by Paula Boer
"Yeh, Jacko explained it to me. It"ll be a good run for Brandy."
The liver chestnut stallion whickered as Ben walked across to the yards with his saddle and bridle. "Ready to go out? Let"s get out of here."
Pleased with how the brumby looked, Ben spent little time grooming him and tacking him up. After a few minutes groundwork, he mounted and headed south along the track that the head stockman had described. This country appeared much drier than where they had been earlier in the day. Rolling along at a steady canter, Ben and Brandy made good time following the fence line.
After leaving the Home Paddock, they veered away from the fence. The track was easy to see, with fresh hoof marks and four-wheel-drive treads in the deep sand. Ben squinted as he peered into the setting sun. Looking the other way, the sand dunes changed from pale yellow to deep orange, casting long shadows across the desert. The earlier breeze had completely disappeared. Nothing seemed to move in the vast space.
By the time Ben reached the stock camp, the evening had turned cool. He decided to leave Brandy"s saddle on to keep his back warm while he took a break. After loosening the stallion"s girth, he tied him to the only tree in sight. A tin shed with no sides provided shelter for the stockmen"s swags. Other than that there were only the yards and a corrugated iron water tank next to a windmill. The vanes didn"t move, but the metal tower creaked and groaned as it cooled. The camp seemed to sit in the middle of nowhere.
"Billy"s hot." Cooky waved Ben over to where he squatted next to the fire.
Using a bent stick to swing the billy off the flames, Ben made himself a mug of tea and joined the stockmen where they sat cleaning their saddles or sharpening knives. "How many cattle do you think you"ll muster tomorrow?"
Jacko continued plaiting a new snap for the end of his whip. "There"ll be almost three thousand...Hey! Isn"t that your horse heading off over there?"
Ben jumped up and looked to where Jacko pointed. "Brandy! He"s escaped!"
Running to where he had tied the stallion, Ben spotted a broken branch lying on the ground. The brumby must have tugged on the rope and snapped the limb off. Ben had heard a crack but had assumed it was one of the stockmen softening up a stockwhip.
"You won"t catch him on foot. Let"s get these other horses saddled up." Jacko called for a couple of the men to catch their hobbled horses. Within minutes, they mounted up.
Ben swung up into the saddle of a small black gelding. "Brandy"s still wearing his bridle, and my best saddle! Let"s go!"
The horses kicked up clouds of dust as they chased after the stallion. Having taken off at a gallop, the brumby was already out of sight, though his track was easy to follow in the sand. Ben started to worry that the pace and the soft going would hurt his horse"s leg. He urged the stockhorse faster. He wondered whether he"d be able to catch the brumby in this large paddock. Images of the horse stumbling and breaking his leg filled his mind as he galloped in pursuit.
Brandy had initially charged off in a straight line. Now the trail wandered about. Jacko peered at the ground in the dim light. "He"s slowing down. Hopefully he"ll want to come back to these other horses. Pity we haven"t a mare in season to attract him."
At that comment, Ben remembered Brandy was supposed to be serving two of Graeme"s mares. He doubted the stallion would be in any fit state to do that even if they managed to catch him. What a disastrous trip this was turning out to be. So much for a birthday treat!
A dark shape on the skyline showed that Brandy had stopped. Jacko pulled up his sweating horse. "Do you want to try and catch him on foot? He might take off again if we all ride over."
"Yeh, I"d better." Ben dismounted and handed his reins to the head stockman. As he approached Brandy, he could hear the horse"s heavy breathing, his head lowered to the ground. The stallion took a step away, dragging part of the broken branch still tangled in the rope between his forelegs.
"Whoa there, boy. It"s only me. Stand still." As Ben neared, the brumby flicked his ears and raised his head. The branch shot up and whacked him in the chest. Brandy half reared and raced off, the stick smacking against him as he ran.
Jacko loosened a rawhide lasso from his saddle. "We"ll have to use the bronco rope on him. Do you want to swing it?"
Ben returned to his horse and mounted. "I"m not that good. Can you get him?"
