Jack & Harry

by Tony McKenna

  Chapter Sixteen

  Disaster struck four days out of Warburton.

  They had risen early on the day of departure and helped load the two packhorses that Warri had turned up with the evening before and distributed the balance of the supplies between them. Swags were roped behind the saddles and they had discarded their bags, leaving them for Wally, and rolled their clothes and personal belongings in a blanket secured with rope. Warri had explained that a bluey was easier to carry than a haversack on a horse.

  The ride had been easy except for the stifling heat and, of course, the bush flies, but they were even getting used to them now and had developed the bush ‘wave’ which they now did unconsciously to keep the flies off their faces.

  It was customary to start off each day in the first light before the sun had risen and then to camp for a couple of hours during the intense midday heat under whatever shade they could find before heading off again in the afternoon. They hadn’t followed any defined track but trusted that uncle Warri knew where he was going through the arid desert country. They learned to sip sparingly at the water bag, wetting their lips and swilling a mouthful of water around before swallowing it rather than gulping large quantities. This method kept thirst at bay, moistened their lips and also conserved the precious liquid.

  Warri, quite uncannily it seemed to Jack and Harry, always found a waterhole each day where the horses could drink and they could top up the waterbags. The boys were not aware that there were markers in the bush known only to the Aboriginal people that pointed to where water was. Over thousands of years of nomadically wandering through the arid, seemingly waterless deserts of outback Australia with no capacity to carry water it was essential for survival to know where water could be found. Quality and quantity varied from hole to hole but it was these holes that Warri either knew from previous journeys or could find by reading the markers, visible to a learned eye from miles away. The markers, or ‘trigs’ as white settlers knew them, could consist of a pile of strategically placed rocks or possibly a tree with bark marked a certain way.

  Reynold had shown the boys how to make damper from flour, salt and water then to bake it in the coals. They had dined on canned meat and beans for the first two nights and breakfast and lunch consisted only of damper washed down with strong black billy tea. ‘This damper, ’e OK.’ Warri took another bite. ‘Yu boys gettin’ to be good cooks, eh?’

  They were stiff and sore for the first two days, hardly able to walk at the end of each day but gradually the aches eased and the stiffness receded from their muscles. By the third day on the road they felt fit and were both aware that they had trimmed pounds from their bodies and were becoming tanned from exposure to the sun. Harry had burned a little at first due to his light skin but soon his arms and face turned a golden brown highlighting his freckles, while Jack’s skin became like mahogany. Reynold had commented jokingly one morning that Jack was turning so dark that nobody would question him when he called Warri, uncle.

  Days spent continually in the saddle had been good for their confidence on the horses, both gaining experience and able to ride reasonably well. Reynold had even begun to coach them in using a stock whip, something he said they would need to master for the cattle drive. Both boys felt like seasoned bushmen and Warri was pleased with their progress but knew they had a lot more to learn before they were competent enough on horseback so that he could safely let them ride out alone.

  When the billy was filled on the third evening Warri had commented that they were getting short of water as the last hole was dry, yielding only damp clay. He said he knew there was a waterhole not far from where they were camped and Reynold could head off to it early the next morning and suggested that the boys go with him for the ride.

  Jack woke and looked over to see that Harry was not lying on his swag. Curious to know where he was he got up and rolled his swag, tying it ready for slinging over his saddle, and went to find him. The sun had not yet risen but there was a pre-dawn light in the east. The fire was not alight and he could see Reynold and uncle Warri stretched out beside the fire, heads resting on the saddles that they used for pillows.

  He was baffled that Harry was not around then, to his surprise, he noticed that Dolly was missing so he quickly walked back to Harry’s swag. There was a note pinned to it that he had previously missed in the darkness. He read and re-read the note before running to where Warri and Reynold were, calling out to them as he ran. They woke asking what he was yelling about and he told them that Harry was missing. Jack held the note out to uncle Warri.

  ‘Yu read ’im out, Jack,’ Warri said. ‘Eyes ’e not so good for readin’ yu know.’ Jack was unaware that Warri had never learned to read and could only just write his name. ‘What ’im say?’ He sounded concerned.

  Jack read the note aloud.

  Gone to find the waterhole. Took the two big waterbags. Thought I would earn me keep and save Reynold a trip. Get the fire going Jack. Be back soon.

