‘Up at five am, girls, and a long day tomorrow selecting horses and gear and then riding them, in the yard for the first go and then out down the track. I hope you’ve been riding or you’re going to have sore bums tomorrow. Goodnight.’
I liked the chorus of cheery responses.
As I walked over to my quarters, the moon was rising, so I stopped at the stockyard rail and watched it climb.
It was my favourite thing of the West.
When I was a kid and doing a man’s work on the family property, I was set night watch on a muster, just like the men. It was lonely and, at first, a bit scary, until the moon rose, especially when it was a full one. It was a constant, always there for me and it became my friend, and it had always been my friend, even in the city. When my parents were killed in a bushfire, the last thing at night was to look at the moon if he was around. He was a friend for me, whatever might have been done to me.
As I watched tonight’s moon, a figure moved in beside me.
It was Tessa, looking up also.
‘It’s the same moon as at home, Bart, and it helps me be at home here too. It’s nice to haff something to share with someone, so far from my home. Goodnight.’
She was a nice little girl.
****
None of the girls had had any jillarooing experience. They could all ride, and a couple were familiar with cows, but riding skills were the thing so, after a bit of riding around the yards, I took them for a long ride out into the bush, only pulling up at lunchtime.
I asked for a volunteer to start a fire for the billy and Marion Parker built a nice fire, using rocks to support the billy and we sat around with our corned beef sandwiches and the black tea that can only be brewed properly in the bush, in old billies. Marion did the lot and I thought that she might be the find of the group. The others paid close attention to her.
When the tea was brewed Marion served Tessa and herself and then put the billy back on the fireplace, leaving the rest of us to help ourselves. Tessa and the others looked surprised. Tessa jumped to her feet and served the others.
I watched for jealousy or bitchiness out of that little episode but it seemed that these were all nice girls, willing to help each other.
I asked about tender rears and a few confessed.
As we rode back, very slowly, I tried to talk to each one in turn or in pairs.
Marion Parker was a big square girl and seemed to know her way around a horse and a cow. She might have had some aboriginal blood in her. But she said that all she knew was from growing up with her family on a cattle station where her father was a stockman. She’d never been taught anything, which was why she was here.
Later, when I dropped back, Tessa ranged up beside Marion and rode close beside her until we reached home. Tessa had a lot of questions from what I could see.
It was late afternoon and I wandered among them, watching them work on their horses, correcting where necessary. Marion and Tessa worked together and turned their horses out together. Then they walked to the quarters together and I head Marion say, ‘Let’s have tea together, Tessa? I’m sure you’re a better cook than I am.’
I watched. Tessa agreed. Not enthusiastically, I thought.
I went to my place and thought about all that for a while, then went to the big fridge and took a piece of steak from it, got some bread and butter and knocked on the door of their quarters.
Tessa opened the door and gave me a big smile, hand flying near to her mouth.
I said, ‘I’m a lonely stockman looking for some company. Is there room for one more steak on your stove?’
Tessa said, ‘Of course, Bart. You’re welcome any time. Let me cook it for you and you can share my onions and potatoes. Did you bring a beer for yourself? We don’t have any.’
I looked across at Marion, who was not pleased. Tessa chattered away as she cooked but Marion was silent and I caught a bad look once or twice.
Tessa was a good cook so, as payment, I insisted on doing the washing up.
As I made ready to depart, Tessa came to me and said quietly, ‘The moon again tonight, Bart? May I share it?’
So we walked out to the horse yard fence and the spectacle was just beginning.
Tessa and I watched in silence for a while. She moved very close to me and occasionally looked back at her quarters. I thought ‘Marion’ and then I turned to her and asked, ‘Tess. Do you know about lesbians?’
She turned quickly and her eyes were big in the moonlight.
‘Oh, yes! You mean Marion? Coming onto me?’
‘Could be?’
‘What do I do?’
‘Go inside now and tell her that it’s not on and, if necessary you’ll report her to me. I’ll wait out here.’
She left like a flash and I heard a fairly loud conversation, but not the words.
Tessa came out quickly. ‘She says she’s been in love with me since first meeting me and can’t resist it. That was quick! I’m a bit afraid, Bart. Please help me? I don’t want this. I was friendly to her because I thought I could learn lots from her. She tried to kiss me just now. She said I’d change my mind.’
‘Go to my quarters and lock the door. Use my shower, and borrow a pair of my pyjamas and sleep in my bed, Tessa. I’ll find somewhere to camp. I’ll look after you. You’ll be safe.’
I walked to the homestead and knocked loudly.
Jim came to the door.
‘We have a lesbian with us, Jim and she’s already come onto one of the girls. She has to go. I’ll drive her into Charleville tonight, if you agree.’
‘Who?’
‘Marion Parker.’
‘Who’d she come onto?’
‘Not saying.’
‘Fair enough. Then I think I can guess. Let’s go and see her now. This can lead to all sorts of troubles. Are you sure?’
‘I’m a cop, remember, Jim. Yes. I’m sure.’
‘Was Tes… the other girl harmed?’
‘Nope, but only because I nipped it in the bud, so to speak, and was just outside. Tess suspected but didn’t know what to do. Of course she didn’t and that’s exactly why I’m here.’
Jim said, ‘Don’t you do anything. I have to sack her and refund her money and see her safely to the town. I’ll drive her. Tomorrow. You keep up the instruction.’
Jim acted swiftly very early the next morning and Marion was gone before she knew it, or before the other girls were aware.
They asked me where she’d gone and I replied, ‘Deemed unsuitable’.