Keeping his distance, Ben watched as Jacko caught up with the fleeing stallion, riding parallel with him as he edged nearer. After a couple of rounds above Jacko"s head, the rope sailed across the gap and slipped over the brumby"s head. Jacko continued to ride beside the horse as he shortened the rope. Gradually the two horses slowed and came back to a trot, and then a walk.
Ben rode over to where Jacko held Brandy on a tight rein. After dismounting, he approached the stallion"s shoulder. Ducking to the ground, he picked up the trailing rope and undid the knot, freeing the broken branch that had caused all the trouble.
Checking the liver chestnut over, Ben worried about his injured leg or any new wounds he might have inflicted on himself. "He seems alright. We"d better take it easy on the way home."
Jacko shook his head. "You"d better stay the night with us. It"s too dark to ride back now. You won"t be able to see the track. There"s a spare swag we always bring in case Graeme comes out. Use the radio and let him know."
The banging of Cooky"s saucepans announcing breakfast woke Ben at five-thirty the next morning. A glimmer of light from the fire enabled him to see to drag on his boots and roll up the swag. Stretching his muscles, he reached high above his head and then touched his toes. Feeling refreshed after sleeping soundly under the open sky, Ben joined the stockmen for a feed of steak and toast.
Stars still glinted overhead as Ben caught Brandy. The stallion hadn"t wandered far in the night. The hobbles had prevented him from moving fast. By the hang of the stallion"s head, Ben could see the horse looked tired from his adventures the day before. After borrowing a brush, he massaged the liver chestnut"s muscles with firm strokes. Using his fingertips, he checked for lumps of tissue under the skin, easing away the knots with his fingers.
Ben walked his horse to the trough under the windmill and offered him a drink. Brandy guzzled for a long time before raising his head high. Ben thought he had a brighter spark in his eye as he tacked him up.
Swinging up into the saddle, he stroked the brumby"s neck. "Thanks for brekky, Cooky. I"d better get this boy home."
The wiry old man kept scrubbing the pots in a large washtub. "I"ll be seeing you later. I"m coming to Simon"s with you. This mob can look after themselves for a few days."
"Cool! Catch you later then." After checking his girth remained tight, Ben waved to the stockmen saddling up their own horses and headed back along the dust track to the homestead. Dawn started to break as he headed north, the eastern sky glowing with the rising sun. The crisp morning air smelt damp. Ben knew it wouldn"t be long before the heat of the sun drove that away.
Taking care not to overexert Brandy, Ben didn"t arrive back at the homestead until nine o"clock. As he rode past the horse yards, he could see Graeme working a bay mare. The horse rolled her eyes as the man swung the end of a rope near her rump before careening off to the side as Ben approached.
Graeme looked across and waved. "I"m glad you"re back. This is one of the mares I thought that horse of yours could serve. I"m trying to settle her so she"s easier to handle."
Ben worried that the long ride and the mad gallop when Brandy had escaped last night might have stressed his stallion. "Can she wait another day or so?"
Leaving the round yard, Graeme walked over to where Ben sat his fidgety horse. "Why"s that then?"
"I think Brandy might need a rest." The stallion stepped sideways, tossed his head and let out a shrill scream. Ben felt the reverberations through his legs and seat as the brumby called again. The horse reared, pawing the air with his forelegs.
Ben spun the ho
rse in a circle to bring him down. "Or maybe not! I guess he can smell her."
As Ben rode to the other side of the cattle yards, he explained to Graeme about Brandy"s escapade.
Graeme clanged the lock on the gate of the poddy pens behind Brandy. The stallion trotted in circles, snaking his head along the ground. "Let"s have smoko. That"ll give him a chance to get over the ride."
As they headed to the house, Graeme explained that he had purchased hormone from the vet to bring the mares into season at the right time for Brandy"s visit. If they weren"t served today, it would be too late. "I was hoping he"d serve them both a few times before you left."
Ben felt torn between wanting his horse to mate with the mares and concerned he was asking too much of the young horse. "You don"t think he"ll be too tired? I"m sorry we weren"t here last night. I suppose he should have served them yesterday, too."