  It wasn’t signed.

  Warri said nothing, just stood and went to the fire and started to stir the coals and throw twigs on it.

  Reynold looked at Jack, his eyes clouded with concern. ‘Jack, this not good. He could get lost easy out there.’

  ‘But uncle Warri said the waterhole was close by; he should find it shouldn’t he?’

  ‘But what direction ’e go, Jack?’ Warri asked from the fire. ‘Yu see ’im leave?’

  ‘No, I just found the note, I didn’t see him leave. I suppose we better go look for him.’

  ‘No point in that, Jack.’ Reynold sounded older than his years ‘We could ride ’round in circles for hours ’n still not see ’im.’

  ‘We jus’ wait ’n see if ’e come back soon.’ Warri didn’t look up from where he was fanning the fire into a blaze. ‘Maybe we lucky ’n ’e not get lost. Harry no fool really ’n should be able to backtrack to the camp if ’e not gone too far. Doubt ’e find water though … hard to see. Need to know jus’ where to look to find ’im,’ Warri stated unemotionally.

  ‘He was only tryin’ to do us a favour, uncle Warri, he didn’t mean any harm by goin’ off.’

  ‘That true, Jack. Harry good fella and tink ’e do right but do stupid ting. All’s we can do is wait.’ Warri busied himself with heating what was left of the tea in the billy.

  ‘Can’t we do somethin’, Reynold?’ Jack was worried after what uncle Warri had said.

  ‘No. We do what uncle Warri say, ’e know best.’ Reynold walked off to join Warri at the fire.

  Reynold and Warri spent time checking the supplies and getting the packhorses ready. Jack noticed that Warri occasionally glanced at the sun then out across the horizon but said nothing. Reynold was equally quiet and sat on his saddle by the fire fondling the ears of his blue heeler cattle dog, one of three that accompanied them on the trip.

  As the time neared noon, Jack began to get really anxious and paced about the edge of the camp, his hand raised to shield his eyes from the blistering sun as he searched for some sign of his friend. Warri and Reynold lounged in the shade seemingly unconcerned. ‘Jack, yu save energy. Not ’elp if yu wore out by walkin’ round ’n round laik blind rabbit,’ Warri advised.

  Jack didn’t understand why they wouldn’t start a search and was about to ask when the dogs began to bark, alerting them to movement in the distance. ‘Here he comes now,’ Jack yelled excitedly, squinting into the distance. His excitement turned to dread when he realised that the horse trotting toward them in the distance was riderless, stirrups flapping empty from the saddle.

  ‘This bad ting, ’e musta fallen off somewhere.’ There was concern now in Warri’s tone.

  ‘Now we have to go and look for him.’ Jack strode determinedly toward Brehardie grabbing the saddle from the ground as he went.

  ‘Jack, yu stay put … Now!’ Warri’s authoritative command stopped him in his tracks. ‘Yu go out now ’n we ’ave two bloke to look for … we wait.’

  ‘But, uncle Warri, Harry m
ight be hurt somewhere and out of water, we have to go.’ He was breathing heavily, anger in his voice.

  ‘We wait!’ Warri was adamant.

  ‘Wait! Wait for what?’ Jack yelled. ‘Until he bloody well dies! You’re trackers aren’t ya, why can’t ya track him and find him?’

  ‘Jack.’ Reynold walked over to him. ‘I know yu worried ’bout Harry, we worried too but we don’ know where to look jus’ yet. He coulda ridden in lotsa direction and all over.’ He swung his arm in a wide arc. ‘It’d take long time to track where ’e go. We wait, Jack. Know soon ’nough where to look.’

  ‘How? Where?’ Jack was unconvinced, beginning now to get very angry that no effort was being made to find Harry.

  Warri got up from under the tree and stood motionless for some time staring around the horizon without speaking. Reynold watched him and Jack wondered what was happening. ‘There, Rennol, yu see ’em?’

  ‘Yeah, long ways off. ’Bout two, tree mile I reckon.’

  ‘See what, Reynold?’ Jack stared in the direction they pointed to, seeing nothing but the shimmering heat causing dunes in the distance to dance like waves on the ocean.

