Chapter 10

The next morning we were packed, a bedroll each, and on our way to the yards by 5:45. I asked Charlie, who had his duffel and backpack, about a check for the train and he just patted his buttoned breast pocket. At the yard, the cars had been pulled onto the siding near the pens. I parked the Rover, asked Weena to sit tight, and Charlie and I walked around. We could see ramps and chutes and everything looked ready to me. "What do you think, Charlie?"

"If'n them kids know how to work the ramps and chutes, we shouldn't have any problems," he responded. Just then, and noisy pickup pulled in, the three kids in the bed and an older feller driving.

Andy, tied roll in hand, and the other two went right to Charlie, who said "Mornin'" to the man in the truck.

"G'day," came the response. "If he don' behave, jus' wallop him."

"I don' think that'll be necessary," smiled Charlie.

"Hope not, but jus' in case ... Andy." This last a bit louder.

"Yessir!"

"You behave an' listen up good, 'kay?"

"Yessir!" And the truck went off in a cloud of dust.

"Andy?"

"Yessir?"

"I'm Gordy. That's Weena over there in the Rover. Toss your stuff in behind her and ask her to come back here with you." He grabbed his roll and walked over there.

When he got back, I turned to the kids and said: "Charlie's boss, understood?"

Two nodded, Andy said, "Yessir, Gordy."

"OK. Charlie, what's first?"

"Let's go round 'tother side an' see how to arrange them chutes." So we did. While we were lookin' two guys in boilersuits arrived. They introduced themselves as the train crew. They asked Charlie if he was the "owner," and Charlie said "Reckon so. I got the check." Charlie said he'd like to load front to back and the crew nodded.

"When you get four or five done, we'll pull forward so the next ones'll be easier. All o' you comin'?"

"No. Four of us. Two o' the kids'll stay here. We'd like to get goin' before nine."

"Right-o."

And Charlie and the kids put a ramp into place and started moving chutes.

"Weena?"

"Yes, dear."

"Could you unload the Rover, drive it back to the hotel, leave the keys at the desk, and take a cab back here?"

"Yes, dear. You go play with the other boys."

I slapped her on the rear. "Don't be snarky." She kissed me on the cheek and turned around.

Charlie

Those kids really went at it. The gates were lined up and the ramp was in place in about 10 minutes. Then I showed 'em how we'd let a few heifers into a chute, slide a bar across and let them move ahead. We easily got 25 sort of lined up, then opened the chute and they just went into the car. Nary a whip crack. Then we did another 25. Next car. We got 200 into four cars and I had one of the kids look for the crew to move the train while we filled the fifth. Right then a cab pulled up and Weena got out and hauled some stuff out, closed the door, said something, and started towards me. The crew arrived and she handed everyone a Coke. Except Gordy.

"Gotta say 'please'," she told him.

"OK. You win. 'Please'." She gave him one and then put her had in the sack and pulled out a big bunch of carrots.

"I thought this might help with the bulls," she said as she handed them to me.

"Oughtta. Thanks, Weena."

The crew went to the engine, pulled the train forward very slowly, and I hollered "OK!" It was that easy. The crew came over.

"Gonna use all 12?" one asked.

"I dunno. I thought we'd use 11 on the heifers and number 12 for them bulls," I gestured towards them. "Where do we ride?"

"We'll hang a wagon on the end, what you yanks call a 'caboose'."

"Great. Gordy, Weena. They'll hang a caboose on the end of the cars. You wanna get the bedrolls into it?"

"Sure, Charlie."

I went back to work with the three kids and we finished off the heifers. It was just about eight when we got to the big boys. I made sure everything was set up and walked to the pen. That big bull just came up to me, and I fed him a carrot. He looked it over, wrapped his tongue around it and swallowed it. I took another and let him see it, and walked to the ramp. The boys pulled out the bars, he took the second carrot, and trotted up into the car. I parcelled out the carrots and the young bulls just ate 'em and followed their boss into the cattle car. We were done.

"OK. You kids really done good." I pulled out some bills. "Here's $40 for each of you."

"Gosh." "Wow. Thanks, Mister Charlie."

I went into the office. Weena, Gordy, Scott, and the crew were there. It was real crowded.

"We c'n leave anytime," I said. "I'd suggest a latrine call." And I went into Scott's 'private office.'

When we were all done, the crew had disappeared. We said 'bye to Scott and went outside to collect Andy, who was still talking to his pals. We all said goodbye and got into the caboose. Gordy spotted an intercom on the wall and told it: "We're all loaded and ready."

"'Kay. Sit down or hold on, there'll be a few jerks as we take up slack," it replied.

And we were on our way.

Weena

"You ever been on a train before, Andy?"

"No, Miss Weena."

"Well, this one won't go very fast. Maybe 75 or 90 kilometers an hour. The express from Adelaide to Perth can go nearly double that. You know where they are?"

"Yes. We did Australian geography in school."

"Good boy. Now, if you look out the right side, we might catch sight of the MacDonnells in a bit. We'll be goin' about 250 kilometers."

"It's not yet 9," said Gordy. "We should be at the Finke by noon, easy."

I leaned against Gordy and the rocking of the train must have gotten to me. I was asleep when my body felt the train beginning to slow. I sat up and Gordy moved his arm, flexing it to get the kinks out. "Don't dramatize," I told him.

"Yes, ma'am."

We slowed some more. The intercom crackled: "'Bout 10 minutes more."

I looked at my watch: 11:45. We'd made good time.

"Comin' to the bridge." We all looked out. The bridge went past. We saw no water. The train veered a bit to the left and we were on a siding. There were half a dozen folks on horses and another half-dozen with no riders. The train stopped with only a bit of a jolt.

Gordy

Charlie was first out. Then Andy and Weena. I was last. One of the riders dismounted, walked over and said: "Charlie?"

"Yes, ma'am. Uh ... Maddy."

"Got it in one," she said, sticking out a hand. "An' you?"

"I'm Andy, ma'am. I work for Charlie."

"I bet you do," she laughed. "An' you're Weena an' Gordy."

"Right. G'day."

"Glad to meet'cha." She looked around. "OK, Charlie. Whadda we got?"

"500 heifers in the front cars; 22 young bulls an' one big 'un in the last."

"OK, guys [real loud], I want those front ten cars emptied. Joe, you and Fran start 'em on the way. I want it so that we don' see any tails when we loose the bulls. Is there water in the tank at the bore? Sam, you ride ahead. If there ain't enough water, start the mill. You know how? OK, git to it!" She turned back to us: Andy was just staring at her, Charlie looked dazed, Weena had a big grin on her face. "That'll hold 'em fer a bit," Maddy said.