by Paula Boer
Ben succumbed under the onslaught of a hot tongue licking his arm. He shoved the wriggling dog away. "Enough! You"re forgiven."
Snifter rolled on his back, his tongue lolling to one side of his mouth. His tail continued to thump on the ground. Everyone laughed. It seemed that the dog understood he was once again Ben"s best friend.
Simon stood and shook crumbs off his shirt. "I"m going to give some hay to the horses. Anyone want to come and watch?"
Louise leapt up, more than happy to help. "I"ll come. What"s so special?"
Jacinta stretched as she joined them. "They"ve never seen lucerne before. Some of them can be really funny."
Ben also decided to come along. The three of them followed Simon over to the yards where the brumbies stood in a close group. "Look; they want to drink but don"t trust the trough."
As Louise watched, one of the bolder colts took a step nearer the bright red bowl that shimmered with water. Lowering his head, he sniffed and blew at the surface. The horse backed off a pace then approached again, his need for a drink overcoming his fear. He blew bubbles on the surface before taking a tentative sip, dribbling the water from his lips. "Perhaps he"s wondering if it"s poisoned."
Jacinta sneered. "Don"t be silly. It"s bore water. They"ve only ever drunk river water before."
Feeling her face flush, Louise turned away. Simon walked across to the hayrack with an armful of feed. As he flung it into the air, the brumbies shot back from the trough as if burnt. Minutes went by before their thirst drove them back to the water. After a while, one of the bolder ones approached the hay and sniffed before turning away. None of the others went near the rack.
Ben rose from a crouch where he had been ruffling Snifter"s ears. He turned to Simon who joined them at the rails. "How long does it take for them to get used to this type of food?"
"With some it can take days. They"re used to picking at saltbush mainly. Everything about hay is different for them—the smell, the taste, the texture. Even the fact it is in the air."
Louise realised she still had a lot to learn. The mountain brumbies had taken to the meadow hay almost straight away. "Why don"t you feed it on the ground so it"s more natural?"
"They"d waste too much and it"s very expensive out here." Simon explained that the hay was grown on fertile soils that could be irrigated and had to be trucked a long way.
Louise wanted to know what would happen with the brumbies now. "Will you start working them tomorrow?"
The wrangler shook his head. "They need a few days to settle and get over the trauma of being caught. I thought we"d be going chasing mickies. Come on; let"s leave these horses in peace. I"m ready for a beer."
Chapter 14
Simon halted the truck next to a ramshackle building. "This used to be the main homestead. It"s been empty for more than fifty years."
Ben studied the stone structure, its chimney standing stark against the blue sky. The roof had long disappeared and a few timber beams were all that remained from the fire that destroyed the house. "Why did it burn down?"
Climbing out of the cab, Simon crammed his hat on his head. "That happened in a bush fire long after it was abandoned. I think it became deserted when the well dried up, but no-one really knows."
The two girls joined Ben as Simon gave them a quick tour of the former homestead. "These old rails somehow escaped the fire. They must be made of a different type of timber."
Ben admired the workmanship of the split rails that ran around the area. "They wouldn"t have had chainsaws or anything like that then, would they?"
A toot from the horn of another truck sounded. Graeme waved at them. "Come and help me unload these horses."
Without the slightest limp from his accident a few days before, Ben hurried over. Simon had declared the previous day one of rest, saying they would need to be fresh for today. The lack of activity had helped him heal.
Ben had worked Brandy in the round yard for half an hour to keep him supple; the stallion was confined to a small yard so he needed some exercise. Other than that, no-one had ridden or worked any of the horses. Louise had taken Snifter for a walk with Graeme, and Jacinta had spent most of the time preparing and freezing food for her father as her mother would be collecting her on the weekend.
Ben bounded up the ramp and untied his stallion. He thought the horse looked great, excited at being somewhere new. This holiday was certainly giving him lots of different experiences. Ben wondered how well he"d go working the bulls, or mickies, as Simon called them. He knew it would be very different to the cattle work he did at home.
