdoor life. They still hoped she"d take up music like her brother. Yet again she wished she hadn"t come with Ben on this holiday and had instead worked at Patti"s horse training establishment as she"d originally planned.
Jarring into her thoughts of home, Splash broke into a jog. Louise let him have his way and sat his short stride with ease, trusting his instincts to lead her to safety. As if fulfilling her wishes, the vegetation around her became greener and the trees taller. Although she didn"t recognise the track, she thought maybe they were approaching the homestead from a different direction. Feeling happier than she had for hours, she rose to the trot and encouraged the pony to increase his pace.
Within minutes, Louise realised her optimism of being back at the station was misplaced. But the spectacle in front of her dismissed any misgivings. "What a magic place."
In front of her, a permanent billabong glimmered, the whole surface of the water covered with emerald lily pads, their flowers" white petals cupped open toward the sun. Coolabah trees leaning over the banks provided dense shade that dappled the ground in the breeze. Splash headed straight for the shallows and dropped his head to drink. Louise could see the refreshing water rippling up his throat as he guzzled. "Now I know why you headed here. But where are we?"
Despite knowing for certain that she had no idea how to get back to the muster, Louise cheered up by being near the beautiful oasis. After dismounting, she loosened the skewbald"s girth and removed his bridle, clipping the reins to his headcollar. When the pony had drunk his fill, she led him beneath one of the larger trees and tied him to a branch, loose enough so he could pick at the little grass that grew beneath the spreading branches.