AN /I don't own anything other then the plot to the story.

Summary. Modern Au. When studying to be a vet while doing practical experience in Charters Towers. Elizabeth meets the roguish but charming Will Turner a stockmen on a local property. She finds it hard to believe he's a gentlemen being friends with Jack Sparrow, Phillip, Rob and Josh Swift

Chapter 2

It was mid morning on Monday. Phillip and Jack where checking the fences and repairing the Eastern boundary fence. Josh, Rob and Me had mustered in the weaners from the North West paddock to be branded, castrated and drenched.

We where waiting for the local vet Dave Thompson to turn up. The mob where in need of some shoots that only Dave could give them. In total there was in the yards 500 head. Half of the mob where young maiden heifers that where going to be branded, drenched and ear tag before being separated from the others.

The other half where ever going to be left as bulls and the other lot where going to be castrated and fattened up for the meatworks. Dave's battered old Patrol wagon rattled to a stop at the yards. Josh and Rob remained sitting on the top railing of the yards watching the mob.

I jumped down from the top rail of the yards and walked towards Dave. The passenger side door opened to reveal the woman I had met at the pub on Friday night.

"G'day Will so this is the mob that Dale wanted to have those shots." He said as he moved to the back of the Patrol and grabbed his vet bag or box.

"Yea and he wants you to check the heifers for any inconsistencies with them so we don't have an problems with getting them in calf. " I said swiping away the us well annoying and overall friendly flies.

"Righto of by the way this is my student for the next three months Elizabeth Swann" Dave said sort of introducing us.

"Will Turner I'm the overseer of Red Emu Creek Station." I said extending my hand. She shook my hand. I turned back to see Josh and Rob setting up the branding, and the ear tags on the back of the old battered Hulix that was just as old Gibbs the bloke that ran the pub.

Elizabeth watched as he walked over to the yards where his two mates where setting up the ear tagging and branding for the mob 500 head.

"Oy Dave who's the pretty little assistant you've got with yea," Rob asked as he lent against his bit of polly pipe. Josh shock his head at his sex mad brother.

"Mind back on the job" Will said hitting the bloke on the backside with his bit of polly pipe. The guy Rob turned and gave him the finger in return.

Two ear pricked kelpies followed behind Will. One a Black and Tan male was the largest of the two dogs. The other a Blue and Tan a slightly smaller male.

"Ammo. Steele come behind" A loud piercing whistle was heard from one side of the yards. Will was in the yards with his dogs cutting out the heifers from the other weaners who where male. Rob was on the gate separating the heifers from the mob.

The bloke was getting the drenching equipment ready. A almost brand new Landcrusier ute pulled up at the yards the owner of the Red Emu Creek Station Dale Fraser stepped out of the driver's seat.

"Dave I need you look over a new bull I bought from Rockhampton" Dale said as he got back into his ute. I whistle and Ammo and Steele laid on their bellies as I shut the gate after the last heifer.

I climbed over the railing. Rob and Josh where moving the heifers into the race. The next hour passed quickly as we ear tagged, drenched, branded, weighed and dehorned the first 250 head of the mob. With the heifers out of the way. Ever second bull calf weaner was going to be castrated.

I watched Elizabeth out the corner of my eye. She was reading the scales for us and working the head baily of the crush. Josh and Rob where bring in the next lot to be drenched, ear tagged, branded, weighed, dehorned and half of that mob where going to be castrated. Ammo and Steele lay in the shad with their tongues out panting.

Dave was getting the shots that the other half of the mob was getting. As the first weaner went into the crush I slammed it shut behind him. Rob slammed the head bales down before he escaped from the crush. The calf bellowed as I wrenched his head to the side and put nozzle of the drench gun into the calf mouth and let him go.

I cut his horns not too short that you could see the poor bugger's brains and out the other side of his head. I had seen it done a million times. Dave gave the calf its shots I vaccinated from ticks and such. I put the ear tag into his right ear.

Rob branded him with the brand of Red Emu Creek Station of REC. Josh released the calf by releasing the head bails. I opened the gate to the crush. I slammed the gate shut and the smaller one behind him. Rob had the calf in the head bails.

I did the ear tagging and dehorning. Josh branded the calf. I grabbed the knife to castrate the calf. Josh held onto the head bails as the calf bellowed and thrashed about.

