Published: 26 Mar 2018

There is certain disquiet with travelling. While away one wants to be home among comforts and familiar surroundings. Once home again the heart becomes filled with some unknown longing, as if something is missing, nothing is quite the same but a finger of knowledge can not be placed on it. So it was with Lachlan but was soon dislodged with William demanding he stayed away too long.

The boys were hardly inside before William arrived with Cameron one step behind.

“So how was the trip?” William asked although by his tone wasn’t much interested in hearing its finer details.

“It was good and I enjoyed the train ride up to Mareeba.” Lachlan freely answered.

“That would have been a waste of money; you should have gone the long way around by coach.”

“It was my own money.” Lachlan protested.

“Never mind that, father was over yesterday and has left a list of work for you to attend to,” William turned to Stephen, “as for Mr. Henderson, father said you can stay on and help out but don’t expect wages, it will be for you keep.” Stephen gave a gently nod of the head but little more.” William continued; “Besides if we don’t get paid why should you be paid?”

“Has dad made it up with Robert as yet?” Lachlan asked.

“He said only if Robert apologises first.”

“I think father should be the one who apologises.” Lachlan suggested bringing a stern rebuff from his brother.

“Then you can be the one to tell him, he should be over tonight and another thing, father said it’s about time you shifted you horses away from Crystal Springs, or start paying for agistment.”

“How so after all this time?”

“I don’t know, I only work here, I fire the bullets not load them.” William sarcastically retaliated.

“It’s to get back at me for taking time off without asking isn’t it and he doesn’t like me having a little independence?”

“I wouldn’t know as I said I only fire the bullets, ask your father.” William was becoming most annoyed at being questioned.

“I guess the old man will be charging us for lodgings soon.” Lachlan snapped.

“Has there been any date set for the auction of my farm?” Stephen asked as William departed from their company.

“Quite soon I believe, and father still wants it, what for I have no idea, as for growing cane the land is totally useless, besides it will only mean more work for Cameron and me.”

“Just because he can,” Lachlan bit as William departed.

“It wasn’t useless to me!” Stephen loudly protested but to no avail, William was as deaf to the objection as was the father.

Stephen’s leg had mended to such an extent even the slight limp he displayed while first travelling had gone and he admitted looking forward to becoming useful once more, although often complaining he needed to have his own property or at the least working and earning his own money. As for Daniel he had missed the two more than he would admit and hung around more than usual, partly caused by Robert being evicted from the farm and William needing an underling to persecute as a release from his own treatment by their father.

“I really should build that room for you.” Lachlan protested late one night when Daniel was more difficult than usual to dislodge.

“Why don’t you, I’ll give you a hand and it would be a distraction from sitting around watching you work.” Stephen added.

“Great, I’ll help also and there is plenty of lumber up behind the machinery shed, it’s been there for yonks and I don’t even think the old man knows it is there.” Daniel declared, showing more excitement than he had in quite some time.

“By the way Daniel, we ran into Toby in Cairns and he wished to be remembered to you.”

There had been so much going on since Lachlan’s return he had completely forgot to pass on Toby’s regards.

“Oh,” was all Daniel responded and changed the subject.

“That was a little feeble I thought you like Toby’s company?” Lachlan gave a wry smile but his brother remained insular, “and you both appeared to get along when Toby was visiting.

“Toby’s alright, what more do you want me to say?”

“Doesn’t matter but Toby did appear to be somewhat talkative about you.”

“How does he like his new boat?” Daniel asked.

“Not as much as he thought he would and being the cook is a burden he didn’t bargain for but he did say to let you know he would be visiting soon.”

“So I’ll see him if and when he arrives.”

Daniel appeared to be somewhat guarded, which was noticed by Lachlan but knowing Daniel, if he wished to hold something to himself, wild horses couldn’t extract it, although if he held information on some poor unsuspecting character it would be quickly shared without shame.

“So when will we start on my room?” Daniel asked diverting the subject away from the meeting with Toby.

“Well I have to go into town for William tomorrow, why don’t you and Stephen bring the timber over and we’ll get started the following day.” Lachlan suggested.

“What about your father?” Stephen asked.

