Jack & Harry (18 page)

George was right. After about forty minutes an ancient vehicle came clattering up to where they were unloading boxes onto the verandah of a corrugated iron building that doubled as a post office, general store and, by the old rusty glass-bowl topped bowser, a petrol garage as well.

Reynold and Nigel waved to them over the top of the windscreen from the front seat of what appeared to be an old Model T Ford. What had once been a tourer had been converted into a rough tray back utility. It had no top, the headlights were broken and the bonnet cowlings were missing. There were three young children perched on the wooden floor at the back.

‘This bloke 'ere me cuzin.' Reynold pointed to the driver as way of introduction but ignored the kids in the back, the boys again noting the lack of name exchange. ‘Trow yer stuff on, we goin' to meet me uncle Warri now. Got good camp out little way.'

They climbed onto the back of the small tray, squeezing in with the kids who avoided looking at them, and the old Ford jerked to a start. About two miles down the red gravelled track Reynold's cousin swung heavily on the steering wheel, hauling the old vehicle onto an almost invisible trail toward a rocky red bluff. Before they saw any habitation the vehicle slowed and stopped.

Reynold turned to them with a serious expression on his face. ‘Yu two fellas jump out 'ere, eh? Wait by that tree there.' He pointed to a stunted mulga offering a little shade. ‘Rennol go in first 'n see uncle Warri. Come back for yu bloke shortly.'

His tone left no room for argument and the boys were mystified as they watched the old car move off through the low scrub and disappear round an outcrop of rocks about half a mile away. They could hear the distant barking of dogs a couple of minutes later so figured that the camp must be just beyond the rocks. They sat on their swags and waited, swatting the ever-present flies from their eyes.

Jack checked his pocket watch, then slipped it back in the pouch. ‘He's been gone nearly forty minutes.'

Harry was about to respond when they heard the old Ford coming and saw the dust cloud rising behind it. It passed, did a U-turn and pulled up beside them, Reynold alone and at the wheel.

‘Come on then,' he shouted as if it was they who were responsible for being there. ‘Jump on, uncle Warri 'e waitin' fer yu.'

They rounded the bluff and drove for a few hundred yards to be met by three dogs running toward them. The boys thought that Reynold would run over them as he didn't slow down but the dogs dodged aside and spun around to chase the car, barking furiously behind it.

‘This uncle Warri's camp,' Reynold yelled over the noise of the motor and pointed as they came into a clearing in the scrub. The
‘camp'
consisted of a large tattered canvas tarpaulin slung with ropes between four trees that had two wooden fruit crates with some planks on top as a makeshift table placed under it. Smoke curled lazily skyward from a campfire with an iron tripod over it. A blackened billy was suspended from it and there were three or four upturned kerosene tins doubling as chairs. An assortment of cooking pots and an iron frypan were dangling from the trees. A short way off to the rear, close to the bluff and under a rocky overhang for shelter, was a large fenced yard constructed from bush poles that held three horses.

Reynold's ‘cuzin' jumped behind the wheel of the old truck and whistled for the kids who came running and clambered on the back. He waved his hand and drove off down the trail, soon lost from sight.

‘This me uncle Warrinidding,' Reynold said proudly. ‘These bloke the mates I tell yu 'bout, uncle. This one Jack, and this one 'e Harry. Yu can tell which is which 'cause Harry 'e got them freckles, eh?' he stood aside smiling as the two boys stepped nervously forward.

The man before them was tall. He wore only denim trousers and a battered felt hat with a wide brim, curled at the edges in a western style. He was barefoot; his skin the colour of ebony, and the boys noticed tribal scars on his muscled chest and arms. There was grey stubble on his cheeks and his eyes were dark and intelligent. He smiled broadly and shook each boy's hand in greeting. His voice was deep but strangely quiet when he spoke.

‘Rennol, 'e bin tell me all 'bout yu fellas. Rennol say yu good mates. Travel wit' 'im all the way from Kalgoorlie.'

‘Nice to meet you, Mr Nidding.' Harry said.

The tall man slapped his thigh and burst out laughing. Reynold hooted with him. They continued to laugh and the boys joined in with no idea what the joke was about.

‘No …' the man laughed again before explaining. ‘
Warrinidding
jus'
one
name not two name. Ev'ry one call me jus' plain
Warri
though.'

Harry was embarrassed, his face turning bright red. ‘Er … sorry, Mr Warri,' he stammered, again triggering more gales of laughter from the two Aboriginals.

