They Found a Cave Page 2

  ‘Come on,’ called Cherry impatiently, ‘let’s start! Nippy can have two homes as he’s little.’

  ‘I’m not little. I’m big for my age. Jandie told you so today, Cherry.’

  Nigel held out a fist. ‘Draw a twig,’ he said. ‘The one with the shortest goes gorilla. Is that fair?’

  An hour or two passed with everyone absorbed in playing the new game. It suited well the ridge on the mountain side, with places of concealment behind every log and boulder. Then Brick noticed Ma Pinner in the yard below, and the game stopped abruptly. Both gorilla and kangas left their hiding-places to collect again at Hollow Tree and peer down at the Homestead.

  ‘Bet it’s me she’s after,’ groaned Tas. ‘A chap never gits any peace and that’s a fact. Bonza game, too. Gosh! I’d like to play it up there—see?—up there!’ He jerked his head towards the heights above, where the tranquil afternoon showed up the high summit with splits and clefts in the rock making dark hollows.

  ‘Why up there? Isn’t this far enough to have to climb on a hot day?’ the others demanded.

  ‘Yeah, but there’s caves up there. Masses and masses of ’em—make the finest “kanga” homes you ever saw.’

  ‘Listen, Tas!’ Cherry interrupted. ‘It is you Ma wants.’

  Tas peeped down, frowning. His mother was shouting for him in no uncertain voice. He spat deliberately, turned away and finished what he was saying. ‘Yeah. Caves up there—lots of them in the sandstone. All sorts and sizes, but a real bushranger lived in one, long time ago. No, Nippy, you can’t see it proper from here, but I swear I’ll take you up there one day…’

  He broke off again as another summons rang round the hills, then muttered angrily, ‘Oh, well… best go down, I suppose.’

  ‘Why must you,’ Nigel asked bluntly, ‘since Jandie gave you the time off? I just wouldn’t hear her.’

  ‘What would be the good of that with Ma? You don’t know ’er like I do…never hear the end of it…Must be near tea-time, too.’ He scowled as he got up, and kicked a loose rock fiercely over the edge.

  ‘Will you put the sign out if we have to come, too? We’ll watch for it.’

  In sympathetic silence they saw him go down, taking his lanky frame like a shadow through the trees.

  ‘Isn’t it queer,’ Cherry said at last, ‘isn’t it impossible that Old Awful is his mother? It doesn’t seem right, somehow.’

  ‘He can’t stand her any more than we can.’ Brick rubbed his tuft of straight hair, which would never lie flat, thoughtfully. ‘I expect he’s an adopted, or a changeling, or a something, don’t you, Nig?’

  ‘I don’t know. Pa Pinner’s bad enough, but he’s only a stepfather. Tas doesn’t pretend to like him, but he’s not dead scared of him like he is of his mother—have you noticed?’

  ‘Well, no wonder! She’s such a beast to him. Fancy a mother…’ Brick’s voice trailed indignantly away, and they fell silent again for a moment, thinking of another mother and father, twelve thousand miles away—they were so different…

  The afternoon was still. Sunlight shimmered lazily along the downward-pointing gum leaves and wrung a spicy scent from the curls of bark on the ground. A curious lizard flicked his tail, posing as a miniature dragon until Nippy poked at him with a stick and made him scuttle.

  ‘When did you first begin to like him?’ enquired Cherry, still puzzling over the problem of their friend Tasman. ‘Was it when you found how awful they were to him? That’s when I did. I couldn’t understand him when we first came here—the way he talked, the things he said or anything. He didn’t like us much either, did he?’

  ‘Gosh, no!’ Brick answered, laughing freely. ‘Why, remember the fights almost every day when he called us “Pommies”—and all that? And when he laughed at the way we did things, and at all the things we didn’t know—like when we were afraid all the time of meeting snakes, even in winter?’

  ‘Yes, and he still thinks we’re rather mad, you know,’ said Nigel, his eye on two figures down in the yard, one so fat and the other lean as a fence dropper. ‘He told me he’d never heard such queer names as we had, especially “Nigel”. When I told him “Brick” was really short for Brickenden, and ‘‘Nippy” for Anthony, I thought he’d be sick on the spot.’

  ‘But doesn’t he think “Tasman” is a funny name?’

  ‘No, he doesn’t; I asked him. He thinks it’s all right because he lives in Tasmania, and that’s named after a Dutch chap who discovered it called Abel Jansoon Tasman, he says.’

  ‘What about tea?’ Nippy demanded, thumping the ground to gain some attention. ‘Why don’t we go down—or else play again?’

  ‘Shush, Nippy!’

  ‘I won’t “shush”, Cherry, and you can’t make me, either!’

  ‘Oh, shut up, Nippy! There’s Tas making for the washing line now. Let’s see what he signals.’

  They held to the roots of Hollow Tree and leaned far out to see the signal flags better. Three tea towels were being rapidly pegged out on the washing line.

  ‘Three,’ counted Nippy with great satisfaction. ‘That means “all well—come down” doesn’t it? Tea must be ready—see?’

  ‘Wait a bit,’ said Cherry, pointing to Tas still busy at the line. ‘It’s “three” all right, but see what he’s doing? He’s tying a knot in the middle one. Poor old Tas! He says “Ma’s got her wool in a knot” which means she’s in a bad temper. We’d better hurry down and help him, hadn’t we?’

  2

  Aunt Jandie’s Departure

  Jandie was behaving rather strangely, Cherry considered. Once she disturbed a game of ‘kangas’ merely to get Brick to trim the hooves of the old goat Pansy. The nails were slightly bent under and cracked, but they would probably have worn themselves right on the rocks in time; besides it was the sort of job she usually trusted to no one but herself.

  Then at milking time, when the herd was filing to the goat-pens, she came and watched Cherry, and never offered to help when one of the young bucks jumped in from the roof causing a great commotion with the milking ladies, Lily and Angela. She just leaned her arms on the high rail of the fence and watched, laughing.

  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.

  3

  Tas Leads an Expedition

  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 ther
e 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.’