They Found a Cave (3 page)

Cherry restored order in time, and soothed the indignant milkers with a nibble of orange peel from her pocket. Angela was fastened by her collar to enjoy her dish of bran, while Lily sprang to the milking-table in her place. Cherry slipped the small bucket under her, and with deft fingers drew down a stream of milk and froth into it.

‘Lily's giving a good drop of milk,' she called above the noise, and Jandie nodded.

‘You milk the same way as I do,' she remarked.

‘Brick doesn't, then. He looks so funny when he milks—like riding a horse backwards, Jandie. But he gets the juice all right.'

‘I told him that's the way the girls milk the goats in Norway. I've seen them. Have you finished? Come and let's look at the kids.'

They gazed with pleasure through the rails of the yard where Rufty and Tufty, the twins, were butting each other up and down a log. High they stood on their thick legs, as though on tip-toe, and the white of their coats was more dazzling than that of any newborn lamb.

‘Pure-bred Saanen, Cherry. Notice the ears—they never stand up like that except in the pure-bred goats. Even little Sunny Jim who is
nearly
all Saanen—look at him now! One ear up and the other at half-mast.'

Cherry glanced uneasily at the full milk bucket, for it was Jandie's strict rule that milk must be taken straight to the dairy and strained. ‘Shall I take this down first?' she asked.

‘Oh, the milk!' Jandie still gazed at the kids. ‘Yes, come back after. I want to tell you something.'

As Cherry sped away her aunt watched her thoughtfully, then stared away absently at some goats who were nibbling the red shoots of a sapling. She was wondering how much she should tell Cherry of the reason why she must go away in a few days' time. She did not want to mention the pain that came and went, only to return again. The pain was so bad at times that she could no longer stoop even to milk her precious goats. Nor did she want to think of the operation which might have to be. For the first time she was wishing she had not persuaded her twin sister in England to send the children to the safety of the Tasmanian bush when war broke out. It would be different, she sighed, if there were anyone better than the Pinners to leave in charge. However, she reflected, in these days you were lucky to get anyone at all who knew their job, and she was a good cook and he certainly seemed excellent with sheep.

‘What about the salt lick for the mothers?' Cherry called as she returned.

‘Yes, put it out for them, please.' Jandie watched the big brownish rock placed in the yard and then she said abruptly, ‘I'm going away next week, Cherry, I'm going to leave you in charge of the goats. Do you think you can manage? I've got jobs for the boys, too, all except Nippy.'

‘Well, he can do the cats. He does them anyhow.'

‘Yes,' Jandie smiled, ‘so he does. But your job isn't
only
the milking. It's complete charge, feeding, bedding, turning them out each day, and cleaning the sheds. Oh, and it's setting the milk, skimming the cream, and making butter and cheese when you can.'

‘What about Mrs. Pinner? She won't like…'

‘Never mind Mrs. Pinner! She will do the house and get the meals for you all as usual, that's all. I'll explain to her exactly.'

‘Do you mean, Jandie, that you—that you'll be gone long?'

‘I hope not, dear. I don't think so.' Again the worried look came on Jandie's face. ‘When I was your age, Cherry, I didn't know what responsibility was. You children have had more than I like already, but—I may be delayed. I expect I have to go to Melbourne. If anything keeps me remember the goats are your job entirely. It's a big trust. Do what you and the boys think best, and never mind if things do go wrong sometimes…What's this I'm saying? Of course I'll probably be home again within a week. But just in case…Oh, and don't let a mail go out without writing to Mother and Dad, will you?'

‘'Course not!' Cherry swung a leg over the top rail and sitting on the top grinned down at her aunt. ‘You think you've bluffed me, don't you, Jandie? But you haven't. I know quite well why you are really going away.'

‘Oh,
do
you?' For a moment Jandie looked quite startled; then she recovered herself and laughed.

‘Yes,' crowed Cherry. ‘We've been wondering what was on your mind lately. You're not very clever at hiding things I'm afraid, Jandie. Mother could show you! Of course since her letter came we guessed what's up.
You are trying to get us all away to boarding schools
, aren't you?'

