by Mia Marks

Created on: July 20, 2009

The red dust billowed like a feathered tail behind my car. I wiped the sweat from my eyes and hoped what I could see in the distance wasn't a mirage. I'd been on the rad for two days, making my way to a mustering job in remote Australia and planned on reaching the homestead tonight.

The turnoff to the station looked nothing more than a dirt track with unending wheel ruts. I slowed down to a hurried crawl to cover the last ten kilometres.

Pulling into a cleared fenced area near some buildings, I was confronted by half a dozen dogs, all frantically barking and lifting their legs on the tyres. One dog was standing back from the rest and until I started to get out of the car, I thought nothing of him.

I stood dead still as soon asI heard the low threatening snarl. Slowly turning my head, the dog was only about five metres from me in a crouched position, ears laid flat and lips drawn back on teeth that I'm sure had been filed to a point.

"Ignore him, he's all bluff" said a voice from the shed. If he was bluffing, he'd done a good job on me, I thought. I headed for the shed with one eye on the dog, hoping I was faster on my feet than he was, if needed.

"You must be the new Sheila for the mustering crew". My sight hadn't fully adjusted from the direct sunlight but a tall figure was gradually emerging. Dusty stock hat with a hole in the side of the crown, a shirt that had seen better days, moleskns and cuban heeled boots - obviously my sight was fully restored.

"Yep, i need to find the boss and let him know I've arrived" I replied. It was as if I hadn't uttered a word. "You'll have to throw your gear in your room, we've got to get out to the pens straight away". He strode away towards a dusty old ute.

"Where the hell's my room" I yelled, and his hand waved towards a group of demountables.

Unloaded my gear and changed into work jeans and shirt, then headed out the door to find him impatiently drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and glaring at me. "You sure go out of your bloody way to make new staff feel welcome" I snarled as I got in the ute. The only reaction was a grunt and we sped off down a track.

The vet was testing the cattle for TB and my job was to keep them moving up the race with an electric prodder.

The following morning we were back at the pens by 5am and worked through till smoko. Sandwiches and black tea and a short break. The next break was lunch then nothing after that until knock-off time.

Working

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