Jarrod came down the back stairs and into the kitchen, adjusting his tie and shirt cuffs. He wanted to be away early and just had time to catch a breakfast sandwich in the kitchen before heading to work. Silas was adding rashers of bacon to a platter on the table, next to the cooling loaves of fresh bread.

“ Morning Mr Jarrod,” beamed Silas.

“mor, whaa? Huh?!”

Jarrod spun to follow the speeding dark shape he had caught out of the corner of his eye, moving towards the table. Silas followed his gaze. Suddenly a small dark paw appeared and began patting along the edge of the table towards the bacon platter. The paw nimbly hooked a rasher and disappeared over the edge of the table.

Silas and Jarrod exchanged glances and then looked beneath the table. A small, dark furry ball was growling at the bacon rasher on front of it on the ground. It then hissed and spat, and attacked the rasher, throwing it up into the air with a paw, before diving on it, and rolling onto it back, paws wrapping the rasher securely to it chest, biting and growling as if to kill it. Jarrod erupted in laughter, whilst Silas apologised, and moved toward the cat.

“Did ‘Nick’ catch the rat last night?” asked Jarrod.

“Yes, sir, I believe so. Mr Heath pointed out three of them tails to me this morning, already. He and Mr Nick seemed pleased.”

“Well, I’d say it’s earned that rasher, don’t you.”

“ Yes, sir. But Mr Nick, he did not want the cat fed. He was most adamant, sir. He has some plans for the cat that concern Mr Heath and Miss Audra, sir. He was quite clear the cat was a working cat, sir.”

Jarrod poured himself a cup of coffee to add to his fresh bacon sandwich, and started for the dining room.

“ Ah, Mr Jarrod, sir, I don’t think you be wanting to go in there just now …. ,“ but it was too late for a warning. Jarrod swung the door wide, to find Nick arms over his head walking slowly backwards through the door into the diningroom, and he could here Heath softly calling out to Nick from somewhere further out. Nick appeared to be doing some kind of aerial ballet with his hands, but as Jarrod moved closer could distinguish the shine of catgut fishingline. There were small items hanging at intervals from the line.

5

“Nickolas!” Jarrod bellowed, intending to surprise him, but Nick just merely turned and shushed him, before continuing with his work. He made his way around the dining room table, paying out an invisible line as he went with exaggerated strokes, as if enacting a drunken dance charade in slow motion, before backing out through the door again into the passageway at the base of stairs. Jarrod, smiled, but decided he didn’t want to be involved in anything Nick was about to do, he felt sure, though it involved that little animated fur ball he had just watched hunt down bacon. Work awaited.

Heath was standing in the porch, arms crossed, holding his elbows, scrutinising the angle of view. At his feet were items that looked suspiciously like dead mice. Jarrod raised an eyebrow at him as he strode to collect his hat, jacket and gun belt. Heath cocked his head and smirked at him, as if to say ‘I know, its trouble, but! But its Nick ‘s idea, honest ‘.

“Just don’t get caught. I thought you were the one spending the day with them in town?” Jarrod patted Heath ‘s shoulder and headed of to the barn.

Heath followed at a distance, and waited until Jarrod left before entering. He went into Charger’s, and then into Coco’s stall, and secured a neck rope, and halter on each. He collected a hobble, feedbag, and put a small amount of feed into the bag. Slinging a coil of rope over his shoulder, he took a circuitous route out of the barn. Anyone watching from the house would think he was heading out to the paddock behind the house. Heath made his way towards the rear of the house, and released his hold on Charger, then, moved close in so he would not be visible from the upper floors.

He heard a snap of fingers above him, and snapped back. A washer landed at his feet. Attached to the washer was a length of linen thread. He gently tied this to the length of rope he was carrying, and snapped his fingers again, the rope was hauled up out of site, through the guest room window. Heath led Coco back the way they had come, paying out the rope length as they went. As they neared the kitchen entrance, Heath looped the rope around a veranda pole, and then Coco’s halter. He walked off a short distance and trailed feed out of the bag in a line on the ground, starting with a large mound, finishing near the paddock gate, which he then opened and left ajar. Heading back towards the house, he nipped into the root cellar and collected some carrots. These he placed towards the end of the ‘route’. Should provide a bit of acceleration, he chuckled, as he led Charger into the paddock, Heath attached the hobble, and leaving him a few carrots to keep him contented strode into the house for breakfast. He hand signalled to Silas as he entered the kitchen.

“ Ready?” whispered Nick.

Heath was wary that they maybe overheard, so just nodded. Silas said “ Just let me know when everyone is seated, Mr Nick. I will bring the hot food through and gesturing to the horse outside nodded. Nick strode into the dining room to settle himself for a bit of fun, pouring himself a coffee while he waited.

Heath checked ‘Nick’ was happily ensconced under the table playing ‘your dead’ with the rat-tails tied onto the end of a line of catgut, and went join Nick over coffee.

