by Anne Hampson
‘Get off that horse!’
Cooper! He was showing off with his horse and Loren gave a little gasp as, flaunting Thane’s authority, he kicked into his mount and continued showing off, tightening the rein so that his horse shortened its step and reared, snorting in protest. The other stockriders were watching, and waiting for Thane to cover the distance between him and Cooper. Nothing moved except that streak against the sky; even the cattle appeared to be motionless - silhouettes in the sun-scorched bush. Cooper threw back his head as Thane came closer, and actually laughed. He was riding a tough-looking bush-bred with blemished knees; flecks of sweat on both sides of its neck revealed how hard it had been ridden. Thane rapped out another order; Cooper continued to show off, glancing at Loren all the while. The horse stumbled forward, but was brought up again by clever but cruel handling. Holding her breath, Loren looked at Thane; his eyes blazed like some unquenchable inferno and the muscles in his throat moved violently, then flexed. A third order rang out, but Thane did not wait to see if it would be obeyed and for the next few minutes Loren and the stockmen watched the most dramatic performance that they had ever seen in their lives. Two expert horsemen in an odd kind of combat, with Cooper
- actually smirking, Loren saw with another gasp of incredulity — twisting and turning in an effort to keep out of Thane’s way, but Thane was there all the time and the drama was brought to an end as, having outmanoeuvred him, Thane shot out a hand and within seconds Cooper was rolling over and over on the dusty ground, his horse snorting and pawing the air. Thane’s eyes were fixed on its blemished knees; Loren wondered how many times the horse had stumbled on them.
‘Get up!’ Thane’s voice vibrated with fury and Loren found herself sending up a little prayer that she herself would never be the victim of wrath such as this. She felt she would collapse with sheer fright were Thane ever to be in so violent a temper with her.
His glance roved the stockriders, all of whom lowered their heads — except the Aborigines who seemed not to think they were included in the disgust which the Boss felt towards his men.
‘I’ll see the missus—’ began Cooper, getting to his feet and brushing himself down, his baleful glance raised to Thane’s set face. ‘She’ll soon show you who’s boss!’
The gasp from the men could almost be heard from where Loren sat her horse; she saw wisps of white appear at the sides of the Boss’s mouth.
‘Get back to the homestead! Dena will give you your wages. You have your own vehicle, so there’s nothing to prevent your leaving at once.’
‘You can’t sack me. I was engaged by the old girl!’ ‘You’re sacked!’ Thane snarled, and it did seem for a moment that he would dismount and strike the man. But his dignity held despite his raging temper and as Cooper would have remounted he said, ‘Walk that horse. You’ve taken your last ride on my property. ’
A tense moment followed as Cooper glared up at him, but presently the man took the reins in his hand and began to walk away. Thane turned his attention to his men. ‘As for you,’ he said scathingly, raking them in turn, ‘each one of you has gone down in my estimation. I told you to keep an eye on Cooper and report to me anything of which you knew I wouldn’t approve.’
A small silence fell over the men; they looked at one another several times before one eventually spoke out.
‘We wanted to do, Boss, but we thought a warning to Cooper would serve. Well, we’ve warned him several times, but he becomes violent, and on a couple of occasions he’s started a fight—’
‘Fight?’ sharply. No one was allowed to fight on Moonrock Station. ‘Why wasn’t I told of this?’
‘Cooper threatened to go to Mrs. Benedict, and naturally we didn’t want her to be upset. He also threatened to go to her if we reported him to you.’ The man, a tough, weatherbeaten stockrider of about fifty, paused and his discomfort was apparent. ‘We were in a quandary,’ he added, then fell silent again.
