Page 11 of Stockman's Sandstorm

‘When Darcie’s son learned he couldn’t sell the place without my okay, he went and hired this mob of contract musterers to come in and sell the stock.’ Charlie scowled as he readjusted his hat. ‘But don’t you worry none. I picked out a herd before they stripped the place bare.’

‘Where are they now?’

‘Down at Wombat Flats. You can’t take no vehicles through there, that’s sure-footed stockhorse country.’

‘Why did you take them there?’ Cap asked.

‘Coz we knew no fancy mustering mob would dare go there. But don’t you worry none, it’s a place where the cattle are safe, for sure.’

Ryder narrowed his eyes at the caretaker. ‘Are they still there?’

‘Yep.’ Charlie gave a firm nod. ‘Last count, I reckon you’ve got a thousand head of self-sustaining stock. Bree and me have been babying that herd for a year now. Couldn’t have done it without Bree.’

Ash arched an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t know Bree was a stockwoman?’

‘She won’t admit it, but I needed the help, and she only did it for me. Good kid, that one. She’s afraid of nothin’ and never backs down from a fight. Like the time that bloke had me in a chokehold, Bree fair shot him in the bum, she did.’ The wrinkles around Charlie’s eyes deepened as he chuckled.

Cap spluttered over his coffee cup. ‘Bree said it was a warning shot.’

‘Yeah, that’s right. Bree warned them the next shot would be at their heads. You should’ve seen them two bullies skedaddle after that. Which is what we should be doing, Ash. Now grab the billy lid and let’s go.’

‘But …’ Ash had barely finished his coffee, let alone had breakfast.

‘Stop your sookin’. You’re a single dad now. How ya gonna feed the bugger if you don’t get paid? I’ll put this kid-carrying contraption in the Razorback.’ Charlie carted the child’s car seat away.

‘What do I take?’ Ash didn’t have a clue what a baby needed.

Ryder passed him a large bag. ‘You’ll find change of clothes, some snacks, and his special kiddies cup.’

‘Cup. Drink.’ The boy held his hand out for the cup. ‘Ta.’

Ryder nodded with approval at the toddler’s manners. ‘Don’t forget to go to the supermarket and find that kid a nanny later today.’

‘Yeah, right? You seriously can’t expect me to pluck some nanny off the supermarket shelf.’ Ash remembered he needed to get the boy some medicine.

‘When Ash gets back, we should use his drone to check out the property, especially around the house,’ suggested Cap.

‘Good idea.’ Ryder reached up to the exposed beams on the verandah’s roof and pulled down a large paper roll. It was the station’s map, that Ryder used coffee cups to sit on each corner to keep the map flat on the table. ‘I’ve got some solar cameras in one of the boxes somewhere. We can start setting them up. Cap, which of your dogs would be a good guard dog for the homestead?’

‘The shepherd.’

Ash hoisted the bag onto his shoulder, with the kid to his chest. ‘Can’t I stay and help with the security?’

‘Sure. After you’ve finished the troughs with Charlie because what cattle we do have needs water. We didn’t do it yesterday, and we know those troughs are dodgy, and none of us want Bree on our backs for letting Charlie do it on his own,’ said Ryder. ‘But while you’re working the troughs, make a list of what needs to be repaired.’

‘We’re going solar with the bores, right?’ That was Ash’s idea.

Ryder patted Ash’s shoulder. ‘That’s why you’re doing the troughs. You know what to look for.’

‘Does that mean you listened to me?’

‘We heard a teeny tiny ramble of something,’ teased Dex, rubbing his index finger over his thumb as if rolling an imaginary grain of rice.

An engine roared to life from the shed. It was the beefy bull catcher, the Razorback.

Dex nodded towards the shed. ‘Are you going to risk your life and limbs letting Charlie drive?’

‘Not a chance.’ Loaded with a boy and it’s luggage, Ash dashed across the compound, with his brothers chuckling behind him.

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