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

from this abominable hellhole in the hot weather?’
    No one answered him but I saw the red look on Mr Giles’ face. Perhaps he noticed the undercurrent of Jess Young’s tone for I heard it too. Was he showing disrespect?
    Alec murmured to me, ‘Mr Giles survived because he is a good bushman.’
    I agreed, for Mr Giles even knew we were near Wynbring before we arrived. ‘How did he find this place?’ I asked Alec.
    â€˜He reads maps.’ Alec can read them too, so I decided that after I could read words I would ask Alec to show me how to read maps. They would be helpful in the desert if I had to take a camel string to a new place, perhaps to Perth.
    Peter cooked our dinner in a tent in case it rained again. Tommy and I had to stand and watch with water in billies in case the tent caught fire. It took Peter a longtime to coax the flames to life from the damp wood. Then he cooked the damper in the hot sand amongst the ashes. ‘It stays hotter this way,’ he explained. He had ideas about the wood to use also. ‘This black oak’s better than mulga for it burns to a white ash. Then the damper don’t burn.’ I watched and learnt from Peter just as I did from Alec and Padar.
    After our dinner of damper and stewed salted beef that I wasn’t too fond of, Mr Giles told us we could stay there for a few days. ‘My friends will have a few days’ rest because they have had such poor feeding places the last few nights.’
    Padar and I exchanged a look that only we knew the meaning of. Friends? Mr Giles didn’t mean us or the other men. He was talking about the camels.
    It was Jumah – our holy day again – the twenty-fifth day of June. Jess Young shot an emu in the morning and Padar raced over in time to slit its throat so that he and I could eat it too. Jess Young was used to Padar doing that, though he still teased us. Tommy and I were set to plucking again but it was not an easy job. Emu feathers are large, and those ones stuck to the bird like desert weed in a rock. Tommy was strong but we both grunted as we pulled.
    There wasn’t time for much conversation but I asked him about Fowler’s Bay. ‘Will you stay with your familywhen we get there?’ I told myself I was just making conversation, that his answer had no relation to my feelings.
    Tommy rolled his eyes at me. ‘Not me,’ he said. When I roll my eyes like that behind Padar’s back it means I’m annoyed with him, but Tommy looked frightened. I couldn’t ask why, for Tommy suddenly turned the emu over and we were busy for the next half an hour.
    When we finished, Peter sharpened his knife and sliced the bird into steaks. The hard work was worth it. At the campfire Padar said the meat tasted lazeeze; that’s delicious in Persian.
    As we were eating, Mr Giles managed to upset Tommy. I thought Tommy would never get upset. Mr Giles was wiping his fingers as he spoke. ‘Tommy, I want you to find the Wynbring natives in the morning.’
    Tommy sat still a moment.
    â€˜They should be able to tell us if any more water holes exist in this area,’ Mr Giles added.
    Tommy stood up and started to talk quickly in Wirangu. His hands spoke too. It made us all stop chewing just to watch.
    Mr Giles took a mug of tea from Peter. ‘Whatever’s the matter, Tommy?’
    â€˜Why you no ask me, boss. I know many big watta – this my country. No need ask other blackfellas.’
    Tommy showed all his fingers and said the names of eight water places on the way to a place called Youldeh.Mr Giles smiled to hear of all those places and Tommy looked happier. I glanced at Padar and saw his frown. I wondered if there would be more water at them than the last place Tommy said he had found ‘big’ water.
    Mr Giles had been on the lookout for Tommy’s people but none of them had showed up. ‘Tommy’s old Uncle Jimmy said that the girls in his family