The Publicity Push

by Christopher Cummings

  Uncle Bill knelt close to her. “The one he called ‘The Jeweller’s Shop’?”

  Gran sniffed and nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. Only he didn’t call it that. The story is that he cried out just before he died; that he had found a jeweller’s shop.”

  “Is there a map Gran?” Kylie asked, her heart quickening with interest.

  Gran shook her head. “Not that I know of,” she replied. “I only wish there was. We need a treasure right at this moment.” Her eyes met Uncle Bill’s and he gave a wry smile.

  Uncle Bill shrugged. “The farm’s in a bit of financial trouble right at this moment,” he explained. “I borrowed heavily to install that new stainless steel storage vat and to build up the herd. If I can’t pay it back the bank will foreclose on the loan.”

  Kylie felt as though she had been hit again. “Does that mean the bank would own the farm?”

  Uncle Bill nodded sadly. “Yes. They would sell it.”

  Kylie was appalled. She looked anxiously from Uncle Bill to her mother’s shocked face. All her life the farm had been a constant; a place of love and happiness. Her mother and Uncle Bill had been born here, and it had been their childhood home. To lose it would be a terrible blow.

  “Oh we mustn’t let that happen. We must find the treasure!” she cried.

  Gran smiled but shook her head. “I wish we could; but I’m afraid there isn’t one. Heaven knows, enough people have looked for that goldmine over the years.”

  “Where is it?” Kylie asked.

  Gran gestured out the window towards Bartle Frere. “Somewhere out there in the jungle.”

  Kylie looked out at the tangle of rainforest which extended out to the east below Bartle Frere. Ridge after jungle covered ridge, then the crestline which marked the Mulgrave Valley, and beyond that the massive bulk of the Bellenden Ker Range. Thousands of square kilometres of the thickest jungle in North Queensland. Her heart sank.

  “So there isn’t a map?”

  Gran again shook her head sadly. “Not that I have ever heard of.”

  Mrs Kirk looked annoyed. “So why were these men looking for one?” she asked angrily.

  Uncle Bill grimaced. “Obviously someone has a different version of the story,” he suggested.

  Another thought crossed Kylie’s mind. “These men must be locals then, to know about this story. How many people might know about it?”

  Gran smiled again and so did Mrs Kirk. Gran said, “Hundreds of people probably. It has been a family legend for over sixty years now and there have been at least half a dozen expeditions to look for the thing over the years. Why, the Reid brothers went at least five times that I know of.”

  “Who are they?” Kylie asked.

  “Who, the Reid brothers?” Gran said. “Bruce Reid married young Violet, my sister Violet’s daughter.”

  Kylie tried to sort that out in her mind. She dimly knew she had other uncles and cousins but had not met many of them and had taken little notice of them. She said lamely: “So other relations know about the gold mine?”

  Gran nodded. “Heavens yes! My brother Joshua has a real tribe of kids and they all know about it.”

  Kylie looked so disappointed that her mother hugged her and Gran said gently: “Cheer up Kylie-bub. It is not the end of the world. It is just an old story.”

  “Maybe. But someone believes it enough to come and rob you and bash us,” Kylie replied fiercely.

  “And we will catch them,” the sergeant said.

  “How? They were wearing gloves,” Kylie replied.

  “There can’t be too many young men nicknamed ‘Donk’ and ‘Burg’ on the Tablelands,” the sergeant replied. “Now, we had better get on with our search and you ladies had better get to hospital for a check-up.”

  “Oh I’m alright,” Kylie replied.

  Mrs Kirk intervened firmly. “You had better have a doctor check you over. You look a bit of a wreck; and Gran is definitely going in for a check too.”

  “Oh piffle!” Gran expostulated. “I’m as right as rain.”

  But they overruled her as well. Uncle Bill went off with the constable up the hill to where the water reservoir was while Mrs Kirk and Allison collected things for the trip to hospital. By then Kylie felt very sore and her face was one throbbing mass. As she collected a bag she saw herself in a mirror and hardly recognized herself. There was a huge bruise on one cheek and around the other eye and her lip was swollen and marked with a painful scab. Her ribs felt very sore and there were bruises and scratches on her body, arms and legs.