  ‘We know where Harry is, Jack, we go find ’im now. Grab that waterbag, Rennol and lead Dolly wit’ us.’ Warri sprung into action throwing the saddle on his horse. Jack only just had time to cinch up the girth strap on his saddle and jump on Brehardie before Reynold left the camp with his uncle.

  They were ahead of him but he quickly caught up. It must be that Aboriginal intuition, he though to himself. They always seem to know things in a strange way. When he reached them he asked how they now knew where to look for Harry .

  ‘Can yu see ’em now, Jack?’ Reynold pointed skyward ahead of them.

  ‘I can only see a few birds in the distance, Reynold, nothin’ else.’

  ‘That’s what we waitin’ for Jack. Those birds, they tell us where Harry is.’

  ‘What?’ Jack was astounded. ‘How can the birds tell us where he is?’

  ‘Those birds, they see an animal or somethin’ not right out in the bush, they watch. If they think ’e ’urt or somethin’, they watch ’n watch then they follow, circle above ’im. Waitin’ to see if it safe to go down ’n maybe get a feed. We watch them birds ’n they tell us where Harry is.’

  As they closed on the region where the birds were circling Jack could see two eagles, a few smaller hawks and some black crows riding the thermals in the afternoon heat. It was obvious now, even to Jack, that the birds were concentrated on one area not far ahead so he knew it wouldn’t be long before they found Harry – but would he be all right or badly hurt or worse still …?’ He refused to think beyond hurt.

  They topped a low rise that fell away to a gully dotted with spindly bush and noticed the marks that Harry had made in the sand as he had stumbled toward the scrub seeking shelter form the sun.

  Warri kneed his horse forward in a run toward the spot where he knew Harry had crawled. He was off his horse before it stopped, waterbag gripped in his hand as he fell to his knees beside the still form partly hidden by the bushes. Jack was immobilised by fear and remained seated on Brehardie as Reynold dismounted and passed Dolly’s reins to him before running to where Warri was kneeling.

  ‘Is … is … is he still alive, uncle Warri?’ Jack could hardly speak, his voice a fearful croak in his throat.

  ‘Rennol, give me a ’and ’ere.’ Warri gently turned Harry’s inert body over and leaned close to his face ‘Not good, need water … quick!’

  Jack reluctantly stepped from the saddle, dropping both sets of reins without thinking, but fortunately the horses stood quietly as they had been trained to do. He walked toward where Warri and Reynold were bent over the motionless figure, fearful of what he would see and was shocked to see Harry’s swollen lips and puffy face. Harry’s eyes were shut and Jack was sure he was dead.

  Warri cradled Harry’s head on his lap, holding his hat up to protect his face from the sun. ‘Rennol, pour some water slow now in ’is mouth. Only little bit at a time.’

  Reynold put the tip of the waterbag close to Harry’s mouth and began to pour the life-giving water. It ran down Harry’s chin with no response from him.

  ‘Open ’is mouth little bit, easy now, Rennol.’

  Imperceptibly at first Harry’s lips moved then he opened his cracked lips and sucked at the stream from the waterbag. He coughed and his head rolled aside. Warri held his head gently, telling Reynold to try again.

  Harry responded better the second time and swallowed as the water trickled into his mouth. He took a few mouthfuls of water and his eyes opened slowly but he was unable to focus. He tried to speak but his voice was just a croak and no words came.

  ‘Shhh, Harry, no need yu talk, mate, jus’ lie there ’n ’ave some more water, eh?’ Warri’s voice was soothing.

  ‘Is he gonna to be all right, uncle Warri?’

  ‘Soon ’nough, Jack. Harry ’e all dry out from the sun, very lucky we get to ’im when we do, ’e not last long if we didn’t.’

  The three of them sat on the hot sand beside Harry and coaxed more trickles of water through his cracked lips shading him from the lowering sun with their bodies. After some time Harry started to come around but was disoriented and mumbled unintelligibly.

  When Warri thought it was safe to do so he put his arms under Harry’s legs and around his shoulders lifting him up to carry him to where the horses were patiently standing. ‘Harry too crook to ride, Rennol, ’elp me git ’im up on me ’orse. I ride him back to camp. Yu lead Dolly, Jack.’

