hay bale. ‘You blokes are a bit old for picnics and cubby-houses, aren’t ya?’
Sam was thinking fast. ‘Yeah, well, it’s our – our shed, you know?’
‘That’s right,’ chimed in his brother. ‘We often come up here with some food and hang out. We brought some lunch up here before we went out to the horse paddock. It’s fun.’
Sam’s heart almost stopped. Right behind his uncle’s big booted foot was a small bare one poking out of the hay. The child must have been caught off guard when Uncle Mungo climbed up the ladder. George noticed it too, and he pointed up at the roof, saying, ‘See the nests up the top? Some swallows nested there last season,’ and while his uncle craned his neck up to see, Sam nudged some hay over the exposed foot.
Uncle Mungo looked around again and grinned. ‘Yeah, well, all Australian boys need a shed, they say. Heh heh, good on ya.’ And he climbed down the ladder, the platform shaking precariously with his weight.
‘I don’t think I can take much more of this!’ said George once Uncle Mungo was out of earshot. ‘We’re gunna have to think of something soon, or he’s gunna find out about the kid for sure.’
Sam sat down and tapped the foot with his fingers. ‘It’s safe now, c’mon.’ A hay-flecked head and two frightened eyes peered out, and then the child scrambled from beneath the blanket. He sat on the floor looking terrified and exhausted. The three of them stared at each other, not knowing what to say.
Tess and Darcy arrived just before lunch the next day. Sam and George heard the beep of a horn, and raced out to the verandah to see Aunty Lou’s car pulling up outside the gate. Jock appeared next to them, a grin on his leathery old face.
‘Blimey, I better go find them hobble straps. Too many young’uns at Brumby Plains now – us old folks’re outnumbered! G’day, Lou-Lou, nice ter see ya again.’
Tess ran up the steps and gave the old man a hug. He shook hands with Darcy and received several hugs and kisses from Aunty Lou, who was resplendent in bright green cotton trousers and an equally bright pink and red shirt which clashed violently with the purple-red hair. Uncle Mungo cautiously poked his nose out of the door, spotted Aunty Lou too late and was given a bear hug and an enthusiastic hello. He looked a bit stunned and blinked a few times as Aunty Lou chattered away at him about the trip out to the station.
‘Hey, guys … have you heard from your dad?’ Tess asked carefully.
‘Yeah,’ said Sam. ‘He’s a bit better, but Mum said we won’t know anything for a while yet.’
They unloaded the car while Aunty Lou chatted to Old Jock on the verandah. ‘Careful of the esky, boys!’she called as George and Darcy manhandled it out of the back. ‘It’s got some special treats from the markets inside. We’ll have them for lunch.’
As soon as Tess and Darcy’s bags – and a suspiciously bulgy pillowcase – were stowed away, Sam jerked his head at the others and said, ‘C’mon, let’s go down to the horses.’
They trooped over to the horse paddock, which was far enough from the house for Sam to feel safe from being overheard, and climbed through the fence.
‘What’s up?’ said Darcy. ‘Aren’t we going to have lunch now? I’m starving. We brought tom yum soup and a heap of satays and stuff,’ he said with relish, and George’s face lit up.
‘Soon, but first George and I have got something to tell you,’ answered Sam.
‘It’s not your dad …?’ ventured Tess, with a worried look.
‘No, it’s something else altogether. You know how we told you we found a wrecked boat at Deception Point the other day?’ The twins nodded. ‘Well, when George and I went back there the day before yesterday to fix the fence, we found a kid .’
Tess and Darcy looked completely puzzled, until Tess said, ‘A kid ? You mean you found someone? What, from the wreck?’
‘Yeah, at least we guess so,’ said George. ‘I mean, he
Sam was thinking fast. ‘Yeah, well, it’s our – our shed, you know?’
‘That’s right,’ chimed in his brother. ‘We often come up here with some food and hang out. We brought some lunch up here before we went out to the horse paddock. It’s fun.’
Sam’s heart almost stopped. Right behind his uncle’s big booted foot was a small bare one poking out of the hay. The child must have been caught off guard when Uncle Mungo climbed up the ladder. George noticed it too, and he pointed up at the roof, saying, ‘See the nests up the top? Some swallows nested there last season,’ and while his uncle craned his neck up to see, Sam nudged some hay over the exposed foot.
Uncle Mungo looked around again and grinned. ‘Yeah, well, all Australian boys need a shed, they say. Heh heh, good on ya.’ And he climbed down the ladder, the platform shaking precariously with his weight.
‘I don’t think I can take much more of this!’ said George once Uncle Mungo was out of earshot. ‘We’re gunna have to think of something soon, or he’s gunna find out about the kid for sure.’
Sam sat down and tapped the foot with his fingers. ‘It’s safe now, c’mon.’ A hay-flecked head and two frightened eyes peered out, and then the child scrambled from beneath the blanket. He sat on the floor looking terrified and exhausted. The three of them stared at each other, not knowing what to say.
Tess and Darcy arrived just before lunch the next day. Sam and George heard the beep of a horn, and raced out to the verandah to see Aunty Lou’s car pulling up outside the gate. Jock appeared next to them, a grin on his leathery old face.
‘Blimey, I better go find them hobble straps. Too many young’uns at Brumby Plains now – us old folks’re outnumbered! G’day, Lou-Lou, nice ter see ya again.’
Tess ran up the steps and gave the old man a hug. He shook hands with Darcy and received several hugs and kisses from Aunty Lou, who was resplendent in bright green cotton trousers and an equally bright pink and red shirt which clashed violently with the purple-red hair. Uncle Mungo cautiously poked his nose out of the door, spotted Aunty Lou too late and was given a bear hug and an enthusiastic hello. He looked a bit stunned and blinked a few times as Aunty Lou chattered away at him about the trip out to the station.
‘Hey, guys … have you heard from your dad?’ Tess asked carefully.
‘Yeah,’ said Sam. ‘He’s a bit better, but Mum said we won’t know anything for a while yet.’
They unloaded the car while Aunty Lou chatted to Old Jock on the verandah. ‘Careful of the esky, boys!’she called as George and Darcy manhandled it out of the back. ‘It’s got some special treats from the markets inside. We’ll have them for lunch.’
As soon as Tess and Darcy’s bags – and a suspiciously bulgy pillowcase – were stowed away, Sam jerked his head at the others and said, ‘C’mon, let’s go down to the horses.’
They trooped over to the horse paddock, which was far enough from the house for Sam to feel safe from being overheard, and climbed through the fence.
‘What’s up?’ said Darcy. ‘Aren’t we going to have lunch now? I’m starving. We brought tom yum soup and a heap of satays and stuff,’ he said with relish, and George’s face lit up.
‘Soon, but first George and I have got something to tell you,’ answered Sam.
‘It’s not your dad …?’ ventured Tess, with a worried look.
‘No, it’s something else altogether. You know how we told you we found a wrecked boat at Deception Point the other day?’ The twins nodded. ‘Well, when George and I went back there the day before yesterday to fix the fence, we found a kid .’
Tess and Darcy looked completely puzzled, until Tess said, ‘A kid ? You mean you found someone? What, from the wreck?’
‘Yeah, at least we guess so,’ said George. ‘I mean, he
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