  At the insistence of her mother and of the paramedics she was loaded into the ambulance with Gran. Mrs Kirk put the other two girls into her own car and followed as the ambulance drove off. It was nearly an hour’s drive to the hospital in Atherton. By the time they arrived Kylie was feeling very sick and sore.

  The hospital was another irritating ordeal. Kylie was X-rayed to check her ribs for fractures, then examined by a doctor. He wanted to keep her in overnight for observation but she insisted she was alright. Gran had suffered little more than a bad fright and some bruising where the ropes had bound her. She also refused to be admitted.

  It was nearly dark by then. While Kylie had been in being seen to her mother had phoned their father, then Allison’s parents, to inform them before they heard about it from the news media. After Kylie came out Mrs Kirk helped Gran out to the car. Kylie was supported by Margaret and Allison.

  “Do you girls want to go back to the farm?” she asked as they settled in their seats.

  Kylie was appalled at the thought that the holiday might end before it had even begun. “Yes of course mum! We can’t leave Gran now,” she replied.

  Margaret nodded agreement. “Yes please. We do Mrs Kirk.”

  “You too Allison? I can drive you home if you want?”

  “I want to stay Mrs Kirk,” Allison replied.

  “Good. Your parents say you can stay if you want to. I must apologize though. We don’t usually have that sort of trouble at the farm,” Mrs Kirk replied.

  At that Gran snorted. “You can say that again! It is the worst thing that has happened to me in sixty years!”

  Mrs Kirk looked at her watch. “We have to wait for Bill. He won’t be finished the milking yet. Let’s find a cafe and have some food.”

  They were squeezed into the car, the three girls in the back, and drove down to the main street. Kylie did not want to go into the cafe because of her bruises so her mother brought her some food which she ate in the car. Margaret and Allison stayed with her. It was dark by the time they finished. Mrs Kirk drove them back to the hospital and they sat in the waiting room.

  Here they were pestered by a reporter but Mrs Kirk was very firm and sent him away, refusing to allow Gran or the girls to be interviewed or photographed. During this exchange Kylie sat with her head down, resting on Margaret’s shoulder. Reaction was setting in and she was very glad her best friend was there to give comfort.

  By the time Uncle Bill arrived Kylie felt feverish and so sore she half wished she could just drop off to sleep there and then. Uncle Bill took Gran out to his car and the girls climbed into Mrs Kirk’s. Mrs Kirk fussed with cushions and a rug to get Kylie comfortable. She did not object. She now felt really sick.

  On the drive back to the farm Kylie dozed fitfully. When she was awake she puzzled over the vicious attack and its motives. She also felt quite scared at the thought of someone watching them as they drove around. It made the darkness even more scary.

  Back at the farm she was hurried to bed. The place had been cleaned up by then, presumably by Uncle Bill. The three girls were bunked down on a mattress on the floor of the big room downstairs at the side. There were two windows which opened out onto the lawn but these were locked. Mrs Kirk pulled the curtains to give more privacy.

  Margaret and Allison were wonderful. They brought Kylie hot Milo to drink and fussed over her. When they had cleaned their teeth and settled themselves Kylie went upstairs to Gran’s room. Her
mother sat there beside the bed. Gran was sound asleep.

  “Is Gran alright mum?”

  “Yes. She’s sleeping peacefully. Now you get to bed dear.”

  “Yes mum. Oh mum! I hope she is alright.”

  “She will be. She is tough. So are you,” her mother replied. She reached out and drew Kylie to her, hugging her tight. “You were very brave. But please don’t do anything like that again. You could have been very badly hurt.”

  “Yes mum,” Kylie replied. She hugged her mother until her bruises hurt. Then she eased herself back. “Mum, do you think there really is a treasure?”

  Mrs Kirk shook her head. “Not in the way you think. I suppose Grandad, your Great Grandad that is, definitely discovered some gold out there in the jungle, but it would be impossible to find it now.”

  For a moment Kylie pondered the problems of prospecting in thick tropical rainforest. “I suppose so. But I’d like to try.”

  Her mother smiled and kissed her forehead. “Yes. Now get to bed. We will worry about it tomorrow.”

