Opal Dreaming by Karen Wood

Author:Karen Wood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV002130
ISBN: 9781742692654
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd
Published: 2011-02-27T05:00:00+00:00

15

SHE WOKE TO her foot being violently shaken.

‘Time to get up,’ said Mrs Arnold.

Jess groaned, stretched and looked out the window at the pink and orange sunrise. The campfire had died and there were two empty cups, upended, where Lawson and Lindy had been.

Suddenly, Bob ran into the camp waving and gesturing madly. Jess noticed he held Mrs Arnold’s empty wine bladder in one hand.

‘Something’s happened to Bob!’ said Jess, loud enough to wake the others up.

Shara, with her hair sticking up and eyes half-open, grunted and shuffled up next to her. ‘What’s going on?’

Outside, Lindy appeared from the cabin of the truck, hopping about and pulling on her boots. She listened briefly to Bob before sticking two fingers in her mouth and issuing a sharp whistle.

Grace instantly sat up and crawled to the tiny window. ‘Let me see,’ she said, squeezing between Jess and Shara.

The entire camp erupted into chaos.

Lawson emerged shirtless from somewhere and was bellowing at Ryan within seconds. ‘I told you to keep an eye on those drinking buddies of yours,’ he roared. ‘There was to be no alcohol on this trip!’

Ryan, looking drowsy and wearing only a pair of shorts, held up his hands in puzzlement. ‘I didn’t know there was any!’

‘Uh-oh,’ Jess heard Mrs Arnold mumble.

Lawson clenched his fists and raised them at Ryan, as though he wanted to punch him from one end of the camp to another.

‘I wasn’t drinking!’ Ryan protested. ‘I’m sober as a judge!’

Lawson dropped his fists and stormed off, calling for Stanley. He wrenched open the door of the truck and snatched his shirt from the front seat.

Lindy ran towards the trailer. ‘We got some stolen horses, Jude. Could you come and give us a hand?’

‘Sure they didn’t just get loose?’ asked Mrs Arnold, reaching for her jacket.

‘Someone’s unbuckled the hobbles and left them behind.’

‘Which horses are missing?’

‘Marnie and Walkabout.’

Jess shot upright and smacked her head on the ceiling of the trailer. ‘Ouch!’

‘Grab some halters, girls.’ said Mrs Arnold as she disappeared out the door.

The trailer came alive as four girls scrambled for four pairs of boots that all looked the same. One by one they filed out of the door and grabbed halters and buckets, anything to help lure a wayward horse.

Luke ran into the camp, yelling, ‘The cattle are out – someone pulled the fencing down!’

Lawson swore and turned to Mrs Arnold. ‘We’ve got some cattle to muster too, Jude.’

‘Oh, so now you want us to ride?’ said Grace, as she stepped out of the trailer.

‘Who said anything about you riding?’ Lawson said, shortly.

Grace stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips, a look of fury on her face. Lindy roared up on a motorbike and indicated to the seat behind her. ‘Hop on!’

Grace hoisted a leg over the back of the bike and planted herself behind Lindy. She pulled a face at Lawson as they buzzed off into the breaking day.

Jess ran straight to Bob, who was hurriedly pulling saddles out of the tack box.

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