“ So, how was that feed tally looking, Heath?” inquired Nick.

“ Well, we’re looking pretty low in some lines,” he spread out the notes on the table, indicating.” Thinking, with this dry, might not be such a bad idea to sow a few crops down. ‘Know its late, but the frost ‘ll break up the ground well. Could still get in some oats, greenfeed, and the like for the spring … “ outlined Heath, going into details and deep discussion with Nick .

“ …. I agree. You’ll get these picked up in town today too then? Use the bullock teams I think.“

“ Yep. Only problem I can see Nick, “Heath paused,” is how you’re gonna keep sneaking off for visits with Geraldine?” he smirked at his brother.

Nick grinned broadly at him, eyes twinkling. “Ah, Geraldine ….”

They were interrupted by Victoria and Audra entering for breakfast. Nick poured coffee for them.

“Good morning boys” said Victoria pecking them each a kiss before sitting down at the head of the table. “morning, morning” smiled Audra, bouncing to her seat.

“Silas!” bellowed Nick “Please bring the hot food!” He leaned forward to help himself to bread.

6

“Nicolas! It is usual NOT to raise your voice at the table! How did the new arrival fare?” said Victoria.

“ I heard ‘Nick’ scampering around last night,” offered Audra.

“I was not ‘scampering’ I was tiptoeing,” protested Nick. Victoria turned to look questioningly at him, whilst Heath engaged Audra in conversation about the festival, trying to divert the potential direction of conversation.

At that moment, as Silas entered from the kitchen with platters of hot food. Noone saw the small black streak that shot under the table. The family began to settle into breakfast eating and conversation. The level of conversation initially drowned out the growling noise coming from under the table, but it was exposed in a sudden lull. Curious looks were exchanged. Audra bent to look beneath the table. “Oh, its only Nick, and a … and a …ahhh! ” she stood bolt upright and threw her arms up in the air, shrieking and backing away from the table. At that moment, the cat began sprinting around the room, chasing what looked like a small rat. Victoria had backed away against the bay window curtains. She stood arms out, hands against the wall silently transfixed, eyes locked onto the lightening swift streak that was hurtling around the room. The rat appeared to be winning and changed direction several times. Audra still shrieking grabbed her mother’s arm and moved rapidly towards the safety of the foyer and parlour. As they moved out of the room Nick and Heath released their scowling fixed faces, into manic grins and collapsed onto the floor in fits of laughter. They could hear the chase continue in the other room.

“ah! Get it out! Nick, get the rat!

“” ah, hah ha! Me Sis? Or the cat?” asked Nick through laughter.

“Get the cat! No, get the RAT! Oh, mother! Ohhh” wailed Audra, arms flailing around her head, as she headed for the stairs.

The rat followed. The cat bounded after it.

“Audra ! Audra ! called Victoria.

“Audra! Come down here! “Heath, struggling to get the words out around laughter, called from the dining room doorway. “ Its safe down here now.” Nick was speechless, rolling on the floor laughing.

“Audra …. Please, come on honey, come down here with us” called Victoria.

Just as Audra headed down the stairs, the rat changed direction, followed by the yowling, hissing, spitting cat. Audra was terrified, now the rat was chasing her.

“ eeeeH! Its chasing me! Help! Help! Ahhh!” as she reached the bottom of the stairs and moved towards the door where Heath beckoned, the rat launched into midair towards Audra.

The cat leapt after it. Heath could see the small black ball, two glaring green eyes, all four paws, claws extended hurtling through the air towards Audras back. He grabbed her with an arm, and neatly sidestepped back into the passage. The cat sailed past, through the doorway.

“ ÄAAHHH!! Aiyee!” bellowed Nick. “Get it off! GET IT OFF! GET NICK OFF! HEATH! HEATH! “

He looked up to see a laughing family peering at him, as he attempted to hold the Nick around its belly away from him with his left hand, and release its paws from his abdomen with his right. The Nick wrapped itself around his forearm and frizzed itself up to a frightening size hissing, spitting a furious green glare. Nick fumed, threw an intense glare and spat curses at the cat

“HEATH! HELP ME HERE!” The chorus of laughter continued around him.

“Oh ho hohoho, Nick, its hard to tell you apart!” Gurgled Audra.

Heath reached towards the cat. Nick quietened, thinking he was going to remove the Nick from his arm, but instead with a quick flick Heath deftly lifted the Nick’s tail.

“Well, would you look at that!” he gestured, his tone as if making the discovery for the first time that night followed day.

”No balls!” he exclaimed “only ONE tomcat in the house. Easy to tell the difference now”

“Heath!” admonished Victoria.

“Ain’t nothing more natural than that. Might be a few kittens around springtime.”

“Audra!… Heath!…. get it off!”, wailed Nick .

“Nick! While I’ve got you here, would you mind explaining what THIS is?! Hmmm?”