Tessa watched me throughout the day with very wide green eyes but she did all the work, very well. Sometimes green eyes, sometimes blue. Fascinating.
I think she was going to make a good jillaroo. I hoped she’d find some Shorthorns to chase, back home in Europe.
That night, as we watched the moon, I said, ‘You didn’t need Marion, Tessa. I’ll teach you all you need to know, out here.’
The lovely jillaroo looked up at me with her perfect eyes and said, ‘I’m wondering whether I should go home, Bart? I thought I’d be safe in this wonderful country. But now I wonder. I didn’t expect that.’
My heart dropped a little.
‘Don’t go home, Tess. Please don’t feel threatened? What happened was not normal. I’ll protect you, Tessadonna. That’s part of my job. I’ll look after you, I promise.’
She put her hand on my arm. Her eyes were sparkling, even in the moonlight.
‘Now I really do feel safe, Barton. Thank you. I think I’ll stay.’ And went to her room.
Why did I feel relieved all of a sudden?
8.
The work continued and I got as much fun out of it as the girls. They were a cheery lot and went at it vigorously. Some of the tasks were hard for young girls, beyond their strength in many cases.
They had to rope and then tackle calves and then progress up to strong yearlings. I sat them on the yard fence and then shepherded the calves around the perimeter fence. My girls would sit on the fence with a rope, try to rope a calf, pull it back, and then dive down to embrace its head and twist it to the ground. It required timing and strength and more often than not the calf walked away, free and easy, with the jillaroo lying exactly where the animal should have been. There was some frustration and some language was emerging. The Princess was not above that but ‘bloody’ was the strongest she could muster. Frequently she’d utter what I thought was a German word but I wasn’t educated enough to know if it was an epithet. Sounded like it.
I watched for signs of their giving up but they were determined, and kept at it until the success rate increased. Of course, the calves were growing all the time and the girls had a ton of fun handling it. Then they had to muster the cattle in the yard, heading them towards the gate. They did that on foot and then on horseback. On foot, I had to jump in to protect the odd jillaroo facing the odd ill-tempered cow but nobody was hurt. It was strenuous and, at night, after tea, there was not a sound from the quarters, except heavy breathing. But they stuck at it.
Naturally, Tessa was my focus and she performed well. I was quietly proud of her.
One moon night I asked her how this love for Australia had come about.
‘I was doing a project on Austria at University and pulled down this book that I thought would help. When I opened it I found that it was about Australia, a country I’d barely heard of. I started to read it and stayed until I finished it. I was fastened, is that what you say?’
‘Hooked, I think.’
‘Yes, hooked. So many different terms. Then I was obsessed with the big spaces and the horses. I knew I had to get here, pestered my family, so here am I arrived!’
She was cute.
I took them out to a paddock, a big paddock, and two of them and I mustered the cattle that were scattered in the scrub and then guided them back to the yard. The cattle had been out some time and were fractious and there were many mistakes, but the girls won in the end. I sat back a lot.
And then two more with me helping them. One was Tessa and we got the cattle back easily, with me hardly helping at all. Tessa was glowing.
Jim and Linda came out to watch these last exercises which were pretty well the final examination for the girls. They all passed and there was no prouder bloke on horseback that afternoon than Senior Sergeant Barton Corrigan. But what now for Tessadonna?
She was thrilled, face shining, until we met for our regular moonlight view. This night there was no moon. That had happened before but we still met. Her face was very sad and, as she looked at me, her lovely eyes were moist. As she left to go to her quarters, she suddenly lifted up, kissed me on the cheek and hurried away. We hadn’t spoken a word.
The next day would be the final journey into the bush, searching out wild scrubbers, holding them overnight and then mustering them back to the yard. The hardest task for last.
Then I would have to tell her that I was a cop and I knew she was a Princess and, together, we had to make a decision about her future. From little comments she’d made over the months, my guess was that she wanted to stay in Australia and be a jillaroo.
****
It seemed that my lovely girls had forgotten all they’d been taught. They’d handled scrubbers a few days ago but these were wild ones, and plenty of them. The girls had no teamwork, as if it had all deserted them suddenly. They got in each other’s way and some bushie’s language was flying.
Finally, come lunchtime, I set up the billy and called them in for a feed. The cattle, now not being chased, stood mystified. Everyone, chasers and chased, needed a spell.
I sat them down in the shade and served out the tea and grub. Everyone was very quiet.
Tess got up to go somewhere and had only walked a few paces when she gave a yelp and called, ‘Snake, Bart! A snake bit me!’
She fell to the ground clutching her leg.
I ran to her and beyond her saw a big brown snake turning and lifting to attack her again. I headed for it, waving my arms, picked up a big stick and smashed it truly on the head, flattening it.
I knelt to Tessa. Keep her calm is the watchword.
I took out my knife and sliced her trouser leg. There were two good-size fang marks. I got in her way. I didn’t want her to see them. The snake had got her badly, through her jeans. She was moaning a little, watching me with big trusting eyes.
‘I trod on it, Bart. It was horrible!’
I snapped at the nearest girl, ‘Elastic bandage in my left saddle-bag, quickly! You other girls, leave your water with us and ride fast to the homestead. It’s that direction in case you’ve forgotten,’ pointing. ‘Tell Linda or Jim what’s happened and tell them it’s a big brown snake, and I’ve got it. They’ll know what to do.’
I wrapped Tessa’s leg very tightly until she complained.
‘It has to be this way, Tess, to slow the poison. Sorry. Now be calm, Tessadonna. I’m very experienced in these things and I’ll look after you. Let’s get comfortable?’