‘I still find no excuse; you know I never allow cruelty to my animals.’ But that was all Thane said. Loren saw at once that the men had tried to avoid a quarrel taking place between Thane and his grandmother, and it was plain that he also realized this, but his eyes were still burning and his lips drawn tight as he and Loren rode back to the homestead, passing Cooper on the way. The man scowled and Loren knew he would try to make trouble by going to Gran Amelia. What would happen? Would the old lady, on hearing what had occurred, give way and allow Cooper to be dismissed, or would she resort to one of her turns? Loren surmised that in this instance it would not serve, not with Thane in his present mood. And in any case, as Cooper would not be allowed to ride again he couldn’t possibly remain at Moonrock.
Thane went in to his grandmother immediately after snapping out an order to Dena who was in the yard, gently patting the head of a newly-broken brumby. She stared after his retreating figure for a long moment before turning to Loren, who had dismounted and handed Silver over to Stew who took her to the stables.
‘Well, he’s done his block all right! What happened? Why has he told me to get Cooper’s wages ready?’
Loren related all that had happened, noting the sudden tightening of Dena’s mouth as she talked about the treatment of the animal.
‘It’s time Cooper went - but there’ll be the devil to play!’
‘ Surely Gran Amelia won’t countenance cruelty?’
‘It’s not so simple as that. You see, she’s told Thane that Cooper stays, and in her obstinacy she’ll put everything aside but the fact that she’s being overruled.’
‘Thane won’t give in, not this time,’ Loren returned confidently. ‘Not even if Gran Amelia does have one of her turns.’
And he didn’t. Gran Amelia called Dena in to her twenty minutes later and Loren heard all about it as she sat on the verandah with her after lunch.
‘She was lying back in her chair, just like she always does, panting and asking for tablets and smelling-salts and a drink. They’d had an awful row, but the Boss remained adamant. Cooper has to go.’
‘Has the quarrel done her any real harm, do you think?’ Loren looked anxiously at her friend. ‘ She didn’t come in for lunch. ’
‘Merely for effect, just to make the Boss feel guilty. As a matter of fact, Maisie’s preparing her a meal now - I’ve just been into the kitchen and seen it on the tray; a great chunk of mutton and a dish of vegetables.’ Dena frowned in thought. ‘What’s troubling me is that this incident might bring things to a head. It wouldn’t surprise me if Thane doesn’t announce his engagement to Felicity — perhaps at the shed dance next Saturday night. ’
Something twisted in Loren’s heart on hearing this; she recalled her sleepy musings in the car as she and Thane and Dena drove home after the film show at the Bradons’. She had decided she did not want Thane to marry either Felicity or Dena ... and now she knew why! Her mind switched to that unforgettable moment when she and Thane had stood together under the trees this morning. She had wanted him to kiss her, to feel his arms about her, to hear a whispered compliment that might be a prelude to something more.
Thane. How very strange that she should feel this way about him after the bad beginning they had made. She had wanted to torture him slowly, she recollected, and she had even asked her uncle to hit him for her. This latter brought an involuntary smile as she saw again that dramatic performance on the cattle-run, as with muscled strength Thane had ripped Cooper from his horse and sent him sprawling into the dusty vegetation. No one would hit Thane and get away with it.
‘I don’t think he’ll act in a precipitate way simply to get one up on his grandmother,’ she said at last, although without the confidence she would have liked to display. ‘If he doesn’t love Felicity—’
‘Men like Thane don’t trouble themselves about things like love.’ Dena still frowned; her innate buoyancy was missing. ‘It would be such an advantageous match apart from solving the problem of Gran Amelia. The Benedicts have always been interested in acquiring more land, and this would b
e a simple method of doing so, Felicity being an only child.’
Loren’s brow creased and her eyes became dark.
‘Would Thane really consider that aspect?’
‘He’s a Benedict; of course he would. Besides, he must realize he’ll have to have a son - there being no one to inherit Moonrock.’ For a long moment she fell silent and then, shrugging her shoulders, ‘Come on, let’s have our siesta and then I’ll have a swim with you.’
‘I suppose,’ said Loren dejectedly as they both got up to go into the house, ‘that if Thane should decide to marry,
Felicity would be the one of whom Gran Amelia would approve?’
