Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Shearer' - Page 113:

‘Okay – I’ll keep it. I’ll be at the pub if you need me. What time in the morning?’
‘Early – daybreak. ‘Hang on a minute and I’ll go and get his horse and things and bring them to the Police Station. Both men returned to the hotel.
When they entered the bar, cheers erupted. ‘Good on ya Joe – you’re a bloody hero. Shout him a drink, will ya Isabel!’ Everyone clapped and shouted.
‘This one’s on the house, Luv,’ Isobel said as she placed a tumbler of beer in front of Joe, ‘How about you Constable you have a beer.’ Isobel asked.
‘Not for me, thanks Isobel I’m on duty.’ Constable Fitzgerald replied as he walked to the rear of the hotel, to gather the stranger’s belongings and his horse and returned to the police station.
Next morning Joe waited at the front of the police station as the sun rose above the horizon. Constable Fitzgerald had the buggy ready the prisoner strapped in a sitting position, leaning against the back of the front seat handcuffed by his wrists and ankles. His saddle and other equipment lay beside him.
‘Morning Joe I appreciate your help. You’ve met Billy Wells. Billy this is Joe Ryan the person who changed the shape of your face last night,’ Constable Fitzgerald said.
Billy mumbled a greeting through lips from his swollen face and eyes, and nodded toward Joe who climbed up on the seat and sat beside Constable Fitzgerald. A horse tied on the rear of the buggy followed when Constable Fitzgerald urged his horse forward.
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‘You certainly did a job on this fellow last night. He hasn’t said much and he couldn’t drink or eat anything so we’ll stop along the track to have smoko.’ Constable Fitzgerald said to Joe.
‘How did you know he was Billy Wells?’ Joe asked, thinking the Constable was a bright young police officer to know his name when he had him on the ground at the hotel.
‘Sergeant Gray from Cunnamulla Police let us know about the stagecoach hold-up and to be on the lookout for this fellow. When your girlfriend was held up she asked his name and he told her. Not real bright, don’t you think?’
‘Hannah asked him his name?’ Joe couldn’t believe it.
‘Apparently and when he wanted her necklace and ring she told him you gave it to her and she didn’t want to part with it. He was going to grab it from her neck if she didn’t hand it to him. Then she asked him his name and he told her. Said something about police murdering his brother, who six years ago attempted to rob the National Bank in Cunnamulla and climbed a tree they named ‘The Robber Tree’.
‘I’ll be damned. What’s he going to do with his horse and saddle?’
‘Billy, what’re you going to do with your horse and saddle? Joe wants to know?’ Constable Fitzgerald shouted to the prisoner over his shoulder.
‘Where I’m going I won’t need them. You can have them and look after them.’ Billy tried to speak through his sore mouth.
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‘I’ll pay ya mate – don’t want you to give them away,’ Joe replied.
‘Found a heap of money in his saddle bags. Money from the hold-up, I suspect. How much do you want for your horse and saddle Billy so Joe can pay you it’s honest money he’s earned,’ Constable Fitzgerald asked Billy.
‘Five quid for the lot. You make sure you look after the horse. I broke him into the sulky. I’ve had him since a foal,’ Billy requested.
‘I’ll look after him mate, you don’t need to worry about your horse and saddle,’ Joe replied, placing his hand into his pocket and extracting a fiver he’d earned shearing. ‘I’ll give the money to Constable Fitzgerald who’ll hang onto it until we get to Cunnamulla,’ Joe said.
‘Yeah I’ll scribble something when I get these handcuffs off to say you bought the horse and saddle,’ Billy replied.
Joe was thrilled beyond any expectation, because he’d never owned a horse and a saddle. Now he didn’t need to walk to the properties to shear; he’d suddenly come up in the world.
Constable Fitzgerald pulled over in the shade of a tree, stepped down from the buggy, walked to the rear, untied the horse, and tied the reins to a branch nearby.
‘Come on Billy, stretch your legs. I’ll make a cuppa with scones I baked this morning.’ Billy stepped down from the buggy.
‘Can I have a piss?’ He muttered holding his crotch with his hands handcuffed together.
‘Go in behind the old box tree over there, and don’t try anything otherwise you mightn’t arrive in Cunnamulla in one piece. I’ll let Joe loose on you.’ Constable Fitzgerald said sternly.
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Billy shuffled his feet across to stand behind an old box tree, whilst Joe readied a fire to boil the billy. Shortly Billy returned and sat on a log near the fire.
‘Won’t be long before you’ve got something to eat,’ Constable Fitzgerald filled the billy with water and placed it over the fire Joe built. ‘Billy, what makes you think police murdered your brother? He hung in prison after being convicted of ‘Robbery Under Alms’.
‘They shouldn’t have killed him. He was my brother and I loved him, he was my hero.’ Billy croaked as tears filled his eyes.
‘Billy, he almost killed someone and attempted to rob the bank in Cunnamulla the police only did their job. I read the story in the Police Gazette last night after locking you up in the cell.’