  Mrs Kirk took her hand and led her downstairs to where Margaret and Allison were snuggled in under the sheets.

  “Goodnight girls. Sleep well, and don’t get up too early.”

  Allison looked anxious. “Mrs Kirk, what if those men come back during the night?” she asked.

  Mrs Kirk frowned, then smiled. “Uncle Bill has locked the house and has his gun. Don’t worry. It will be alright. Now go to sleep.”

  She turned off the lights and went back upstairs. There was silence for a minute, then Kylie said quietly. “Sorry about all the drama. I thought we were just coming here to milk cows.”

  “Speak for yourself!” Allison replied. “I came for a nice holiday thank you. You can do any milking that needs to be done.”

  Kylie laughed and tried to think of a smart answer. Instead her laugh changed to sobs and suddenly she was crying. “Oh I was so scared this afternoon!”

  “So was I,” Margaret replied. She also began to cry and moved to put her arms around Kylie. The two girls clung together.

  Allison put her arms around both and soothed them. “You were both very brave.”

  Kylie shrugged and eased herself free. She reached for a handkerchief, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I was so angry when I saw Gran tied up.”

  “I would have been too, if it had been my Nanna,” Margaret said.

  “Do you really think we will be safe tonight?” Allison asked, glancing anxiously at the curtained windows.

  For a few minutes the girls discussed the events of the afternoon. Margaret gave a sigh and pulled her quilt close around her. “I wish Graham was here. I would feel safer then.”

  Kylie snorted and managed a laugh. “You just wish he was snuggled up with you. I don’t know what you see in that big brother of mine.”

  “He would keep us safe,” Margaret replied.

  For a moment Kylie contemplated her two older brothers. It was true. She wished either of them was there. Both were very ‘masculine’, strong types. Alex was 16 and very down to earth and practical. Graham was 14 and was inclined to be very romantic but was very fit. Margaret had been in love with Graham for years. It was a somewhat one-sided relationship as Graham experienced frequent ‘crushes’ on other girls, to Kylie’s annoyance and Margaret’s distress.

  ‘Yes, I wish they were here,’ Kylie thought. But Alex was at sea with their father who was a ship’s captain. He was somewhere off the coast of Cape York Peninsula. Graham was on his army cadet promotion course. She was terribly fond of both of them, but Graham was her favourite. She pictured his grinning, freckled face, the blue eyes smiling as he plotted the next adventure.

  “Graham would probably march up and down on guard all night,” she said.

  Margaret nodded. “That would be nice. I would feel safe then.”

  Kylie snorted. “If you two keep carrying on the way you were earlier in the year you won’t be safe at all. You will be in real trouble,” she replied.

  Allison’s face lit up with interest. “What were they doing?” she asked.

  “Playing ‘mummies and daddies’,” Kylie replied with a laugh.

  “Humpf!” Margaret snorted in embarrassment. “We were not. Anyway, I don’t mind if Graham gets me into trouble.”

  “Oh Margaret! You are only twelve. How can you talk like that?” Allison cried.

  For the next half hour the girls discussed boys and babies and what adult life might be like. During this Kylie slipped quietly off to sleep.

  Several times during the night Kylie stirred restlessly. She woke to find the sun well up. When she went to get up she cried in pain. It felt as though every bone and muscle in her upper body and arms was sore. She lay back and carefully flexed and eased the cramps and aches. Her head felt dizzy and her muscles seemed very weak.

  Her mother appeared with Margaret in tow. “How are you dear?”

  “A bit sore mummy.”

  “Then you just lie there. Margaret will bring you some breakfast.”

  Kylie looked around. “Where’s Allison?”

  “Went with Uncle Bill to help with the milking,” Mrs Kirk replied.

  “Milking!” Kylie cried incredulously. Allison was a real ‘girlie girl’ and she couldn’t imagine her getting her hands dirty. She winced as a sharp pain lanced through her head. She lay back and Margaret went off to bring her a warm drink while her mother felt her temperature and pulse.

  “I think you had better take it very easy today young miss.”

  “Yes mum.”

