Alice-Miranda in the Outback Read online

  She leaned out of the window as the others mustered beside them. ‘And keep a look out for Sprocket.’

  The others nodded as Hayden put the ute into gear and led the way.

  Back at Col and Muz’s campsite, tempers were flared.

  ‘Surely you can start that blasted ute without the keys,’ Wally said. ‘Didn’t you ever hot-wire anything when you were a kid?’

  Muz shook his head.

  ‘You find a way to get that thing started in the next few hours,’ he pointed at Col, ‘and you can help me with the digging,’ he said to Muz. ‘What tools have you blokes got?’ Wally walked around to the back of the other ute and peered into the tray at the myriad shovels and other bits and pieces. ‘These’ll do.’

  ‘What are you looking for anyway?’ Col asked. ‘If it’s a mine, then I think that’s gonna take a lot longer to find than just a few hours.’ He’d been thinking he and Muz had to finish what they’d started and get out of there, before the children and anyone they told about Wally and the bush camp came back. They didn’t have time to dig a mine as well.

  ‘It’s not a mine, you moron. It’s a bag of opals, stolen from a claim years ago and buried out here,’ Wally said. He threw a shovel to Muz. ‘Follow me.’

  ‘There!’ Alice-Miranda shouted as she spotted something moving behind a mulga tree. But it turned out to be a lone cow.

  ‘Don’t worry – if Matilda can be found out here, I’m sure Sprocket can be too,’ Hayden called. They continued heading for the steam shovel – although Hayden was worried that he couldn’t remember exactly where it was.

  He slowed down and shouted at Larry, who was riding along beside them.

  The girl rode right up to the window.

  ‘Was there anything else near the steam shovel?’ he shouted, hoping for another landmark he could use.

  ‘A bore,’ she replied.

  Hayden nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

  Molly sat beside her husband in the ute and wrapped the handkerchief tightly around her fingers. She had felt sick ever since they’d found Alice-Miranda’s note. When she’d called Barnaby and learned that he was stuck in Coober Pedy, and Hugh Kennington-Jones was at the hospital with his brother-in-law who’d been bitten by a snake, it was almost too much to bear. Then the woman had learned someone was out there sabotaging their bores. Now she was in shock.

  ‘We’ve gotta find the kids,’ she mumbled. ‘Whoever has Sprocket McGinty might be dangerous and I could never forgive myself if anything happened to them.’

  She wished Barnaby were here with the chopper, but apparently he’d seen a warning light shortly after taking off this morning, and had returned to the airport. The mechanic had been working on the helicopter for the past few hours.

  Ralph leaned across and patted his wife’s leg. ‘They’ll be okay, love. Hayden and Larry are smart kids.’ They’d been following the children’s tracks for twenty minutes now. So far, it had been an easy path to follow.

  ‘Yes, but they’re just children,’ Molly shook her head. ‘When I get hold of those blasted kids,’ she started.

  ‘What are you gonna do?’ Ralph asked.

  He saw his wife’s face crumple. ‘I’m gonna hug the breath right out of all of them.’

  A pinched smile came to Ralph’s lips. ‘You do that, Molly Robinson. You do exactly that.’

  It was fortunate Muz was skinny. Between him and Wally – who hadn’t done much more than bark instructions – they’d managed to chip away at the hole between the rocks at the base of the windmill to create an opening large enough for Muz to squeeze through.

  ‘It should be just down there somewhere,’ Wally said.

  ‘What is it again?’ Muz called out, shining the torch around the crevice.

  ‘I dunno exactly. A small chest, a leather pouch? Something containing precious gems?’

  ‘There’s nothing here,’ Muz shouted, then turned and realised that wasn’t quite right. A snakeskin about eight feet long sat at his feet. He shuddered and scrambled back up through the gap to the surface. He didn’t want to run into the owner.

  ‘Geez!’ Wally stamped his foot like a petulant toddler. ‘It’s supposed to be the place.’

  ‘What made you think there was treasure down there?’ Muz asked.

  Wally explained about the map and recited the rhyme.

  Muz looked at him with a toothy grin. ‘Well, clearly you’ve got the wrong spot.’

  ‘And what would you know, genius?’ Wally spat, his eyes narrow and mean.

