The Drive.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21224, 2 July 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Drive.

By HUCrH FLEMING. M.B.G. (age 17) Grand Vue Road. Jlanurewa. v PRIZE STORY.

The sun blazed pitilessly down through the thin pall of smoke, making of the valley where three men and a huge mob of sheep laboured wearily along, a veritable inferno, suffocating and .vitality capping. "From the feet of the sheep rose a dull brown cloud of dust which hung over their backs and caked on their dry parched tongues and throats.

A Mr. Davis was the owner of these Bheep and the owner of the run from which the drive had started. He was one of the weary, dirty men in charge of the flock. The other two wero Alf and Jack, his sons. Though once rich and successful Mr. Davis was now on the verge of ruin. Misfortune had followed misfortune. His lambs had nearly all died of disease and cold chiring an exceptionally hard winter. Then had come the present drought. For tlneo months there had been little l-ain. The grass had dried and shrivelled up. Water was more precious than gold. A final disaster came when an. artesian bore on which he depended for water was blocked by some subterranean movement of the earth. Also, a neighbouring run-holder, by name, Grosman, held a large mortgage over Mr. Davis' property and since he coveted it Mr. Davis knew that he would foreclose if payment of interest was not promptly made and seize the run for himself. Unfortunately a large payment was due sixteen days from the day the bore blocked. Nothing was left for Mr. Davis to do but drive his sheep to the market at Taihape, the nearest town and sell thein. As a result he and his sons had undertaken the long ten-day drive. On the fourth day the sheep* were etarted on an extra long journey. The nearest water was a long day's drive and it promised to be a hard day for foen and sheep. Mid-day came and went. Still the buii beat down and still the dust-cloud rolled up and hung in the air. About; 6 o'clock Alf, who had ridden ahead to inspect the vanguard of the sheep, saw not far in front another dustcloud coming toward him. A sickening fear gripped him. The sheep in front, for sheep they must be, would meet and mix with his. To separate them might tako days. Delay would be disastrous, for Gros'nian would foreclose if payment was not made in time. Then he saw that worthy himself ride out of the dust ahead. The other's plan immediately became obvious to Alf. Grosman had resorted to this trick to delay them. Anger filled him, and he shook his fist at the man .before him, who wheeled his horse and rode away smiling. Jumping from his hcr;;e, Alf pulled the wire-cutters that he always carried from his pocket, ran to the fence and rapidly cut a large gap. Grosman's sheep, about fifteen hundred in all, advanced and when they reached the gap Alf turned thein through it. He had just joined up the wires again when his father's sheep began to pass him, and as he turned away the infuriated Grosman rode up, " By heavens, you'll pay for this," he 6houted. " Wait till the owner of this land hears of his cut fence and my sheep being driven through." " Yes," replied Alf calmly. He will ftvant to know what you mean by it I suppose. Stiil, you can blame the broken fence." "Broken fence! You cut it." Grosman ppolte with anger. " Now, you shouldn't s-'iy that," said J&lf copllv. " Did you see me do it. Grosman was purple with rage. He was beaten and lie knew it. Wheeling his horse he galloped of into the darkness. Next morning as Mr. Davis prepared to rouse up his sheep from their comfortable resting place beside a stream a tall dark man rode up.

" I'm McGregor," said tlio stranger curtly. " I. owp ihe run that some sheep were turned on yesterday." Mr, Davis decided to tell everything. When ho had finished the> stranger noddc-d. '* Oil, that's the way of it, eh ?" Then suddenly. " Will yon sell your sheep. I'll give you market price and delivery now. See the hank at Jaihapo for my credentials. I'm stocking my newholding yoil see," he added in explanation. " Will J sell ? Of courso." said Mr. Davis joyfully. " Let us hurry and get jthirgs fixed up." On the day that the interest payment fell due (!rosnian received a cheque from Mr. Davis in full settlement and as lie. wrote the receipt he realised that his schemes had failed. He wjuld never nowown the Davis holding.