Read Online Taj and the Great Camel Trek by Rosanne Hawke - Free Book Online

and blew out the rest.
    I waited, praying it would work. Then I heard a gurgle in Mustara’s stomach. ‘Quickly!’ Padar helped me steady Mustara while he vomited up a green mess. Poor Mustara. We waited, listening to his groaning. Ididn’t think I could bear it any longer when there came a sound like a flash flood tearing down a dry creek bed. A pile of evil smelling mess oozed out under Mustara’s backside.
    Oh, what if he died? Allah, be merciful. But Allah has ideas of his own; he never answered my prayer when my mother went away. I forced those thoughts out of my mind. It was Mustara I had to think of now.
    Mustara’s groaning stopped but I couldn’t tell if it was because the pain was less or because he was weaker. His bottom lip hung straight down; I had never seen it do that before. I knelt beside him while Padar checked on the other camels. Mustara laid his neck on the ground and stayed very still.
    Later, Alec walked over with his book and a candle. ‘How is he?’ I recognised the concern in his voice and didn’t know how to answer. It was up to God if Mustara lived or died. Talking about it wouldn’t help.
    â€˜Mustara is a clever camel.’ Alec said it so softly and kindly that I buried my face in Mustara’s fur. God was merciful in the dust storm at Beltana, perhaps he would be again. Padar said all the camels were special but even he thought Mustara was more special than most. Mustara was going to be the sire of the herd I would breed later on – a bull like Sher Khan.
    Alec put both his arms around me and held me tightly as Afghan men do. It squeezed the tears from meand then he left. I knew I wouldn’t sleep. I lay next to Mustara, in case he needed help in the night.
    Mustara didn’t die overnight, Al hum du lillah, Praise be to God, but he wasn’t out of the woods either as Peter put it. Two bulls, Malik and Rajah, were also sick in the morning. Mr Giles called the plant gynostemn. He said a few other words too, words that I’d heard a stockman at Beltana say when a horse kicked him. Malik and Rajah were not as sick as Mustara. Padar said it was because they were bigger. Mustara’s eyes looked at me as if I wasn’t helping him enough; I could barely stand it.
    He had struggled to his feet that morning but what if he couldn’t keep up with the string? Port Augusta was too far away for us to travel back by ourselves. Malik and Rajah were groaning when Mr Giles came to inspect them. He pulled on his moustaches and strode back and forth, watching them. ‘What will happen to us without the camels? Oh, how I longed for camels,’ he said.
    â€˜We must stay another day for the bulls to regain their strength but we cannot risk the others eating that infernal plant.’ Mr Giles fixed his gaze on me and I forced myself not to look away. ‘Taj, you watch the camels. If any of them stray near that outcrop of poisonous plants shoo them off.’
    â€˜Yes, sir.’ Then he did something unexpected. Hebrought his hand down onto my shoulder. It made me feel that Padar had just laid his hand on my head in blessing. ‘I hope Mustara gets better, Taj. He is a fine camel.’
    I could hardly say thank you, I was so astonished he would speak to me like that. All day Mr Giles strode up and down, and continually watched the camels even though he had ordered me to do it.
    The next morning I awoke and wondered what I would find. Mustara was my first concern but when I greeted him, he grunted with his usual affection. I couldn’t help laughing. Alec heard me and immediately came over. ‘I’m so glad he’s better, Taj.’
    Malik and Rajah growled when I checked on them but they too were mending. There were no fresh cases of poisoning and Mr Giles was so relieved he gave an instant order to leave. It was difficult to concentrate on what I was to do. My brain was like sand trickling through a crack in the