The Ultimate Choice

Rasputin whinnied eager agreement. He responded instantly to Kelly's urging and leapt the fence with arrogant ease. He almost bolted across the sheep pasture, eager to take the next jump, and however many more Kelly wanted him to take.

Kelly only kept a light control on him. She didn't try to temper his exuberance until she was sure they could not be spotted by anyone giving chase. 'Easy boy!' she called, and reined him in to a relaxed canter. 'It's a long way to the judge's place,' she explained to him, 'and I don't want you breaking a leg in a rabbit-hole.'

Rasputin gave a contemptuous snort, but he was happy to follow her lead.

Kelly figured that Judge Moffat would be sympathetic to her cause. He was a horse lover himself. And it could only help that he was extremely put out with Justin St John about the sheep business. Rasputin would be safe at the Moffats' place.

After all, who would ever think of looking in the judge's stables for a stolen horse? Even if they did, the judge would never grant a search warrant against himself. No place could be safer until she could think how else to deal with the problem.

Having settled that in her mind, Kelly's thoughts automatically drifted back to Justin St John. It distressed her that he might have hurt his leg chasing after her, and trying to prevent her from leaving the stable-yard. He should have called for Roy Farley. Or someone else.

However, she felt no guilt whatsoever about taking Rasputin. That Justin St John had threatened to destroy him… Kelly shuddered at the thought of such a rash and terrible criminal act.

Of course, people did occasionally have an accident on horses, but in all her years Kelly had never had the slightest injury. What had happened to Noni was a freak accident. Kelly was not going to stop show-jumping because Justin St John was opposed to it!

But she wished he could be reasonable. She didn't want to be enemies with him. She wanted… but it was no use thinking about that now. He had no right to separate her from her horses!

The sun had set by the time Kelly reached Judge Moffat's stud-farm. She walked Rasputin up the driveway, not wanting to alarm anyone with their arrival. She could see the judge and his wife sitting on the homestead veranda, enjoying the balmy twilight before going inside for the night. It was a favourite time of day for most people on the land.

Arlene Moffat saw her first and rose from her chair in surprised curiosity. 'Why, it's Kelly! On Rasputin!' Her voice carried on the still evening air, but she raised it in sheer pleasure. 'Hello, there! You're riding again.'

'Yes, Mrs Moffat,' Kelly called back. She cantered up the last stretch and slid off Rasputin as the judge rose and came to the veranda railing to join his wife. Kelly made her appeal directly to him. 'I need your advice, Judge. I had to take Rasputin away from Marian Park. Justin St John was threatening to shoot him rather than let me ride him. I didn't have Justin St John's permission. He… er… tried to stop me. But I couldn't leave Rasputin with him after he said that. I had to…'

'How could he be so dreadful?' Arlene Moffat cried in sympathetic protest. 'You did right, Kelly! Henry Lloyd meant those horses to be for you…'

'And possession is nine tenths of the law!' the judge quoted with relish. 'Good for you, Kelly. I reckon this might teach Justin St John a lesson about doing things right. In fact, he needs every lesson he can get!'

'I was wondering if I could stable Rasputin with your horses, Judge? Just for a while…' Kelly pleaded.

'Certainly. Certainly,' he roiled out with gusto.

'As long as you like, Kelly,' Arlene put in determinedly. 'And you can use our horse-float to get to the show-jumping. We'll stand by you. And so will all of Crooked Creek. I'll see to that.'

The power of holding office on all of the local committees rang in Arlene Moffat's voice, and Kelly knew her support was no small thing. When it came to arousing public opinion, Arlene Moffat could teach professional lobbyists a thing or two.

'That's more than kind,' Kelly said with heartfelt gratitude.

'Only right.' She turned to her husband. 'Now, you go and help Kelly stable Rasputin, Ezra, and then run her home in the car. She looks worn out.'

Kelly felt more battered emotionally than physically, but she did not dispute the point. However, her legal-or illegal-position still fretted her mind, and while she and the judge were getting Rasputin safely stowed away in the stables Kelly broached the subject again.

'Don't fret yourself, Kelly. It won't come to anything. But even if it did, no jury in Crooked Creek would convict you of horse-stealing,' he assured her. 'There is a rough precedent. They didn't do it to Harry Redmond in Roma, and they won't do it to you.'

'Who was Harry Redmond?' Kelly asked, not regretting her action, but unable to completely squash her apprehension as to its outcome.

The judge chuckled. 'He took a few thousand head of cattle and drove them down the Birdsville Track to South Australia where he sold them. Finally he was caught and hauled back to Roma to stand trial for stealing them. The evidence was watertight. But every man Jack on the jury admired Harry Redmond. They wished they'd had the guts to do it themselves. The jury was unanimous. They didn't even leave the room to discuss it. Acquitted him without a qualm.' The judge winked at Kelly with conspiratorial pleasure. 'Same will apply to you. People will admire what you've done.' His florid face broke into a wide grin. 'They never did hold another trial for cattle-stealing in Roma.'

'Well, I hope it doesn't come to that,' Kelly sighed. 'If Justin St John would only see reason…'

'Reason or not, that horse is yours to ride, Kelly. And don't you worry. We'll fix it, one way or another. Justin St John is not getting away with this iniquity.'

Somewhat cheered by the Moffats' support, Kelly tried to relax on the drive home, but the thought of what might be waiting for her there was a strain on her nerves. She asked the judge to drop her at the turn-off to Marian Park, not wanting to get him any more involved than he already was. Besides, if he was seen with her, a connection might be made to Rasputin's whereabouts.

Kelly had forgotten all about abandoning her car at Marian Park until she saw it parked just inside the gateway to her grandfather's property. So someone had returned it. And what did that mean? Were they waiting for her at home? What would Justin St John do?

Apprehension knotted her stomach, but defiance put some stiffening into her resolve not to back down, whatever happened. The car-key was hanging in the ignition where she had left it. Kelly boldly drove the Toyota up to the house. There was no point in sneaking around anyway. Rasputin was safe, and whatever the consequences of her actions she would face them with her chin held high.

To her relief and astonishment, Kelly found her grandfather alone in the house. He knew nothing of what had happened. In fact, he thought she was just returning from Marian Park and was rather peeved that she had been gone so long. No one had been asking after her, either in person or by telephone.