Read The Road to Gundagai Online
Authors: Jackie French
‘The sooner she’s home, the better. Madame will know what to do.’ Ebenezer’s voice sounded more hopeful than confident. He slapped Sheba’s side, in the old signal to move on.
For a moment Blue thought she would ignore him.
‘Come on, Sheba,’ said Mah softly. She stroked the lolling trunk.
At last the elephant moved through the darkness, one heavy foot after another, her head still waving in agitation. But this time, at least, she moved towards the circus.
Blue looked around at Fred, Ephraim and Ebenezer picking up the injured man, then back towards the firelight as Sheba plodded wearily home.
They laid the man on Fred’s swag in the Freak Show tent.
‘Better move Bruin,’ said Fred shortly. ‘He’ll think he’s gone to the Bad Place if he wakes up and sees a bear looming over him.’
‘Doctor’s coming.’ It was the stationmaster, puffing after them into the tent. ‘This any use?’ He handed Fred a wagga blanket, made from chaff bags stitched together and washed till soft.
‘Wha— what happened?’ The man on the ground blinked up at them.
Blue kneeled awkwardly next to him. ‘Fetch Madame,’ she said to Fred, who hesitated, clearly wanting to hear more first. ‘And you lie still,’ she said to the man on the ground. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Atkins. Ben Atkins.’
‘Well, Mr Atkins, you’re safe here.’ She hesitated. But was he really? Had he and his friends committed a real crime, or just jumped the rattler?
He guessed what she was thinking. ‘Ain’t no criminal. Dunno what that was about. Coppers are all on the take though. Always someone willing to make something extra when times are like this.’ He was bitter and hopeless. Blue’s heart ached for him even though his anger was frightening.
‘Our Sergeant Patterson isn’t like that,’ said the stationmaster defensively as Fred slipped out into the darkness to get Madame.
Blue looked back at the man on the ground. Some colour had seeped into his cheeks again. She wondered if he was hungry. Best wait for the doctor before giving him anything to eat or drink, she thought, as a car turned in the paddock gate, then drew up by the lighted tent.
Footsteps muffled by the dirt, then: ‘My patient in here?’
It was Joseph McAlpine.
Blue stepped back into the shadows. What was he doing at Gibber’s Creek? The addresses he had given her were in Sydney, and a place called Rock Farm, in a valley she’d finally found on Ebenezer’s map, feeling guilty and a bit embarrassed to even be doing that.
Joseph didn’t notice her, or Fred, slipping back in his wake, his gaze on the man on the ground. ‘Sorry, Dr Thomas is out the other side of town. Mrs Flanagan’s having a baby. It’s her first, so he might be a while. I’m only a medical student …’ He had already kneeled and taken the man’s hand, feeling his pulse as he spoke. ‘But with a bit of luck you won’t need more than I can do for you.’
‘Thank you, doctor.’
‘Not doctor yet. I just came down from Sydney today to spend a few days with my brother.’ He put the man’s hand down, held up the lamp, checked one eye and then the other. He looked professional and competent, dressed much the same way as when he’d come to see the circus, in grey flannel pants and a tweed jacket, though this one looked softer and more worn. ‘No sign of a concussion. You feel giddy? Nauseated?’
The man shook his head. ‘Hungry,’ he admitted.
‘Cocoa?’ Joseph McAlpine looked up at Fred.
Fred nodded. ‘I’ll go get some.’
Fred hasn’t recognised him, thought Blue. He had only met him the once, and the light is dim …
‘Better just make it the cocoa for now,’ said Joseph. He smiled at the man on the ground. ‘Don’t think there’s too much wrong with you, but you need keeping an eye on. You feel well enough to lie down in the back of the car?’
‘Where are you taking him?’ asked Ebenezer sharply. ‘Not the gaol?’
Joseph stood up. ‘Do I look like a policeman?’ he said evenly. ‘In any case, I don’t think this man has anything to fear from Sergeant Patterson. This has happened before, I’m sorry to say; my brother was talking about it at lunch. The wheat farmers down Mooloola way bribe their police to bring in bagmen from the rattlers. They pay the poor blighters ten shillings a week when the award is thirty. Once they have you there, there’s no way to escape, except on foot, and even then you might die of thirst before you can walk to the next town.’
‘See?’ said Atkins. He drew his collar tighter around him and tried to sit up. Joseph restrained him until he relaxed. ‘Can’t trust the jacks. Can’t trust no one.’
‘I knew those police weren’t from round here,’ said the stationmaster. ‘Look. I gotta go. Can bring you some cabbages afore you leave. I’ll come back tomorrow and see how he’s doing.’
