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Pat Ritter. Books


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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:09 pm

'The Drover' - Page 66:

‘She’s home, can I take your luggage?’ She asked.
‘I’ve got it, thank you.’ The tall athletic male replied.
They walked from the railway station. Harry thought of following them; however, he changed his mind and returned to his sister’s home to drown his sorrows.
‘Did you see him?’ Les asked.
‘Yeah, he’s a big fella – tough looking. I don’t know Les, about this love thing. Do you think I’ve got a chance with Rose?’ He asked.
‘You won’t know if you don’t have a go – if it’s meant to be - then it will happen.’ Les answered.
Harry couldn’t stop thinking about Rose and Roger together in the same house and why Mrs Henderson wrote to him. He’d like to know what she’d written; but it was no use worrying about what was in the letter because he couldn’t read. His mind filled with confusion. What should he do? Should he confront Roger and tell him Rose was his girl, ah that’s foolish, he thought, or perhaps let it run its course and hope he returns on the next train.

Christmas Eve at the Oxford Hotel was the place to be, Harry decided it was time to enjoy Christmas, because next day was family day. He dressed in his best jeans and shirt; shaved and splashed on aftershave which he normally didn’t use and walked to the hotel. The place was packed to the rafters with locals and out of towners.
He was about to order a drink when he noticed Roger and Rose walk into the hotel. Rose saw Harry before he saw her and she beckoned him over with a wave of her hand. Harry didn’t want to join them however thought he’d better.
‘Harry, this is Roger, a friend from Brisbane, Roger this is Harry,’ each man looked one another in the eye and shock hands. He’s got a strong grip, thought Harry and good looking with it, what chance did he have.
‘Rose has told me all about you, Harry; it’s like I’ve known you all of my life.’ Roger said.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:12 pm

'The Drover' - Page 67:

‘She never mentioned you.’ Harry expressed in a sullen voice. His blood pressure rose with the thought of Roger sitting next to Rose.
‘We can be friends, can’t we?’ Roger continued, filled with an air of self confidence.
‘I suppose so,’ muttered Harry, he failed to understand why Rose bought Roger to the hotel. Was it to make him jealous, or had she changed her mind about him – Roger and Rose had almost been engaged at one time.
‘I’ll get a round of drinks, what do you drink Roger?’ Harry asked.
‘What about me – I’ll have a shandy, that’s a beer and lemonade if you don’t know.’ Rose admitted.
‘I’ll have a beer thanks Harry.’ Roger answered moving closer to Rose.
Harry moved toward the bar to order the drinks, his mind bubbling over with questions, he had no answers. What should he do, play along with them or come out and tell Rose his true feelings and tell Roger to be on the next train out of town. Was he good enough for Rose, Roger was a gentleman, educated and appeared to be a decent bloke. He purchased the beers and returned to their company.
‘Rose told me about your trip to Bourke, you obviously know your stuff about droving, but is it something that will last. Road transport is coming.’ Roger said with authority.
‘I’ve been doing it since I was 13 years old and it’s all I know. At times I think about doing something else but it’s in my blood, my father was a drover and before him his father a drover.’ Harry explained. Why was Roger asking these questions? Did he want to honestly know about his work or was he making small talk. He’s stirring the pot because my blood pressure is rising and I don’t like this fellow, Harry thought.
‘What about yourself, you jump horses, don’t you?’ Harry asked sarcastically.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:39 pm

'The Drover' - Page 68:

‘Yes I do.’ Roger frowned not understanding what Harry meant. Was his comment an insult?
‘I use horses to drive cattle or sheep; what’s the difference.’
‘You can’t honestly compare your horses to the horses I jump – surely, they’re like chalk and cheese.’ Roger replied, his voice sounded as if he had a plum in his mouth.
Without thinking Harry blurted out, ‘my horses are just as good or if not better than yours.’ He grasped his beer with his hand and quickly loosened the grip for fear of breaking the glass. Anger crept into his mind with such a rush he wanted to punch Roger in the face.
‘Come on you two, what’s the difference, Roger your horses are different to Harry’s horses, they do different things.’ Rose said calmly hoping to defuse the difference between her two companions. It was wrong of her to bring Roger to the hotel but she had to escape her mother and Roger wanted to speak with her but all he spoke about was his trip to Cunnamulla on the train.
‘No, Rose, my horses are fine athletes – the finest in the country, not brumbies.’ Roger cut his words short.
‘Okay, I’ve had enough, out the back and we’ll settle this argument once and for all.’ Harry stood and shoved his chair away and walked through the bar to outside of the hotel.
‘There’s no need for this Roger, it’s your fault telling Harry his horses are brumbies.’ Rose said.
‘He’s asking for it, he doesn’t know I was State Boxing Champion, does he, you didn’t tell him, did you?’ Roger moved his athletic body upright from the chair to follow Harry to the back of the hotel.
Someone shouted, ‘fight, fight.’ A stream of drinkers left the public bar to follow Harry through to the back of the hotel. They formed a circle around Harry and soon afterwards out stepped Roger walking briskly toward the crowd. A hole in the wall of men opened to allow Roger to met Harry in the centre.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:28 pm

'The Drover' - Page 69:

Both men’s eyes searched the other for either one to start. Harry’s mind filled with anxiety; fear encased his mind for he didn’t know anything about fighting but knew he needed to do something to defend his honour, or Rose’s honour. How did this start? He thought, over bloody horses – bloody horses.
‘What’d you going to do Harry – stand there like a stale bottle of piss.’ Came a call from one of the audience, ‘give it to him,’ came a shout from the crowd.
Harry had never fought in his life, only a tussle with his brothers when they were children. Bubbles of sweat popped on his brow; his eyes started to blur, he went to raise his clenched fists, his heart pounded almost out of his chest, his body shook.
He awoke lying on the ground with Rose looking directly into his face. He didn’t see what happened; only knew later from a friend who told him not to feel ashamed of being knocked out by a champion.
‘It was the straightest left I’d ever seen.’ His friend admitted.
Rose lifted Harry’s head onto her lap and brushed dirt from his face. Blood flowed from a cut on his jaw. Roger was no where to be seen, he left once he saw Rose go to Harry and at the same time she said, ‘why did you have to hit him?’ Roger felt ashamed.
Harry went to the Cunnamulla Hospital, the doctor examined him and sutured the cut; placed sticky plaster over the wound. He didn’t feel pain only humiliation of what happened. It was his fault; he should have been man enough to put up with Roger’s comments about his horses; after all his horses are brumbies and could not be compared to Roger’s horses.
Roger returned to Rose’s home, gathered his belongings and moved into a hotel for the night. The train left early next morning and he was on it. Why he travelled all the way to the outback, he couldn’t understand. It was to see if he could win Rose’s heart and encourage her to return to Brisbane to become his wife. Now he realised it was a wasted trip and shouldn’t have taken any notice of Mrs Henderson’s letter.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sun Sep 03, 2017 9:39 pm

'The Drover' - Page 70:

Chapter 9

Christmas Day passed, Harry nursed his swollen jaw; his personal pride hurt beyond any description. Les mounted a battle of wits to encourage Harry to forget about women.
Harry’s true feelings for Rose were ‘he loved her’ and felt humiliated by his actions at the hotel. The informal grapevine spread around town and by the time the story reached ‘Hollywood’ it was embellished to the degree, Harry was almost beaten to death by a stranger from the city. He wanted to apologise to Roger for being such a fool but didn’t have the guts to farewell him from the train. He decided to return to droving and get on with his life.
Shortly after New Year he took one thousand sheep along the stock route to Bourke. With Henry they set out at daybreak to start the drive.
Since the night of the confrontation with Roger he hadn’t seen Rose or her parents. Inside he felt ashamed he had behaved in the manner he did and honestly wouldn’t blame Rose if she didn’t want to see him again. Perhaps his brother-in-law was right when he told him ‘to forget about women’. If only he could, his mind constantly filled with visions of Rose - day and night.
Harry crossed the Bourke-Cunnamulla Road and walked the sheep to the open plains south of the town. He stopped to put his quart-pot on at mid-morning. While waiting for the water to boil, he heard the sound of a horse approach. He looked to see a horse and rider stop beside his fire.
‘You want a hand?’ Rose’s voice echoed in the wind.
Harry thought it was a mirage when Rose stood beside him holding the reins of her horse. She dropped the reins and fell into his open arms, they kissed and Harry muttered, ‘I’m sorry.’
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:12 pm

'The Drover' - Page 71:

‘Roger’s a bully, he shouldn’t have taken advantage of you, and I don’t know why he came out here – probably to see my mother. I’ve given her a tongue lashing and hopefully it will be the last we’ll see or hear of Roger.’
‘I feel embarrassed.’ Harry muttered in a whisper.
‘Don’t worry about it – we’ll put it behind us and get on with our lives.’
Rose stayed and helped Harry with the remainder of the trip. They returned to Cunnamulla and announced their engagement to be married.
Ted was a proud man while Mrs Henderson swallowed her pride and accepted Harry to be her future son-in-law. His sister Anna was delighted her brother had finally found love and Les handed Harry a beer wishing him all of the best for the future.
The marriage ceremony took place on a Saturday afternoon in the Church of England. Next door at the church hall, the newly wed couple celebrated their wedding breakfast with friends and relatives.
Harry made the usual speech to thank his guests and friends for attending his wedding; quoting it was the best day in his life he met Rose and now she was his bride. They didn’t celebrate for long because early Monday morning the newly weds set off with another thousand sheep to Bourke on their honeymoon.

Those early days on the road placed Harry in heaven floating on cloud nine with Rose constantly by his side. He didn’t think life could get better. By the end of each drive they stayed at his parents-in-law house taking over Rose’s bedroom as their own.
Droving sheep during the year was constant almost one trip leading onto the next. Rose and Harry became a formable team and became known throughout the district as the most reliable drovers to get the job done.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Sep 05, 2017 10:24 pm

'The Drover' - Page 72:

Rose emerged from being a horse tailer to a full blown drover in her own right learning her craft from her husband who was second to none in the craft of droving.
Christmas was emerging and they were on their final trip for the year. Droving had been good for them during the year and Harry believed it could go on.
His wages didn’t increase but other drovers were slowly leaving the craft to follow contract mustering or work as a station hand on a surrounding property leaving him with sufficient work to keep his head above water and to do the job he much loved.
Harry wouldn’t hear of droving being lost to the up and coming motor transport, although he’d seen deceased number of drovers taking sheep from Cunnamulla to Bourke.
Beside his sister’s house was a block of land; a half-an-acre. Harry wanted to buy the block and settle down. Over the past twelve months he’d saved enough money to pay cash for the land and now he and Rose were the proud owners of half-an-acre of land in Cunnamulla. He felt proud to be able to provide for his wife and soon would place a house on the land.
Within the next three months he purchased a small cottage, kitchen quarters, from a grazier who had no further use for it and moved it onto his block of ground. With the help of a local builder he soon made a nice cosy home for Rose.
Harry never had a home to call his own and this was the first time, apart from his sister’s home and his parent’s-in-law he had his own house to share with his bride. It was much cosier than his days living in the back of a truck on the road.
In little time he fenced the half-an-acre, built stock yards for his horses and a chook run. While they were on the road droving, the house was locked and waited for their return. It was humble beginnings.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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