LOST

It was my birthday; Leah, Rebecca and I, Megan, were in the car looking for brumbies with Nan and my sister. We all had the windows down, holding our cameras ready to flash in our hands. Nan put the blinker on to turn in a road that had rabbit and wild dog poison laid in this area. She drove up the road a little and stopped, I said, I'll go out and see if they are down that track. My friend Leah came with me, we walked down the track, it had a thin layer of blackberry bushes over it. We walked down and saw a pile of rotten logs. I said they are behind that pile of logs. We crept, we looked around it - nothing. We said lets look some more I said. Leah said we better go back to the car otherwise we might get lost. We won't get lost I said in worried voice, we walked over all the fallen limbs from the pines that were chopped down and taken away to make timber. We stepped on piles of soil that weren't strong enough to hold us. We walked up to stumps and rotten logs.

We finally looked up at the grassy spot on top of the hill there was a big herd of brumbies We started to put a bit of power in our walk. They saw us, they started to gallop, there was about 20-30 horses in it the black stallion rounded them up while the lead mare was at the front seeing what was on the other side. They were over the hill before we could get close enough to take a good photo. The stallion was prancing on top of the hill while we stood still saying to our selves I wish we could go closer. We thought they were going to gallop to where we were so we went around the hill across the creek again and up to the the top of another hill. We looked just before we got there we thought thank god the road is over this hill, but when we got there there was millions of other hills but no road except little ones that we didn't recognise. It was a boiling hot day, there were no clouds in the sky or no damp spots on the ground except near the creek. We sat on the rock for a minute our feet were aching. I was in my jeans and non-sleeved top under my short sleeve checked shirt. Leah was in her track pant and shirt without a hat but I had a hat. We felt like we were going to faint we were saying to each other I'm going to kill you if we get out of this. But we didn't mean it. We were trying to cheer each other up by saying the road is over here. I was looking in the sky for helicopters or aeroplanes - there was no sign of one. We went through ferns but still looking out for snake's. We didn't see any, so we were very lucky. We came on another big hill thinking we were not going to make it but we could make out the main road about 4km away. We went on the dirt road that lead down to the main road but our feet were too sore to walk over the gaps and bumps so we kept walking through the ferns and long grass and reached the main road. We could hear yelling but then it disappeared. Then we could hear the horn beeping from the car. We tried to follow it. We stood still for a minute. Leah said can you hear that? It sounds like water. I said Yeah I can. I thought Leah was going to die on me she said 'I need to sit down for a minute'. She sat down on the bank near the old pine trees. We heard the car beeping again. I walked up a bit while Leah rested. I looked up the road that Nan parked in, Nan was driving down. I said Leah quick come over here. They are here. She got up and walked to the car since I was so glad to see them I was laughing and running to the car. Rebecca was in the back seat saying it's not funny we have been looking for you for hours. Leah and I were sun burnt and we had heatstroke. We got in the car in cranky moods. Rebecca said I'm sorry I yelled at you s but we thought you were dead because your Nan felt sick and she was panting like a dog and she said I'll have to go and get Janice. I can't take this car up those dirt roads but I can't stress her out. We went home to nanas place. Rebecca cuddled us and said I thought I'd never see you again. Leah and I raced in side to get a drink of water we had about 20 cups. We ate my birthday cake and some lollies then we went down the creek to go panning for gold. We think it is only fool's gold though we went back up to the house to have a shower because we were muddy and wet. We changed into other jeans. Mum was at the gate. Leah and I went with Nan to McDonalds and Rebecca went with mum and Madison and the two dogs. Mum was behind us. It took us an hour to take them to McDonalds. We stayed there for thirty minutes and then took Leah and Rebecca home. Their mums laughed when we told them about our awful day but Leah and I still laugh when we think of that day.

By Megan Schumer

BELLE BELLE

One night when every one was asleep Lisa's Dad went out riding on his horse named Cloud. There was a huge storm, he kicked his horse into a gallop and kept it at a gallop. He and his horse took shelter under a big pine tree until the storm past. When the storm past it was daylight. He mounted his horse and went to wards home. On the way there he saw a mob of brumbies that Lisa had named. It was called the main mob. It had the most beautiful horses in it that many people had attempted to catch but they had got away. They were always close to the road but still no one could catch them. Lisa's dad thought I'll catch that lead mare for Lisa she'd love that. He was thinking wrong: Lisa would be cross not happy. He quietly trotted toward them on the horse. He saw the lead mare at the front of the herd that Lisa had named Belle Belle. He swung his big lasso in the air and then threw it. It landed on her neck. The stallion reared at Lisa's father so he ran off with the mare staight away. The mare kept resisting going. He felt sorry for it for a while. When he arrived home Lisa was at the front gate with a frown on her face. He said I got this for you.. Lisa said "Dad I don't want her she needs to be free not roped and kept in captivity". Well I'm not going back there now, not until next month". Lisa said "Well can I at least lead her to the paddock?" She is not going in the paddock. The corral". Lisa sighed all she wanted was to set her free but it was the only way that they would get money. She put Belle Belle in the corral and shut the gate. Lisa wanted to set her free but all she could do was take the lasso off her neck. Lisa walked into the corral and took the lasso off her. She sat on the corral fence wanting to let her go. Lisa's father was going to sell her when he trained her for about $6000. Lisa opened the gate and went out. She thought the only thing that she could do was cripple her so no man of woman would want her again. But she had another idea to set her free. Lisa hated her father sometimes but she loved him a lot. She went in to talk to her mother. They were both angry. They wanted to set her free. Lisa had an idea. She went out into the paddock Belle Belle was watching her. She caught her bay mare named Bess and led her to the shed so she could saddle her up. She saddled her up and then went to get Belle Belle. Lisa put a loose lassoo around the neck close to the withers and then mounted her bay mare calle Bess. She rode off slowly towareds Laurel Hill where the herd was. When she got near the prison farm she could hear horses neighing from the side of the road. Lisa looked at Belle Belle and dismounted Bess she unsaddled her and took the bridle off her. Then Lisa took the lasso off Belle Belle. She patted Bess on the face and hugged her; softly she said you would always be in my heart. Lisa took some red ribbon out and platted through her mane so that she would remember her. Lisa looked at Belle Belle and said "Goodbye old friend". Belle came up to Lisa and neighed. Both her and Bess galloped to the herd and the herd galloped off into the sunset. When she got home her father was angry he said that was 6000 of 9000 dollars down the drain and where is Bess? Lisa said she was my horse remember and you said I could do anything with her so she is running happily in the wild now. Her dad said well if we can't catch the Main Mob could we catch all of the Cimarron instead? Lisa said oh all right but that herd of eighty will be the last. So Lisa and her dad were closer than ever and Lisa even became a horse trainer. Every weekend Lisa and her dad would ride up at Laurel Hill past the Main Mob where Bess and Belle Belle were. And Lisa would leave two carrots there that those two horses could munch on. In 2001 Lisa was all grown up with a property of her own that was 900 acres. She had brumbies all over it running free and she would do yearly musters then take them to her corral and arenas and brake them in. Each brumby was perfect that's why she had a bit of cash but she died at a age of 64 still riding and she died when she was doing a muster. No one knows for sure where her body is but it disappeared into the wind that's why the muster is called the windy Lisa in memorial of her. Her horse still trots around with a saddle on his back and a bitless bridle but no one catch it they say that it is sad and is too wild for anyone to ride it anymore. No one lives in her house it is a saddery and brumby saving organisation.

By Megan Schumer