‘Undoubtedly. Although,’ Dena added with a hint of spite, ‘the old-timer wouldn’t merely have to take one step down, she’d jolly soon find herself at the bottom of the whole flight! She could come to rue the day she forced the Boss seriously to consider marriage!’
Gran Amelia insisted on having the Flying Doctor who, although pandering to her and listening patiently when she poured out her grievances, told Thane that she was shamming. Loren and Dena had been sitting on the verandah outside Gran Amelia’s window, and when Loren heard the conversation going on inside, where Thane was with the doctor, she half rose to move away, but Dena’s hand on her arm detained her.
‘Might as well know what’s going on,’ whispered Dena with a rather wicked but attractive grin. ‘Thane won’t let us in on it, so we might as well find out for ourselves.’
‘But to listen—’ began Loren, when she was instantly stopped by Dena’s putting a hand on her arm again. ‘Gran Amelia - have you ever heard such fibs?’
The old lady was telling the doctor all sorts of tales about her grandson, while Thane listened silently and the doctor inserted a soothing and understanding word now and then.
‘To think that I made this place only to have my authority flaunted by a youngster like him, who’s never known struggles and deprivations. I should never have given it to his father - but how did I know that he would die so soon? Doctor, you should have seen me in my younger days! Ride with the best—’ She stopped and the girls could imagine her pointing at Thane as she went on, ‘He and his like will never ride like I did! I can remember being told I was one of the Outback’s best riders — should have seen me cutting out from a mob of cattle way over those plains out there, or roping a breakaway and fetching him back! And I could throw a scrub with any man - sharp you’ve to be or you’re a goner! These days the women don’t even know how to brand
a calf!’
Dena stiffened.
‘ Well, I like that! What the devil was I doing all last week! Say a thing like that again, old-timer, and I’ll do my block with you!’
Loren giggled and presently her friend responded.
‘Let’s go,’ she said a moment or two later. ‘It sounds as if the doc’s had enough of her.’
Tea was laid in the lounge and Dena began pouring out as soon as the two men appeared.
‘She’s getting much worse,’ laughed the doctor. ‘No, not her heart, so don’t look so filled with remorse. Her fractiousness, that’s what I mean. Sadly, Thane, that gallant old fighter’s rapidly entering into her second childhood.’ He shook his head, mentioning the old lady’s prattle of a short while ago. And then he added, ‘Pity ... great pity. They don’t make women like that these days—’ He broke off, his mouth curving and his grey eyes twinkling beneath his shaggy brows as he looked from one girl to the other. ‘Sorry, but they don’t.’
‘ The apology’s unnecessary, Doc. I for one haven’t the least desire to be like Gran Amelia. She should have been a man.’
‘Undoubtedly she should. A hard woman, Thane,’ the doctor added, helping himself to sugar as Dena held the silver bowl out to him. ‘You’ve been having a time with her lately? From what she’s been saying I gathered this much.’
‘She still wants to run the place. The trouble this time arose because I fired one of the men whom she herself had taken on - years ago. But recently Cooper’s changed; he has a cruel streak in him that’s come out for some reason. It might be that the change in him resulted from a disappointment he had about six months ago.’ Thane’s glance flickered to Dena questioningly, and she nodded, taking up the story as Thane began to drink his tea.
‘Cooper went off to Sydney for a fortnight’s holiday and, of all things, he found himself a woman. Brought her back and she lived with him in his bungalow. Said she would have to try it first - the way of life, I mean,’ said Dena as both men looked at her and smiled. ‘What bad minds men have!’ she added, diverted for the moment.
‘My dear,’ put in the doctor mildly, ‘you did say she lived with him in his bungalow. Surely you’re not suggesting it was all platonic ? ’
She spread her hands, but after a moment her impatience dissolved and the inevitable grin broke over her face.