"Stand still you fucking mongrel," I growled as I attempted for fourth time to cut out his balls from the ball sack. I heard something slice and felt pain in the hand I was using to hold his ball sack.

"Will you alright mate." Rob asked as he moved over to where I was standing holding my left hand. Blood was seeping from the deep wound on my left hand.

"Shit Dave you got a first aid kit. Will's sliced his hand open. "Rob yelled Dave went over to his Patrol and grabbed his first aid box.

"It's pretty deep you're going to need stiches Will." Dave said, as he over looked my left hand that I had sliced open trying to castrated that mongrel calf.

"Just stich it up as best you can and bandage it up. " I said irritated I was seated on the back of the work ute Hulix. Blood was still seeping from the wound.

Elizabeth watched as he sat on the back of his mate's Hulix blood running from his deeply cut hand. His work shirt was hugging to his muscular and sweaty body.

Dave cleaned the wound so it wouldn't become infected. He didn't flinch when Dave began to stick the wound up. A wound pad was applied to the wound then bandaging the hand up. Rob and Josh held the head bails in place so Will could castrated the bloody thing.

The next twenty head past through without any incidents. Elizabeth watched Will as he worked with the cattle. If a beast was being stubborn he would be a little more aggressive with it showing it who was boss. Elizabeth knew here former schoolmates would have been applied at seeing such treatment of an animal.

But those people lived not in the real world but some fucked up fantasy world. Her ideas of her ideal man had changed dramatically when she had come up to Charters Towers.

The rest of the week passed without a hitch. It was mid afternoon on Friday. I had seen Elizabeth a few times in the past week when her and Dave had come to check on a few broodmares which where in foal and close to foaling.

Rob, Jack, Josh, Phillip and myself where bring in a mob of 750 head of steers that where going to the local sale yards for next Fridays sales.

"Ammo come behind" I commanded as we where moving the large mob to the yards where they'd be kept for the next week or so.

"Hey Will you going to see your new girlfriend tonight" Jack joked as we where moving the mob thought Dead Tree Ford paddock.

"Shut up Jack or I'll have you cleaning troughs for the next month and cleaning the yards" I said irradiated all this week I had been the butt of most of the teasing and jokes

"Sorry your royal highness" He muttered under his breath as he moved his horse over to left side of the mob. A steer broke away from the mob.

"Will on the flake" Rob said pointing the direction of where the steer was heading the opposite direction of the mob.

"Get up" I said as I dug my boots into the side of Buddy my horse. Buddy was a well-bred four-year-old colt of Aussie Stock Horse Cross Quarter Horse out of Acres Destiny cross one of Dale's best broodmares.

The steer didn't get very far I kept after him and turned him back towards the mob. The sun was beating down on us as we made our way back towards the yards.

There where three other blokes beside the five of us that worked for Dale. The three other blokes Rod Williams, Mark and Greg McClain where replacing the South Western boundary fence.

It was just after four when we got back to the yards with the mob. I shut the gates put on the locks and snap hook in place. I turned on the water troughs. The next job was to put out hay for the mob. With the mob feed we unsaddled our horses and washed them down and put them out with the other horses.

Ammo and Steele followed me as we walked towards the stockmen's courters. I packed a few spare pairs of cloths for the weekend. I grabbed the duffle bag after having a shower and putting on clean cloths my boots weren't polished up.

I got into my Cruiser. Jack got into his battered old WB, Phillip in his flash F250, Josh in his Patrol and Rob bring up the rear in his done up 2002 Holden Vu Commodore SS ute. We stopped by the homestead to get our paycheck for the week.

I was in the front of the convoy of utes that rattled over the cattle grid and to the turn off to Flinders Hwy heading towards Charters Towers. I looked down at my attrite my Bullseye long sleeved shirt was rolled up at the elbow. Thomas Cook Jeans and Boots with my new RM Williams belt I had brought when I had come to town with Josh to get vaccine and lick blocks and a few other things.

"Party Till All The Money's All Gone" by Adam Brand was blaring from the speakers. I knew most the lyrics by heart.

I tapped the fingers of my right hand against the other side as I changed up to fourth gear. The song changed to the next song on the CD. The lyrics where reflecting on how this week had been. Around Elizabeth I was somewhat different then I was around Jack and the others.

I pulled into the car park of the pub. The others parked beside me. I slammed driver's side door shut. Walking into the pub I spotted the person I had been looking for.