LAWSON’S BRUMBIES PROGRESSED quickly. Once they could lead and tie up, load on and off a horse float, graze inside a fenced paddock and pick up all their feet without fuss, Lawson called the buyer and told him the horses were ready.
A man arrived one afternoon in a small horse truck. While Lawson talked to him, Jess slipped a halter around Buddy and led him to the loading ramp. ‘You be good,’ she said, letting the little pale chestnut nuzzle at her hands. ‘You show them what fine horses the tablelands brumbies are.’
She slung the rope over his neck, turned his head towards the opening of the truck and slapped him on the rump. ‘Walk up,’ she said, letting him load himself.
Buddy scrambled quickly up the ramp and walked into the back of the truck. He turned his hindquarters so that he stood alongside the partitions. Jess followed and closed the steel divider beside him, making way for the next horse. Then she tied his halter to the bars on the small window. ‘You have a fun life, Buddy,’ she said, giving him a final pat goodbye.
Corey led the next horse up, and one by one, all six of Lawson’s brumbies were loaded and tethered securely inside the truck. Jess took a last look at them and felt an enormous sense of satisfaction. They were beautiful horses, kind by nature, hardy and athletic.
She cast her mind back to the first day she had met Luke, loping around an arena on a fine black colt he had broken in himself, a mixed-up kid full of aggro and confusion. These brumbies would soon sort out another bunch of mixed-up kids at Lawson’s friend’s clinic.
They know everything you’re thinking. They just mirror what you do.
Lawson joined her at the fence as the truck pulled out of the driveway and rolled down the road. ‘Hear from Luke yet?’
‘Yeah, only for a minute, then the phone cut out,’ said Jess. ‘There’s no reception down there.’
‘Tell me about it,’ said Lawson, sounding annoyed. ‘What’s he doing, is he coming back?’
Jess shrugged. ‘He told me he’d be back by next school holidays.’
‘He said the same to me,’ said Lawson. ‘But I just got a call from TAFE. He’s been making enquiries about transferring his farrier’s apprenticeship to a college down there.’
Jess looked at Lawson with her mouth open.
‘He didn’t tell you either, did he?’ Lawson looked unimpressed. ‘Sorry to bring bad news, kid.’ He turned and walked back to the house.
Jess stood alone, staring up the road. She could still hear the fading engine of the horse truck, grinding its gears as it made its way around the bends in the road.
Jess sat under the big coachwood tree, staring gloomily through the fence rails at Luke’s miserable-looking brum–bies. The foal was a sooty dun, or buckskin. There was nothing pretty about him – he looked as though he had been rolled in dirt – but he was a nice enough type and would probably make a good station horse.
‘Maybe we should wean that colt,’ said Corey, sitting beside her. ‘Must be a yearling. Be impossible to handle him with his mad mother nearby.’
‘And what about the two mares?’
‘Bush ‘em somewhere. We’ll never get them broke. They’re too old, too wild.’
‘Blakely Downs.’
‘Or down at Luke’s place.’
‘You mean Matty’s Creek,’ said Jess. She glared at Corey. ‘This is Luke’s place, here.’
Corey looked slightly bewildered. ‘Whatever . . . Has he put in any fences yet?’
‘How would I know?’ said Jess. ‘He doesn’t tell me anything. I can’t even reach him on the phone.’
‘Let’s get the poor things into a paddock. Then at least they can eat some grass,’ he said. ‘Come on, I’ll help you.’
Jess and Corey spent what was left of the day setting up a brumby paddock for Sapphire’s mares. They chose one with lots of trees and checked over all the electric wiring. Finally, Jess and Opal led them out of the yard and down the laneway. They followed warily, eyes rolling all over the place. Once inside the paddock, Jess led Opal around the fenced boundary and then took her to the trough for a drink. Finally, she unbuckled the filly’s halter and released her with the mares.
‘Look, they’re grazing already,’ said Corey. ‘Bet that tastes good.’
The chestnut mare ran her nose along the ground and took mouthfuls of grass. The bay and her foal followed.
‘I just hope they don’t gallop through the fences.’
‘They’ve had a good look at them,’ said Corey. ‘One zap and they’ll soon learn they can’t go through them.’
Jess watched them a while longer before feeling satisfied they wouldn’t hurt themselves. Back at the stables, Dodger was still saddled. Jess vaulted onto him, then took Opal’s rope and led her alongside.
As she rode out the gate, Jess turned back to Corey. ‘I’ll try and get a message to Luke. See what he wants to do with them.’
Corey nodded and closed the gate for her.
She rode home along the river flats in the dark, crossing creeks and brushing through the long grass. She took a long detour up to Mossy Mountain and Dodger picked his way over the windy trail as though it were broad daylight. Jess marvelled at how well horses could see at night.
At the top, she looked out over the valley at the sparsely scattered lights of the farm houses. A cool southerly caressed her face. She pulled her phone from her saddlebags and sent a text message to Luke.
I think you should come and get the brumby mares.