High Country Christmas

Chapter Twelve- The Muster

"Go, run hard! We can cut the sheep... off so they run ...the far side of the scree slope before heading down to the ...valley. But we need to go now!" I yelled, panting heavily, and pointing. Ali had already taken off. 

Running on an angle across the scree wasn't easy for either of us but Ali was a stronger runner than me, I knew he would make it before the sheep, but I wasn't so sure about myself, it had been a long day. 

This years muster was going well. But this last flock had already split into two parts and we needed to guide this part of the mob safely down the hill to the temporary sheep yards below. 

Altogether there were 2500 merino sheep that were kept in five different flocks across the large high country sheep station, they all needed to be mustered ready for the shearing gang that was coming in two days. The Shearing Gang from Alexandra took on the shearing, pressing the wool into bales, and bought their own cook and rousies to sweep up the shed. 

We were under time pressures. I had the use of two of Daniels sheep dogs that I had worked with in previous years. I don't know how, but it was decided by Daniel that Ali would work with me through the muster, as he hadn't worked with dogs before. With Ali's Uncle Keith also on the muster I was surprised they weren't paired up, but I had a feeling it was because Daniel wanted someone to look out for me.  

I was fine with it, I knew he was just looking out for me, it was a bit awkward at times, but we were so busy that come the camp out in the evenings, the whole gang of around seven musterers would eat, talk a little, and pretty much head straight to bed. Tonight would be our third and final night out if all went well. 

We were chasing across the front of the hill, we needed to head off the front sheep in this mob or they would lead the others down the hill too soon and right into a dangerous scree slope. We needed the mob to keep tracking across the top of the hill a bit further before turning to run straight down the hill. 

I had a mouth whistle in, and had mastered some of the basic signals for the sheep dogs. I whistled the instructions to the dogs that sent them off ahead of us. They rushed off barking madly, and Ali was close on their heels, we could see that we had only a short few minutes before the lead sheep would start a flood of lemming-like sheep down from above us onto the dangerous scree slope. If they started down, then the momentum and movement of stones sliding down the slope would eventually bury some of the mob we were guiding down from the high country. 

I joined Ali at the top of the slope, we had our arms spread wide wooping and yelling at the passing sheep that had followed hesitantly along the narrow ridge a bit further, but the danger seemed to be passed now with the sheep picking up speed as they gained confidence from the front one leading them. 

The lead sheep had passed the point where we stood and had started to flow down safely to the valley below and out along the flat towards the temporary yards that we had set up last week  

From there it was a short distance of only an hour or two, left for tomorrow. A short run out to the shearing shed to be ready for the few days of shearing Daniel had booked.   This was a twice yearly  event, and this one fell just before christmas.  I was starting to get really excited about Christmas at the Station again.  

As soon as shearing was over, Leah and I usually decorated the beautiful trees either side of the homestead with lights, and I loved hearing the carols on the stereo as we worked.  

I smiled at Ali as the last of the small mob of only around 200 hundred sheep passed us. "Well done, I didn't know if you would be able to make it or not. I am feeling really done in. Sorry for yelling but the dogs don't always run quite so hard up a slope if someone doesn't go with them."