‘Well, she was trying it out, as I said. And it did seem as if she would decide to marry Cooper, but quite without warning she ups and goes, getting a lift from some tourists who were going into Alice Springs. From there she went back to Sydney - or so we think. Cooper became morose and fell out with everyone. Then he seemed to become arrogant - just as some people do when they have a chip on their shoulder. ’
‘He was more than arrogant,’ Thane continued thoughtfully. ‘He was thoroughly insolent. He’d have been fired long ago if it hadn’t been that I was afraid of Gran Amelia having a stroke or something. ’
The doctor shrugged.
‘No fear of that - as you’ve seen. Were I you I shouldn’t worry too much about upsetting her. She’s a child now, as I’ve said, and although she should of course be treated with a certain amount of respect, she does require a firm hand. I can see a great difference in her since the last time I was here -and I must warn you that her mind will go before her heart. ’
A rather pained expression crossed Loren’s face. Old age was so very sad. And it seemed all wrong somehow that Gran Amelia’s brain should go, so that she would become like a baby.
‘She should have gone in harness.’ Thane voiced the sentiments of them all. Yes, it would have been a blessing had that brave and gallant old lady died in harness.
Before the doctor left he went over to see Prof, who’d been laid up with a stomach complaint since the previous day. He was given some medicine and told to stay in bed
for the rest of the week.
‘Can’t,’ he said emphatically. ‘It’s only Tuesday. Couldn’t possibly close the school for a whole week.’
‘See that he stays in bed,’ the doctor told Thane. ‘He’s another! Thinks he can work when he’s ill.’
As Dena had her hands full with Gran Amelia - who maintained that the doctor was an old fool who did not know his job - Loren offered to look after Prof, and she went over every day to his neat little bungalow and after giving him his food she would tidy up and do any washing there was about.
On the Friday Dena asked Loren if she would like to go over to Melville Downs, the station which Colin Melton had recently bought. Dena had been talking to Ian over the air and he had asked her to go to Melville Downs, just for a visit and another natter, he said. Dena blushed faintly as she told Loren all this, and Loren eyed her with a curious expression. This wasn’t the first time Dena had mentioned Ian since the night of the movie show and each time a hint of colour rose to fuse her cheeks.
‘I’d like to come,’ Loren said enthusiastically, ‘but what about Gran Amelia and Prof?’
‘Prof’s up, you said?’
‘Yes, but he’s still quite groggy. I don’t think he could manage to get his own tea.’
‘I’ll send one of the gins over. As for the old-timer - she’s got Prim and April and Maisie, so I expect she’ll manage without me for a few hours. It isn’t as if there’s anything wrong with her, apart from this peevishness she’s indulging in. Won’t even speak to the Boss. Told him today that she was finished with him for good, and then went on to prophesy that all she had w
orked for would collapse by mismanagement and that Moonrock would eventually revert to the bush. ’
Loren had to laugh.
‘Just as if it could! Poor Gran Amelia, though. I expect she’s unhappy, because she really does believe she’s right.’ Dena nodded thoughtfully.
‘That’s the reason Thane’s so patient with her - mostly he is, as you know. He’s quite an understanding sort of bloke when you get to know him. Not as hard as Gran Amelia, although he does appear to be at times - and when he does his block! The best thing then is to get out of his way as quickly as you can. ’
Thane had to be told that Dena and Loren were going off to see Colin and Ian. He frowned and his glance flickered over Loren, who blushed and lowered her head, although she had no reason to do so. But his glance reminded her that he had told Colin of his authority over her; also, Thane had said plainly that she must not become too friendly with Colin. Well, this was merely a visit, made because Dena wanted to see Ian again, which was natural, seeing as they had been friends when at school.
‘Don’t stay too late.’ Thane’s voice was the rather lazy Australian drawl, but it contained an order and Dena frowned at him.
‘Do we have to come back at any special time?’
‘I should like you to be back for dinner.’
‘Impossible. You know what the roads are like—’