After tying Brandy up a short distance away from the other horses, Ben joined the men at Simon"s truck. "What now?"
"We need to erect these portable panels into a few small yards. Make sure the pins are in properly. The bulls will do everything they can to get out." Simon indicated where he wanted the metal rails set up, using the existing wooden rails as guides.
Graeme carried over a bundle of star pickets and hammered them in at the opening. Ben helped him wire the panels to the fence posts to ensure they were doubly strong. "How come Simon"s bulls are so wild? What"s different about them to your cattle?"
His uncle twisted the last of the wires so that the ends didn"t protrude and risk gouging any passing animal. "He doesn"t run cattle as such. These are feral beasts that were left behind from musters over the years. They"ve never been handled. You won"t see any brands on them."
Louise had come to see what they were doing. "Are they Brahmans?"
Simon also came to check that the rails were sturdy. "No, these are old stock. Crossbred from Herefords and Shorthorns mainly."
Ben could see Louise looked puzzled. "Why are we only getting bulls if they"re wild? Don"t you want all the cattle?"
"The bulls are worth catching for their meat. Any cows or youngsters out there are too scrawny to be worth bothering with. Anyway, we"ll have our work cut out just getting the mickies." Seemingly satisfied with the fence, Simon called for everyone to tack up and mount.
Dan, one of Simon"s neighbours, had offered to spot the bulls from the air. As Ben settled into his saddle, he heard the crackle of the radio. Simon waved for the riders to follow him. Brandy jogged sideways, tossing his head and champing on the bit.
The ride out to the first bull gave Ben a chance to settle his horse. He rode a little way from the others, circling each time he became too far ahead. The stallion seemed to have a bundle of energy saved up from his days without a lot of work. He pranced and snorted every time leaves blew in front of him or prickly branches brushed his rump.
In a short while, Simon waved for them to stop. "There"s the beast. Under that tree."
It took Ben a moment to spot the bull that Simon had seen. The creature blended in with the surroundings, its brindle coat camouflaging it in the shade. Ben didn"t think he had ever seen such a heavy bull before. "It"s massive! Now I know why you said no-one was to get off their horse, no matter what."
Simon positioned the riders in pairs around the bull. He and Graeme rode behind it and walked their mounts forward. They both rode horses experienced at this type of work. The bull turned and faced them, lowering his head and pawing the ground. Both men cracked their whips and shouted as they advanced.
After taking a couple of steps backwards, the bull spun and trotted off in the opposite direction. Two of Simon"s men dashed towards the bull, heading him back the way they wanted him to go. The bull overshot and tried to charge past Ben and Jacinta. His curly forehead lowered as he ran, the muscles in his shoulders and hindquarters rippling with power.
Brandy held his ground, facing the bull head on. As the charging beast neared, Ben waved his hat above his head and hollered. Jacinta cracked a whip in the bull"s path. The bull turned and faced Graeme and Simon for a moment until he spun and lumbered off in the direction they wanted him to go. When he settled into a stead
y trot, the riders fell back to give the animal room.
As they approached the old homestead, the bull slowed. Coming to a halt, he lifted his head and bellowed. The sound reverberated around the empty buildings. Simon waved for them all to close in as he had instructed. The bull followed the wooden rails to the opening into the yard. Before he realised he was trapped, the horsemen drove him forward. The gate clanged behind him.
Ben rode up to the panels to look at the beast at close quarters. "He must weigh a couple of tonne!"
Jacinta rode up beside him. "His skin would make a good rug. Look at those lovely colours, orange and red stripes on black. He"s like a tiger of the outback."
Louise sat on Splash a short distance away. "It seems a shame to catch such a wonderful animal. He looks really sad."
"Mad, more like. You wouldn"t feel sorry for him if you were in that yard with him." Jacinta turned her mare away and rode over to where Simon chatted on the radio.
He lowered his hand-held. "Dan"s found another one. Let"s go."
