Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Shearer' - Page 104:

Ma broke a scone from the bunch, placed it on a plate and handed the plate to Martha, ‘Here you are Martha, there’s a knife, butter and strawberry jam, help yourself.’ Ma explained handing Martha the plate with a freshly cooked scone.
Martha cut the scone in half, spread a heap of butter together with strawberry jam, picked one half and pushed it into her mouth. ‘This tastes wonderful Ma I’ll need the recipe. Do you mind if I have another?’
‘Have as many as you want. I’ll pack some into a tea towel so you can take them home,’ Ma said. She walked to the cupboard drawer removed a tea towel, returned to the kitchen table and placed the remainder of the scones into the tea towel wrapped them up and tied string around the tea towel to keep them fresh.

A month after Martha’s visit to Ma’s Guest House, a letter arrived addressed to Hannah from her mother. Joe was invited to Christmas Dinner and could the three of them arrive early in the morning so presents could be handed out? A footnote in a scribble told Hannah they looked forward to seeing them again. Information not in the letter of how Martha convinced her husband to change his mind about Joe Ryan.
‘Can’t you see our daughter is deeply in love with Joe?’ She told her husband on their return to the property after he’d picked his wife up from Ma’s Guest House.
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'The Shearer' - Page 105:

‘I know I see the sparkle in her eyes each time his bloody name is mentioned. She had to pick a shearer! Why couldn’t she wait to meet a cocky’s son?’ Nat questioned.
‘You know we have no say in who we fall in love with Dear.’ Martha emphasised strongly. She didn’t want to lose this one.
‘Honestly Martha, what can he provide for her? He’s only a shearer, afterall.’ Nat clicked the horse to a quicker pace.
‘Must I remind you our shearers are the backbone of this country? If we didn’t have shearers how would we get the wool from the back of our sheep?’ I’ll convince him to accept Joe Ryan if it’s the last thing I do.
Nat fell silent. ‘I suppose when you put it like that, we would be in trouble if our sheep weren’t shorn. He is a good shearer. Because he’s ‘gun’ shearer at our property.’
‘So can you put your differences aside and accept Joe, not the shearer, but as the person our daughter fell in love with?’
‘If it pleases you, yes,’ Nat replied. Martha smiled and looked away from her husband.

Joe Ryan finished shearing at Farnham Plains and walked to Eulo to meet Joe Gibson as pre-arranged at the pub. Joe felt great. His mind filled with dreams and ideas of forming a Shearers Union in Queensland. Stepping into the public bar of the Eulo Queen Hotel he sighted his mate, Joe Gibson, sitting at the far end of the bar.
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'The Shearer' - Page 106:
‘G’day mate’, Joe called pleased to see his cobber after a couple of weeks. They shook hands. ‘How did you get on with contacting Spence? I’ll have what he’s having,’ He said to Isabel Gray, known as the Eulo Queen, owner of the hotel, standing behind the bar who he met last time he was in Eulo.
‘Couldn’t reach him mate but I’ve got some better news - take it out of my lot will you Isabel?’ He pointed to the loose change on the bar in front of him. Isabel placed a tumbler of beer in front of Joe Ryan who quickly scooped it up and drank it down in one gulp.
‘Better give me another of these.’ Joe licked his lips to rid the foam. ‘Give my mate here another thanks, Isabel.’ Isabel quickly served both beers and this time Joe Ryan paid. ‘Well, come on I’ve been shearing me arse off for the past couple of weeks and you couldn’t reach him!’
‘Ah…don’t worry, there’s plenty going on up north at Wellshot Station,’ Joe Gibson replied.
‘Where the bloody hell is Wellshot Station?’ Joe asked.
‘South of Ilfracombe. Plenty going on, shearers wouldn’t accept the conditions of the cocky and bloody went on strike.’
‘What a beauty! How did you hear this?’
‘Bush telegraph – good news spreads fast - shearers from all parts marched on Blackall and about six hundred shearers joined in. They started a Queensland Shearer’s Union.’
‘This is great news. Isabel, two more drinks thanks.’ Joe said with a huge smile.
All eyes went to a stranger who entered the bar. His gait straight, clothes soiled, hat pulled over his eyes, ‘Seen him before?’ asked Joe.
‘Never seen him before in my life. Looks like a stranger for these parts.’ Joe Gibson’s eyes followed the stranger as he sat next to where they were seated.
‘G’day.’ Joe Ryan looked at the stranger and put his hand out, ‘I’m Joe Ryan, pleased to meet you.’ The stranger sat silent and looked directly into Joe’s eyes. So this is Joe Ryan, boyfriend of the lass I stole the necklace and ring from. The stranger’s left hand felt for the necklace and ring around his neck and held it firmly.
‘Billy….Billy Wells, pleased to meet you. Joe Ryan was it?’ He shook hands with Joe.
‘This is my mate, Joe Gibson.’ Joe introduced his mate to the stranger who let go of the ring and put his hand out to shake Joe Gibson’s hand. When he leaned across to shake Joe’s hand the necklace and ring swung from the man’s neck. Joe immediately identified his ring and the necklace he’d given to Hannah. Joe jumped to his feet.
‘Where’d you get the ring and necklace?’ Joe roared, grabbing the stranger by the shirt pulling on the necklace and ring. ‘Where did you get this ring?’ His rage was uncontrollable. Holding the stranger with his left hand with a tight grip on the front of the stranger’s shirt, Joe punched the stranger in the face hard with his right fist.
The stranger fell back across a table and chairs landed on the floor. Joe jumped on top of him, punching his face over and over shouting, ‘Where did you get the necklace and ring?’
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I'LL BE AWAY ON VACATION UNTIL 19TH JULY 2016.
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Thank you all for your thanks: Back from holidays. Here is the page for today: 'The Shearer' - Page 107:

Chapter 14

Constable Fitzgerald rushed into the bar, ‘Hold it Joe!’ He pulled the shearer off the stranger who lay unconscious. Joe leaned down grabbed the necklace and ring and ripped it from the stranger’s neck.
‘This is mine, Constable Fitzgerald. I gave it to my girlfriend Hannah Young as a present and he’s got it. Something’s not right.’ Joe exploded.
‘Joe, This is Billy Wells, he’s a bushranger who’s wanted for holding up the Cobb & Co stagecoach outside Cunnamulla a couple of weeks ago and robbing the passengers. Give me a hand with this fellow will ya and help me lock him up,’ Constable Fitzgerald shouted at Joe whose face expressed disbelief.
Each took an arm and carried the unconscious stranger from the hotel to the police station lock-up. After taking the stranger’s belt, boots and socks the Constable locked the cell door. ‘This is the first time I’ve helped the law lock someone up. I’m normally the one thrown in there,’ Joe said with a grin.
‘Joe, I want to deputise you to help me take this fellow through to Cunnamulla. What’d you reckon?’ Constable Fitzgerald requested.
‘I’d be happy to. I want to know how he got hold of this necklace and my ring I gave Hannah.’ said Joe.
‘She must have been a passenger on the stagecoach when this fellow held it up a couple of weeks ago. You keep it for now. He’s not going anywhere until morning when you and I will escort him to Cunnamulla,’ Constable Fitzgerald replied.
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'The Shearer' - Page 108:

‘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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'The Shearer' - Page 109:

‘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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'The Shearer' - Page 110:

‘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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