  ‘That rhyme for a start. Windmills aren’t hungry, but steam shovels are. They munch things like the ground and rocks and anything in their path,’ Muz blathered. ‘You should be looking under the old one at the bore we’re heading for tomorrow.’ The man produced a map with annotated drawings all over it of the bores and other landmarks on Hope Springs.

  ‘Well, stop talking and let’s go,’ Wally ordered, just as Col fired the engine on the ute. He’d been tinkering for half an hour and, unlike Muz, Col had a misspent youth of joyriding in cars that weren’t his own.

  Wally leapt into the passenger seat, yelling at Col to go. Muz leapt onto the tray, grabbing the rollbar just before Col planted his foot on the accelerator and turned the ute full circle.

  A spiral of dust flew into the air as they sped off across the bumpy plains in search of buried treasure.

  ‘There it is!’ Alice-Miranda pointed as the rusty steam shovel appeared in the distance. She could see the chimney stack poking out from the decaying roof, the levers and pulleys of the arm and the huge old bucket resting on the ground.

  As the group neared the ancient beast, they were surprised to see another ute. This one was red and a much older model than those they’d seen lately.

  ‘Considering we’re in the middle of nowhere, there certainly are a lot of vehicles,’ Alice-Miranda said with a frown. ‘Any idea who that belongs to?’

  Hayden shook his head. He was sure he’d never seen that car before. He parked beside the steam shovel and the others pulled up next to him.

  ‘So this is where we find the lost treasure of Hope Springs?’ Alice-Miranda said as they left the car.

  ‘Maybe,’ Hayden grinned.

  Larry and the others hopped off their bikes.

  ‘What do we do now?’ Millie asked. ‘I can’t imagine there’s a magical chasm in the ground that’s just going to open up and reveal its sparkling opal reef.’

  Something caught Jacinta’s eye on the other side of the red ute. She’d wandered away to take a look. ‘Hey, I think you’re wrong about that!’

  The others ran around to where she was standing on top of a mound of dirt, next to a hole with a metal ladder poking out the top.

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ Larry said.

  Alice-Miranda looked at the shaft and back at the ute. ‘There must be someone down there.’

  Taipan Dan rubbed his head and wondered if he was dreaming again. He thought he’d heard voices, but that wasn’t possible: he was alone out here, in the middle of nowhere. The irony wasn’t lost on him that he was already far more than six feet under.

  The pain in his leg was bad but he had to make one last attempt at the ladder. If he could get to the truck and the radio, then maybe he could stop thinking like a dead man. Of course he’d have to explain why he’d been on Hope Springs later, but that was the last of his worries at the moment. He’d just say he was lost – thought it was public property. Bought a claim from an old bloke but the wind must have carried the paperwork away.

  Dan managed to push himself up, but fell straight back down again when he heard the voice.

  ‘Hellooo, is anyone there?’

  It was a child. A girl.

  He tried to speak, but his mouth was drier than the Simpson Desert and the words just wouldn’t come.

  ‘Hellooo,’ the voice called again.

  Dan reached for the water bottle and unscrewed the lid. There was only enough left to moisten his lips. Finally he calle
d back.

  ‘Help,’ he muttered weakly.

  On the surface, Alice-Miranda held her hand up for the others to be quiet.

  ‘Listen,’ she said. ‘Did you hear that?’

  ‘Help me.’ The voice was barely more than a rasp.

  The children looked at one another in surprise. They hadn’t been sure what to expect, but a voice calling for help wasn’t top of anyone’s list.

  ‘We’re coming!’ Alice-Miranda shouted. ‘Sit tight and we’ll be down in a minute.’

  Larry dropped her backpack to the ground and opened the zip, reaching for a torch.

  Lucas had already retrieved his, and a small first-aid kit.

  ‘Come on, let’s go,’ Larry said, shining the light into the shaft. There was no sign of anyone at the base of the ladder, but the mine likely opened out further in another direction.

  The children quickly decided that three would go and three would stay. Alice-Miranda spun and climbed onto the first rung, clenching a small metal torch in her mouth. She’d grabbed her backpack, which contained a water bottle and some food. The light bounced around the red earth as she descended into the cavity, Larry and Lucas following. A shower of grit from Larry’s shoes sprinkled onto the top of Alice-Miranda’s head. When she reached the bottom, she jumped to the ground and took the torch from her teeth, shining it into the darkness.