"Never mind that now. He"ll be fine. He"s strong and young. He"ll stress himself more if we don"t use him now he"s smelled her."
As they passed through the garden, Ben heard a familiar bark. "Snifter! I"d forgotten about you."
"Louise has been looking after him. She"s done a good job, dressing his wounds and taking him for walks. You"ve a good friend there." Graeme didn"t wait for a response as he kicked off his boots and entered the kitchen.
Jacinta removed a tea towel from fresh-baked scones as Ben propped himself on a stool. "Just in time. There"s jam and cream, or butter if you prefer."
Louise closed the horse magazine she had been reading. "How"s Brandy? Was that him I heard calling?"
Ben told the girls the story of the previous night. "I"ve given him a feed but he"s only picking at it."
After tucking into more of Jacinta"s baking, they all followed Graeme out to the horse yards. "I"ll get her while you fetch Brandy. Meet us over at the wooden rails."
As Ben approached the far yards, he could see Brandy had worked himself into a lather. The stallion paced the fence, weaving his head and pawing at the ground. Ben decided he"d need a bridle rather than a headcollar to handle his horse in this mood. Slipping the bit into the brumby"s mouth, he tapped the horse"s shoulder with a short crop. "Behave. I don"t want to be dragged around."
Ben worked the stallion on a short rope to get him under control. When Brandy started to lower his head and chew, he opened the gate and walked across to where Graeme and the girls waited. Brandy pranced at his side, snorting and tossing his head. He threw his tail over his back and arched his neck.
As Brandy sniffed the mare across the rails, she squealed and struck out with her front hoof. Ben let the two horses become acquainted until the mare tried to turn her rump towards the stallion, almost knocking Graeme over.
"She"s ready. Bring him round." Graeme let the mare have a longer lead so he was well out of the way.
Ben walked Brandy around the end of the bronco rail. Once behind the mare, the stallion didn"t hesitate. After serving the mare, the brumby settled. Ben led him away for a hose down.
Graeme called after him, "We"ll do the other one this afternoon if he looks okay. I"ll saddle that chestnut mare for you. We"re going to tail out the weaners before we go to Simon"s place."
Ben waved a hand in acknowledgement and rubbed his stallion"s neck. "That"ll be another foal we can expect. I"m glad Dad let you serve Shadow in the summer. If they turn out well, no-one will stop us building a herd from you."
Chapter 9
Louise settled into Splash"s saddle, now familiar with the fun little skewbald. Despite Jacinta being cross with her, she had enjoyed the race back from the picnic and jumping the creek. She decided to ask Patti to teach her more about jumping when she returned home.
Ben returned from washing down Brandy and mounted the young chestnut mare. "Let"s go."
Uncertain of what they were doing, Louise rode up beside the chestnut. "I thought we tailed the weaners in the yards. What are we doing now?"
Jacinta overheard her question. "That was bang-tailing. This is tailing-out. We walk the weaners with the horses so they get used to being led and driven."
Ben rode his mare up to Splash. "They haven"t got their mothers to follow any more, so they follow the horses instead. It makes them easier to muster."
That made sense to Louise. She wished Ben had explained all this to her before they arrived so she didn"t look stupid in front of his cousin. The way that Graeme managed his cattle was very different to how Ben"s family worked the stock on their mountain farm.
As Graeme opened the gates to let the weaners out, she rode over to him. "How many brumbies do you think we"ll see at Simon"s?"
"There"re a few thousand in that area, but I reckon we"ll be lucky to muster a hundred or so." Graeme swung the gate wide and rode through.
Ben and Jacinta waited outside the yard to guide the heifers and steers while Graeme and Louise drove out the young cattle.
Wary of their newfound freedom, they huddled together in a bunch. With them all being a similar size, Louise thought they looked more like sheep. No tall bulls or frisking calves broke the monotony of an expanse of cream backs.
As Louise pushed Splash into the mob, they jostled together and made their way out of the gate. She expected them to break and try to run, but they seemed uncertain what to do. Between the four riders, they shepherded the cattle along a fence in the Home Paddock.
