Pat Ritter. Books

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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 48:

‘I’ll make some lunch.’ Hannah said taking the pannikin from Joe.
‘I’ll give you a hand.’ Martha concluded. ‘This is a beautiful spot you have here Hannah.’ Martha complimented her daughter on choosing a lovely spot to build her home. She smiled, her thoughts grateful Nat deciding to gift them the property.
‘Come on Nat I’ll show you what I’m doing.’ Both men left the camp walked past the pool of water. ‘I’ve cut this branch from the gidgee tree. With this tongue, I’ll fasten onto the end of the fork. The two horses will drag the delver through the dirt to form a drain from the bore?’ Joe explained.
‘I understand what you mean. You are clever Joe. Always thought you were. How are you going to drag the delver?’ Nat queried.
‘This twisted yoke I cut from the same gidgee tree. I’ll harness both horses to the delver plus a harness to the yoke. With two horses pulling the delver should be sufficient horse power to dig a drain from the bore to Moonjaree Creek. All in my head, Nat. Just hope something works.’ Joe pointed to his temple.
‘Lunch is ready.’ Hannah called.
Both men returned to the camp to have lunch. Conversation transpired between the four enjoying their lunch of cold mutton. A slight breeze flowed across their camp making the area cool.
‘What do you think of Todd and Melinda at Ma’s wake?’ Nat asked in between sipping his tea.
‘I love them both, particularly Melinda. She must be lonely at the camp most of the time. When everything settles down I’ll invite them into town for dinner.’ Hannah explained.
‘I like them also. Wouldn’t hurt to have them visit ‘Kahmoo Station’.’ Martha suggested.

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‘I’d imagine they’ll be visiting ‘Kahmoo Station’ more times than you care to remember once young Ryan finds water on the place. Billy hasn’t had much luck so far. The place is full of rabbit warrens. I’m afraid a sheep might break a bloody leg.’ Nat smiled finished his lunch. ‘This is delightful. Thanks, Hannah.’
‘Don’t forget I helped.’ Martha interjected.
‘Thank you Mother. Delicious.’ Nat finished winked at Joe.
‘You’ll go far.’ Joe whispered to Nat. ‘What about we have a rest until the weather cools off. Too bloody hot to try out the delver just yet.’ Joe took off his hat, slide down onto the ground placed his hat over his eyes soon snores sounded from beneath.
‘What time do you want to go home Nat?’ Martha asked her eyes lids heavy.
‘Hannah, have you enough food for us to stay until tomorrow. I’d like to help Joe with this delving idea. Wouldn’t hurt us to sleep under the stars Martha. We haven’t done that in a long time.’ Nat said joining Joe on the ground placed his hat over his eyes. Soon snoring.
‘Mother we have plenty of food. We can sleep outside. You both sleep in our tent.’ Hannah thought how wonderful to have her parents stay with them on their property to enjoy their time together also gave her mother and herself time to catch up since the funeral.
In the cool of the afternoon Joe and Nat worked together to make a steel rope from gauge 8 wire. Joe fastened lengths of wire to a tree trunk whilst on the other end fastened a pair of fencing plyers. Twisting the wire around and round until the length formed a rope shape about ten feet in length. Joe fastened one end of the rope to the fork section of the delver whilst attached the other end to the yoke. Paring away the fork end of the delver enough to secure the tongue.

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Joe said ‘Hope this works,’ after securing each end.
‘No reason why this shouldn’t work. Looks good to me. Do you want to stop for a rest until morning? Sun is about to go down. I want to try out your dam. Wash all this sweet from my body.’ Nat asked Joe.
‘Just a minute. I’ll wrap this last piece of bag around the yoke. I’ll be right with you. A dip in the pool should wash away all the dirt. Thanks for helping today. I have no idea what I’m doing. Hope everything turns out right. Big mistake if this doesn’t work. Depends on how the drag will be when I start the horses. I want the delver to dig into the surface to form a ditch so the water will flow along the drain into the creek.’ Joe explained finishing his work for the day.
‘Last one in is a chicken.’ Nat called ripping his clothes from his body diving into the cool water. This is beautiful Martha. You should join me. I’ll wash your back.’ Nat dived under the surface.
Joe soon followed this time leaving his trousers on; not naked as before.
‘Come on Mother let’s join them.’ Hannah shouted to her mother before diving onto the water. Martha took her daughter’s advice threw caution to the wind, shedding her dress dived into the water. She soon came abreast with Nat whose surprised face showed how much of a devil she became.
‘You didn’t think I’m game. Did you?’ Martha ed wrapping her arms around Nat’s neck kissed him on the cheek. Nat responded by taking hold of his wife’s waist smothering his face in her hair. They weren’t too old for this activity.
With a full moon shining the couples left the water to return to the camp. Once dried off Hannah and Martha prepared dinner. Hannah cooked a leg of mutton in the camp oven all afternoon finished off with bread and butter custard which was not only Joe’s favourite dessert but also her father’s.

