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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Wed Sep 06, 2017 10:25 pm

'The Drover' - Page 73:

Harry’s happiness excelled in his way of life; since his marriage to Rose he knew he was the luckiest man alive. He continued to do what he’d been doing with pride and glory of moving stock to their destination in good condition.
Henry continued to cook and worked with Harry and Rose, now called her the missus.

At the end of one trip in mid-year 1952 Rose declared she was pregnant; this was her second pregnancy, unfortunately six months earlier she lost a child through a miscarriage. Harry was determined Rose would have this child. He wanted her to stay at home instead of joining him on the road.
‘I’m coming with you.’ Rose demanded, ‘what am I going to do on my own.’ She pleaded.
‘Why can’t you stay with your mother while I’m away and she can look after you?’ Harry protested. He knew he was losing the fight and Rose demanded to stay with him on the road.
‘I won’t ride; I’ll be good and help Henry with the cooking.’ Rose’s eyes filled with tears.
‘Alright, but if anything happens I’ll never forgive myself.’
‘Nothing will happen – I’ll make certain.’
A fortnight before Christmas 1952 Harry and Rose became parents to a beautiful girl they named Claire born on the 14th December at Cunnamulla Base Hospital.
Harry was over the moon with happiness; his love for Rose glowed within him but to have a daughter as beautiful as her mother was a love he never imagined he could ever experience.
His sister Anna had by this time borne five children, four boys and one girl. Harry loved his nephews and nieces but it wasn’t the same love as the love he had for his own daughter.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Thu Sep 07, 2017 10:14 pm

'The Drover' - Page 74:

Rose insisted she and Claire join Harry and Henry on future droving trips. Harry knew it was of no use ignoring Rose’s pleas and she and Claire joined Harry and Henry on the road. Since the introduction of road transport lesser drovers were seen between Cunnamulla and Bourke.
Stock and Station Agents confirmed to Harry he would always have work because he was dependable and reliable and was in the highest bracket in the district for a person of his craft.
Whilst Harry noticed less and less drovers taking sheep from Cunnamulla to Bourke he regularly each month had a mob of at least one thousand.
As the year grew near to the end Rose suffered another miscarriage. Harry was gravely concerned; his life working on the road, taking his family, living out of the back of a truck through the blazing heat of summer and freezing westerly winds in the winter worried him enough he wanted Rose and Claire to be at home at their own small house in Cunnamulla.
Each time he raised the issue Rose shot him down in flames of disagreement telling him it wasn’t his fault she had another miscarriage or his fault she lived on the road. It was her decision to be with her husband through trick and thin.
Eventually in the following year Rose fell pregnant and this time another daughter was born. They named her Louise. Claire was now two years old and followed her father everywhere like his shadow. If he stopped, Claire bumped into him. He’d pick her up in his strong brown arms and toss her high in the sky causing her to laugh her childish giggle. She was a beauty and Harry knew she had him screwed around his little finger.
‘I love you Daddy.’ Claire would say in her child like voice and giggle.
‘And I love you too Bub.’ Harry echoed.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:40 pm

'The Drover' - Page 75:

Rose was pregnant again and this time Harry demanded she stay in town with their children.
It was on one of his return trips when Rose was almost at the end of her pregnancy.
‘You’ll have to take me to hospital, Harry. I think the baby is coming.’ It was two o’clock in the morning.
‘Okay…I’ll drop Claire and Louise off at your mothers and take you.’ He stammered.
Harry woke Claire and Louise from their sleep putting on their dressing gowns. Rubbing sleep from her eyes Claire said, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Mummy’s going to the hospital and I’m taking you to your grandmother’s house, come on Louise.’
He ushered his daughters and pregnant wife to the car and dropped his daughters off at his parents-in-law’s home after explaining to his mother-in-law what happened.
‘They’re right here, Harry. You look after your wife and baby.’ His mother-in-law echoed. Over time they made amends in their relationship and were now getting along like a house on fire.
He continued to the hospital.
Rose was ushered into the delivery room and within an hour gave birth to a boy. Harry’s chest grew two-fold after hearing he fathered a son. At last a son, he thought, to teach him everything he knows about droving.
The doctor wanted to talk with Harry.
‘I’m sorry to tell you Harry but your son hasn’t got long to live. It was a difficult pregnancy and his lungs haven’t developed. We’re doing all we can but I don’t hold much hope for his chance of survival.’
Harry felt his world crumble in on top of him. How could this happen? His only son had a short time to live, he couldn’t believe it.
Rose was crying and holding their son when Harry entered the ward. Curtains were drawn around the bed and when Rose looked at Harry all she muttered in a soft voice, ‘I’m sorry Harry.’ He placed his arms around her shaking shoulders and looked at their son who was wrapped in a blue coloured rug.
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:26 pm

'The Drover' - Page 76:

The child slightly opened his small mouth and stopped breathing. A radiant glow formed around his small face.
‘Help us please, someone help us.’ Harry called to the doctor and nurses.
They rushed to the bedside but the child had breathed his final breath. He was dead.
Harry tried to console Rose but he didn’t know what to do only look at his dead boy still wrapped inside the blue rug. His mind filled with sorry or hate, he didn’t know which one. Why! Kept going through his mind, why him.

