Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Shearer' - Page 34:

‘Thanks, Mr Young.’ Joe muttered, let his hand go and gave a wink to Hannah before he joined his mates.
‘Where’re we off to now Joe? The next shed, so I can beat your tally.’ Bluey ed. ‘Hope there won’t be a bloody gal there to make you do what you did at this place.’
‘Tilbooroo Station not far from Eulo. Got to be there to start work day after tomorrow.’ Joe said. He looked across to Hannah who no doubt heard his comment to Bluey. She looked at him and motioned her head to meet him outside near the sheep pens.
Around the opposite side of the shearing shed and out of view of others Hannah stood with her arms across her chest shuffling her boots in the dirt. ‘When were you going to tell me about going to Tilbooroo Station?’ She asked sternly.
‘When I had an opportunity. I wanted to tell you before I left.’ He muttered.
‘Are you going to see me anymore?’ Her voice lowered; her chin almost touched her neck.
‘I’d love to, but what about your father? I don’t think I’m on top of his list for suitors for you,’ Joe admitted.
‘Don’t worry about my father, what about me?’ Tears welled in her eyes.
’Course I want to see you. I can’t get you out of my head, why do you think I worked my backside off to be ‘gun’ shearer - because of you. I want you to feel proud of me.’
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Thank you dub, Nevis: Page for today. 'The Shearer' - Page 35:

‘I am proud of you Joe. You don’t have to kill yourself to prove it to me. When will I see you again?’ Tears flowed down her cheeks.
‘What am I to do about your father? He’ll never like me and I want to get to know you more, if it’s okay with you.’
‘It’s okay with me. When are you leaving for Tilbooroo Station?’ She wiped her tears away with a handkerchief, handed to her by Joe.
‘Before daybreak tomorrow. I’ll walk there in two days.’
‘Okay. I’ll meet you at our log tonight to say good-bye.’ She walked away.
Joe’s mind buzzed with joy. He couldn’t wait to meet Hannah at their favourite spot to say their farewells. After dinner, he showered and changed into clean clothes. It was growing dark.
‘What time you leavin in the morning Joe?’ asked Bluey.
‘Before daylight. I want to be on the road before it gets too hot, why?’
‘I’ve decided to tag along with ya, if it’s okay. I can’t let you get away with beating me,’ Bluey explained.
‘Be ready, I walk fast but you’re welcome to join me.’
‘Are you off to see your gal before you go?’ Bluey wanted to know.
‘Yeah – if it’s okay with you. I don’t know when I’ll see her again.’ Joe left to meet Hannah.
Hannah was waiting. When she saw Joe approach she jumped from her seat and rushed to his open arms, swung her arms around his neck and their lips joined as one. Love seeped through Joe’s body; he felt his toes tingle. Their lips parted, Hannah took Joe’s hand and led him to sit on the log.
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'The Shearer' - Page 36:

‘Here is your handkerchief. I washed and ironed it.’ Hannah handed Joe the handkerchief with a smile.
‘Hannah, what are we going to do? I have feelings for you and they won’t go away. Are we meant to be together?’ Joe asked, with his arms wrapped around her.
‘I know I want to be with you, but I can’t. Pa would have kittens if I told him about how we feel about one another. Tomorrow I’m returning to Brisbane to finish school and become a school teacher. When I’m qualified, Joe, I promise to find you and we will be together always,’ she promised.
‘This is too good to be true. I never would’ve thought in my wildest dreams to fall in love with such a beauty as you Hannah. What if you meet someone else or someone your father would rather you be with?’
‘I don’t care – I only want you, Joe. If I’ve got to wait forever, I will. I only want you.’ They kissed, this time more passionately than before. Joe didn’t want to leave nor let go of this moment but Hannah needed to return home or her father would become suspicious.
‘Hannah, when I’m in Cunnamulla I live at Ma’s Guest House. Ma’s like a mother to me. If you want to leave a letter or contact me, she will keep this between three of us.’
‘I’ll write and send it care of Ma’s Guest House, Cunnamulla. Goodbye until we meet again.’ She kissed his soft lips smoothly, stood and about to walk away not looking back, afraid she could never leave his side.
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'The Shearer' - Page 37:

Joe stopped her, ‘Hannah – before you go I want you to wear my ring around your neck to show the world you’re mine.’ Joe removed his ring, given to him by his first contractor, Mr Thompson, who had treated him as a son, unlike his own father, the initials JR embroidered on the face of the ring.
‘Joe. I’ll wear this ring as a bondage to our love.’ She placed it on her finger but would later find a necklace and wear it around her neck. They kissed and parted.