‘Am I?' said Jandie. ‘Well, now you mention it, you will have to be educated some day, I suppose. You can't grow up like savages.'

‘Why not, when there's a war on? Now me—I'm not a bit keen on school. Why not let me stay and help with the goats, and send Tas instead? He's clever, and he says he wishes he'd had more schooling.'

‘Tas clever? Somehow I never pictured him as a bookworm.'

‘Ah, but he might be. He says he never had a chance.'

‘Umm? Never had a chance? Well, perhaps he hasn't. I'm afraid, though, his education isn't our affair. Still I'll have a chat about him with Mrs. Pinner some day. I think a lot of that boy. And don't any of you get too worked up about school, it won't be till after Christmas. This side of the world the long summer holidays include Christmas, did you know that? Now, come on. We'd better go in.'

They strolled towards the house by way of the vegetable garden. The scent of the broad bean flowers rivalled that of the violets over the fence, and in the long paddock beyond Nigel could be seen cutting lucerne with a billhook. They mooched towards him, absorbed as usual in discussing the goats.

Suddenly from the opposite direction came Nippy running full pelt, both hands clasped on the seat of his brief trousers.

‘What
is
the matter?' Jandie cried, stopping him.

‘Sat on nan
NANT
'
S
NEST
!' he yelled. ‘Ow! Ooh! Ow! I'm not crying, though—am I, Cherry?—Ow!'

Cherry examined him carefully; wet drops forced their way down his red cheeks. ‘Well…' she hesitated, ‘I don't know, Nippy, but I'm afraid you
are.
'

‘I'm not! I'm
not
!' he screamed. ‘How can I help what my eyes do?
I
'
m
not crying, I say!'

He would have rushed off again, but Jandie held him. ‘Good lad, you'll do,' she said. ‘Were they bull ants or black jacks? Quick, someone! Fetch a bracken root. The juice will take away the pain.'

Near the back door was a sandy patch where a few of the original bracken ferns still clung to life. Both Cherry and Brick, who had followed his brother, raced for them as Jandie took Nippy inside. They passed Mrs. Pinner's great bulk blocking the storehouse door, and heard her muttering to herself as she watched them.

‘Lot o' fuss! What's an ant sting, anyways? Should hev looked first where he sat down, the little fool. Do 'im good…'

Brick overheard her words as he searched for his pocket knife to cut the fern.

‘Oh?' he called back, his grey eyes gleaming with temper. ‘It was a lot of fuss, wasn't it, when that bee stung
you
the other day.'

‘Ssh!' Cherry whispered, pulling at his sleeve, ‘don't get her going! Jandie's going away and we'll be alone with her next week.'

‘I don't care!' He lifted his voice again and cried, ‘I only hope you get a dozen bee stings on your nose.'

‘Oh, Brick! She's furious now,' gasped Cherry. ‘Listen to her!'

‘…so I'll
not
tell your aunt how rude you speak to me
this
time,' Mrs. Pinner was calling, evidently in the hope that her employer would overhear; and then she added in a nasty low undertone for Brick's especial benefit, ‘But just you wait, you young larry! I'll take it out of your hide—after next week.'

‘There Brick! What did I tell you?'

‘Oh—let her try,' said Brick stoutly, as he dashed away with the fern for Nippy's sting.

There had been rain in the night and then, clean washed and fresh, the earth steamed gently in the morning's sunshine. It was a day to make anyone glad; but they were not glad as they watched the old car lurch down the track with Jandie in it. Something flapped at the side like a handkerchief, probably a torn piece of the hood, for they knew it was not Jandie's way to look back or wave good-byes. A group of blue gums at the corner soon swallowed car and all from sight.

‘Well,' enquired Nippy at last, since nobody seemed inclined to move or speak, ‘shall we play “kangas”?'

No one bothered to answer him. At last Tas spoke with a shake of his head, ‘Wonder when we'll see her again?'

‘Oh,' Cherry replied with some importance, ‘I know, I had a talk with Jandie about her plans. Of course she
might
not be back next week, but I think she will.'

‘Wot's she going for?'

‘Oh, business and that. And to fix up about beastly schools.'

‘Huh! That's wot she give
you.
She didn't tell my Ma that.'