  Kylie felt so worn and sore that she made no protest. After eating and a visit to the shower and toilet she returned to bed, dropping off to sleep almost at once.

  It was several hours before she woke again. To her surprise and pleasure she found Gran sitting in a chair beside her. She was quietly knitting but put this down when she saw Kylie was awake.

  “How do you feel now little Miss Amazon?”

  “Better Gran. A bit sore,” Kylie replied. That was not entirely true as when she went to sit up a sharp pain stabbed through her chest and her face felt numb. She ran her tongue over the scab on her split lip. Forcing a grin to hide the pain she got up and went to put her arms around Gran.

  “What about you Gran? Are you hurt?”

  “No dearie. I just got a bad fright. I tell you what, if those horrible men come back they’ll get what for! I’ll be ready for them next time.”

  She indicated ‘Scottie’, the Border collie, who now lay in the corridor. Scottie met her eyes, lifted his head and wagged his tail before walking in to lick Kylie’s hand. She greeted the dog enthusiastically, rumpling his ears and patting his coat.

  Mrs Kirk came down the stairs. “Oh you are awake. Come up both of you. It is morning tea time.”

  Kylie helped Gran out of her chair and up the stairs. They seated themselves on the back veranda. As she lowered herself into the chair Kylie winced and bit her lip. She saw her mother frown so she shook her head. “I’m OK Mum, truly. It is just a few bruises.”

  Voices outside drew her attention and she saw Uncle Bill, Margaret and Allison walking up the track from the milking shed, ‘Bluey’ the second dog trotting along with them. Allison wore old clothes and knee length rubber ‘gum’ boots.

  “Look at Allie. Has she been working?” Kylie asked in surprise.

  Mrs Kirk laughed. “Yes. She and Margaret got up at five o’clock and went down to help. Allison’s been there ever since. Bill tells me she has now been well trained in the art of milking.”

  Kylie shook her head in disbelief. “Hard to imagine. She usually avoids all work and hates to get her hands dirty.”

  Mrs Kirk laughed. “Well, she’s been a big help; and so has Margaret.” She stood up and leaned out the window. “Hurry up you lot. Tea is ready.”

  The others hurried up, coming in via the downstairs door. On the way they divested themselves of gum boots and gloves and washed their hands. After enquiries as to how Gran
and Kylie were they seated themselves.

  Uncle Bill accepted a large cup of tea and a buttered scone. “Young Allison here has been wonderful. She moved that herd of cows like a veteran... Hello! Who’s this coming I wonder?”

  This last as the sound of a car coming up the drive reached them. Uncle Bill stood up and walked to the front door. Kylie sipped her tea and took a bite out of a biscuit. There was the sound of voices and Uncle Bill said: “Why yes. Good to see you. Nice of you to drop in. Come in. You are just in time for a cuppa.”

  There were footsteps and three people appeared in the kitchen door; a middle-aged woman who looked vaguely familiar; a young woman of about twenty who was obviously the woman’s daughter, and a young man in his late teens.

  ‘Gosh, he’s handsome!’ Kylie thought, taking in the square face, fair hair, blue eyes and broad shoulders.

  Gran’s face lit up. “Oh hello Violet,” she said. “Come in. Find a chair.”

  Introductions followed. Kylie learned that the woman was her ‘Aunty’ Violet; and that the other two were her children and therefore Kylie’s second cousins. The young woman’s name was Annabelle and the handsome young man was Bert. They were the Reid family.

  “Are you alright Grace?” Aunty Violet asked anxiously. “We were just driving over to Theo’s when we heard about it on the radio so we came straight here.”

  Gran assured them she was. The interest then shifted to Kylie, whose injuries were clearly visible. The story had to be told again. Kylie felt very self-conscious and busied herself with drinking another cup of tea. She was acutely aware of searching looks from Bert.

  ‘He is nice,’ she decided, giving a shy smile, which he returned. She tried to guess at his age and decided he was about twenty. ‘Too old for me I suppose,’ she thought wistfully.

  Bert turned to Gran and asked: “Are you sure there isn’t a treasure map Gran? I was always told there was one.”

  Gran shook her head. “Never seen or heard of one. Your version of the story must be different.”