Walkabout

• Georgia Heeley, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2012

Walkabout
During 2018 and in the steep and rocky Mongolian mountains there were lots of wild Phrezewalski herds one of which was the biggest herd. It was just after the foaling season and the sturdy little stallion’s herd had nearly doubled in size just like most other foaling seasons. One of the foals from the only just finished season had been born almost too late. If he had been born even a week later then his mother would have had to leave without him and go with the herd. The colt’s name was Walkabout.
One day whilst the herd was grazing peacefully the brumbies heard a stock whip cracking; it was the drovers!! Immediately the Phrezewalskies started to gallop to the high country where they would be safe. Unfortunately the cattle drovers saw them running and as quick as a flash they went after the little ponies spurring their horses and cracking their stock whips. The drovers were managing to turn the herd which unfortunately were tiring very quickly whilst the men’s horses were pushing as hard as possible.
Suddenly the stallion broke away from the herd and started to run, one of the drovers started after him but another shouted “git back `ere and help keep the rest in order, we don’t need no more stallions, got plenty in this bunch!” immediately the drover went back to the group.
Halfway back a storm started; in a while there was thunder and lightning and rain was coming down in torrents, coming to the brumbies aid. The stallion had been following the drovers and his herd from a safe distance. The men had been cursing ever since the storm had started. Little did they know that in the rain the brumbies had quietly been moved out of sight of the men by their faithful stallion. Once the drovers had gone past, the storm ended and the drovers realised that all the phrezewalski horses had gone except one ………..

………..WALKABOUT!!
Walkabout was the only one that hadn’t gone. The drovers figured that a newborn colt was useless so they left him and went home.

Epilogue
Walkabout found his way home to the herd and grew to take over the herd from his father and became a watchful and a smart stallion. Both he and his herd were spoken of at every campsite all the time and never under Walkabout’s watchful eye, got caught ever again.