Belinda Murrell: Bringing Australian History To Life | Page 23
EXTRACT
knife behind his back. He had carved
some letters on the mantelpiece.
‘I’m carving my name,’ he confessed,
shamefaced. ‘Just in case we never
come back. I wanted to leave my name
as a record that we belong here and
Oldbury belongs to us.’
Charlotte nodded, a lump in her
throat. ‘Then you had better finish it,’
she suggested. ‘I’ll wait for you.’
When Charlotte, James and Louisa
came downstairs, the men were
loading Maugie’s basket on top of a
bullock, opposite Mamma’s portable
writing desk and a large hamper of
earthenware crockery. Maugie roared
with indignation.
It was this roar that finally roused
Mr Barton. He began banging on the
locked door, yelling and swearing at the
top of his voice.
‘We must make haste,’ Mamma urged
the men. A loud crash came from
upstairs. The children glanced back
towards the house in fear.
‘Hurry up,’ whispered Charlotte,
jiggling up and down.
At last, the final parcel was strapped
onto the rear bullock’s packsaddle. Bill
the bullocky swung his long-handled
whip over his head, cracking it sharply
over the bullocks’ backs.
‘Walk on, boys,’ called Bill. The
three bullocks started forward slowly
in unison, directed by Bill’s verbal
instructions and whip cracks.
‘We will be right behind you, Bill,’ said
Mamma.
‘Right you are, ma’am,’ he replied,
lifting his cabbage tree hat.
As the bullocks moved out of the
yard, the two men walking along their
left side, Mamma hurried the children
and Bridget towards the horses.
Another loud
crash came from
the house. This one
sounded closer.
Louisa had just
been lifted onto
her grey pony and
James mounted on
his gelding when Mr
Barton staggered
onto the verandah,
carrying a pistol.
‘I outwitted you,
woman,’ jeered Mr
Barton. ‘I smashed
the door off its
hinges.’
Mr Ash started
forward but Mamma
gestured to him
to stay back. She
grasped Samson by
the collar, holding
him by her side.
‘Mount your
horses, girls,’
whispered Mamma,
holding Ophelia and
Clarie by the reins
with her other hand.
Charlotte and
Emily scrambled
up into their sidesaddles as quickly
as they could, their
eyes trained on
their step-father
and his gun. Mr Ash
helped Bridget into
her saddle with more difficulty, as she
was not used to riding on horseback.
‘What d’you think you’re doing?’
bellowed Mr Barton, waving the pistol
in the air.
‘We are leaving, George,’ explained
Mamma gently. ‘You have succeeded in
driving us from our home.’
Fleeing down a treacherous mountain path, can the Atkinsons safely reach the isolated
stockman’s hut? And how will they survive the harsh winter? The River Charm is a thrilling
adventure based on a true story of an inspirational Australian pioneer family.
The River Charm is published by Random House Australia and is copyright © Belinda Murrell 2013. RRP $17.99
randomhouse.com.au/teachers 23