Taj and the Great Camel Trek (13 page)

We set off again in the morning through the high scrub. The red sandhills rolled away from us like the waves at Fowler's Bay. The trees were gums like huge mallee, and there was the killing spinifex. Youldeh's legs bled from the spikes.

Tommy showed me signs of human life. ‘People here find water in roots.' Mustara took huge bites from a poplar tree as we passed.

We were all trying not to drink too much and since the others didn't have mugs of tea or coffee anymore, it was as if the English and Tommy were keeping the Ramazan fast with Padar and me.

We were too aware of how many days we had been travelling from Boundary Dam. Alec wrote them in big letters each evening. Everyone, even Mr Giles, looked fatigued. The men didn't shave which was strange for the English. I was tired all day and when I dismounted from Mustara on the thirteenth day I fell as if it was the first time I had ridden all day.

But on the next day something happened to lift the tedium. We were travelling through scrub when Tommy yelled out, ‘Ilga, dingo.'

When I first heard him, I looked around for Youldeh. She wasn't so big that a dingo wouldn't attack her, and she had become weak. Then I saw where Tommy was pointing. Two pups were running off to the side of us.

‘Come on, lads,' Peter shouted. ‘Let's get us one.' Peter was at the back with me and we shouted ‘Hooshta'. Mustara and Tameem, Peter's mount, folded down and we jumped off and raced after the pups. Tommy was ahead of us.

All I could think of was the mother: where was she? She could kill Youldeh, but Tommy wasn't concerned. Peter circled around and headed the pups off while Tommy and I ran them down. Tommy chased a light-coloured one, I chased the other. Suddenly Tommy leapt into the air and landed on the pup. It was safe under him, and he rose with a wriggling mass in his arms. If he could do that so could I; I made an extra effort to catch one too. When I made my leap I caught only the back legs but I hung on while the pup scrapped and howled.

Peter laughed. ‘I hope they make nice pets and don't bite when you be asleep.'

Mr Giles didn't mind us bringing the pups to camp. It was Padar who was cautious. ‘Have you thought of the
calf, beta? Where there are pups there are grown dogs, hungry dogs.' I knew that too, but the pup was warm in my arms; I didn't want to let him go.

‘Don't be a spoilsport, Saleh,' Jess Young said. ‘Let the boy have some fun. Besides, we have rifles. We can pop off anything that attacks the calf.'

I was surprised he stood up for me but grateful, for Padar didn't protest any more. Jess Young's hand reached out to touch the pup in my arms and I knew he was no stranger to dogs.

I gave the pup some damper. I thought if I could keep it with me it would become used to me and not run off. Tommy seemed to have the same idea. He called his pup Dyabun. ‘Little fella,' he said, grinning. Like me he stuffed the pup down his shirt.

That day was eventful, for before we'd travelled a mile I heard a howl. Behind me, just a few yards away, a female dingo padded. ‘Tommy, get Jess Young, quickly.' I leant down and took Youldeh's rope and drew her close to Mustara. I tried to urge Mustara to go faster but he was tired. The dingo began to circle us. Youldeh could sense it and bleated louder than usual. The string was too far ahead. Jess Young wouldn't get here in time. I pulled Youldeh even closer.

Then what I feared happened: the dingo leapt for Youldeh. Perhaps Mustara thought I was in danger for suddenly Mustara turned to face the attack. He bellowed
as loud as Malik and kicked sideways with his back leg. He caught the dingo off guard and clipped her on the rump. The dingo ran a short distance then circled us again. Mustara had surprised me. I didn't know he could roar like that; it sounded frightening but how long could he keep up the defence? He wasn't as strong as a mature bull and he was weakened from lack of water.

This time when the dingo leapt she flew straight for Mustara's neck. But Mustara was ready: he kicked and roared just as Rani had when her calf was attacked at Beltana. The dingo soon decided that Youldeh wasn't worth the trouble, and by the time Jess Young galloped up with his gun ready, the dingo was escaping.

‘Seems you managed well enough, Taj.' He gave me a look that I couldn't fathom, but it looked like respect.

Not only did we travel twenty-six miles in 96-degree heat that day, find pets and fight off a dingo, but Tommy and I found birds' nests. I didn't know what they were but Tommy did. ‘Them fellas galbiny,' he said. The nests were five feet in height yet Tommy said they were not big birds. ‘He fill nest with plants, lay eggs in a circle.' I was amused at his use of English pronouns but I didn't say so. We found two layers of upright eggs and there were nine in each layer.

‘These be as large as turkey eggs,' Peter said at the campfire. ‘They must be Mallee fowls.'

Mr Giles disagreed. ‘They're lowans, Peter.'

Besides a bush turkey Mr Young had shot on the plain a week ago this was the only different food from damper and dried beef we'd had for months. But I didn't understand why we couldn't find water if lowans and puppies lived in the desert.

The pup lifted my spirits so that I didn't think so much about water, and what would happen to Youldeh if we didn't find any. By night time the pup snuggled up with me in my blanket. Perhaps the warmth of my blanket had more to do with him keeping close than an attachment to me, but I believed it would come. I ignored my fear of grown dingoes and decided I would have a dingo and a camel, and we would all be the best of friends.

I called the pup Asad, for it means lion. He was brave to survive in the desert where we couldn't find water.

By the sixteenth day, catching the camels was so tiring I didn't think I could stay on my feet. Everyone helped to load up now but I found it was easy to say words that were unkind. Even Alec snapped at me to hold my end of a box higher and I felt the irritation rise. Before I could stop myself I grumbled, ‘What about yours?' I felt sorry, for Alec was my good friend.

The desert was changing us.

