Twenty-four
Charlie climbed easily into the saddle of a very fine-looking stockhorse. With a picky eye he looked over the horses and riders that made up the mustering team. Behind him the sun had barely breached the distant horizon, hidden behind the rich red escarpment that was part of Cattleman’s Keep.
Beyond that were the walls of the mighty Starvation Dam, where the overflow ran downstream to weave between the thick gum trees lining the banks to barely glisten under a sky the colour of cotton candy.
Parched open fields stretched to the left of them, with only a red road that led the way back to the homestead, it was the only sign of civilisation. Beside their assorted vehicles parked nearby, half a dozen cattle dogs lay in the trees’ shade line that ran along the edges of the sandy cliff face, that stretched like a wall of stone.
‘ Welcome to the Stoneys ,’ Charlie shouted from his place high in the saddle. ‘ We’ll be riding down the guts. Walking only. No cowboying, ya hear? ’
‘It’s not our first rodeo, Charlie.’ Dex rolled his eyes, sitting comfortably in the saddle. ‘Let’s get on with it.’
Ash couldn’t wait to climb into the saddle himself. But first, he checked on Harper’s stirrups, having saddled her horse. ‘Is that a good length?’ It looked good to him, admiring the way Harper’s new jeans hugged her legs.
‘I guess so.’ She was very unsure of herself.
‘You can do this, Harper.’ He patted her knee tenderly, hoping to give her some confidence. ‘Just promise to tell me if something’s not right and I’ll fix it.’ He gave her the reins.
‘I’ll do the same for Mason’s harness.’
‘Yeah, sure.’ Ash hitched Bree’s specially rigged baby harness’s thick straps higher onto his shoulders, holding Mason snuggly to his chest. It made it a challenge to climb into the saddle of his own horse. But it was part of the deal.
Yet he could feel everyone watching him. And they were. ‘What?’ He scowled at his brothers.
It wasn’t his first time in a saddle, but it was his first time carrying a child.
For weeks he’d managed to avoid getting this close to the kid, but with the kid strapped to his chest, it was impossible to avoid him now.
Fourteen days to go before the welfare visit. Thankfully, he had the ride to Wombat Flats to keep his mind occupied.
‘I’ll take the lead,’ said Charlie. ‘Bree’s got the rear with our horse plant.’
‘Sorry, how are we planting horses?’ Harper asked with her shoulders high to her ears.
Ash chuckled. ‘A horse plant is what they call a herd of stockhorses.’
‘Back in the day they called the person in charge of the horse plant the horse tailor.’ Charlie nodded at his granddaughter who was sliding on her riding gloves. Bree’s well-worn Akubra sat low on her brow, with her red hair trailing in a thick plait between her shoulders. Just like her grandfather, she had two leather belts on her hips, one full of shotgun shells, the other for her stockwhips.
‘You look like a stockwoman who means business, Bree,’ Dex called out.
‘I’m no stockwoman.’ Bree effortlessly climbed into her saddle as if stepping up a ladder to her big black stallion that was a handsome horse. The redhead looked at home in the saddle that had not one, but two guns in holsters. A rifle and a shotgun. With one hand holding the reins, the other led a long trail of eight stockhorses carrying assorted items. Bree and Charlie’s stockhorses were in excellent condition, bristling with muscles, healthy coats, and manners, compared to the horses Ash and his brothers had scored for this muster.
‘Ash, you keep an eye on Harper,’ warned Bree.
‘I will.’ Ash grinned at Harper, seated awkwardly in her saddle with stiff shoulders and a ramrod straight back. ‘Relax, Harper, this isn’t pony club where you lose points on posture.’ He rolled his shoulders, pleased she was doing the same. The stupid thing was, it took a lot of effort to make it look effortless, considering the baby carrier’s weight. ‘Are you ready to do this?’
‘No.’ She shook her head, and for the first time he glimpsed her true fear.
‘Hey.’ He reached over and patted her leg. He couldn’t lean too far, not with Mason strapped to his chest. ‘You’ve got to get your new hat dirty. Just like Mason.’
He had to admit Mason’s new mustering outfit was cute.
Charlie was right—Bree had shopped for all of them, from dog food, new gloves, sunscreen, neckerchiefs for the dust, spare pairs of sunglasses, she’d also decked out Mason and Harper, who were both wearing new hats. They’d all cheered when little Mason came home wearing denim jeans, boots, and a proper hat, with a swagger to match. He looked like a Riggs.