Jack was concerned for Harry but glad that he hadn't spoken first because he would have probably said the same thing. ‘Well, what do we call you then? Harry didn't mean no harm?' He defended his friend and looked at Reynold for support.

The old man stopped laughing and was suddenly serious, his laughter replaced with a warm smile as he held his hand out again to Harry who took it hesitatingly. ‘No one ever call me Mister
Nidding
before, it jus' soun' funny.' The boys could see he was fighting to stop from laughing again.

‘Yu good fellas, Rennol tell me so. Yu frens of 'is so yu frens of mine. Rennol 'e tell me yu laik brothers to 'im so yu call me uncle Warri jus' laik 'e do, eh?'

‘Thanks, uncle Warri.' Harry began to relax with Warri's friendly explanation.

Jack also calmed down and both boys, seeing the funny side of the recent exchange, started to laugh. Uncle Warri and Reynold joined with them and the tension lifted.

That night lounging around the campfire with the stars a brilliant mass of light above them and the bush hushed in silence, uncle Warri sat back on his haunches, and lit a cigarette dangling from his lips with a glowing stick from the coals.

‘How long have you been a drover, uncle Warri?' Harry asked.

Warri thought for a while, eyes squinted due to the smoke circling his face. ‘Long time now.'

‘How long, uncle Warri?' Jack joined the conversation.

‘Bin drovin' since I was a little fella, boy drover. Bin drovin' all over, bin drovin' for Sidney Kidman.' He paused, thoughts drifting back to times long ago. ‘Took big mob of cattle for Mista Kidman up there to Quinsland, you know, way up to Normanton. Long way up.' All three boys now sat listening intently, fascinated by the unfolding story.

‘We pick 'nother mob up down in Mt. Isa 'n come back wit' 'em all way down to Peterborough in Sout' Straylia. Sidney Kidman 'e say to me once
‘
Warrinidding, yu best boy drover ever.' I laik that Sidney Kidman, 'e good fella … never forget me.' Warri flicked the butt into the coals.

‘Go on, uncle Warri,' Jack urged.

‘I do lotta trips for Kidman. Other fellas too but Mista Kidman 'e laik me special. When I drovin' I wear boots … not
no
boot laik this.' He held up one bare foot. ‘I wear boot that Sidney Kidman give me. He get 'em special for Warri. Special so they fit good, not pinch feet laik other boot I wear.'

Jack and Harry were mesmerised by Warri's accounts of droving and sat wide-eyed encouraging him to continue.

‘I bin work for Boss Drover, Matt Savage in me time too. Very 'ard man that Matt Savage but 'e good drover. Also work wit' Paraway once … long time back.'

‘What's
Paraway
, uncle Warri?' Jack asked.

‘Not what, Jack … who.' Warri smiled and explained. ‘
Paraway
a bloke. 'Is name Matt too but not Savage, 'is name Matt Buchanan.' He chuckled to himself remembering back. ‘Funny fella but 'e top drover that one. Paraway 'e carry big green umbrella all time, shade 'im from the sun. We all laugh at that, eh? Not so 'e could 'ear though.' He gazed silently into the fire for a few seconds lost in thought.

‘Warri getting' ol' now, Rennol maybe take over from uncle Warri one day. Rennol 'e
good
drover, I learn 'im ev'ry ting 'e know 'bout drovin.'

‘We'd like to learn drovin' too, uncle Warri,' Jack stated.

‘Take long time to learn 'im good but yu could 'elp out little bit I s'pose. Yu ride a horse, Jack? Yu too, Harry?

Both boys shook their heads realising that this admission could probably exclude them from the trip with uncle Warri and Reynold over to Docker River to meet up with a big mob of cattle on the way down from Katherine in the Territory. Reynold had told them earlier that that was the plan and that they could come too if uncle Warri agreed.

Uncle Warri was silent for a time, stirring the fire with a stick. He looked over at Reynold who said nothing then turned back to face Jack and Harry. ‘Yu can't go drovin' if yu can't ride no horse. Yu gotta ride good to be a drover, eh, Rennol?'

‘Yeah, uncle, ride horse, crack a whip, round up strays, yu gotta be
very
good rider.'

‘Never seen no drover that couldn't ride good. Jus' don' happen.' Warri said with finality.

The two boys were crestfallen. It seemed that all their plans had come to a sudden halt just when they thought they were on their way. They had come so far and now it was all over just because they couldn't ride a horse. They would now have to hitch a ride back to Laverton or somewhere and start all over.