  Reynold helped put Harry astride Warri’s horse and then Warri leapt easily into the saddle holding Harry’s slumped form against his chest as he kneed his mount forward toward the distant camp. Reynold followed with Jack bringing up the rear, Dolly trailing behind on a long rein.

  Back at camp Warri laid Harry on the swag, placing a blanket over him as the evening was beginning to chill as it often did in the desert, even though the days were unbearably hot. ‘Open that tinned stew there, Jack, and Rennol … mix it wit’ some water to make little soup on the fire for Harry.’

  Warri left Harry lying on the swag and walked off into the bush. Jack wondered where he was going as it was dark but knew better than to ask. When Warri returned he was carrying a small leafy bush that he had obviously pulled completely from the ground as it still had roots and dirt hanging from it. Warri stripped a handful of leaves from the bush and, crushing them in his hand, threw them into the bubbling pot of soup.

  ‘What’s that stuff, uncle Warri?’ Jack was mystified.

  ‘Jus’ some medicine to make ’im well.’ He didn’t explain so when he pulled some roots from the bush and put them in his mouth Jack again asked what it was he was doing.

  ‘Yu too young to learn ’bout this, Jack. Anyway, only ol’ blackfella know these tricks.’ He chewed the roots into a paste that he spat into his hand before walking over to where Harry lay on the swag. Pulling back the blanket he rolled Harry’s shirtsleeve up and Jack noticed for the first time the large deep graze on his forearm. It was red, swollen and angry looking. Warri patted the chewed fibrous mass over the wound and bound it with a strip of cloth.

  ‘That stop it goin’ bad, be good as new coupla’ days.’ Warri inspected his handiwork and stood up. ‘Now for the soup. It do Harry real good wit’ them leaf in it. Harry shake little bit tonight but in the mornin’ … no fever ’n ’e be OK. Bit weak maybe ’n we prob’ly stay camp ’ere ’nother day or so but ’e be fine, Jack. Yu don’ worry no more, OK?’

  Jack stood awkwardly by as Warri fed Harry the soup slowly from a spoon. At first Harry shook his head but Warri persisted until he finally took a little of the thick beverage. Soon he had eaten most of what was in the pot so Warri then gave him a little more water. He shivered under the blanket but Warri said that was natural and that he’d be all right in the morning. Jack was still concerned for his mate but reassured by Warri’s positive statement that left no room for dou
bt.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jack didn’t sleep much through the night. Harry moaned and rolled around a lot and, although Jack catnapped, concerns for his friend close by on the swag consumed him, making sleep almost impossible.

  Sometime just before dawn Jack realised that Harry was still and not groaning as before so he crawled over to listen. Relieved to know he was breathing deeply he went to the fire and stirred it into flames. Pouring the last of the water into the billy he placed it on the coals when the flames subsided. He sat cross-legged on the ground, waiting for the water to boil, wondering if the decision to come out this far was a wise one realising there was no professional medical help within miles. He doubted that Warri or Reynold would return to Mt Margaret so they could get Harry help in Laverton and the prospect of travelling back without them with Harry so sick alarmed him.

  Warri and Reynold joined him at the fire as the sun crept toward the day, light wispy clouds resembling reddish pink brush strokes on the pale morning sky. ‘Mornin’, young Jack,’ Warri greeted him. ‘Guess yu not sleep too much last night, eh? Harry ’e toss ’n turn a lot.’ He checked the billy and grunted approval when he noticed it was near to boiling.

  ‘Yeah, uncle Warri, he groaned and moaned most of the night but quietened down early this morning. Should we wake him, see how he is?’

  ‘Nah, let ’im sleep, do ’im good, ’e wake up when ’e ready. Yu see, Jack, ’e be much better then. Rennol ’n I we go out to the waterhole, fill up for the trip. Yu stay ’ere to be with Harry and when he wake up …’ He crushed some more leaves and tossed them in the tea, after they had filled their own mugs. ‘… Give ’im a mug of this after it brew little bit. Put plenty sugar wit’ ’im, Jack, ’cause ’e not taste too good in tea but it do ’im good.’

  Saddling their horses Warri and Reynold slung empty waterbags over one of the packhorses then headed out of camp toward some low hills in the distance. Jack noted it was in the opposite direction to where Harry had been found.