Before the sun broke through the morning sky, Joe and Bluey carried their swags along the dirt track leading from the property. Joe looked through the morning mist toward the veranda homestead; he saw the silhouette of a person waving from the veranda. He knew it was Hannah, and returned the wave.
‘You think you’ll ever see her again?’ Bluey asked.
‘You can be certain. I’ll marry her one day.’ Joe kept one eye on Hannah waving on the veranda and the other on the path he and Bluey followed. It was dark, but clear enough to see a couple of feet ahead. He’d like a penny for each mile he’d walked to shearing sheds since he first started out as a twelve year old. He wouldn’t need to shear, he’d have sufficient money to go to Mr Young and ask for his blessings to marry his daughter. Now all he could hope for was that Hannah didn’t forget him and write. He didn’t know when or where he would see her again.

Hannah stood on the veranda waving in the darkness, hoping Joe saw her. A loud voice echoed, ‘What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?’ Her father yelled.
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'The Shearer' - Page 38:

‘I’m saying goodbye to Joe. He’s leaving this morning to go to the next shed. I wanted to say goodbye to him because I don’t know if I’ll ever she him again,’ Tears flowed down her face; her body shook.
‘How many times have I told you not to speak with the hired help?’ Her father exploded, to stand in front of her.
‘I know Pa, but Joe is different. He loves me and I love him.’
‘Love! You wouldn’t know the meaning of the word.’ He stormed off in the direction of the kitchen. Hannah returned to her bedroom.

Joe and Bluey walked swiftly for a couple of hours until they stopped at Moonjaree Crossing for a break. Moonjaree Crossing joined Moonjaree Creek which flowed onto the Paroo River, a major tributary to the Darling River south to Bourke in New South Wales which flowed into the Murray River and out to sea in South Australia.
Before leaving, the cook gave Joe sufficient damper and tea to carry them to Tilbooroo Station. Bluey quickly threw sticks together and soon had a fire blazing whilst Joe filled their billycan from the creek.
‘This is the life,’ Bluey mocked. ‘Out in the bush, no worries, no women and no bloody sheep.’
‘I don’t agree about no women mate. After this past week I never thought I’d meet a woman like Hannah,’ Joe said with a smile in his voice.
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'The Shearer' - Page 39:

‘Yeah, I must say she’s a beauty alright. How do you think you’ll go?’ Bluey rose from his seat and threw a hand full of tea leaves into the boiling water.
‘I don’t know yet but I’ll marry her if I have to wait my whole life. I think I’m in love, whatever love means,’ Joe explained, rising to his feet to pick the billy up from the fire. He swung the billy around three times in a circle with his right arm outstretched, then reversed the swing twice before he settled the billy on the ground to allow the tea leaves to settle on the bottom.
‘Here’s some damper the cook packed.’ Bluey handed Joe a piece of damper whilst Joe picked up the billy can to pour their tea into pannikins. They sat against the trunk of a huge gumtree eating the damper and sipping their tea.
‘This is the life, isn’t it?’ Joe exclaimed with a smile, a cool breeze refreshing their faces.
‘It sure is. What could be better? You gunna have a bit of shut eye before we head off?’ Bluey asked. ‘Have a look at those clouds in the north.’ Bluey pointed to dark clouds in the direction they were travelling. ‘Wonder if there’s any rain in them? They look dark and smell moist like it’s going to rain. Smell the gidgee. We’ll have a shut eye for half-an-hour and hit the trail, and see how we go.’ Bluey said.
Both men rested their eyes. After a time Joe awoke with a start to see lightning splitting across the sky and heard thunder echoing, ‘Hey Bluey, wake up mate.’ He shoved his mate to wake him, ‘We’d better get going before the storm hits.’
Covering the fire with sand they threw their swags over their shoulders and hit the trail. If rain came they would walk to Moonjaree Homestead, to stay overnight and head off next morning after the rain stopped.
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'The Shearer' - Page 40:

With Moonjaree Homestead in sight they quickened their pace to reach the cover of the veranda before heavy rain fell.
‘You’d better come inside before you fellars get drenched,’ a voice called. Joe didn’t know anyone at Moonjaree Station and assumed the voice must belong to the manager or owner. A man stood before them. ‘Peter Greig’s, the name, I’m manager here.’ They shook hands. ‘Come in. Wonderful to have rain. I’ll get my wife to put the kettle on.’ Peter left the two men standing on the veranda shaking the rain from their clothes.
Peter returned with a woman. ‘I’d like you to meet my wife, Rose, now I didn’t get your names?’
‘I’m Joe Ryan, Mr & Mrs Greig. This is Bluey Simpson and we’re shearers heading to Tilbooroo Station. Sorry to call in unexpected like this,’ Joe explained.
‘We’re pleased to have company. Would you like a cuppa?’ Peter asked.
‘Would be wonderful, thank you. As soon as the rain stops we’ll be on our way.’
‘Don’t think the rain is going to stop tonight fellers. Better camp here tonight and take off in the morning. You can throw your swags on the veranda here if you want.’
‘We can use your quarters. We don’t want to put you to any trouble,’ Joe said. There was always a demarcation between cocky and shearer.
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