Victoria held up the bundle of rats tails tied to fishingline. Nick gulped, grimaced, then grinned winningly at his mother.

“I’d say that’s not a bad nights work for a new recruit, eh mother?”

Audra was about to reach down to placate the Nick and remove Nick from his arm. She shuddered, then did a double take.

“Nick! “ she stood hands on hips glaring at him. “ If it wasn ‘t for Nick, I’d leave you there, Nick!”

Heath returned from the kitchen with a cloth and talking quietly to the Nick, wrapped the cloth around it. He knelt, and lowered Nick, and Nick’s arm to his lap, stroking the Nick, and crooning softly to it. Nick had returned to its normal size and its fur no longer stood on end. Two green eyes blinked out in a steady gaze, and Nick lay there on her back paws skyward. As Heath continued to talk, and stroke the animal, Nick began to purr. Heath unwrapped Nick and she stretched and rolled around continuing to purr, rubbing herself up against Heath. As Nick moved toward her, Nick purrupted and trotted of towards the kitchen. Followed by Audra and Heath. Heath gave her a hug “See you here in an hour Sis?”

“ Yes, thanks for the rescue. Mother and I should be ready to run through the final Festival plans by then. I’ve the handbill draft from Nick already. Don ‘t forget your iceframe sketch.” She finished with a peck on the cheek.

Heath skipped out the back door and headed towards the bunkhouse to brief the men. By now, he figured, Victoria would have discovered the line attached to Coco further incriminating Nick, whereas Charger should still be grazing in the paddock. He wouldn’t want to be in Nick’s shoes right now! Funny it hadn ‘t gone QUITE according to plan for Nick …

Smiling a good morning, he joined Dan and the hands to divy out the work schedule.

“ …feed could be a bit short, but with the frost effect on the ploughed ground and …. “Heath outlined the situation and there plans” Nick will be down shortly. So we’ll split into three groups until this works completed, then. Horses, ranch maintenance with Nick, and ploughing and sowing with Dan.” amid grumbles of “ oh, we ain’t farmers, we’re cowboys! Huh ploughing! Stockmen don ‘t do that” Dan pointed to the ranch plan on the wall as Heath continued

“ … Now we’ll be using bullock crews for the ploughing, so we need good stockmen! Rex and Bill, you take this 80 acres here for Oats next to the orchard, and Mick and Harvey this area here, ‘bout 100 acres, with the alfalfa. Now Matt & Fred, there’s this area down here between the river and the orchard. Its about 60 acres, but you ‘ll have to avoid the streams through there. That will go into lupins. There’s this area behind the house, too, about 5 acres. That needs ploughing and then manure and sawdust spreading before discing. Dan will set you up. Now, listen up, “

he tapped the farm plan on the wall

” each day I want you to mark off on here the area ploughed. Just trying to get a feel for things. All right? Pete, you head off and check the gear, and we ‘ll need to borrow another plough, set of discs and drill from the Wheelers. You organise that allright? Off you go. Ned, Will, you go with him, then head off to see Nick when you ‘ve finished …..”

Heath continued, letting them know the orchard crew would be arriving after the Frost Festival, and the beehives moving in after that.

“ Oh, most important. There’s a boar hunting competition judged on the Saturday of the Frost Festival. If we get all finished up with this sowing in time, you can head off Friday to go hunting!”

the hands cheered and dispersed into a noisy bunch, heading out for the day. Heath looked around, but could still see no sign of Nick, and then bent his head in discussion with the foreman, Dan.

Finished there he readied the wagon for its trip to town, saddled Victoria’s and Audra’s horses and wandered back up to the horses grazing in the paddock beside the house. He removed the hobble from charger, and rope length from Coco, and closed the gate, coiling the rope and tossing it on the porch. He headed inside to collect his gear, lists, and pick up the handbill from Nick.. He was puzzled as to why Nick was so long. Surely Victoria wasn’t so angry at the prank?

What he saw in the dining room stopped Heath in his tracks. A relaxed Nick was eating breakfast. His third, Heath figured, of the morning. He slapped his brother on the back with a bandaged arm.

“Get the crews sorted?” Nick asked.

“ Yup”

“Any problems?”

“Nope . You ?”

“ … well, a few, but I think they’ve cooled down now. Might be talking to me after a day with you”

“ What do you mean by that? “ Heath jostled Nick with his shoulder.

“ Nothing… I imagine mother and Audra may find a day with you a calming experience, you do those long silences so well …ah!” he exclaimed as Heath jostled him a bit harder. Nick reciprocated with his elbow, but Heath had stepped back quickly, and Nick ‘s momentum threw him from his chair to the ground.

As Heath stalked out to collect his gear he tossed over his shoulder “ Sure are clumsy today, Nick. Beaten up by a chair, and a cat. I’ll need a hand unloading that wagon when I get back. See you then.”