It was in the afternoon when the children made the discovery.
“It’s dead,” declared the younger of the two.
They gathered stones and began tossing them at the horse, lying motionless in the field.
The girl peered into its glazed eyes. “It’s very old, it’s probably asleep.”
“Do you sleep with your eyes open?” Came the retort.
“What would you know,” sneered the girl. “You’re just a kid.”
Her attention returned to the animal lying motionless in the bright sun. Flies were beginning to gather about its gaping mouth. “I reckon it belongs to the old guy who lives in the shack up there. You know, they always seem to be together. Dad says they must be good mates because they are never far apart. He must be about a hundred, like the horse.”
“Yeh!” exclaimed her young companion, gazing at the animal’s teeth. “Let’s go tell him. After all, he should be told, don’t you think?” He looked up at the girl with a begging smile that the she was only too familiar with.
She knew he would get a kick out of climbing the hill and knocking on the door of the shack. A place kids didn’t normally go on account of the stories about the old prospector. The word was he had been some sort of toff from a city somewhere but had come out to the bush years ago to get away from it all. His sourness and abrupt manner didn’t make him popular with the local kids.
“I suppose we could,” she sighed, looking up at the small building above the tree line. She hesitated for a moment, and then with a glance between them they both became children again. Running across the paddock, giggling and shouting directions at each other.
They ran along the dry creek bed, shouting hellos at a couple of men fixing fences in the distance, then raced up through the trees to the grass and gauze of the slope below the hut. They arrive at the porch.
“You call to him. He likes you best,” the boy assured his sister.
She climbed the wooden steps and knocked timidly at the door. There was no answer.
“Go on!” encouraged the boy.
She pushed the door open and peered in.
The old man lay on the floor in full view as she entered. His empty eyes were fixed on the ceiling. She shouted to her brother.
“Is he asleep?” whispered the boy.
The girl suddenly felt some new kind of fondness for her brother. She took his hand and squeezed it. She shook her head. “I don’t believe it” she muttered, “both going together!”
Down below in the shade of the trees the two men rested from their fence mending.
“Wasn’t that the Dawson kids that just shot by?” asked one.
“Must’ve been visiting the old bloke on the hill,” replied his companion.
“If they were, they’ll be disappointed,” said the other. “Just saw him ridin’ by a minute ago. Never saw that old horse of his move so fast. It was like it had wings!”