  ‘Oh my goodness,’ the child gasped as she caught sight of the elderly man, his back hard up against the mine wall. A trickle of dry blood ran from his forehead down to his bushy grey beard. His cheeks were hollow and there were dark circles under his eyes. His leg was twisted at an alarming angle from the knee.

  But it was his hand that caught her off guard. The man’s right forefinger was bent over at the top, and the nail looked like a parrot’s beak. Alice-Miranda’s mind was racing. Surely that wasn’t a common trait. Could it be possible that after all these years, this was Chester Lewis?

  ‘You poor man,’ she said. ‘We need to get you some help right away.’

  The man’s grey eyes met hers. ‘Am I dead?’

  Alice-Miranda smiled at him and shook her head. ‘No, sir. You’re very much alive,’ she said, as Larry hopped down beside her and Lucas after that. ‘I’m Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones, and this is my cousin Lucas Ridley and our friend Larry Lewis, and we’re very pleased to have found you.’

  She was sure the man flinched when she mentioned Larry’s surname – and not just from the pain in his leg.

  ‘May we know your name, sir?’ she asked.

  ‘Dan,’ he replied. ‘They call me . . .’

  ‘Taipan Dan,’ the three children replied in unison, then grinned.

  ‘We know a bossy ginger cat who’s going to be very pleased to see you,’ Lucas said.

  Dan’s eyebrows jumped up. ‘Junie? You’ve found Junie?’

  Larry nodded. ‘She and our dog Rusty are in love, but I guess she’ll have to go home once you’re well again and you tell us what you were doing trespassing on Hope Springs.’

  Tears welled in Dan’s eyes. ‘That’s the best news I’ve heard for ages.’ He paused. ‘I guess that’s the only news I’ve heard in ages.’

  ‘Can you move at all?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

  ‘I’ve tried, but my leg’s not too good,’ he said.

  ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get help,’ she said. ‘First we need to find something to make a splint.’ After some hushed words with Lucas and Larry, the pair scrambled to the top of the ladder to do exactly that, leaving Alice-Miranda and Dan alone.

  She knelt down beside him.

  ‘You’re not trespassing, are you?’ the child said.

  Dan looked at her. ‘I shouldn’t be here, if that’s what you’re asking.’

  ‘But you’re a Lewis, aren’t you?’ Alice-Miranda said. The words must have felt like a blow to the man, who slumped backwards. ‘You’re Chester.’

  ‘How on earth . . .?’ the man started, but could barely speak. Alice-Miranda unscrewed the lid of her drink bottle and offered it to him. He took a gulp.

  ‘The others don’t know,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘I found a diary in Uncle Barnaby’s study. It was written by your brother and I’ve been wondering what to do about it.’

  ‘Evan,’ the man rasped. ‘He must have hated me for leaving. He never wanted the farm. But I had to go – there was no choice. My wife . . . my son . . .’ Tears welled in the old man’s eyes. ‘I only came back for the opals. I’ve never cared about the money – it’s all gone to the Flying Doctors and the hospital. With this one last pay day they can build a ward for the tiny babies. The only thing I want is it named for Willa and our boy. Their legacy.’

  ‘Oh, Mr Lewis,’ Alice-Miranda reached out to hold his hand. ‘I don’t know how to tell you this – but your boy didn’t die along with your wife. He’s alive. His name is Barnaby Lewis and you have two grandchildren – you just met Larry, and there’s Hayden as well.’

  Dan wondered whether he was dreaming. Surely the head knock was causing him to hallucinate. ‘You’re wrong,’ he said. ‘The doctor said my boy died that night same as his mother.’

  Alice-Miranda shook her head. ‘For some reason he lied to you. I’m so sorry.’

  Tears streamed down the man’s face as he tried to comprehend the girl’s words. ‘Oh my goodness, what have I done?’ He nursed his forehead in his hands.

  ‘There!’ Molly exclaimed.

  A scrawny fellow with limbs the colour of snow charged out from a clump of bushes just as they were about to speed past.