Joseph shook his head. ‘I’ll take him back to Drinkwater. It’s a sheep station,’ he added to Ebenezer. ‘A bit out of town, but it’s the best place for him. There’s a spare bed in my room. I can keep an eye on him till the morning. If he gets any worse, we’ve got a phone to call for Dr Thomas. Then if you’re all right tomorrow,’ he added to the man, ‘we’ll see what we can do for you.’
‘A job? Heard they might be hiring at the factory.’
Joseph shrugged. ‘Can’t tell you anything about that. But things are pretty well organised around here. We’ll find you a place to stay, at least.’
‘What about me mates? If those coppers have taken them down to Mooloola to haul the wheat — there’s not even a post office down there to send their wages to their families.’
Joseph nodded. ‘You tell Miss Matilda tomorrow. She owns Drinkwater, the place where we’re going. She’ll sort it out. Now let’s get you up.’
He turned to hand the lamp to Ebenezer … and stopped and stared at Blue. ‘Miss Magnifico.’ The smile grew on his face. ‘I thought the tents were familiar. You didn’t tell me you were coming to Gibber’s Creek.’
She flushed, conscious of her bare grubby feet, her baggy shorts and short hair. He had last seen her as a harem dancer, in full make-up, and as the mermaid before that. She was amazed that he even recognised her. ‘I didn’t know we were going to. I mean, why should I?’
‘How long are you staying?’
‘Leaving tonight,’ Ebenezer answered for her. ‘Town rules say three nights only, and we’ve had our three.’
Besides, thought Blue, the police they’d fought might be back. Best to get away from the railway.
‘Well, I can borrow Andy’s car again. I’ll motor over to wherever you’re going next, see the show again. Perhaps I’ll see you again too.’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Good evening.’ He tipped his hat to her, then helped Ebenezer lift up the injured man. They carried him out into the car.
Blue watched from the tent as Ebenezer and Joseph settled the injured man into the back of the car. She should feel tired. Instead she felt like she’d had three cups of strong tea, her emotions battling each other. Horror at what men could do to each other; despair that authority could be corrupted, as it had been with the police tonight; a strange elation, helping someone as she had been helped, and at the stationmaster’s kindness with his offer of a wagga blanket and the cabbages; and happiness like a small bright star at seeing Joseph McAlpine again …
She stopped, surprised by the realisation. No, she told herself. You’re Belle Magnifico for another four years. There are no young doctors in your future.
She smiled. Perhaps she should ask Madame to tell her fortune.
Madame! Why hadn’t she been here? Was Sheba all right? She shuffled out towards the campfire.
‘Belle!’ Mah flew through the darkness. ‘Has the doctor gone?’
‘He’s not really a doctor yet — what is it?’ she asked, looking at the fear on Mah’s face. ‘Is it Sheba?’
‘She’s lying down, sort of gasping! She’s still bleeding too.’ Mah ran past Blue. ‘Doctor! Stop!’
Joseph turned. ‘What is it?’
‘Sheba! There’s something wrong!’
‘The elephant? What’s wrong with it?’ He began to stride towards the campfire, Mah at his side.
‘She,’ said Blue desperately, trying to keep up with them. ‘Sheba’s a she. Over there …’ Ebenezer had caught up with them now, carrying the lamp.
Sheba lay beyond the firelight. Mah’s right, thought Blue in terror. There was something unnatural about the way she was lying, her legs shaking, her big mouth open, gasping for air. Madame sat next to her on the hay, her hands clutching Sheba’s shoulders. Fred kneeled next to her, the pot of cocoa at his side.
‘What is happening to her?’ the old woman cried.
‘Heaven help us. I’m not a vet. I’m not even a doctor yet …’ Joseph kneeled down by Sheba. ‘Come on, old girl, let’s have a look at you.’ He touched the wound on her head as the shuddering continued. ‘What caused this?’
‘The police had four-by-twos, back at the station. Sheba tried to stop them hitting the men. They hit her instead.’
‘She is my friend,’ said Madame, into the night. ‘My oldest friend.’
Blue sat by her and took one of her hands. It felt small and cold and wrinkled. The others clustered about them.
Joseph took the lamp from Ebenezer. He peered at Sheba’s eyes, the same way he had peered at the injured man’s, then shook his head. ‘I just don’t know. I suppose elephants can get concussion too.’
‘What’s concussion?’ demanded Fred.
‘Swelling of the brain after an injury.’
‘But you get over it?’
‘Yes. Mostly. Sometimes there’s bleeding on the brain.’
