Chapter 5

The Round-Up

THE NEXT WEEK WAS SPENT preparing for the arrival of the wild ponies. While Vicki and Kelly were at school and Amanda was at kindy, their parents would drive to the mountain to repair the yards there, to make sure they were sturdy enough to hold the wild horses. In the evenings Vicki and her sisters would help by getting the neighbours’ stockyards ready.

“Vicki, come over here and hold this rail level so I can nail it in,” her dad called.

In the next yard over, Kelly helped her mum fill up water troughs — old blue drums sawed in half especially for the wild horses to drink from. And it was Amanda’s job to collect any large rocks and toss them under the fence. They didn’t want the wild ponies to get stone bruises on their hooves.

“Mum, what happens if the wild horses don’t want to be caught?” Kelly asked. “Maybe they like living on the mountain.”

After giving the question some serious thought, Mum answered. “The lady desperately needs them gone, and if we don’t take them, someone else will. At least if they come home with us we know they’ll get lots of love.”

Nodding her head in agreement, Kelly giggled. “Lots of love — and lots of hand-picked grass.”

Soon everything was ready, and the Saturday of the big round-up finally arrived. Piling into their little green and red horse truck, the family headed up to the mountain.

At the old yards, which were off to one side of the crater, some friends of the family were already waiting to help with the muster. Dad quickly took charge and outlined his plan.

“Vicki, you stay under the trees over there and look after your sisters while we round up the horses.”

Vicki was annoyed at being left behind. “I’m happy to help. Why can’t I join in on the action?”

Distracted, her dad pointed to the tree-line. “Trees. Now.”

Slinking off, Vicki grabbed her sisters’ hands. “Come on, we’ll make our own fun.”

As soon as all the adults had set off to round up the wild ponies, Vicki challenged her sisters to a tree-climbing competition.

“We’ll have a much better view from up high,” she said. Grabbing a branch, she swung herself up into a tree and waited for her sisters to join her. Kelly quickly followed, but Amanda was too little to reach the lowest branch.

“Hang on a second,” said Vicki as she jumped out of the tree and got down onto her hands and knees. “Climb on my back.”

Soon all three sisters were in the tree. Amanda carefully settled herself on the lowest branch while Vicki and Kelly climbed higher.

“The ponies are coming!” cried Amanda.

Unable to see through the leaves, Vicki quickly scurried back down. “Can you see my chestnut?”

“I can’t tell, there’s heaps of chestnuts!”

Settling on the branch beside Amanda, Vicki and Kelly watched the first herd of horses canter into the yards. Among them were the palomino stallion and his grey mare and foal. Behind them, Vicki watched as her mum rushed forward to shut the gate. The chestnut was nowhere to be seen.

Jumping out of the tree, she hurried over to her parents, distraught.

“What if the chestnut’s hiding in the trees again and you can’t find him?”

“We’ll find him eventually, I’m sure,” her dad replied. He moved off to herd the ponies into the back yard, and reopened the main gate for more horses to come through.

Vicki watched as they set off in search of the chestnut, the only pony they still needed to find. Returning to the tree to wait with her sisters, she snapped small twigs off the branches blocking her view.

“Stop fiddling,” Kelly snapped.

“I’ve made so many plans about how to win the chestnut’s trust and all the shows we’re going to do together, but what happens if he can’t be caught?”

“Killing the tree is not going to help.”

Yawning, Amanda stretched her arms. “Why don’t we think of names for our ponies? Otherwise I might fall asleep.”

“Great idea,” Kelly said. “What about Lava for the chestnut? He’s the right colour and he lives on a volcano.”

“What’s lava?” Amanda asked.

“Something I learnt about at school. You know, it’s the hot rock that comes out when a volcano erupts.”

“That’s a stupid name for a stallion,” Vicki grumbled. “Besides, I can’t choose a name until I get to know his personality. Or if he’s even going to be mine.”

Over half an hour passed, and Vicki became more and more despondent. Below her, Amanda and Kelly chased each other through the trees, playing hide and seek. Then a movement caught her eye, and in the distance she saw another group of ponies approaching.

“Amanda, Kelly!” she called. “Keep still so you don’t scare the ponies.”

Watching urgently, she kept an eye out for the chestnut. She froze when she saw his unmistakable white blaze.

Soon more than twenty horses paced frantically around the yards, and the sorting process began. Vicki watched anxiously as her pony was sorted into a yard by himself. Next the palomino stallion and the grey mare and her foal were drafted out into another yard, and then the main gate was opened and the rest of the horses were set free. Leaping through the gate, they galloped across the crater, desperate to put distance between themselves and the people who had kept them captive.

Stressed, the chestnut stallion whinnied, his loud, piercing cry filling the air as he called out to the fleeing horses. Sweat broke out on his coat and his eyes gleamed fire. A deep feeling of pity filled Vicki as she watched the stallion pace within the confinement of the fences. She could never have dreamed a horse could have so much spirit, and she desperately hoped she would be able to tame him.

In the next yard over, the palomino stallion stood alert but calm. Vicki turned to Kelly.

“Maybe I chose the wrong pony,” she whispered.

Patting her on the leg, Kelly shook her head.

“You’re the bravest rider of us all. Ever since you were little you rode Twinkle and Charlie when they were being naughty, and before that, Samson and Bella,” she said, rattling off the names of all the horses they’d owned. “Even Cardiff misbehaved when you got him, and you trained him into the perfect pony. You’ll be fine.”

Unable to shake her doubts, Vicki watched the ponies get herded onto the waiting horse truck. It would be the chestnut’s last time roaming on the volcanic mountain. Taming him was going to be a big challenge.