The red bull lowered its horns to the ground and charged. Ben saw the beast coming, mucus and drool hanging from its nose and mouth. He pushed Brandy with his right leg, spinning the horse to face the animal. The stallion pivoted as asked and surged forward.
"Get out of the way!" "Move, Ben!" Simon and Graeme called in unison, madly waving their arms above their heads.
The bull was only metres away from him when Ben realised it wasn"t going to stop. Not knowing what else to do, he tried to turn Brandy away. The horse fought him, throwing his head high and almost squatting on his hindquarters as he wrestled the bit. Ben dug his heels in and forced the liver chestnut on.
As the bull closed in, Ben could see scars all over its hide. With its head down, the bull swiped at Brandy"s belly as he passed by, one long horn catching Ben"s boot while the other gouged the earth. Brandy tried to follow the enraged animal, his nose thrust forward and mouth open.
"Let it go!" Simon called out, as he cantered over. "It"s not worth getting killed for."
Ben"s heart thumped as he stroked his stallion"s neck, trying to calm the horse down. "I think Brandy wanted to fight him."
"Some horses can be like that. He"s too inexperienced to take on that animal. Look at the sweat he"s in."
The brumby shook as adrenalin dispersed through his system. White foam creamed his neck and flanks. Ben had never seen the horse in such a muck sweat. "He wouldn"t listen to me at all. It was as if he"d gone back to being a wild horse defending his territory."
Simon agreed. "I suggest you change horses when we get back to camp. I brought a couple of spares just in case."
Louise rode over. "Are you okay, Ben? That looked really scary."
"Yeh, I think I need to do some more training with Brandy before I try tackling a beast like that again." Ben didn"t mention that the bull had hurt his sore leg when it caught his foot. He realised how lucky he had been not to get injured.
Graeme joined them. "That bull was too scrawny to bother sending to the meat works anyway. The little ones are the most aggressive. Come on, Dan"s spotted another one nearby."
The next bull was quite different. It wandered in front of the horses like a dairy cow coming in for milking. Ben wondered if it had been domesticated before being let loose or escaping from another station. He rode around it to see if there were any telltale brands. "Is that an ear mark?"
Jacinta walked her gelding alongside Ben. "It could be. Or maybe he tore it on a bush. He"s certainly quiet."
When the bull had been penned, Ben unsaddled Brandy and rubbed the majority of the sweat off him with a handful of dry leaves. He tied him under a tree, double checking the branch and knots. "You"ll have to wait until we get home for a hose down. Don"t get loose today."
Simon had a fresh horse saddled for him by the time he had finished with Brandy. Dan had already called and spotted another bull. They rode out in the direction the chopper pilot relayed.
The young mare that Ben rode was a brumby that Simon had caught the previous year. The wrangler had started competing the little chestnut in campdraft competitions. She responded instantly to Ben"s signals to turn, brake, or leap forward. She was so sensitive, he had to sit very still so he didn"t inadvertently give her commands he didn"t intend.
With guidance from the helicopter overhead, they soon located the next micky. This one was a large grey with only one horn. Thick curly hair covered the bull"s broad forehead, almost obscuring its eyes. As the riders approached, it galloped off into the bush.
All the riders sped after it. Ben couldn"t believe the energy of the little mare. Although light in build and under fifteen hands, she ducked and weaved through the scrub quicker than he imagined possible. Overtaking Simon and Graeme, Ben came across the bull first. He dashed ahead of it and spun around.
The bull turned and fled. Two of Simon"s men blocked it and turned it towards Graeme and Louise. As it charged towards them, Ben saw how quick Splash was to dash in to head the animal off. No matter where the bull turned, horses barred its way until it headed in the direction of the portable yards.
Riding on the left side of the bull, Ben kept enough distance to not spook the beast, at the same time as keeping it moving in the right direction. Jacinta rode on the other side. He looked across at her and grinned. "This little mare is cool!"
