Yes, Flora would return. There might even be other children. But Maria would still be restricted to the house where she’d been born, to caring for nieces and — God willing — nephews, to hiding her face even from the Afghan trader who arrived with his laden camels, his carpets, bolts of cloth and saucepans every spring.

For Maria there was no way out. No hope to grasp at . . . he pulled at the reins as his horse shied at a bundle of rags by one of the pools, then pulled it to a stop, looked longer, then quickly dismounted. The dogs barked away the crows. Clancy ran towards the pool.

The heap was a man: his flesh red, shiny and swollen; his eyes lost in a football of a face. One cheek was already crow pecked. Impossible that he was alive, but when Clancy bent, he could hear the faintest of breathing.

An escaped prisoner? A Drinkwater stockman, who had come too far? It didn’t matter. He was a man, and so must be helped. Clancy grabbed the water bottle from his saddle, poured a few drops into the man’s mouth, was relieved to see him swallow, poured a little more, and more again. Finally he hefted him in his arms and laid him face down in front of his saddle.

The position would make it hard to breathe; the extra heat of the sweating horse might kill him. The man might die anyway. But there was no other way Clancy could get him home, not before the circling crows gouged out his eyes, or a dingo came for tongue and entrails.

It was dusk by the time he got him back. He yelled for the men. Maria too came running. ‘What . . . who . . .?’ she asked.

‘No idea.’

‘Some ne’er-do-well,’ said Ezekiel, making his way more slowly down the stairs.

Clancy shrugged. ‘Put him in my room.’ The only other spare rooms were Clementine’s nursery with its little crib, and the lean-to where Rose had slept — too hot.

‘A bath,’ said Maria sharply to Mrs Taylor, coming out to see what was the commotion. ‘Cold water. We need to cool him down. Clancy, get him inside and strip his clothes off. Mrs Taylor, sugar water, cold as you can get it — take the water from the safe, add half a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt to the cup and stir it well, then add a teaspoon of brandy.’

‘. . . lot of trouble for a stranger . . .’ muttered Ezekiel, wandering back inside to his congealing dinner.

But he did not object. This man — swollen, red — was still a white man. What else could they do?

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

How to keep eggs fresh for cooking

Eggs will keep for a year or more if they are gently covered with a coat of clarified butter or candle wax or a mixture of candle wax and paraffin wax, then wrapped in newspaper.

OVERFLOW, 1879

MARIA