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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Jul 01, 2017 12:56 am

'The Drover' - Page 11:

On mid-afternoon on the tenth day they arrived at Dyvenor Downs.
‘How big is this place, Dad?’ Harry asked bewilled.
‘They tell me about a million acres.’
‘That’s a hell of a horse paddock. Do you know where to go?’ He asked his father.
‘Yeah, cause I know – north and we’ll get there sometime. What’s with all the questions?’
Harry’s mind overflowed with the knowledge of how big Dyvenor Downs was as compared to the many places he’d been. In his excitement, knowing he could be droving on the property for at least a week before they reached the northern boundary.
They pulled up beside the shearing shed and met the manger, Kevin Thompson, ‘you made it okay.’ He called to Harry and his father. ‘I’ll give you a couple of men to help you. Bunk down in the shearer’s quarters for the night and start first thing in the morning.’ The manager said.
Harry thought it was a great idea to have men from Dyvenor Downs Station. For one, he needed have had to worry about paying them and another, one of them would be the cook and drive the wagonette.
After settling into their quarters for the evening a bow legged man approached their camp, ‘Snowy’s the name, I’m the dogger in these here parts, where youse off to?’
Snowy had spent most of his life in the bush, his face tarnished with years of bush life, crinkled skin around his eyes, mouth and bright blue eyes shone through to show his soul.
‘Wakes Lagoon, we’re leaving day light tomorra.’ Harry told the dogger after they shook hands.
‘Mind if I tag along with ya. I won’t be in the way. I could cook.’ Snowy beckoned.
‘What’d reckon Dad?’ Harry asked.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Jul 01, 2017 10:56 pm

'The Drover' - Page 12:

‘I don’t see any worries, why not – welcome. You think you’ll see dingoes along the way?’ Harry’s father wanted to know.
‘I’ve set traps before in the north of the property near the out-station McIntyre, I wanted to have a look to see of there’re any tracks. Company would be good for a change.’
‘Have you been working here long?’ Harry asked.
‘About ten years.’
‘Many dingoes round.’
‘These’s a few when the lambing season’s on, they breed and move on.’
‘How do you trap them?’ Harry asked. He’d often seen dingoes nearby at times and once took a shot from the .22 rifle more to scare them off rather than kill them. They were part of the bush family, like the goanna and kangaroo.
‘When I find tracks, I dig a hole beneath a branch of a nearby tree and fill it with a mixture of poison and animal fat, then cover the hole with leaves and dirt. I kill a kangaroo and hang the carcass from a branch above the hole.’
‘What’d do that for?’ Harry queried. It appeared to be a lot of trouble to catch a dingo.
‘When the dingo jumps up to grab the meat; its paws come down in the hole, and fat covers its paws. The dog licks the fat from the paws and goes away and dies – I get a lot by doing it that way.’ Snowy shared.
‘You won’t have much time to do trapping on the drove.’ Harry muttered.
‘No – I’d like the company and to have a look around to see if there are any dingoes and where they are.’
‘How far are you going with us?’
‘I reckon to the northern boundary – if that’s okay or might even go all the way – I haven’t decided.’
‘I don’t see why not – it’ll be great to have you along – welcome.’
They shared their meal with Snowy who hogged into the leg of mutton left by the manager. Harry saw Snowy wasn’t used to eating in company; the way he sliced off a huge piece of mutton from the leg, immediately shoved the piece into his mouth. He spoke in gabble while trying to devour the piece of meat, splashing it down with a pannikin of strong black tea.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sun Jul 02, 2017 9:57 pm

'The Drover' - Page 13:

Harry was intrigued with Snowy; he’d never met a person like him before and wanted to know more about trapping dingoes, ‘is that the only way you trap dingoes?’
‘Ah, no, I use steel traps some of the time – it depends on the time of the year when the bitches are on heat.’ Snowy shared.
‘What’d mean – time of the year?’
‘When a station bitch is on heat I collect its urine in a glass jar. Dingoes leave tracks mainly leading from water hole to water hole. Near the water hole I set a number of steel traps around the tracks.’
‘How do you do it?’ He could talk to Snowy all night – he was an interesting person.
‘Well, young Harry, I dig a hole to place the trap into. Then set the trap by putting my foot onto the spring and open the jaws. After the trap is set I cover the trap and the hole with leaves and branches to conceal it. Before I leave the trap, I sprinkle the urine around, to make it smell like a bitch is on heat.’
‘Do you catch many?’
‘Oh, yeah, wouldn’t you go after a bitch if it’s on heat – the power of sex, it’s the ruin nature of many a man.’ Snowy laughed.
‘Alright, you two better get some sleep.’ Harry’s father yelled from his swag.
‘Night Snowy,’ Harry called to his new friend. His mind filled with visions of dingo traps. His theory of learning from older men was paying dividends because if he’d stayed at school he would never have learnt how to trap a dingo. Life was his university of learning, meeting people like Snowy, listening to their stories, understanding their way of life.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:55 pm

'The Drover' - Page 14:

Before daylight made its early morning dawning for the day Harry had the billy boiled and ‘johnny cakes’ cooked.
‘Alright you two – up and about, breakfast’s ready.’ He called to the others.
Rubbing sleep from his eyes Snowy lifted his head, ‘it’s not even daylight yet, don’t you fellas sleep in.’
‘Not today old friend, we’ve got sheep to move. Breakfast is ready.’
Around the camp fire the three shared hot tea and ‘johnny cakes’.
‘They’re bloody good – what are they called again?’ Snowy wanted to know.
‘Johnny cakes – haven’t you had them before?’ Harry’s father said.
‘No, they’re good – is there any more?’ Snowy mumbled through a full mouth.
‘Have as many as you want but we’ve got to get going, the men from the station should be here any minute.’ Harry said.
Harry finished his breakfast and was clearing the camp when the manager arrived with two men.
‘Good-morning fellas, this is Davey Munroe and Malcolm Hunter – they’ll help you.’ All men shook hands to become acquainted.
‘Let’s get this show on the road.’ Harry commanded.
Dyvenor Downs had recently completed their yearly shearing and twelve thousand freshly shorn wethers were leaving the station to be taken to Wakes Lagoon a distance of 240 miles north, the journey to take six weeks.
‘When you arrive at Wakes Lagoon tell the manager to phone me and I’ll send a truck to bring the men back.’ He told Harry’s father.
‘Right you are – we’ll be on our way otherwise it’ll be too hot in the middle of the day to drive them.’ Harry’s father replied.
PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:48 pm

'The Drover' - Page 15:

‘Harry, you take Davey and I’ll take Malcolm. Snowy, would you drive the wagonette until you leave us.’
‘Yeah, that’ll be right,’ Snowy echoed as he jumped up on the driver’s seat, ‘where do you want me to make camp?’
‘At the six mile bore drain north of the homestead.
‘See you there.’ Snowy shouted, flicking the reins at the horses to move them off camp.
‘Harry, when we draft the wethers off, you take your mob and move them off with Davey. We’ll keep behind and in a couple of days when we’re off Dyvenor we follow the Bulloo River through to Quilpie and onto Wakes Lagoon.’
‘Right you are Dad, come on Davey let’s get these sheep drafted.’
Over the next couple of hours the men worked like a well oiled machine drafting off the wethers, Harry’s father counting as the sheep raced through the race and out into the open plain. 6000 were counted, ‘they’re yours Harry, take em away.’
Harry whistled his dogs and each listened to the different sounds and commands from their master and did exactly as each was directed to do. A couple of dogs raced to the eastern side whilst another two dogs ran wide to stop any sheep from breaking from the mob. Soon the sheep were moving away from the shearing shed into the homestead paddock.
Sheep are strange creatures. They follow a leader, much like humans. Once they’re shown in what direction to go, they follow one another.
The homestead stood large and grand with a veranda surrounding the outside of the building. The large veranda covered in gauze to keep the flies at bay and to make the house cool in summer.
Harry dreamed only of droving, at times he thought momentarily about owning his own property, but to be kept tied in one place seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, would fence him in.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I'LL BE ABSENT UNTIL 11TH JULY 2017. GOING ON A MYSTERY TOUR.