Jacinta trotted along on the brumby that she had ridden when they mustered a couple of days ago. "Maybe you should buy her from Simon? She"d make a good start to your herd."
"As if! I wouldn"t be able to afford her." Ben knew that with his father unwell, it was unlikely he"d be able to buy horses for a few years. At least his dad"s old stockhorse, Shadow, was in foal to Brandy. The vet had confirmed the pregnancy a couple of months ago.
After catching a dozen bulls, Simon called a break. "We"ll have a feed then load this lot on the truck. The horses have done enough for today. We can round up a few more tomorrow."
Chapter 15
After all the exercise, Louise slept really well. She enjoyed riding in the bush chasing the bulls and looked forward to catching more. She couldn"t believe how varied they were in size, colour and temperament. It had never occurred to her that feral cattle would be so different to their domestic relatives.
Splash nickered to her as she walked across the paddock to catch him. She had become very fond of the skewbald pony. She still missed Honey, but knew that her own mare wasn"t experienced enough for this type of work. Splash walked up and nudged her pockets. "Here you go. Banana peel today."
The trip to the old homestead didn"t take long. The sun had topped the hills by the time everyone was saddled up and ready to go. Dan had been called away on business so Simon was flying his plane as spotter today, leaving Graeme in charge.
Ben came up on the mare he had ridden yesterday. "Are you ready? Simon"s seen a pair of bulls close by."
Louise felt sad for Ben that he couldn"t ride Brandy to catch the mickies, but he had talked a lot last night about this mare. Simon obviously knew what he was doing with training the brumbies, even if his methods were different to those she had learnt.
As the riders headed out, Louise gazed around her. The harsh country had become more familiar to her. It no longer seemed all the same as it had first appeared. She picked out the different types of vegetation where the soil changed and could see where water ran on the rare occasion it rained. Birds, lizards and insects went about their lives around her. She dodged the spider webs that hung between the prickly bushes and knew which plants not to grab hold of due to their sharp leaves or spines.
When they reached the spot radioed in by Simon, they only found one bull. This one seemed predominantly Hereford with its distinctive red coat and white face with a long stripe of white over its withers. Its horns were as long as Louise"s arm span and beautifully shaped in an even curve, the symmetrical tips rounding and pointing
forward.
Ben admired the beast. "I"d love to hang that pair of horns on my wall at home."
"Don"t be mean. It"s bad enough it"ll go to slaughter. Maybe your uncle should keep him as new stock for his own herds." Louise loved eating beef but still had trouble thinking of these animals in terms of steaks and stews, trophies of horns, and skins, as everyone else seemed to.
"Move him out, you two. Keep an eye out for the other bull too." Graeme rode behind them and organised everyone"s positions to drive the bull back to the yards.
The bull didn"t give any trouble. A few times it tried to veer off the track and was turned back by someone charging their horse towards it. Taking it steady, the bull remained calm as it headed for the yards. As the old homestead came in sight, Louise assumed the beast would continue through the open gates.
The bull stopped and turned. Facing the oncoming riders, it let out a deep bellow. Suddenly it broke and headed for the scrub. Ben, Jacinta and one of Simon"s men urged their horses after it, turning it before it could get away. The bull roared again and was driven back to the yards. When it looked as if it would go through the gate, it once again spun and charged back into the bush, head lowered and kicking up dust.
After twenty weary minutes, the bull finally passed through the gates. Louise patted Splash as Graeme shut the latch behind the bull. She had stayed on the far side of the wooden rails as a visual deterrent to prevent the bull escaping that way, but hadn"t needed to do much. It seemed the bull had been determined to go in one particular direction.
Louise looked across to where Jacinta sat her brumby mare. The horse hung its head and breathed heavily. Jacinta let the reins hang loose as she flicked her feet out of the stirrups and swung her legs to ease the muscles. A movement behind her drew Louise"s attention. The bushes moved where the bull had been trying to go. A red head with long crooked horns poked out. Before Louise could say anything, a bull charged straight out at Jacinta"s mare.