After half an hour of walking, Graeme signalled for a halt. "We"ll let them graze and rest awhile. There"s a dam in the far corner we can take them to after that for a drink."
The rest of the morning went smoothly. Louise daydreamed as she rode, letting her pony watch the cattle. She had learnt that he anticipated when there was a need to move forward to coax one of the young cattle back in line and when to stop.
Her mind drifted back to Honey, and teaching her to jump. She"d love to take the brumby to local shows and win lots of ribbons. Last night Jacinta had shown her some of the trophies that Splash had won. Louise had thought the evening would have been awkward, at least until Graeme had returned from town, but with Ben out at the stock camp Jacinta had been much friendlier. She had even helped dress Snifter"s wounds.
"Lunch time!" Jacinta"s call broke in to her thoughts.
Without Louise paying attention, she realised that they had walked the full circuit of the paddock and were back at the yards. The cattle strode in with no hesitation, keen for the round bales of hay that Graeme had dotted about earlier.
After a lunch of salad and cold roast beef, Ben and Louise packed their bags. They"d be going straight back to Tumbleford Farm after visiting Simon. She wondered what horses she"d get to ride there. Maybe she"d have a chance to ride another brumby, though she suspected Simon would have an experienced stockhorse for her to ride. She wondered how different the wild desert horses were to the rugged mountain brumbies.
While she helped Jacinta tidy the kitchen, Ben and Graeme went to see if Brandy looked fit enough to serve the other mare. By the time the girls left the house, the mare was already presenting to the stallion.
"He looks fantastic, Ben." Louise admired the liver chestnut, his coat gleaming as he showed off for the mare. She watched as Ben let him have a loose rein as he reared and leapt, whinnying and snorting with excitement.
Jacinta leant against the cattle yards next to Louise where they wouldn"t get in the way. "It"s probably time you caught Splash. Dad says we"re taking him for you to ride. At least we know you can handle him."
Louise"s stomach sank with disappointment. She had hoped Ben would have explained she could cope with green horses, especially after he had watched her ride Honey without a saddle or bridle. Without replying, she stomped off to catch the pony.
By the time she had Splash ready to load on the truck, Ben had washed down Brandy. They met at the cattle yards where Ben stood talking to the stallion, rubbing his neck and straightening his forelock. Brandy nib
bled on Ben"s sleeve and nudged his arm. "That was the last carrot. You"ll have to wait until we get to Simon"s before you can have a proper feed."
Louise stopped a short distance away. "Can you hold Splash for me while I get my bags?"
"Uncle Graeme and Jacie have already loaded all our stuff. You can put Splash on first if you like."
After leading the pony up the ramp, Louise tied his rope to the rails and swung the barrier closed. She jumped out of the way as Brandy raced on ahead of Ben. "He"s keen."
"Yeh, I think he"s enjoying going new places."
After closing the tailgate, Ben and Louise climbed into the back of the truck"s cab. Before long, Graeme and Jacinta joined them. Louise leant forward between the seats. "How long will it take to get there?"
"A couple of hours in this. Have a kip if you like. I"ll wake you if we see anything interesting."
The rocking of the truck lulled Louise into a light doze. Her chin sunk on her chest and her eyes closed. The rumble of the engine provided background noise to her daydreams of jumping Honey and winning lots of rosettes to hang on her bedroom wall. She imagined receiving a trophy for best rider and people admiring her brumby mare.
A nudge in the ribs woke her from her reverie. Ben pointed out of the window. "Look!"
Blinking against the glare of the late afternoon sun, Louise tried to focus on what Ben had seen. "I can"t see anything."
"In the distance, about to go behind that clump of trees."
Louise stared harder. Suddenly her eyes adjusted and she spotted the outlines of three beasts lolling in single file, nose to tail. The camels" beige coats camouflaged them against the dry rocky landscape. "One"s got a baby!"
Almost as if the animals had heard her, the lead camel looked across at the slowing vehicle. Turning to her youngster, she chivvied it along and broke into a trot. The camels changed direction and headed away from the road.