Charlotte and the Golden Promise by Sandy McKay

Author:Sandy McKay [McKay, Sandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742539454
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2013-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

9

Daylight Robbery

Two hours later, with Moby-Dick in her pocket, Charlotte followed the track that led to the water. The moon was full, so she could still see where to go. Time was running out and she needed to take her chances before it was too late. A plan formed in her mind.

She would find a place to rest and then go down to the creek when there was light enough. She chose a patch of tussock on the brow of the hill. From here she could see the place they’d gone to the day before. Maybe she would have a quiet read …

Opening the book, her eyes grew heavy when she looked at the words: ‘For several days after leaving Nantucket, nothing above hatches was seen of Captain Ahab …’

Charlotte must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew it was daylight. And she thought she could hear voices.

When she peered through the native grasses, she saw someone she knew. It was Ah Lee. The Chinese boy. She recognised the easy way he sat on his haunches. Trust him to be up and about so early, Charlotte thought.

But someone short and stocky was walking towards Ah Lee, and Charlotte had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. There was something unsettling about the look of him. She heard them exchange words, and she could tell it was no neighbourly chat.

The boy was standing now, his gold pan lying in the gravel beside him.

Then the man began to jostle the boy. He was shouting. And Ah Lee was shouting back, in his own language. They were too far away for Charlotte to hear what they were saying.

The man took hold of Ah Lee’s shoulders, grabbing at a pouch slung across the boy’s chest, and Ah Lee staggered backwards. Then the man began to run. Ah Lee chased after him, yelling and waving his arms around. But the Chinese lad was too small to keep up. His legs were only half the size. Charlotte could hear what he was saying now.

‘Stop! Thief!’

She knew she had to do something. If only she wasn’t so far away.

Charlotte set off down the bank, her heart racing. All she could think about was Neville Harper with his fat sausage fingers. They were exactly the same, both of them. Bullies.

‘Hey!’ she yelled.

The man turned around, and Charlotte recognised him straight away. It was the miner who’d teased her at the creek. Fagan Pratt. Wasn’t that was Mrs Wiggins had called him? He kept on going, striding up the side of the hill. Ah Lee followed, but seemed to be getting further and further behind. For a man of such weight, the robber was surprisingly quick on his feet.

Too late now. He was out of sight. Drat!

When Charlotte made it down to the creek bed, Ah Lee was sitting on a large rock. He had his head in his hands and was looking very much the worse for wear.

‘Are you all right?’ she asked.

He looked up, surprised to see her.

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