Midsummer's Eve

I sat down with Helena and my mother close to a wattle bush. The heat was intense and the flies swarmed round us. As we fought them off I watched the men at work.

Gregory was giving orders. Of course he would, I thought. But in these circumstances he would know what to do. My father worked with him. Matthew stood by trying to help but I doubted he was much use.

It was almost two hours before we were able to resume our journey.

Darkness was descending on us. "We can't get to that house tonight," said Gregory.

"What do you propose?" asked my father. "Go on through the night?”

"The horses need a rest. There is only one thing for it. We'll camp. Leave it to me. We'll look for a spot. I do this journey fairly often to and from Sydney. I think I know where we might stop for a rest ... and we'll be off early in the morning.”

So that was what we did.

There were sleeping bags in the buggy-one for each of us women; and there were a few rugs which would serve for the men.

Gregory said: "We'll light a fire. That'll scare off any dingo who might feel like investigating. Come on, everybody.”

We gathered branches of what he called boree-a kind of wattle which he told us made good firewood, and he produced a tin with a lid and a wire handle.

"It's a billycan," he said, "something a man can't do without in the outback. It'll brew us some hot tea in no time. You'll see.”

My mother said: "You seem to have taken precautions against any eventuality.”

"That's what you learn in the bush, my lady.”

"We're certainly grateful for your experience," added my father.

We watched him make tea; from the buggy he produced cups for us to drink out of.

They were tin but in spite of that the tea tasted good. We were very thirsty.

With an air of efficiency Gregory washed the cups and the tin can in the creek and put them back in the buggy.

"Now a good night's sleep," he said, "and we'll be off at the streak of dawn. We might make Cadorsons by sundown.”

I lay in my sleeping bag looking up at the foreign sky with its unfamiliar stars.

I found the Southern Cross which indicated clearly that I was on the other side of the world and made home seem very far away. I could not help thinking of what I called the cosy years; riding round with my father or Jacco, waiting for Jacco to come home for holidays, wondering what companions he would bring with him. But it had not been all cosy. There had been that Midsummer's Eve which was something as fearful and horrifying as anything that had ever happened.

Rolf ... leaping over the fire, Rolf whom before then I had believed to be like one of the knights of the Round Table. Perhaps all men had their weaknesses ... Joe with his ambitions and theft of Uncle Peter's papers; John Milward who hadn't the courage to face his family; Uncle Peter with his dubious clubs. It was a harsh world.

Thinking of that Midsummer's Eve brought Digory back to my mind. Where was Digory?

Somewhere under these stars? I wondered if he was finding life tolerable. He might be only a few miles away. While we were here I could try to find him. It might be difficult but not insuperable. Perhaps the omniscient Greg could be of use.

I should be wary of asking favours of him. I felt that might be rather unwise.

I dozed and woke suddenly to find someone standing over me. I started up. It was Gregory.

He put his fingers to his lips. "Don't want to wake the company," he whispered.

Floods of relief swept over me. I remembered that my father and mother with Matthew and Helena were within a few yards of me. I felt safe. For a moment, coming out of my sleep, I had thought I was alone with this man ... alone out here in this wild country, and the thought terrified me.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

He knelt down beside me. I could see his eyes gleaming in the starlight.

"All's well," he said. "I just came to see how you were.”

"Why?”

"I wanted to make sure you were comfortable.”

"I'm as comfortable as can be expected.”

"Not like a nice feather bed, eh?”

"Indeed no.”

"Be better when we get to the house. We'll make you comfortable there. That's what I aim to do, Annie.”

"My name is Annora," I said.

"Very classy. I like Annie. It's more friendly.”

"I do not like it.”

"Never mind, Annie. You'll get used to it.”

I heard my father's voice. "Anything wrong?”

"No, no." Gregory was getting to his feet. "Thought I heard something prowling. Dingo, I reckon. They get a bit bold at night.”

"It'll soon be time for getting up," said my mother.

"A couple of hours yet," replied Gregory.

I watched him move away and I lay there, my body trembling. There was something about his manner which filled me with apprehension.

We were ready to continue the journey at dawn. The day seemed very like the previous one, the country more or less the same, too. The land was dry and when we came to a creek Gregory looked at it anxiously to see how much water there was.