“He seldom comes down this way and wouldn’t know what timber was behind the shed, besides it will only be a small room and won’t use much.” Daniel assured becoming most animated with the venture.

Building the spare room was extremely pleasurable. They had the stumps in the first day and the wall frames erected on the second and the flooring completed on the third. Now there was only the wall cladding and the roof.

Daniel proposed wooden shingles but was soon voted down as the others had no idea how to make them, besides doing so would take more time than William would allow and making the extension too grand may draw attention from their father, as it had already done so of William, who quickly approached showing disapproval.

“What’s going on here?” William had heard hammering from some distance and come to investigate, finding Stephen high on a ladder as Daniel attached a roofing support to the wall of the cottage.

“What does it look like?” Daniel snapped.

“It looks like something you’re not supposed to be doing?”

“And why not?” Daniel coldly asked.

“Because this old hut has been marked to be demolished.”

“So where is Lachlan gunna live?” Daniel demanded.

“Up at the big house with the rest of you, there’s enough space for a dozen lazy buggers and mother needs the company.”

“She has Polly and Cameron.” Daniel conveyed while Lachlan and Stephen stood aside, allowing Daniel to argue their case with William.

“I’m only the messenger, you know father.” William sighed.

“You gunna tell him?” Daniel snapped.

“Contra to what you think Daniel, I don’t tell him anything about you lot, he’s smart enough to work it out for himself – and I guarantee he will.”

At week’s end all that was need was roofing, which became their greatest hurdle. All they could find was a pile of rusting corrugate iron stacked at one end of a paddock, overgrown with Elephant Grass and within an entanglement of barbed wire. After the grass was cut away and the first sheets extracted, two extremely large and angry brown snakes bolted from their cover, scattering the boys in the opposing direction.

“I hate snakes!” Daniel shrieked while both Lachlan and Stephen told him to stop acting like some sheila.

“I didn’t see you two hero’s hanging around.” He observed while keeping his distance from the pile of iron. “Where did the buggers go?” Daniel demanded loudly his eyes darting from one pile of grass to another and back to the stack of roofing iron.

“I don’t know; too busy getting out of their way.” Lachlan admitted, still keeping his distance from the pile of iron.

“I think they went down the hole over near that tree stump.” Stephen suggested.

“Both of them?” Lachlan asked.

“I think so, if not in the long grass next to it.”

“Well what do you think, could there be others?” Lachlan removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“I was told if you find one there is sure to be two and if two even more.” Daniel related.

“Who told you that?” Lachlan demanded somewhat disbelieving.

“I don’t rightly remember, I think it was Maurice Block, he also said, if you chop of their heads, they never died until after sunset.”

“He’s only twelve, what would he know about the habits of snakes?”

“His dad told him.” Daniel answered.

“His dad is a dressmaker what would he know about snakes?”

“He’s a tailor.” Daniel corrected.

“Tailor, dressmaker whatever.”

Still all three boys kept their distance from the pile of metal and an even greater distance from the hole near the tree stump and the long grass beside.

“Tell you what, get those broken branches over there and we’ll bash the crap out of the iron, that should flush out any more. After some minutes of hammering without disturbing more snakes, they decided it safe enough to remove the quantity of sheets needed for their roof but in doing so their caution was to lift each sheet and nervously peer under before carrying it away for their use.

Once they had collected a sizeable stack of iron Daniel spoke, “how many sheets do you think we will need?

Lachlan broadly smiled, “good question, I guess what we have will do, if not you and Stephen can go and get more.”

“Like bloody hell Lockie, I reckon those buggers will be back before dark.” Daniel gave a shudder.

“That goes for me as well.” Stephen concurred.

“Well Daniel what do you think?” Lachlan asked as the three stood in the middle of the completed ten by twelve foot room.

“You forgot a window.” Daniel perceived.

“Oh, I didn’t think of that, anyway what do you want a window for, you already know what’s outside.”

“For fresh air, it does get hot in the summer.”

“Just think of it Daniel, not having a window it won’t let in the cold during the cooler months.”

“I would still like a window.” Daniel continued.

“Tell you what; we can bash an opening over there.” Lachlan pointed to a space between the studs at the rear of the room, “but I don’t know what we will do about glass.”