Padar and Mr Giles were talking near Salmah and Youldeh. I hobbled over. ‘What's the matter?' I asked.

Mr Giles looked at Padar. This was one thing he was going to let Padar tell me. ‘Taj, Salmah is completely dry. Even if we found water today, her milk will not flow.'

‘But–'

‘Beta, look at the calf. Do you want her to suffer?'

Padar was right. Youldeh's eyes were dull, she complained constantly. Salmah kept nudging her but she wouldn't stop bleating. She bumped into Salmah as though she was blind. She even fell, and could only just
rise. ‘She will become worse. This is the reason I knew it would be difficult for you and Mustara in the desert.'

Padar was saying I wasn't old enough to cope with death. And if being sad every time a camel died meant I was still a child, I suppose I would stay a child for the rest of my life. Was Mr Giles a child? He felt it, I could tell. He wiped his hand across his eyes. ‘I'm sorry, Taj,' he said. Then I saw his rifle.

I was sobbing as Mr Giles raised it to his shoulder. I wanted to run but I forced myself to stand by Padar. My eyes were closed when the shot rang out, and it was Padar who moved forward to cover Youldeh with branches. Salmah sniffed her until Tommy led her away to the string. A thick darkness stained the sand.

Mustara kissed the top of my head before I mounted. I hugged Asad, put him in my bag so he could ride on Mustara with me and gave him some of my water. Mr Tietkens saw me and grumbled about giving the pups precious water. Mr Giles spoke to him too quietly for me to hear.

‘But this is life and death, Ernest. How can you countenance it – giving water to a wild dog when we may need it? It will only run away given half the chance.' I hadn't heard Mr Tietkens talk so plaintively. Perhaps I wasn't the only one who suffered from headaches and fatigue.

Mr Giles stopped his final checking of leather straps to look at Mr Tietkens. ‘There is little to amuse the boys at present. The pups will not drink much.' I was struck by Mr Giles' kindness when we were all struggling to be civil. He sounded gruff yet I knew he was letting Tommy and I have the pups to keep our minds from our dangerous position in the desert, and perhaps to keep my mind off Youldeh.

By mid morning we saw smoke from campfires and some human footmarks that Tommy pointed out. This made Mr Giles so happy he let the camels lie down with their loads on at twelve o'clock, for it was 96 degrees. The camels didn't mind the heat; they sat facing the sun so they could conserve any water they had left. I licked my lips, which were cracked and sore, and kept looking around me; people in the desert meant there may be water but what if we couldn't find it?

We marched on for many hours and just before we camped, there was a big problem with Jess Young and Mr Giles. It was Jess Young's turn to steer by the compass; he was at the head of the string on Sultan, taking readings. I saw Mr Giles look up at the sun and then he rode forward to Jess Young. ‘Jess, you're not steering correctly. You're too close under the sun.'

Jess Young swung around on Mr Giles. He reminded me of a young bull we had at Beltana. He had come into season and challenged the stud bull, Sher Khan.
The young bull ran around with his jaw near the ground looking terrible with his side lips spread and froth dripping out. Sher Khan spread his back legs apart and made a gurgling sound. It didn't take Sher Khan long to reach the other's front foot with his mouth. He gave a lift with his head and over fell that young bull. He scrambled up and was off before Sher Khan could sit on him.

‘You can steer yourself if you don't think I can.' Jess Young threw the compass into Mr Giles' hand. I was shocked at his tone. He looked as if he wished he could strike Mr Giles. I thought Mr Giles would shout at him but he just took the compass and began steering in a more southerly way. He led us over a white ridge of sand to a hollow where we camped.

We travelled twenty-seven miles that day, and the camp was in a dreadful place. There was nothing for the camels to eat. Around us were only sandhills and none of the plants that the camels could gain moisture from. I was sure by Jess Young's dark looks he thought we would have had a better camp if we kept to his steering.

Everyone was thinking his own thoughts, but tempers were short. Even when Peter couldn't find the salt, he blamed Tommy and then himself. There were no stories around the campfire. No songs; Jess Young wasn't in the mood for music. Nor was I, for every time I shut my eyes I could see a white leggy body with red staining its curly fur.

Padar was watching Mr Giles. Even at Boundary
Dam I had thought Mr Giles would know how to find water. But I was learning he was an ordinary man, a man driven by jinns to complete what he set out to do. ‘Mr Gile, will we find water tomorrow?'

‘How can I tell?' Mr Giles replied. At least he had stopped his teasing. But it wasn't heartening. If Mr Giles stopped joking then the situation was very serious. I gave the pup some of my water away from the campfire so it wouldn't offend anyone, and sat stroking him in my lap. I wondered what the last few days without water would feel like. Would we just fall sleep or would our tongues swell and our mouths hang open and our bellies fire with pain? Why hadn't God given us water?

Alec came to sit by me. He was in the same mood. After a while he spoke. ‘Have you ever wondered if God is really here? What if it's just a story to keep us doing the right things through life?'

His words shocked me. Surely that was blasphemy. Yet was I any better? Wasn't doubting God's providence the same thing? I had nothing to say to Alec. Perhaps we just had to pray whether we lost hope or not. Alec had a similar idea. ‘God will carry us when our faith wanes. That's what my mother said. If we die, Taj, then there is paradise. When Mother was dying she said she could see Our Lord Jesus. She was smiling.' Then his face shadowed. ‘But I have seen a man die who was afraid. He couldn't see anything except his fear.'

I didn't want to be like that man and when Alec asked if I thought our paradises were the one and same, I didn't think for long. ‘I hope so.' I couldn't imagine eternity without Alec.

For once Jess Young didn't tease Padar as he took his prayer mat into the scrub. Perhaps he realised the more of us praying, the better.