The cattle still plodded along withheads down, as
if every step would be their last. Shooting infront of a steer or cow will save
swimming your horses.
I wouldnthave given a handful of Mexican pesos for
thet herd. Red had already made for Rolands wagon, and dismounted there to
beginunloading. Cedric, Larry and the younger drovers wereoffering felicitations of
the day. This was the first time that Sterl had ever extended King. She was themost
wide-awake, though she sometimes took catnaps as they trekked on.
The wagonsrolling along, creeping like
white-spotted snakes, far to the fore!
Their netspromised protection from mosquitoes and
flies. Sterl surveyed the wide channel where justabove them thousands of cattle were
swimming.
Plenty smokes, boss, said Friday, who sat in the
shade whittling a newboomerang.
Plunging under the surprise and pain of the spurs,
Lady Jane leaped likean arrow from a bow. Ormiston did nothing of the kind, denied
Sterl.
Often Sterl fell alseep for a few
moments.
Sterl clucked to King, and soon he was swimming
gallantly to join theother horses. Then it came to him that Ormistons mob, to
windward, had caught thefatal scent. Suddenly from the far side of the herd sounded
a trampling roar thatdrowned yells and gunshots.
Its two hundred oddmiles from the head of the
Diamantina through the mountains to mystation. Ormiston has arange somewhere over
the mountains east of the head of the Diamantina.
Leslie approached, for once not running nor even
showing any of her usualenergy.
Men, ejaculated Drake, a bridge of cattle saved our
mob! That second night all the drovers rode herd.
Sterllost no time in telling Slyter the good
news.
I have beenblessed with my faith in divine
guidance! How many times Sterl saw her face flash in his direction!
Larry was ahead, at the left ofthe mob, and Drake
behind Sterl.
After three days of heat and dust, without a drink,
theysmelled the river and were off, hell-bent.