  ‘Help!’ he yelled. ‘Help!’

  The fellow ran towards the car, catching Molly off guard. He opened her door and pressed his palms together as if in prayer. ‘Hallelujah!’ he declared and fell to his knees.

  ‘Are you Sprocket McGinty?’ the woman asked.

  He jumped up and nodded, then took a bow, waving his hand around as he spoke. ‘At your service, madam.’

  Ralph leapt out and ran to the passenger side of the car.

  ‘What happened, mate?’ he asked.

  ‘Well, how long have you got?’ Sprocket began. ‘Last weekend I was doing some work on the dugout when . . .’

  Ralph rolled his eyes. ‘No, what happened out here? Who took you and what did they want?’

  Sprocket looked at him. ‘Oh. You only want the most recent history.’

  There was a crackle through the radio.

  ‘Hope Springs Three to Hope Springs One. Dad, are you listening? Over.’ The voice was loud and clear.

  Molly grabbed the handset.

  ‘Hayden Lewis, is that you?’ she asked, forgetting any call-sign protocols.

  ‘Molly!’ the boy gasped. ‘Molly, where are you? Over.’

  The woman quickly explained that they’d been following the children’s tracks and had just found Sprocket McGinty in the middle of nowhere.

  Hayden told her they’d located a man who was injured down a mine shaft near the steam shovel. His leg was broken and they couldn’t move him.

  Molly said she’d call the Flying Doctors, and that she and Ralph were on their way.

  ‘Why haven’t you kids been answering your radios?’ the woman asked.

  ‘Batteries are almost dead,’ Hayden said. ‘Got to go. See you soon. Over.’

  ‘Over and out,’ Molly replied. Sprocket climbed over the top of the startled woman to straddle the gear stick, perched on the centre console.

  ‘Well, what are we waiting for?’ Sprocket said.

  Ralph ran back around to the driver’s seat and jumped in.

  ‘Do you know how to get there,’ Molly asked.

  ‘I certainly do,’ Ralph said, as they sped away to the east.

  Meanwhile, Wally, Col and Muz had been listening in on the radio. They didn’t know if they were ahead of this new car or behind, but hearing the chatter had done nothing to improve Wally’s mood.

  ‘Those rotten kids,’ he fumed. More people on their way could ruin everything.<
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  ‘We really don’t want any part of your plans,’ Muz said. ‘You can keep your money.’

  ‘It’s too late now. You blokes are in it up to your eyeballs – so whatever I say goes,’ Wally said.

  ‘I think the odds are in our favour,’ Muz said. ‘Two against one.’

  ‘If you say so.’ Wally turned to Muz with a sinister grin. ‘But just remember, I’m a world champion grudge holder. It might take a week, it may take a year, or, as in this case, it could take more than thirty, but one of these days I’ll find you both and you’ll regret not doing the right thing by me.’

  Muz felt a shiver run down his spine. Col swallowed hard and wished they’d never set foot on Hope Springs – no matter how much they were being paid.

  Molly, Ralph and Sprocket arrived at the steam shovel in a cloud of dust.

  It was Sprocket who was out of the vehicle first, this time clambering over the top of Ralph, who was just as shocked as Molly had been when the man had climbed in over her on the way in.

  ‘Sprocket!’ Millie called, and raced towards the man. ‘It’s good to see you.’

  ‘Yes, I know it is,’ he said. ‘Thought I was a dead man. Still might be if we don’t catch that monster who kidnapped me – and knocked me out. At least this time it wasn’t with his fist. I thought he was being kind, making me a cuppa. It was just lucky I escaped when he slowed down.’

  ‘You mean Wally,’ Millie said.

  ‘You know him?’ Sprocket reeled.

  ‘He and his wife run the Kulgera Roadhouse,’ the girl replied.

  Sprocket frowned. He hadn’t been up that way in years, but now that she mentioned the name it did sound vaguely familiar.

  Hayden had run to greet Molly and Ralph and, true to her word, the woman just about squeezed the life out of the boy, holding him tightly for several minutes.

  ‘Where’s your sister?’ the woman asked.

  Hayden explained that Larry, Lucas and Alice-Miranda were back at the bottom of the mine with Dan.