“There is some in the shed behind the fertilizer bags. It was left over from when father built the big house.” Daniel admitted seeing the glass some time previously.

“Well there you go, otherwise what do you think?”

“It is a little small.” Daniel complained.

“It’s only for sleeping.” Lachlan declared.

“And in your case for wanking.” Stephen uncustomary added.

“Funny boy, I guess it will do but where’s my bed?”

“Over at the Big House.”

“Didn’t you say Toby was stopping by in a couple of months?” Daniel asked as he passed ten feet one way then twelve the other.

“Well brother of mine, you will have two choices, either you stay up at the house and Toby uses the room, or he bunks in with you,” Lachlan’s suggestion didn’t appear to sit well with Daniel and once again he skirted any conversation about Toby.

“What is it between you and Toby? Did you have a row about something when he was here?”

During Toby’s previous visit the two appeared to get along admirably but Daniel did seem to keep his distance whenever the brothers were about, although until now Lachlan had not brought it to mind.

“No row – no nothing why?” Daniel mumbled, then re-paced his room and asked for help to bring one of the spare beds down from the house.

“Why in such a hurry to set up the room?” Stephen asked.

“Father has been coming on a little strong of late and is developing strange ideas of how to approach work, one moment he suggests weeding the top paddock then in the next incident demanding you working in mum’s kitchen garden,” Daniel gave a shudder, “he’s also becoming quite threatening, or more to the point looming.”

“What do you mean by looming?” Lachlan asked.

“It’s hard to put into words but sort of hovering over you, arms raised, fists clenched while going red in the face.”

“Do you think father is going mad?” Lachlan asked.

“I don’t know but he is becoming somewhat worrying and I’d rather be away from it all.”

“How is mother holding up with father’s rages?” Lachlan asked becoming anxious for their mother’s safety.

“She appears alright and has always found ways of remaining in the background. I guess if father’s meals are on the table on time and his shirts laundered, he is satisfied.” Daniel assumed.

Lachlan gave a deep sigh and turned to Stephen, “what do you think mate?”

“I think being a guest I should keep out of it all.”

Later that same afternoon Lachlan had renewed experience of McBride’s mood. The man had arrived at the farm and found his way down to the cottage while looking for William. Immediately he noticed the addition to the back and how Lachlan had tidied the small surrounding yard and created his own kitchen garden.

Finding Lachlan close by, the old man called.

“Hey boy have you seen William?”

“He is over at the machinery shed with Daniel.”

“There’s still plenty of sun, have you finished for the day?” McBride barked.

“William said to knock off.”

As Lachlan spoke McBride pointed towards the new addition, “what’s with the renovations?”

“I need a little more room.” Lachlan explained without acknowledging Daniel’s tenancy.

“You have plenty of room up at the house, you should be up there helping you mother, not skulking around down here in some hovel that’s not suitable for the blacks.” The old man’s voice commenced to boom, “What’s your intention, taking in lodgers?”

“Sorry father, I can dismantle it if you wish.” Lachlan apologised.

“Forget it boy, it’s all to be demolished in the New Year anyhow. Where did you say William was?”

“The machinery shed.”

“What about Price?”

“He is there as well.”

“And boy, don’t think for an instant I didn’t notice the timber gone from behind the machinery shed.”

McBride made some guttural sound as one would while clearing their throat, about turned and quickly departed to find William. As he did so Stephen came from inside the cottage.

“Lachlan, I think it is about time I was gone from here.”

“Don’t you even think of it, you being here is all that is keeping me sane at the moment.”

The first to come to sight as McBride approached the shed was Daniel, seated casually on a large molasses barrel, idly gazing past William and Bill Price as they made conversation, while Price made trivial lines in the dust with the toe of his boot.

“Hey!” The old man shouted as he approached, capturing Daniel’s attention, bringing him from the drum and halting Price’s dust doodling.

“Daniel don’t you have work to do, I don’t pay you to sit around all day doing nothing!”

“You don’t pay me at all.” Daniel protested, his voice low but audible enough to reach the old man’s ears.

