Anne Hampson Coolibah Creek [MB 1540] (pdf)

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were etched against a pearl-blue sky, and the mob of cattle against the
side of a long low hill. Stockriders moved in their midst, hard outdoor
men who were happier in the saddle than in a fireside chair. One
stood out suddenly, riding a splendid horse, a spirited horse, suited to
its rider, and as proud as he. Ralph Douglas rode as if he were
moulded to the animal, one with its superbly fashioned body. The
men looked his way as the Boss rode across the spinifex plain. Lena
was fascinated by the sight; it was like looking upon something
unreal, something so superlative that it could not possibly be real.
What kind of a man was he, to stand out like this from all the others?
It was not merely his physique, since there were others as tall and as
sinewed, with faces ochre-bronzed and weather- toughened. No, it
was no mere physical superiority that set the man apart; it was
something from within as well, something inexplicable but vitally
alive for all that. Lena stirred, a restlessness creeping over her; she
remembered feeling like this before, and deciding it had nothing to do
with Stephen--
The horse was still cropping, but she moved, patting the silky neck
before getting astride its back. Stephen had said he might be able to
ride with her sometimes, but at present he was busy, like every other
man who could be spared, with the mustering and branding of the
young cattle. She had seen little of him, but it did not seem to matter;
she was happy, especially as Copper had found her something to do
now and then, as on the day Prissy had been off- colour and the Boss
ordered her back to bed. Lena was up she had risen early from the
very first day, awakened as she was by the jackos in the trees outside
her window and Copper had suggested she lend a hand in cooking
the men's breakfasts. Lena had been more than happy at the idea of
making herself useful and had not made a bad job of cooking
enormous quantities of meat and sausages for the dozen or so
stockmen who came into the outsize kitchen and gathered round the
table. She was perspiring heavily when Ralph appeared at the kitchen
doorway, to give instructions to Copper regarding his grandmother
who had decided to have her breakfast in bed.
'You look all in,' he said to Lena, 'Are you quite happy doing this?'
'Very.' She smiled up at him, at the same time removing damp tendrils
of hair from her forehead. 'I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not used to
idling my time, you see.'
Faintly he smiled, then left the kitchen.
'He'll chalk up a mark in your favour,' predicted Joe, one of the
Aborigines who had been with Ralph ever since he took over from his
grandmother. 'The Boss never misses anything be it good or bad.'
'That's true,' from Ted, one of the two men who had been away when
Lena had arrived. They were both back now, so there were two more
for dinner each evening. 'It's good to have a mark in your favour; it
serves you in good stead when you get a bad one.'
'I've never known you get a bad one, Ted,' said Copper from her place
by the huge wooden sink.
'Well, I'd not be too sure about that,' he returned, looking doubtful. 'I
expect I've made my share of mistakes, same as anyone else.'
Copper had found Lena other jobs after that, one of which was to tidy
up Mrs Douglas's private parlour, a task that had been done by Prissy,
but as the lubra was again unwell Lena had taken on the chore,
making certain that the job was done before the old lady came down
in the morning.
'She'll do her block if she walks in and finds you sweeping or dusting,'
Copper had warned. 'She's old- fashioned, one of those autocratic
types who regard servants as servants even in these enlightened
times. Not that she'd regard you as a servant,' added Copper hurriedly,
realising she might have offended Lena, 'but she detests going into
her room and finding someone working there.'
Becky was trotting happily along the track that lead to the paddock
and Lena, her mind relaxed and her head held high, failed to notice
the numerous small boulders littering the ground, one of which
caused the horse to stumble. Lena came forward, her heart jerking.
The next moment she was on the ground, with Becky standing close,
having righted herself immediately Lena had fallen from her back.
'Oh--My ankle!' She got up but found to her dismay that she could not
put any weight on her left foot. 'What am I going to do--' She stopped,
surprised to see the Boss coming towards her, riding magnificently as
usual, riding fast until, just before reaching her, he wheeled his horse,
bringing it to one side and with a tug on the reins forcing its head
down as it reared, then brought its front legs down again to stand still
as a statue while he sprang from the saddle and went to Lena, asking
what had happened, but giving her no time to answer as he added,
'I was on my way to the house when I saw you, riding nicely along the
gibber track; the next moment you'd fallen. Are you hurt?' His
cornelian blue eyes were already on the foot she was holding from the
ground. 'A sprain?'
'I don't know--' She winced with pain and without more ado he lifted
her up and carried her to a larger boulder lying off the track; he set her
down on it and took hold of her foot, his long brown fingers pressing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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