The river is Down Read Online Free PDF Page A

you'd picked it up on your circuit.'
    'I have the girl, Lex. She was stranded between the billabong and the river. Guess you know by now the river's down.'
    'Great news, man! There's hat-throwing up here. I've ordered the stockmen out to syphon some of it off to bolster the southern bore-troughs. The water there's coming up hot and saline after this raking drought. Any idea of the river's pace and banker?'
    Cindie really knew her place now. Alexander of Marana had had to check on a lone girl travelling, but his only interest was in water.
    'River's doing nine and rising fast, Lex. Would say she'll be up four feet by the morning. Should say she'll reach Baanya by midnight.'
    Nick Brent's only interest was in water too!
    He and Marana Station talked about it for quite five minutes. It was Mr. Alexander, coming out of his water-happy trance, who finally asked about Cindie again.
    'If you fished that girl off the hump over the river, Nick, you're likely to have her quite a while. Last radio call said there's no sign of the rain abating back in the ranges on the upper tableland. Looks like real floods this time. That'll throw a mud blanket round the area for a couple of hundred miles. River up north is down too, cutting off Bindaroo and the tracks north and northwest.'
    'I figured that out myself, Lex. We're about five miles east of the camp right now.'
    Cindie, a reluctant listener, heard something come through from the other end that sounded like a feminine voice interrupting.
    'Out now, Lex, if you don't mind,' Nick Brent said, not hearing it, apparently. 'I'll see if Baanya's listening. The overseer down there's interested in the girl. I'd better let him know she's okay.'
    'Right, Nick. Might give you a call at the camp tomorrow. Out now.'
    Cindie had felt like a chattel, no more, throughout this conversation. The girl indeed!
    `You coming in, Baanya?' Nick Brent was asking.
    `Baanya here.' It was a middle-aged woman's voice. 'I've been listening in to you and Lex, Nick. You've been out rescuing, have you? Jim Vernon, the overseer, was up at the homestead earlier, putting on a proper show about that girl. She'd only gone through about an hour when we had the radio signal that the river was down faster and deeper than given in the earlier calls. Isn't it wonderful news, Nick?' This voice didn't pause for breath either. 'Everyone here's crazy happy,' it went on. 'The boys have taken out the rods on the jeep and hope to smack up a good haul of fish when the water really banks up. The children are all down by the outlet stream having a picnic; waiting to see it come down. . .
    Cindie leaned back in her seat. She had settled for the fact now that nobody would ask how she was, whether she had been rescued wet or dry, unharmed or a casualty. Nobody thought of anything but the river.
    A little warm stream of hope unexpectedly wandered uninvited through her heart just as the white lace of water had wandered sweetly and gently over the first loop of the river—the billabong. Perhaps they all knew Nick Brent so well, they'd know he would look after her. Perhaps that was it!
    Would he?
    She stole a glance at his face as he went on talking to the woman at Baanya.
    Cindie imagined Nick knew she had looked at him. Somewhere inside her there was another tiny stream, a warm, welcome one this time. The shadow of a smile had crossed his face. Had the voice at Baanya said anything amusing? Well, not really.
    Cindie blinked her eyes, not because of the dust. Then she heard the other voice again.
    `Jim Vernon's come up to the homestead inquiring, Nick. I've told him the girl is all right. He'd like to speak, but time's short and Erica wants to come in from Marana again. She needs a word with you and there's only two minutes to go. Out for me now.'
    `Come in Erica,' Nick Brent said.
    `Nick darling! Where have you been? I'm absolutely furious. Listen, my pet . .
    Cindie turned the door handle and slipped out of the
    Land-Rover. She walked a few yards