McBride was about to react but it was Price he most wished to speak to. “Mr. Price, I’ve been hearing stories about you and I’m not satisfied.” The old man growled.

“What would they be boss?” Price asked keeping his tone as innocent as possible, not wishing to further enrage his employer. He had been in this position many times before and McBride’s disdain mostly amounted to nothing, only a way of letting off steam and once done all would be back as normal as a day on the McBride farm could be.

Bill Price was an average foreman with doubtful honesty and if he could better his own pocket at another’s expense he wasn’t slow in doing so but what could it be the old man discovered? He may have been average as a foreman but he was more than average in cunning. Could his boss discovered he had syphoned away some of the heifers McBride ran on his western property, or the load of fertilizer that had never been mentioned in the old man’s usually immaculate inventory, he sold to a shady farmer friend on the Cairn’s road. Whatever it may be this was not the time to panic but play dumb and learn what was installed.

“Mr. Price, I will be terminating you employment as of now and William can take over your position, Cameron can step up to support William.”

“But Mr. McBride what have I done, what lies have you heard?” Price demanded.

“I think you know what I’m referring to. William, you make sure Mr. Price is away from my property by sundown.”

The foreman’s expression dropped and was left speechless. He knew there was no point arguing, as once the man’s mind was set there would be no turning back. Price again took a deep breath to at least dispute his innocents but instead hissed the breath at his boss, turned and departed.

“Why did you do that?” William protested loudly.

“He’s a lazy bugger and I can’t afford to keep paying someone when half his work is done by you, besides he’s always sneaking away when he should be here supervising.”

“What about his family, he has a child on the way, how will his family fare?” William pleaded, displaying a rare empathy towards a man he didn’t much like. Or was it from the extra work and responsibility he was given above what he already believed was excessive.

“He’ll manage the man is an expert at making do and mostly with other peoples wealth, I should have sacked him long ago.”

McBride turned to Daniel commenced to speak but changed his mind instead he left the shed feeling much pleased with himself. “I should have sacked Price long ago,” he repeated rhetorically as he departed and by reaching the path to the big house had all but forgotten Price as he realised his savings.

“What are you looking at!?” William barked at Daniel.

“That I don’t know but once I thought it had balls, now I reckon it’s only a smaller version of father.”

“Clear out before I clout you one!”

“Don’t worry I’m going.” Daniel left his brother to his own company.

“You try being the old man’s mouth and see how you manage.” William shouted after Daniel. Maybe William was growing balls, even if ever so slowly and small.

Daniel soon related the dismissal to Lachlan who admitted freely he was not surprised, as Price had not been as cleaver as he thought and a number of the drifters who were fortunate enough to be given odd jobs around the farm had suggested so.

“Have you told William or father?” Daniel asked.

“Nope, I haven’t any proof besides William said father is cleaver enough and he keeps a record on everything, I guess he wouldn’t need me to tell him.”

“I guess so.”

“What was father’s reason for dismissing Price?” Lachlan asked.

“Reason? Why would he need a reason other than to save money? He has already told William to step up to the position.”

“You do realise what that means?” Lachlan gave a sigh and shook his head at the thought.

“Yes it means more work for us and more pressure on William, who will pass it down to us.” Daniel disclosed somewhat despondently.

“Father was over here before he went to find William and wasn’t too pleased with the improvements to the cottage.” Lachlan admitted.

“What did he say?”

“Only it was a little fancy and we should be up at the house being company for mother, also the cottage is to be demolished in the New Year.” Lachlan offered.

“That’s a matter of months away, anything could happen before then, besides he is forever changing his mind, probably only mentioned so to annoy you.”

“I don’t think so Daniel, William has already mentioned it.”

“Oh well I guess we will all have to room at father’s lodging house.”

“Yes I guess he would charge rent if he thought of it.” Lachlan laughed.

“He would have to pay wages first.” Daniel protested most vehemently as he turned to Stephen, “what do you think of all this?” he asked.

“Me – I don’t and that is why I should take a room in town and find work.”

“It will all work out, trust me it will.” Lachlan concluded.

Gary really wants to know if you are reading his story. You may let him know, by dropping an email to him: Gary dot Conder at CastleRoland dot Net.

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