They Found a Cave Read Free Page A

Tasmania, and that’s named after a Dutch chap who discovered it called Abel Jansoon Tasman, he says.’
    â€˜What about tea?’ Nippy demanded, thumping the ground to gain some attention. ‘Why don’t we go down—or else play again?’
    â€˜Shush, Nippy!’
    â€˜I won’t “shush”, Cherry, and you can’t make me, either!’
    â€˜Oh, shut up, Nippy! There’s Tas making for the washing line now. Let’s see what he signals.’
    They held to the roots of Hollow Tree and leaned far out to see the signal flags better. Three tea towels were being rapidly pegged out on the washing line.
    â€˜Three,’ counted Nippy with great satisfaction. ‘That means “all well—come down” doesn’t it? Tea must be ready—see?’
    â€˜Wait a bit,’ said Cherry, pointing to Tas still busy at the line. ‘It’s “three” all right, but see what he’s doing? He’s tying a knot in the middle one. Poor old Tas! He says “Ma’s got her wool in a knot” which means she’s in a bad temper. We’d better hurry down and help him, hadn’t we?’

2
Aunt Jandie’s Departure
    Jandie was behaving rather strangely, Cherry considered. Once she disturbed a game of ‘kangas’ merely to get Brick to trim the hooves of the old goat Pansy. The nails were slightly bent under and cracked, but they would probably have worn themselves right on the rocks in time; besides it was the sort of job she usually trusted to no one but herself.
    Then at milking time, when the herd was filing to the goat-pens, she came and watched Cherry, and never offered to help when one of the young bucks jumped in from the roof causing a great commotion with the milking ladies, Lily and Angela. She just leaned her arms on the high rail of the fence and watched, laughing.
    Cherry restored order in time, and soothed the indignant milkers with a nibble of orange peel from her pocket. Angela was fastened by her collar to enjoy her dish of bran, while Lily sprang to the milking-table in her place. Cherry slipped the small bucket under her, and with deft fingers drew down a stream of milk and froth into it.
    â€˜Lily’s giving a good drop of milk,’ she called above the noise, and Jandie nodded.
    â€˜You milk the same way as I do,’ she remarked.
    â€˜Brick doesn’t, then. He looks so funny when he milks—like riding a horse backwards, Jandie. But he gets the juice all right.’
    â€˜I told him that’s the way the girls milk the goats in Norway. I’ve seen them. Have you finished? Come and let’s look at the kids.’
    They gazed with pleasure through the rails of the yard where Rufty and Tufty, the twins, were butting each other up and down a log. High they stood on their thick legs, as though on tip-toe, and the white of their coats was more dazzling than that of any newborn lamb.
    â€˜Pure-bred Saanen, Cherry. Notice the ears—they never stand up like that except in the pure-bred goats. Even little Sunny Jim who is nearly all Saanen—look at him now! One ear up and the other at half-mast.’
    Cherry glanced uneasily at the full milk bucket, for it was Jandie’s strict rule that milk must be taken straight to the dairy and strained. ‘Shall I take this down first?’ she asked.
    â€˜Oh, the milk!’ Jandie still gazed at the kids. ‘Yes, come back after. I want to tell you something.’
    As Cherry sped away her aunt watched her thoughtfully, then stared away absently at some goats who were nibbling the red shoots of a sapling. She was wondering how much she should tell Cherry of the reason why she must go away in a few days’ time. She did not want to mention the pain that came and went, only to return again. The pain was so bad at times that she could no longer stoop even to milk her precious goats. Nor did she want to think of the operation which might