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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:54 am

'The Drover' - Page 16:

Wide open spaces were Harry’s property going from place to place and never settling. At this time of his life he was happy with where his life was taking him.
Snowy opened the gate from the homestead paddock onto the open plains and headed toward the six mile paddock. His knowledge of Dyvenor Downs surpassed any other person on the property, including the manager. He knew each nook and cranny on the property and over the past ten years had wandered over every gibber stone on the place in search of dingoes.
The mob slowed to a crawl, grazing along the Mitchell grass plain; spreading wide to snip each sweet seed. Harry drew his horse alongside of Davey’s horse, ‘how’s it going so far?’ Harry asked.
‘Great, I’m pleased I got this job with you because I didn’t want to repair windmills with the mechanic. It’s a dangerous job pulling pumps and changing blades.’
‘How long have you worked here?’ He was trying to make small talk because when the sheep were grazing there wasn’t much else to do but to keep an eye on any which broke from the mob.
‘A couple of years; I’m not whinging, it’s a good place to work and the Boss is one of the best you’d get. I just don’t like heights and when I get on the platform of the windmill its scary stuff, especially if there’s a breeze. I’m frightened to fall off.’
‘Don’t worry, we won’t be climbing windmills out here – you’re safe.’ Harry reassured Davey.
‘That’s good. Is this all we do all day?’
‘No, we stop for smoko and afterwards for lunch; and in the afternoon put up a brake to hold the sheep for the night. Are you bored already?’
‘No….no, it’s slow going, that’s all.’
‘For the next six weeks it’ll be like this until we reach Wakes Lagoon, you’d better get used to it.’
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Jul 11, 2017 11:14 pm

'The Drover' - Page 17:

‘Ah, don’t worry, I could get used to this lifestyle for awhile.’
Harry looked behind to see his father and Malcolm moving their mob. They’d travel about half-a-mile apart and at night time bed the sheep down and made one camp.
‘We’ll follow the bore drain to the six mile paddock and have a rest.’ Harry told Davey.
Harry loved the bush with its pristine gum trees that almost reached the sky; and the different variety of birds nesting in its trunk and branches. Eagles were a danger, particular around lambing season. An eagle would swoop down and grab in its giant claws a newly born lamb, take it high into the sky and back to its nest. He’d reckoned eagles had to eat as well as all of the other animals on earth.
‘What’s the lake over there Davey?’ Harry asked.
‘Dyvenor Lakes – it’s huge.’
‘Boy – is it ever, you can see water forever.’
‘Yeah – I heard the Boss tell us it’s about ten miles wide by twenty miles long.’
‘You catch any fish?’
‘Couple of the aboriginals get swan eggs from the nests – they’re good eaten, real rich.’
‘I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.’
The sheep reached the beginning of six mile paddock, ‘this’ll do for awhile Davey,’
Harry dismounted from his horse. Removed the saddle and saddle cloth, he fastened a pair of dinner-camp-hobbles onto the front legs, removed the bridle and allowed the horse to roam for feed.
He built a small fire to heat water in the quart pot to make tea. He’d kept half a dozen johnny cakes from breakfast to have for morning tea.
‘Is this all you do all day?’ Davey remarked when he put his saddle in the shade under a tree.
‘Not all the time – we do work, but it’s going to be hot today, you would have seen the ring around the moon last night.’ Harry replied.
‘No - I can’t say I took any notice of the moon – what’s it mean?’
‘When there’s a ring around the moon, it indicates the next day is going to be hot. Have a look tonight.’
‘How come you know so much about these things – you’re only 17, aren’t you?’
‘I’ve been doing this since I was 13, in the time I’ve learn a little bit about the weather and droving.’
‘So I see.’
Both men finished their tea and after a rest of an hour or so continued their journey to the end of the day.
At the top of the six mile paddock Snowy had the camp ready and a fire blazing. A tarpaulin covered the wagonette held up by a couple of ridge poles to form a tent shape.
‘How’s it going Snowy?’ Harry asked while unsaddling his horse.
‘Great young Harry – I got here a little early and put on a leg of mutton to cook in the camp oven. The damper will be ready in a shake of a lamb’s tail.’
‘Dad should be along shortly – I’ll check the dogs.’
PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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