‘I’ll probably hang – same as my brother.’
‘More than likely because you committed a similar crime to your brother’s, but you didn’t shoot anyone, thank goodness.’
‘Tea’s ready,’ Joe called, ‘where’re those scones you talked about?’
Constable Fitzgerald went to the tucker box on the back of the buggy retrieved the scones and returned to hand them out. ‘Try these; they’re fresh from the oven this morning. Got a secret recipe from my mother.’ He handed the other two a scone each with a mug of black tea.
‘This is bloody good. What’s the secret ingredient?’ Joe asked with a grin. ‘Have you another?’
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‘Help yourself I can’t tell you the ingredient otherwise it wouldn’t be a secret – would it!’ Constable Fitzgerald replied, handing Joe and Billy another scone each.
When they’d finished their scones and tea, Joe covered the fire with sand to extinguish any live coals and covered the final ashes with water from the billy. ‘Let’s hit the road, it’s not far to Cunnamulla.’ Constable Fitzgerald said.
One hour later Fitzgerald stopped the buggy at the rear of the Cunnamulla Police Station. ‘Who have we here?’ Sergeant Gray asked, walking from the rear veranda of the Police Station to where the buggy stopped.
‘Billy Wells Sarge Joe here caught him last night at the hotel,’ Constable Fitzgerald told Sergeant Gray.
‘How about Joe being the hero for a change instead of a villain!’ Sergeant Gray ed. ‘Congratulations Joe, good job.’
‘Honestly Sarge I didn’t know who he was before I punched him. Only saw the necklace and ring I gave to my girlfriend Hannah Young.’ Joe explained.
‘Speaking of your girlfriend, I’ve spoken with her. She’s staying at Ma’s Guest House if you want to know,’ Sergeant Gray informed Joe.
Joe sprang from the buggy seat. ‘I’d better get around there, Constable Fitzgerald. Can I come back to get the horse and saddle later?’
‘Go ahead; I’ll look after your horse and saddle.’
‘See ya Billy.’ Joe ran from the Police Station all the way to Ma’s Guest House.
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Instead of knocking on the front door he opened it and walked through the house to the kitchen. Hannah’s face broke into a smile when Joe entered. ‘Where did you come from?’ she screamed as she jumped from her seat, threw her arms around Joe’s neck and kissed him on the lips. Tears welled in her eyes.
‘Good to see you too, Joe,’ Ma cried. ‘When you’re finished Hannah, I want to say hello.’
Joe released Hannah and moved to Ma swung his arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek, ‘How are you Ma, I’ve missed both my girls.’
‘What’re you doing here?’ Hannah asked delighted to know he’d come to town.
Joe put his hand into his pocket to retrieve the necklace and ring which he handed to Hannah, ‘It’s a long story.’
Hannah smiled, ‘Where did you get this?’ She screamed, took the necklace and ring and immediately placed it around her neck. ‘I’ll never let anyone take this away from me again.’ She kissed Joe on the mouth. ‘Tell me where you found this?’
‘Last night I was drinking at the Eulo Queen when this stranger came into the bar. I introduced myself to him and started to introduce my friend when I saw the necklace and ring I gave you. I went off my head, knocked him to the ground and would’ve almost killed him if Constable Fitzgerald hadn’t stopped me,’ Joe explained.
‘Was it Billy Wells, the fella who held up the stagecoach?’ Hannah wanted to know.
‘Yeah Constable Fitzgerald and I bought him in this morning. He’s locked up at the police station,’
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‘I have some better news. Grandfather and Nana are coming out for Christmas and we’re been invited. Isn’t it great news?’ Hannah shared.
‘What about your Pa. Did he agree I attend?’ Joe asked.
‘Yes, mother sent me a letter to say so.’
‘Sounds like your mother talked him into it.’
‘We’re going, you Ma and me.’ Hannah finished.

Early Christmas morning Joe hired a sulky and hitched his horse to it. He dressed in his Sunday best and even polished his boots, feeling nervous going to Christmas Dinner with Hannah and Ma, particularly not knowing how he was going to cope with Mr Young. ‘Are you both ready?’ He called to Hannah and Ma.
‘Be a minute, just wrapping the last of the Christmas presents,’ Hannah called back. She wanted this Christmas to be the best in her life with the man she loved, her adopted Ma and her parents and grandparents. Nothing could be better.
‘What have you got there, Ma?’ Joe asked, after loading the last of the presents onto the back of the sulky.
‘Never you mind, it’s a surprise. You’ll have to wait and see,’ Ma replied as she climbed on the seat and sat next to Hannah.
Joe climbed into the seat next to Hannah, took the reins and clicked, ‘Giddy up’ to his horse. They were on their way to his future in-laws. His thoughts were crazy to believe Mr Young would allow him to marry his precious daughter and to have Hannah’s grandparents on the property at the same time of their visit. Joe’s stomach churned. He needed to stay calm throughout their visit, play everything by ear, show respect and utmost courtesy toward his elders.
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