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nearer and louder. Beside her, Georgina heard Roper begin to swear.
    She tried to blink through the dust that still hung round, but she could see nothing. ‘Is it the spy?’ she asked.
    ‘Who else? A pastoralist wouldn’t do such a damn fool thing. I'll say this for most of these fellows, too, they don’t come too near a mob. Why this fool is coming now is beyond me.’
    ‘You have to expect that,’ Georgina heard herself say, 'if you run two things on one property.’
    His jaw tightened. ‘When I want your advice I’ll ask for it, Brown. Now get back.’
    ‘Why?’ Georgina was enjoying her proximity to the mob; those great rippling bodies moving past made her feel part of the earth itself.
    ‘ Just do as you’re told,' he said, 'or you'll feel my crop across your back. No, I’m not joking. Brown, you've never been in a stampede. I have. Now get back.
    Georgina was hot with anger. This man was just too much, she thought. Deliberately she edged Ribbons nearer, and at the same time the craft above flew low, and the mob that had been proceeding ‘sweetly' began a first beat of restless hooves.
    It only took one beast to break up the quiet. It wheeled and went in the wrong direction, and at once the panic was on. Every animal seemed to tom in a different way. then they began trampling ground away from their allotted ground, ground that had not been planned.
    'Get back. Brown!' Roper shouted, and at once he joined the other stockmen in fairly flying up and down the ranks. The dogs did their bit and more. The boss drover was cracking h is whip over the rippling bodies of the cattle.
    It was like a picture on a huge screen, Georgina thought, fascinated, not meaning to disobey Roper but so caught up with it all that she could not pull Ribbons away.
    Then Ribbons backed off his own accord, backed quite violently. One of the churning beasts had caught the horse’s leg, probably only superficially, but it changed Ribbons from an affable mount to a wild horse.
    Not sure of what was happening, only sure that she must stick on, Georgina felt Ribbons rise on his back legs, then gallop away from the rush..
    ’ She had absolutely no control over him, and that was why she was surprised that she could hear Larry Roper s voice shouting out to her to hold on. It seemed impossible that she could follow every word he said when she couldn't even bring herself to try to check the mount.
    ‘Hold on, Brown. He'll tire soon. Hold on, I say!'
    'I can’t!' she cried.
    ‘Then break clear and I'll take you off.'
    ‘Oh, no!' But Georgina said that to herself, and now she did try to check Ribbons. Roper must not —must not —take her off.
    The sudden restraint, where before his rider hadn’t imposed any, took the horse by a different sort of surprise from the shock of the stampede. He halted abruptly, so abruptly that Georgina promptly flew over his head. Luckily she hit grass, coarse grass admittedly, but not gibber or rock.
    She heard Ribbons whickering—he was, as Roper said, a tolerant fellow—but she heard, too, Larry’s thunderous approach. In one moment, she thought dazedly, he’s going to pick me up, and—and She took a deep steadying breath. She shut her eyes for a moment against a weaving, wreathing world, and braced herself.
    Then she got up.
    She stumbled, but she was on her feet again by the time Roper dismounted. He ran forward, and his eyes were two fierce blue slits.
    ‘Top marks for quick recovery but bottom marks for disobedience, Brown,’ he said, ‘and that’s where I’d like the marks to be. I expected you to be killed at least.’
    ‘I’m all right,’ she said unsteadily.
    ‘Mind if I check?’
    ‘I’m all right.’ Georgina stepped back. T knew what I was doing, I knew I couldn’t wear him out, so—so I came off.’
    It was a lie, but he must have decided to accept it.
    ‘Then top marks, as I said,’ Roper drawled, ‘though you could have fooled me with that fall. If you feel up to it, we’ll