Blue drew in her breath. ‘But that would kill her!’
He cast her a look, half reassurance, half frustration at his inability to help. ‘Not always. Often the bleeding stops. There can be some paralysis.’
‘Paralysis!’ cried Madame.
‘I said can be,’ put in Joseph hurriedly. ‘This might be a kind of fit. Has she ever done anything like this before? Has she vomited tonight?’
‘No,’ said Madame. ‘Who could do this to an elephant? The wisest of God’s creatures. She has lived only to give joy …’
And steal bracelets and watches, thought Blue. But even that had been endearing.
‘How can we help her?’ she asked Joseph quietly.
‘Truly? I don’t know. If she was a human, I’d say keep her warm, but maybe an elephant should be kept cool. Look, it seems to be easing.’
Blue looked back at Sheba. The vast shuddering had stopped. But Sheba still lay with her eyes closed, breathing in sharp pants.
‘Just keep her quiet. Don’t try to get her to her feet, but don’t stop her either. I’d better take that bloke to Drinkwater. But I’ll drive straight back and see how she’s going. It’ll only take me about an hour.’
‘She must recover,’ said Madame clearly. ‘If she does not recover, I cannot go on. The circus cannot go on. I lived after Monsieur died, after a fashion. But without her I am dead.’
‘Madame, no one is going to die —’ began Blue.
Sheba shuddered again. Madame gave a stifled cry and collapsed next to her.
Blue sat on the caravan steps with Mah as Joseph examined Madame. They had carried her back to her caravan. Ephraim had run to the stationmaster’s to call Dr Thomas’s house again, to ask him to come as soon as he returned from delivering the baby. Ebenezer was driving the injured man to Drinkwater, with directions and a note from Joseph explaining who he was and what had happened.
Gertrude made cocoa while Mrs Olsen and Ginger and Fred sat with Sheba. The elephant’s convulsions had stopped again, at least for the moment. Blue shivered, despite the hot breath of the breeze, smelling of rock and sheep paddocks.
‘Want a blanket?’ asked Mah.
Blue shook her head. ‘No. It’s funny, a few hours ago the world was just as it should be. And then it cracked …’ Like it did when Mum and Dad’s ship sank, she thought, or when I was burned. She shivered again. Nothing was solid. You thought it was, and then it slipped away.
‘You all right?’
Mah stood as Fred approached. ‘How is Sheba?’
‘Breathing all right again. She tried to stand up, then lay back down. Too shaky, I reckon. But she’s looking better. How is Madame?’
Blue shrugged as the caravan door opened.
‘She’s had a stroke,’ said Joseph shortly.
Fred glared at him. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It can be bleeding in the brain. It can be a blood clot on the brain. It isn’t good,’ said Joseph quietly.
‘But you can make her better?’
‘No.’ Joseph held up his hand as Fred began to protest. ‘I’m sorry, I should have said, she may get better by herself.’
‘Like Sheba?’ Fred’s voice was hopeful. ‘She’s looking better already.’
‘No. Not as fast as that. Weeks. Months maybe. She needs to be kept quiet.’ He glanced at Blue, then said, ‘The most dangerous time is the next day or two. She might have another stroke. A fatal one this time.’
‘You’re not a real doctor,’ said Fred. ‘You said so yourself. Maybe Dr Thomas will tell us something different.’
‘Maybe. I don’t think so.’
‘We have to tell Madame that Sheba is all right,’ said Mah.
‘She’s unconscious,’ said Joseph gently.
‘She’ll understand, conscious or not,’ said Blue fiercely.
Joseph looked at Fred. ‘Want me to have another look at Sheba?’
Fred considered him, then nodded.
Joseph turned to Blue. ‘The most important thing is that Madame not be moved,’ he said. ‘The circus has to stay here.’
‘But we can’t! The sergeant said we had to move on.’
Joseph sighed. He suddenly looked unbearably weary. He said he had come from Sydney today, thought Blue. How long is it since he’s slept?
‘I’ll go look at Sheba,’ he said. ‘Then I’ll come and check on Madame and you can tell her how her elephant is doing. That suit you? And tomorrow morning I’ll bring Matilda back here.’
‘Matilda?’ Blue thought of the young woman in the fox fur.
‘Mrs Thompson. She owns most of the land around here. People still call her Miss Matilda. She asked me to call her by her first name when I started studying medicine. My brother is her manager. She’ll sort things out with Sergeant Patterson.’
‘But he said we had to leave —’ began Blue.
Joseph held up his hand. ‘No one out here argues with Matilda. Now let’s have a look at Sheba.’