‘I think I might turn in then.' Jack stood up to walk from the fire, disappointment obvious in his tone.

‘Me too, Jack.' Harry stood with him. ‘G'night, uncle Warri, 'night, Reynold.'

‘G'night, boys,' uncle Warri called as they walked from the firelight. ‘Better yu get good sleep, boys, up early tomorra. Yu can't drove if yu can't ride so we better learn yu to ride, eh?' They didn't see Warri and Reynold grin at each other over the campfire.

Jack woke early with the sun an orange glow on the horizon and a deceptive chill in the dawn but he knew the day would be hot. He was not first up as Reynold was already at the fire, flames devouring the twigs he had thrown on the coals, blue smoke hanging listlessly in the morning air. Leaving Harry cocooned in his swag Jack crossed the clearing to speak with Reynold.

‘Yu up at last, Jack, day 'e almos' gone,' Reynold chuckled without glancing behind him and Jack wondered how he knew it was him and not Harry, but refrained from asking.

‘Yeah! OK for you, Reynold, this is your life, mate; we've to get used to it. Where's uncle Warri?'

‘Bin long gone, Jack, gone to bring ol' Brehardie back. Brehardie 'is best 'orse once but 'e old now. Uncle Warri was gonna spell 'im this trip but 'e reckon 'e be good 'orse for yu or Harry to learn to ride on.' Reynold threw a handful of tealeaves into the bubbling billycan and moved it to the edge of the coals to brew.

‘I really thought we were goners last night when he said we couldn't drove if we couldn't ride.'

‘That jus' uncle Warri's way of jokin'.' Uncle Warri 'e wouldn'ta let yu come inta camp first time if 'e 'adn't decided yu could stay. We 'ave long talk 'bout yu 'n Harry. Warri 'e little bit wary of white fellas. White bloke drovers out on the track OK mos'ly but some don' laik us much. Warri 'e never 'ad much to do wit' town folk 'n yu bein' from the city it even worse. I tell 'im 'ow yu treat me 'n Nigel laik we brothers, sittin' inna rain 'n all 'n 'ow yu buy me a choclat bar 'n Warri 'e say, ‘Good 'nuff, Rennol, yu say so, they OK.' Warri 'e was wonderin' though why yu'd even wanna to be wit' us blackfella as not many would, yu know, but I tell 'im you'se runnin' from them policemans 'n 'e understan' that. I tell 'im I don' think yu done nuttin' bad so uncle Warri 'e say, ‘if yu believe 'im, Rennol, I believe 'im too.' Uncle Warri 'e trust Rennol.'

‘How did you know about us runnin' from the police, Reynold? We didn't say anythin' to you about it.' Jack was baffled.

‘Dunno … jus' guess I s'pose.' He was silent for minute and then closed the subject. ‘Yu wanna cuppa, Jack?'

Warri returned about mid-morning, riding one of his horses bareback and leading two others, one on each side. Reynold walked out to meet him and took the two ponies he was leading. Warri slipped from the horse and led it over to where Jack was standing near the fire, a mug of tea in his hand.

‘I bring me ol' 'orse Brehadie for yu to learn on, Jack. Brehardie 'e bin top 'orse once but 'e bit tired now, teeth not so good. Brehardie 'e 'appy to be 'ere though I can tell.' He reached up and fondled the horse's ears. ‘Brehardie treat yu good, Jack, yu treat 'im good too, eh? We start learnin' yu in a little while. Where's Harry? I brought 'nother quiet 'orse for 'im to ride.'

‘I'm here, Uncle Warri, just puttin' me boots on.'

‘This one she called Dolly. She know drovin' too and she quiet laik a baby, eh? She learn yu to ride good, Harry.'

Jack was nervous and it showed. The horse sensed it and snorted, pawing the ground when Jack took the reins as Warri had shown him.

‘Yu jus' settle down now, ol' fella.' Warri leant close and whispered in the horse's ear in his native tongue and Brehardie settled immediately. ‘Yu learn these boys to ride good, Brehardie. Come on, Jack, yu cock 'im one leg by yu knee laik I show yu, keep 'im stiff now.'

Jack put his left foot in the stirrup and bent his right leg. Warri took his upheld foot and lifted him quickly into the saddle, placing his right boot into the other stirrup. Jack felt insecure so far up from the ground in an unfamiliar situation so he clung firmly to the reins and also had a grip on a piece of the horse's mane. Glancing quickly sideways he saw that Harry was also seated on the grey mare Dolly with Reynold standing beside him.