書蟲5級《園會》米利耶

Millie

Millie stood and watched until the men disappeared from view. When they were far down the road, Willie Cox turned round on his horse and waved to her. But she didn't wave back. Not a bad young fellow, Willie Cox, but a bit too free and easy in his ways. Oh, my word! It was hot. Hot enough to fry your hair.

Millie put her hand up to keep the sun out of her eyes, and looked out over the dry, burnt paddocks. In the distance along the dusty road she could see the horses, like brown flies jumping up and down. It was half-past two in the afternoon. The sun hung in the pale blue sky like a burning mirror, and away beyond the paddocks the blue mountains trembled and jumped like the sea.

Sid wouldn't be back until half-past ten. He had ridden over to the town with four of the farm boys, to help find the young fellow who'd murdered Mr Williamson. Such a terrible thing! And Mrs Williamson left alone with all those kids. Strange! She couldn't believe that Mr Williamson was dead. He was such a joker. Always making people laugh.

Willie Cox said they'd found him in one of the farm buildings, shot bang through the head. The young English fellow who was with the Williamsons to learn about farming had disappeared. Strange! Why would anyone shoot Mr Williamson? He was so popular. My word! What would they do to that young man when they caught him? Well, you couldn't feel sorry for him. As Sid said, if they didn't hang him, he could just go out and kill someone else. There was blood all over the place. Willie Cox said he got such a shock when he saw it, that he picked a cigarette up out of the blood and smoked it. My word! He must have been half crazy.

Millie went back into the kitchen. Slowly, she washed the dinner plates. Then she went into the bedroom, stared at herself in the piece of mirror, and dried her hot, wet face with a towel. What was the matter with her that afternoon? She wanted to cry—about nothing! She decided to change her clothes and have a good cup of tea. Yes, that would help.

She sat on the side of the bed and stared at the coloured picture on the wall, Garden Party at Windsor Castle. In the middle of green lawns and shady trees sat Queen Victoria, with ladies in flowery dresses all around her. Behind them you could see the castle, with British flags flying from its towers. 'I wonder if it really looked like that.' Millie stared at the flowery ladies, who smiled coolly back at her. 'I wouldn't want their lives. Running round all day after the old Queen...'

On the table that Sid had made for her from packing cases, there was a photograph of her and Sid on their wedding day. Now that was a nice picture! She was sitting in a chair in her white dress, with Sid standing with one hand on her shoulder, looking at her flowers. Behind them there was a waterfall, and Mount Cook in the distance, covered with snow. She had almost forgotten her wedding day. Time passed so quickly, and with nobody to talk to...'I wonder why we never had kids... Well, I've never missed them. Perhaps Sid has, though. He's softer than me.'

Then she sat quiet, thinking of nothing at all, with her red hands on her knees. Tick-tick went the clock in the silent kitchen. Quite suddenly, Millie felt frightened. A strange trembling started inside her—in her stomach—and then spread all over to her knees and hands. 'There's somebody outside.'

She went softly into the kitchen. Nobody there. The back door was closed. She stopped and listened, and the furniture seemed to stretch and breathe... and listen, too. There it was again—something moving, outside. 'Go and see what it is, Millie Evans.'

She ran to the back door, opened it, and just saw somebody run and hide behind the wood pile. 'Who's there?' she called in a loud, brave voice, 'Come out! I seen you! I know who you are. I've got my gun.' She was not frightened any more. She was terribly angry. Her heart banged like a drum. 'I'll teach you to frighten a woman,' she shouted, and she took a gun and ran out of the house, over to the wood pile.

A young man lay there, on his stomach, with one arm across his face. 'Get up!' She kicked him in the shoulders. He didn't move. 'Oh, my God, I believe he's dead.' She knelt down and rolled him onto his back. She sat in the dust, staring at him; her lips trembled with horror.

He was not much more than a boy, with fair hair and a light beard on his chin. His eyes were closed, his face covered in dirt and dust. He wore a cotton shirt and trousers; there was blood on one of his trouser-legs.