Now, kicking his little boots that swung from the baby carrier, the kid was raring to go. The cotton harness was low enough to allow his little legs to sit on the saddle, while he was still attached to Ash’s chest. The city folks might not call it safe, but he knew the boy was safe there.
To have Bree on the muster, they needed Harper, who was only here for Mason, and Ash had promised Harper he’d try to spend time with Mason. He just hadn’t expected the kid to be strapped to his chest like this, nor the worry he felt for Mason and Harper’s safety during this muster.
‘You’ll be okay, Harper. You’re gonna love this.’ Ash gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. She could ride a little. But as Ryder said, Harper would have broken her saddle in by the end of this trip.
Charlie gave a whistle, and they were off. Charlie and Ryder were in the lead. Ash and Harper next, then came Cap with his entourage of cattle dogs trotting behind him. Bringing up the rear were Dex and Bree, creating the most dust with the string of horses as they entered the Stoneys.
The Stoneys were unfamiliar territory for Ash and his brothers. They’d only seen this area of the station from Ryder’s chopper, even then it looked like a world of stone.
Ash craned his neck at the tall sandstone structures towering high above them in clusters as they wound through a wide gully where a small creek ambled down the centre. It was part of the run-off from Starvation Dam, with the occasional drip from the morning’s dew fell from above.
Nothing grew here among the sand that muffled the sounds of the horses’ hooves echoing off the walls of stone. The wind whistled as it barrelled around the twists and turns of the stony gully, which grew taller and narrower as they made their way through.
‘It’s like the planet Mars.’ Hand on her hat, Harper’s inquisitive eyes took in all the details. She pointed to the thick walls of solid stone. ‘Look at those colours, the veins in that rock. It’s like ripples you’d find in beach sand.’
‘That’s sandstone,’ explained Charlie, from the horse in front. His voice echoed amid the many shallow caverns and crevices that surrounded them. ‘The wind and the water cause those wavy lines. In the wet season, this whole area is mostly underwater.’
Harper leaned back, arching her slender neck to the sky. ‘Amazing. It’s like coarsely cemented sand.’ She playfully reached out to touch the rocks, that had so many colours, from tan browns, deep reds to soft pinks, through to chalky yellows and creams like sand. ‘It’s pretty.’
Her slender arm stretched wide, while denim brushed against leather in the saddle, as her eyes squinted in the sun. All of her was on show, and it was as if the sun was made to shine down on her like a spotlight. The word stunning wasn’t enough to describe her natural beauty, or that layer of peace that seemed to wash over her. But it exposed a whole new level of beautiful Ash had never encountered before, that only made his heart hammer a little quicker.
‘Look.’ Harper pointed to the top edges of the stone walls that sparkled under the morning sun. ‘What do you call that shiny stone, Charlie?’
‘It’s probably quartz. Or maybe mica. Pyrite. Gold, if you’re lucky.’
‘Gold?’ Ash removed his sunglasses and peered at the stone wall that sparkled like glitter had been sprinkled over it.
Beyond that, more walls of stone opened to deep tombs or winding alleyways that ran in a myriad of directions. ‘Where does that lead to?’ He pointed to the wide alley of rock on his right.
‘Anywhere and everywhere. This place is like a maze,’ said Charlie. ‘You’d get lost in here if you’re not careful. Stick to the path where the water runs. Harper, to go back home always follow where the water runs uphill.’
‘Got it. Thanks, Charlie.’ Her hat’s brim barely dulled the shimmer in her eyes.
Finally, Ash was seeing some excitement in Harper, instead of the fear or boredom he’d seen lately. Harper now showed an open curiosity about the world around her. It was an attractive look on her.
‘Did they mine gold in this area?’
‘Further towards Darwin,’ replied Charlie. ‘Pine Creek was a gold rush town back in the 1800s. These days there are the Tanami Goldfields, or you can go fossicking west of Tennant Creek.’
‘Didn’t you work in the gold mines, Ryder?’ Cap asked from behind them.
‘Nope. Oil and diamonds.’
‘Didn’t you hear?’ called out Dex from the rear. ‘That’s how Ryder made his millions, from pocketing diamonds while on the job.’
‘Finders keepers, boys.’ Ryder spun around to share a grin.
‘Did I just see Ryder smile?’ Bree pulled down her neckerchief. ‘Did everyone else witness that miracle?’
The banter was casual, with no bickering, and for the first time in days, the tension had lifted. The mood grew lighter the deeper they weaved their way through the sandstone canyons.
But then the track got narrower, and Harper pulled her horse to a stop. Her mouth clamped into a knot, and she was stock-still and sombre, raising her arm to point her dainty finger. ‘There is no way I’m going through there.’