Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Shearer' - Page 83:

‘Come inside and tell Ma all what happened. I’ll make a cuppa.’ Ma took Hannah by the arm, led her into the kitchen and sat her at the table. Hannah smelt freshly baked bread, ‘Here sit, love and I’ll make you a cuppa.’
Hannah told her story to Ma step by step until she came to the part when the bushranger stole Joe’s ring. ‘What’ll I do?’ she cried.
‘Don’t worry sweetheart, Joe will understand.’ Ma told Hannah. ‘Now you have this cuppa and I’ll make you a lovely piece of freshly baked bread with strawberry jam.’ Ma prepared the meal seething with anger and furious this could happen to Hannah. Billy Wells – I know him alright. His brother Joseph attempted to rob the National Bank and shot a fellow who tried to stop him. He climbed up the tree down the road and the police caught him. They named the tree ‘Robber Tree’. They hung him. She remembered the day clearly, because an event like a bank being robbed in Cunnamulla didn’t happen every day.
Hannah finished her cuppa and piece of bread. ‘Thanks Ma, I feel much better. Do you mind if I have a lay down in Joe’s bedroom for awhile?’
‘You go ahead my dear, you know where to go. Pity I couldn’t get a message to Joe. I don’t know where he’s shearing. Go ahead and have a rest; I’ll check on you later. You stay as long as you want,’ Ma said wondering how she could get a message to Joe.
Hannah soon fell asleep in Joe’s bed; dreaming of seeing the bushranger hold his pistols in her direction. She didn’t know whether he was going to shoot them or not, and was lucky to be alive. Thank goodness Mr Shirley was there beside her.
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'The Shearer' - Page 84:

Ma kept a close eye on Hannah sleeping, seeing her turn several times. She knew the stress this would have had on Hannah, being held up by a bushranger. Must have been terrifying; and the most valuable treasure she possessed, Joe’s ring, stolen. She felt sad and glad at the same time thinking how lucky they all were to still be alive to tell their story. The Police would catch this bushranger, she was certain.
After ensuring Hannah had settled, Ma left her home, which she seldom did. She walked to the Railway Hotel to speak with the barman, Alex, to see if he could get a message to Joe wherever he was shearing. She walked into the public bar where Alex served, ‘Alex, can I have a quiet word with you?’ Ma asked softly.
‘Sure Ma – what’re you doing here? This is the first time I’ve seen you in the public bar. You know women ain’t allowed in the public bar but you are an exception,’ Alex told her. He walked from behind the bar and escorted Ma to the hotel lounge where they each sat opposite one another.
‘Alex, I need you to get a message to Joe. I don’t know which shearing shed he’s working.’ Ma explained.
‘I can do that,’ Alex replied. ‘This about the stagecoach robbery?’
‘Yes, Hannah was one of the passengers who were robbed. A ring Joe gave her was stolen by the bushranger, Billy Wells. You remember his brother Joseph attempted to rob the bank some time back and was hung?’
‘Yeah I heard about the stagecoach hold-up from one of our customers. Mr Shirley, he’s staying at the hotel and was a passenger with Hannah. He told me all about what happened,’
‘Can you get a message to Joe to tell him Hannah is staying with me and Billy Wells stole the ring he gave to Hannah with her money? Can you do that?’ Ma asked.
‘Sure can Ma, I’ll get onto it right away,’ Alex replied, ‘You leave it with me. The bush telegraph would’ve probably got to him by now in any case.’
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'The Shearer' - Page 85:

Chapter 11

Constable Andersen with an aboriginal tracker, stagecoach driver and two troopers gathered their horses and rode north along the track the stagecoach had travelled. Nearing the spot where the stagecoach was held up earlier the driver yelled, ‘Here it is, right here! This is where he stopped us.’
The aboriginal tracker dismounted and gave the reins of his horse to Constable Andersen to hold. He scanned the ground. ‘Been here boss – horse shod, went this way.’ He pointed towards mulga scrub.
‘We’ll take it from here. You return to town and leave the horse in the police paddock at the back of the station. Thanks for your help,’ Constable Andersen said to the driver.
‘I want to come with you – might need a hand.’
Constable Andersen raised his voice. ‘We’ll be right, there are enough of us. You return to town and tell Sergeant Gray we’ll follow the tracks and report to him later when we find something.’
‘I’ll let Sergeant Gray know.’ The stagecoach driver reined his horse and rode toward Cunnamulla.
‘Look like gone to river Boss,’ the tracker pointed his bent index finger toward the Warrego River.
‘How far to the river?’ Constable Andersen asked.
‘About half-a-mile, that way.’ The tracker glanced at the Constable and pointed due west.
‘You track where he’s gone we’ll follow,’ Constable Andersen commanded. The tracker re-mounted his horse, looked to the ground for tracks and rode toward mulga scrub. Constable Andersen and the other troopers followed a safe distance behind.
The tracker rode through thick mulga scrub until he reached the bank of the Warrego River. ‘He cross here Boss – tracks going into water.’ He looked across to the opposite bank and saw hoof prints leading from the water’s edge up a bank to higher ground. He dismounted from his horse. Constable Andersen and others stopped their mounts behind him.
‘What’re you looking for?’ Constable Andersen asked the tracker.
‘Think he stayed here awhile.’ He explained, letting the reins of his horse drop onto the ground and walking to a fallen hollow box tree. He placed his arm into the hollow trunk and pulled out a wooden box with the words, ‘National Bank – Cunnamulla’ printed on top of the box. The lock was smashed.
‘It’s the stolen cash box?’ Constable Andersen asked as he took the box from the tracker, ‘where to from here?’ he inquired.
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‘This way Boss – across the river, over there!’ He pointed to the opposite side of the river. They remounted, Constable Andersen tied the cash box onto his saddle and all four rode their horses into the brown liquid river. They swam their horses about sixty yards across and climbed up the opposite bank.
‘Where to?’ Constable Andersen asked the tracker who searched the ground for tracks.
‘Don’t know Boss – tracks hard to find in gibber country. Let me go ahead to see what I find.’
‘You go ahead. We’ll put the billy on and have a break to work out what to do next,’ Constable Andersen replied. The tracker rode west, searching the ground as he rode into gibber country. This part of the country covered with small stones referred to as gibbers and difficult to find tracks.
After an hour he returned to the camp where Constable Andersen waited with the other troopers, ‘What’d you find?’ Andersen called to the tracker.
‘Lost his tracks Boss. Heading west, too hard to follow on gibbers, getting dark, too hard to see,’ the tracker replied and dismounted.
‘Here have a cuppa – billy’s still hot and after you’re finished we’ll head back to Cunnamulla and start again in the morning.’ Constable Andersen handed a mug of black tea to the tracker who swallowed it.
‘He gone to Moriarty Range - never see him again,’ the tracker said after draining his mug.
‘How far is Moriarty Range from here?’ Constable Andersen asked.
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‘About half-a-days ride,’ the tracker replied, ‘up there.’ He pointed toward the sun setting in the west behind Moriarty Range.
‘We’ll return to Cunnamulla and see what Sergeant Gray wants us to do.’ Constable Andersen said. Each remounted their horse to return to Cunnamulla before the sun dropped behind the horizon.
Sergeant Gray met the men when they rode into the rear of the police station. ‘How did you go?’ He asked Andersen.
‘Found the place where he held up the stage – here are the remains of the cash box – nothing inside. Tracked him across to the other side of the river but lost his tracks in gibber country. Think he may be heading toward Moriarty Range,’ Constable Andersen reported.
‘Knock off tonight. Go back to your barracks. I’ve sent a message to headquarters and other police stations around the district to be on the lookout for the bushranger. He’ll turn up somewhere. Not much more we can do tonight,’ Sergeant Gray admitted.
‘Do we re-start the search in the morning Sarge?’ Constable Andersen asked.
‘No, no use, you’d be like a dog chasing its tail. He’d been long gone by now. Hope he makes a mistake and turns up somewhere he’s known. Goodnight everyone, sleep tight.’ Sergeant Gray left the company of men to finish their work.

Hannah heard a knock on the front door at Ma’s Guest House where she’d been staying since the hold-up. She walked to open the door. ‘Hello Mr Shirley, do come in. Good to see you again. I’ll fetch Ma for you.’ Hannah said.
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'The Shearer' - Page 88:

‘I’ve come to speak with you,’ Mr Shirley replied. ‘Something important.’
Hannah beckoned John Shirley into Ma’s home. ‘Follow me through to the kitchen where Ma’s baking fresh bread. Would you like a cuppa?’ She asked over her shoulder.
‘Yes please, a cuppa would be fine,’ John answered and followed Hannah into the kitchen where he saw a grey haired elderly woman standing over a wooden table kneading dough.
‘Ma, this gentleman is Mr Shirley. He’s the man who saved me on the stagecoach from the bushranger.’ Hannah introduced John Shirley to Ma.
‘A blessing to meet you Mr Shirley and thank you for saving this girl, she means the world to me,’ Ma said and extended her hand after she’d wiped it on her apron to shake John’s hand.
‘I didn’t save her. She was brave how she spoke to the bushranger. At least she got him to tell us his name.’ John answered.
‘Do take a seat and I’ll make you a cuppa. How do you take it?’ Hannah asked.
‘Straight black from the pot, thank you Hannah.’ John looked at the fresh cooked bread, his mouth salivating.
‘Would you like a slice of fresh cook bread and jam Mr Shirley?’ Ma asked, noticing how his eyes went to the bread.
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'The Shearer' - Page 89:

‘Call me John please, and yes thank you I’d love a slice of bread and jam.’ John sat on a chair opposite Hannah.
Ma prepared the cuppa and a slice of bread, placed it on a plate and put both in front of John. ‘There you are.’
John ate the bread. ‘This is the best bread I’ve tasted, and you should be congratulated.’
‘I bake daily with all the mouths to feed around here.’ Ma answered.
‘When are you returning to Roma, Mr Shirley?’ Hannah asked.
‘Tomorrow and this time I’m riding. The reason I’ve made a visit is I want to ask you something important.’
‘What is it?’
‘I want to offer you a position to teach here at Cunnamulla State School – if you want it.’
‘If I want it? Yes of course I want it! How – why – why me?’ Hannah’s excitement overflowed to the other two.
‘The school has been operating for almost a decade now and I want to try something new. I want you to teach at the school, however, it will be under the tutorage of Miss Wallace who is the fulltime teacher. I’ve spoken with Miss Wallace who knows you.’ John explained.
‘Yes – yes – of course.’ Hannah’s face exploded into a smile.
‘If you come with me now, we can meet Miss Wallace who will start with your tutorage. She’ll explain what she requires from you,’ said John.
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