Skink Gully by Des Hunt

Author:Des Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new zealand, drought, endangered animals, otago, falcons, bush fires, intensive farming, skinks, threatened animals
Publisher: Des Hunt

Getting the packs through the narrow hole required more digging, and even a bit of shoving and pushing.

Although no skinks were visible, there were fresh tracks on the ground.

“Let’s hide in the shade and wait,” said Tamsin. “Maybe they’ll come back.”

Nimish pointed to the cliff face. “I’ll check the falcons’ nest.”

Soon he was up at the ledge, peering over the edge. “She is here. I can see the top of her head.”

“Then leave it. If we disturb her too much she might abandon the nest.”

Nimish nodded, returning to the ground to wait for the skinks to appear.

But nothing happened. Not in the first five minutes, nor the next. Their attention was beginning to fade when Nimish lifted his head and began sniffing.

“I can smell smoke,” he said.

“That will be from the shotgun,” said Tamsin.

“No, it’s not,” said Dylan, jumping to his feet. “It’s a fire!”

Zeb was also on his feet. He began running around barking loudly. Then the falcon left the nest and added her screeching to the dog’s noise. Other birds began squawking, they, too, taking to the air. From above the cliff, sheep added their distressed calls.

Now the smoke was visible, carried by the breeze over the top of the rocks. The source had to be down-gully, which meant the flames would soon follow.

Nimish looked from Dylan to Tamsin and back again, his eyes growing wider. “What do we do?”

Before any answer could be given, another noise was added to those of the animals: the scream of a human — loud and long, coming from beyond the rocks. The scream of someone who feared for their life.

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