I can't,' said Millie, and then, 'You've got to.' She bent over and felt his heart. 'Wait a minute,' she whispered, 'wait a minute,' and she ran into the house for brandy and a bucket of water. 'What are you going to do, Millie Evans? Oh, I don't know. I never saw anyone unconscious before.' She knelt down, put her arm under the boy's head, and poured brandy between his lips. It ran out at the sides of his mouth. She took a cloth and washed his face and neck with the cool water. Under the dirt and dust, his face was as white as the cloth, thin, and marked by little lines.

A strange and terrible feeling took hold of Millie Evans. Deep inside her chest, it grew like a plant after rain, and burst painfully into leaf. 'Feeling better? All right, are you?' The boy breathed sharply, his eyes opened, and he moved his head from side to side. Millie touched his hair. 'Feeling fine now, aren't you?' The pain in her chest made her breathless. 'It's no good crying, Millie Evans. You've got to be sensible.' Suddenly he sat up and pulled away from her, staring at the ground. 'There, there,' cried Millie, in a strange, shaky voice.

The boy turned and looked at her, still not speaking. His eyes were so full of pain and terror that she had to shut her teeth together hard to stop herself crying. After a long pause he said, in the voice of a little child talking in his sleep, 'I'm hungry.' His lips trembled.

She stood up. 'Come on into the house and have a proper meal,' she said. 'Can you walk?'

Yes,' he whispered, and followed her slowly to the door. Then he stopped. 'I'm not coming in,' he said. He sat down in the shade of the house.

Millie watched him. 'When did you last eat?' He shook his head. She went and put meat and bread and butter on a plate, but when she brought it to him, he was standing up, looking around. He did not take the plate of food she held out to him. 'When are they coming back?' he whispered.

At that moment she knew who he was. She stood there, holding the plate, staring. He was Harrison, the English fellow who'd killed Mr Williamson. 'I know who you are,' she said, very slowly, 'I must have been blind not to see it from the start.'

He made a movement with his hands, which seemed to say, 'That's all nothing.' Again, he asked, 'When are they coming back?'

And she meant to say, 'Any minute now. They're on their way now.' Instead, she said to the poor frightened face, 'Not until half-past ten.'

He sat down and closed his eyes. Tears ran down his face. Just a kid.And all those men after him. 'Try a bit of meat,' Millie said. 'It's what you need. Get some good food in your stomach.' She sat down beside him, with the plate of food on her knees. 'Here—try a bit.' She broke the bread and butter into little pieces, and she thought, 'They won't catch him. Not if I can stop them. Men are all rotten. I don't care what he's done or not done. Do what you can to help him, Millie Evans. He's only a sick kid.'

*　　*　　*

Millie lay on her back in bed, with her eyes open, listening. Sid turned over, pulled the sheet round him and said, 'Good night, old girl.' She heard Willie Cox and the other fellows drop their clothes on the kitchen floor, and then their voices, and Willie Cox saying, 'Lie down, lie down, you little devil,' to his dog.

The house grew quiet. She lay there and listened. It was hot. She was frightened to move, because of Sid. 'He must escape, he must. I don't care about the law and all that rubbish they've been talking about,' she thought angrily. She listened to the silence. He ought to be moving...

Before there was any sound from outside, Willie Cox's dog got up and went to the back door. A feeling of terror rose in Millie. 'What's that dog doing? What a fool that young fellow is with a dog here. Why doesn't he lie down and sleep?' The dog stopped, but she knew it was listening.

Suddenly, with a sound that made her cry out in horror, the dog started barking and rushing about. 'What's that? What's happening?' Sid got out of bed.

It's nothing, it's only Willie's dog. Sid, Sid!' She took his arm, but he pushed her away.

By God, there's something out there!' Sid quickly pulled his trousers on. Willie Cox opened the back door, and the dog rushed madly out of the house.

Sid, there's someone in the paddock,' one of the men shouted.

What is it—what's that?' said Sid. 'Here Millie, take the lantern. Willie! There's someone in with the horses!'

The men ran out of the house, and at the same moment, Millie saw Harrison rush across the paddock on Sid's horse and down the road.

Millie, bring that lantern, quick!' She ran out in her nightdress to give it to him. They were away down the road in a second.

And as she watched Harrison in the distance, and the men rushing after him, a strange and crazy delight came to her, drowning all other feelings. She ran into the road—she laughed and screamed and danced in the dust, waving the lantern in the air.

After him, after him, Sid! Catch him, Willie! Go on, go on! Shoot him down! Shoot him!'