The funeral service was held in the same church Harry and Rose wed. At the alter lay the small white coffin, no larger than a shoe box.
The Minister prayed for the family to see them through this horrible ordeal. The congregation in the church overflowed with parishioners.
Before the church service the baby was baptised Harold Clarence Williams, named after his father. Harry wanted to have a final look at his son before they closed the small coffin.
Tears filled his eyes, sorrow tugged at his soul. He removed the ring his parents had given him on his seventeenth birthday. He placed the ring onto the chest of his dead son and whispered, ‘I give you this ring with all of my love – I love you, son’. He closed the lid of the coffin.
At the cemetery Harry lowered the small white shoe box coffin into the grave with the use of thin ropes to steady the coffin to the bottom of the grave. Words were spoken by the Minister however Harry or Rose did not hear them. Each was in shock and disbelief.
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 10, 2017 10:37 pm

'The Drover' - Page 77:
Harry’s brother Mick attended the funeral with his wife Liz and their 12 month old daughter. They returned to Harry’s house for the wake to provide support for both Harry and Rose.
Mick camped in the cattle yards across the road from Harry’s house. They wanted a couple of days to give Harry time to mourn the loss of his son before he went to speak with him.
On the third day Mick walked over to Harry’s home.
Harry was seated on a chair in the front yard, ‘how’re ya going mate?’ It was a stupid question to ask and he wasn’t looking for an answer.
‘Not so good, Mick, thanks for coming.’ Harry mumbled.
‘When do you reckon you can get back to work?’ Mick asked Harry, wanting him to move on from his loss and start life again.
‘I don’t know – why?’ Harry replied.
‘Liz and I are going out to muster some horses on Mount Alfred. There’re supposed to be about 300 hundred head out there and I want a hand. We’ll split the difference if you’re up to it.’
‘I got no trips for awhile so I suppose I can lend you a hand. Horses will be a bit different from looking at the arse-end of sheep all day.’
‘Is that a yes?’ Mick asked.
‘Yeah, I’ll clear it with Rose first but I’m sure we can do it. It’ll be good to get back into the swing of things again.’
Harry asked Rose - she agreed and they arranged to go with Mick and Liz to muster the horses.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I'LL BE ABSENT UNTIL FRIDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2017.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:35 pm

'The Drover' - Page 78:

Chapter 10

Mick and Liz with their daughter Dianne travelled in their truck with a couple of dogs and three horses. Harry, Rose and the girls journeyed in their truck also had a couple of dogs; two horses plus Claire’s pony Paddy. Mick led the way and Harry followed.
They journeyed out to the township of Eulo, crossed the Paroo River and travelled north. The first night they made camp on the banks of the Paroo River.
Liz prepared the meal for both families. She was worried about Rose. Up until this time she’d only met Rose on one occasion and thought at the time how beautiful the woman was compared to the women in this part of the country, particularly her raven black hair giving her the beauty.
This time Rose didn’t want to help or look after the children. She grieved her son, as what would be expected, but in a camp everyone, especially the women folk pitch in to help rather than sit back to be waited upon.
Harry noticed Rose’s withdrawal. She wasn’t the bubbly, beautiful woman he’d married. Her hair was a mess, tangled and unruly; she hadn’t bathed for a number of days. She sat around the camp with a blank look on her face; Harry didn’t know what to do. Thank goodness Liz was there to keep everything in order like cook and take care of the children.
That night Harry dreamed of ‘little Harry’ and wondered why he died. He wasn’t a doctor. Reason ‘why’ filled his dreams, he couldn’t read or write so there was no way to find the answer to his dreams. He’d need to put it to the back of his mind and get on with the job at hand. His concern was Rose or moreso her health and the way she looked after herself.
If the children did anything – it needed be anything wrong, she’d bellow at them. She was angry and hurt and he didn’t know what to do. Perhaps Mick may know or Liz might have a chat with her, he thought.
He needed to understand what was going on in his wife’s mind and each moment she became worse instead of improving.
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 16, 2017 12:27 am

'The Drover' - Page 79:
Breaking camp the next morning both trucks journeyed along the dirt track beside the Paroo River. After a break for lunch, late in the afternoon they reached the boundary of Mount Alfred property where Harry and Mick were going to trap brumbies and drove them back to Cunnamulla to sell.
Mount Alfred property didn’t have a homestead or anyone working on the property. It had been let go because the owners didn’t want to spend money on improvements.
The boundary fences were good in parts but mainly the property carried wild goats and brumby horses. Station horses had been let loose to breed into mobs. The Paroo River didn’t flow through the property and water was mainly in lagoons or gullies.
Mick or Harry didn’t know how many brumbies were on the property but after their muster they’d have an idea of how many they would capture, drive to Cunnamulla and sell.
After making camp inside of the property near a gully holding water, Mick and Harry worked on a plan on how to trap the brumbies.
‘What about we go for a ride tomorrow and look over the place.’ Harry asked Mick.
‘I’ve never been here before and from the gibber country here about hopefully there’ll be some brumbies somewhere.’ Mick muttered in between rolling a smoke.
‘How big is this place – do you know?’ Harry asked.
‘About half a million acres – I’ve been told, could be more – I don’t really know.’ Mick replied.
‘All right then – you’re right, tomorrow we take the horses and see where we need to go – have a look for water and see where they camp. We might have to build a holding yard to hold them.’ Harry shared with his brother.
‘It’s not going to be easy. Do you think you’ll be up to it with Rose the way she is?’ Mick questioned.
‘Oh Jesus I hope so Mick. I don’t know what to do. She’s so withdrawn, I can’t even make her comb her hair nor have a bathe. I’m almost at the end of my tether.’ Harry wanted his brother to wave a magic wand to make things the way they were.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766
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