‘Oh?' They all stared at Tas, disturbed by his tone. ‘What did she say, then?'

‘Oh, well…I'm not sure. I dunno…I reckon,' he glanced uneasily at anxious faces turned towards him, ‘it's jest I heard something Ma said last night. She don't think yer aunt'll be back for a long time…an' I'd keep out of Ma's way, if I was
you
, Brick.'

‘I shan't, then. Why should I? Does she think because Jandie's away a few days she's going to boss us all about?'

‘As a matter of fact I reckon she do think something of the sort.'

‘Humph! Then there's another think coming to her when Jandie gets back. She'll lose her job, won't she, Nig?'

‘
That
don't bother her—nor him neither. They're goin' to leave anyhow. Got it all fixed.'

For a few moments there was no sound except from Nippy, busy scratching drawings of animals on the wet sand of the track.

‘Then,' said Nigel very slowly, ‘why didn't they tell Jandie that before she went away?'

Tas wriggled uncomfortably, and kicked a piece of wood with the patched toe of his boot. ‘Oh—I dunno,' he muttered.

‘Yes, you do,' Nigel insisted. ‘They think they're going to have a grand time now she's gone—boss us about and make us work for them—that's right, isn't it, Tas?' And then he demanded fiercely, ‘
Tas
,
are you on our side?
'

‘Yes, I am. 'Course I am! Wot do you think? Would I have split on them to you all if I wasn't?'

But Cherry shook her head. ‘How can he be? It's his own mother!' she put in quickly.

‘I am, jest the same,' Tas repeated firmly. ‘She's never bin like a mother to me—see? And he's not my Dad. My own Dad…died.'

‘Then Tas, what's going to happen?'

‘Reckon I know. They'll clear out before Jandie returns, but they guess that won't be this side of Christmas. They git a share in the lambs, see, so they don't want to hurry too much. When they reckon your aunt's coming back they walk out one day with no notice at all and leave me behind to do the explaining. I know…it happened before, see? Not that I'd go with them this time, nor never again.'

‘Well, I'm—I'm—they
can
'
t
, Tas!'

‘Yeah, that's about the strength of it. And I reckon you'd all do best to watch out now—'specially Brick.'

‘But—what can we
do
, Tas?'

‘I dunno. Keep what I've told you under your hat of course, and don't go lookin' fer trouble. It may work out all right, if your aunt gits home soon, and they don't git at no drink.'

‘What?'

‘Yeah, that's sure to start trouble, see? Hullo! She's begun yellin' fer me already. Look! Git up to Hollow Tree, quick! Wait there till I come. I'll tell her you've all gone after them goats. I reckon I can work something.'

Tas sped away to the Homestead, joining them later at Hollow Tree. They watched him bounding up with bulging pockets which he patted lovingly.

‘We've struck lucky,' he panted. ‘Look here! Enough tucker fer us all. I'm told off to find some sheep for them. She said to cut meself some bread and cheese, but
you
would git nothing because you cleared out. So I brought your dinners, too. I kidded her it would take all day to find them sheep, though I reckon I know jest where they'll be. So now we can all make tracks for the day. Like to come up the mountain with me and take a look at those caves?'

Quite suddenly it became a day to rejoice in after all.

 

The climb was steep from the start, and though Nippy's legs were sturdy they were short, so it was taken gently with plenty of rests on fallen tree-trunks and boulders. Towards the top the weather-beaten rock frowned down in great cliffs which bulged outward. It seemed impossible to climb higher, but always Tas pointed out a way until they stood right under the rock wall which had streaks of orange sand in the few cracks which scarred its face.

‘Like a spell?' Tas asked, and thankfully they rested. The air was pungent with strange scents crushed from the wild shrubs they had trodden underfoot. It was a day dreamy with sunshine and early spring. A bird flew out near them, hung over space a moment, and dropped like a stone, dwindling to the size of a sparrow.

‘See him?' Tas asked. ‘That was a wedgetail eagle. Got a nest up on those rocks along there. Can you see it?'

Their eyes were too untrained to distinguish the pile of sticks and bones from the ledge upon which it rested, but they were properly impressed when told it was one of the largest eagles in the world.