Page 48 of Stockman's Stowaway

‘Bush. Bush. Pit. Bush. Bush. Heifer. BLOCK UP—fat cow!’ Charlie’s voice was loud from his place high above the rails, where he carried Mason in the baby carrier strapped across his chest, as he looked over the condition of each beast that entered the pound.

‘Bush. Heifer. Pit. Bush.’

‘No. Look at him, Pop. His hindquarters are crooked.’ Bree and her grandfather would haggle over the condition of certain animals before she let them through the correct gates. ‘He’s a fat that’s due his day at the markets.’

‘I taught you well.’ Charlie tipped his hat to Bree, who was using the levers on the far side shutting the gate from the high boards. Charlie turned his pencil to erase his tick on the clipboard. ‘Keep ‘em coming, Harper.’

Harper waved the long sticks to urge the cattle to move along the narrow chutes and the drafting process continued.

‘So let me get this straight,’ Mia asked Cap. ‘They’re sorting cattle into separate holding pens, the paddock, or into the pit where Ash, Dex, and Ryder are busy branding and tagging.’

‘What my brothers are doing will take weeks to finish. Bree and Charlie are sorting this herd into groups.’

‘They move so quickly.’

‘That’s what we call the coachers. They’ve been here before and know what to do. That’s the group we used the dogs to hold them back because they’re keen to get back into the paddock.’

‘Oh, that’s the first group?’

Cap nodded. ‘You’ll notice,’ he said, pointing to the nearby paddock, ‘they’ve got ear tags, and are already branded.’

They were also very calm as they walked through the railed corridors to end up in one of the nearby paddocks that had a few large bales of hay waiting for them.

‘What happens to them?’

‘They’ll get walked back to another paddock in a week or two.’ Cap gave a satisfied nod. ‘The others will need a little more hands-on animal husbandry and they’ll be set aside for the vet’s visit.’

‘For what?’

‘Castration, spaying, pregnant testing. It’s a process that prevents unwanted breeding traits in livestock, and to control some unruly bulls. We’re after quality in our herds.’

‘It really is a process, isn’t it.’

‘It is. But the bonus is, Bree and Charlie are super quick in their calling. Come on, I’d hate to keep them waiting.’ Again, Cap whistled for the dogs, the cattle flowed down the railed chute, the gates clanged and the drafting calls continued.

‘Heifer. Heifer. Fat cow. Pit. Bush. Bush…’

‘BULL COMING.’Cap’s voice was loud. It made everyone take pause as they watched the massive beast barely fit through the narrow chutes. Even Dex, Ryder and Ash paused to lean over the fence as the proud beast entered the main arena.

‘Hello there, big fella.’ Charlie poked up the brim of his hat, leaning his boot on the rail, holding Mason to his chest in the baby carrier. ‘Are you ready to retire yet, mate?’

‘Should we?’ Dex asked his brothers.

‘He’s a good-looking animal.’ Even Ryder removed his sunglasses to look at the proud beast.

Bree fearlessly jumped down into the pen and held out something in her hand.

‘Bree!’ Ryder and Dex both started to climb the rails.

Mia gasped, grabbing the nearest thing—Cap’s arm, which was all muscle.

‘Settle, cupcake. This fender bender and I are old friends. Hello, Freckles.’ With a dusting around his nose that looked like freckles, the bull sniffed at Bree’s hand, then his tongue flickered out to eat the treat she’d offered.

‘I remember when Bree brought Freckles home from school one day. He was a sickly-looking poddy calf she had to bottle-feed,’ explained Charlie. ‘Flamin’ weakling he was.’

‘Not so small now.’ With arms leaning over the rails, Ash pointed at the bull. ‘How did you manage to keep him around, when those contractors came through the place?’

‘You can thank Bree for that.’

---