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‘Mother, I never thought you would dive into the water. I’ve never seen you do this before.’ Hannah said to her mother while they enjoyed their meal.
‘Hannah, your mother was quite a lady in her day. When I met her all those years ago she attended high society social dances in Sydney Town. She became the best catch ever. The moment she agreed to marry me, she fulfilled my life.’ Her father admitted.
Martha smiled, ‘I never thought you’d remember those times. I’d never give this life up to return to those days. Loved every moment of our marriage will until death do us part.’ Martha leaned across kissed her husband.
‘Joe, I hope we can say those words to one another when we’ve been married as long as my parents.’ Hannah said to Joe who took his wife’s hand kissed her fingers. ‘We’d better hit the hay if you fellars want to start early. Pa and mother, you’re welcome to our bed. We’ll throw a swag on the ground here under the stars. Catch up with you both in the morning.’ Hannah rose arranged sleeping arrangements for her parents.
Sounds of the night bush echoed through the silence of the night with the moon shining brightly throwing shadows across the landscape. A night owl cooed. Buzzing insects formed an orchestra splitting the bush silence.
Before the sun rose Joe boiled the billy, cooked breakfast when Nat rose to visit the toilet. After relieving himself he returned to the fire. ‘I’ll make us a cuppa.’ Nat said filled two pannikins from the billy seated beside the fire handing one to Joe.
‘Nothing like a fresh cuppa early in the morning to start the day. How’d you sleep?’ Joe asked Nat.
‘Like a log. Didn’t annoy you with my snoring, I hope.’ Nat sipped his tea.

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‘Once my head hit the pillow, slept sound.’ Joe finished serving breakfast handed a plate to Nat.
After they finished breakfast dawn broke across the horizon.
‘Have a look at that sunrise Nat. Best time of the day. I’ll cover the women’s breakfast. We’ll head off after I fill the waterbags.’ Nat nodded taking a final mouth full of food.
After catching the horses, they walked to where they left the delver on the opposite side of the bore head. ‘Hope this contraption works?’ Joe said harnessing both horses to the yoke whilst Nat fastened the delver. Joe stood behind the delver while Nat held each bridle on the horses. ‘Git up Joker.’ Joe yelled pushing the delver whilst Nat pulled both horses forward.
Both horses pulled together forcing the tongue of the delver to dig into the surface. Because the ground soft on the edges, the delver dug deeper until Joe held back on the handles to keep the drain at an even depth. Everything appeared to work. Joe guided the delver along whilst Nat guided the horses. Everything appeared to be working without any problems. Joe smiled thought how lucky his idea to be building this drain without many issues. His idea worked first time; a blessing in disguise.
Nearing a fence on the southern boundary Joe unfastened the wires kept the horses going toward Moonjaree Creek about half-a-mile. ‘We’ll give the horses a rest Nat.’ Joe called. They stopped to release the horses give them time to recover. Working since daylight tired each horse. After Joe reconnected the fence allowed the horses to graze they returned to the camp. Mid-day which is hottest part of the day.
‘Good afternoon ladies.’ They both said in unison entering the camp. Odour of fresh cooked damper travelled through their noses, ‘something’s good.’ Joe finished kissed Hannah on the lips before he took two pannikins to fill with tea. Shade under the huge gumtree cooled the atmosphere sufficient for Joe to loosen his shirt buttons on the front. A slight breeze blew through the camp.

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‘Here Pa Joe.’ Hannah passed them an enamel plate with freshly cooked damper covered by strawberry jam. Both took their plates sat on a nearby log. ‘You were up early this morning both of you. How did you go? Did the delver idea work?’ Hannah asked once they were all seated.
‘Like a dream Hannah.’ Her father replied swallowing a piece of damper. ‘I’ve been thinking Joe. After you’ve finished this drain, I think you go to the blacksmith have him build a proper delver using your idea because after we have bores on all of the properties I want your idea of bore drains to water the stock.’ Nat finished after swallowing his last mouthful of food.
‘Nat, this is just an idea I came up with. If you think bore drains will help your places, by all means. We’ll make a stronger delver. We’ll need stronger horses to pull the delver. I think Clydesdales would do a better job. Their stronger used to ploughing.’ Joe explained.
‘First of all we need to start on drilling the bores for water. After seeing how this one works. Flow of water. Apart from brackish, almost good for drinking.’ Nat finished his cuppa. ‘Martha can I have another piece of tasty damper please.’ He handed his plate to his wife who prepared another piece of damper returned his plate.
‘When I worked here all those years ago I never imagined a bore on this place. We slept under the trees as we’re doing now. The working conditions rough because of no shelter to shear the sheep. We shore them on a sheet of canvas in the middle of the day. I always wondered what happened to this place.’ Joe shared his story with the family.
‘You need not worry about those days any longer my dear. This is our place thanks to my parents plus my marriage to you. I’m certain one day you’ll build a great shearing shed. One of those you built for Pa. We’ll raise our own sheep.’ Hannah leaned over took her husband’s hand with hers smiled.

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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 54:

Chapter 8

Over the following two days Nat and Joe worked hard dragging the bush made delver behind a couple of station horses. Hard going. Late afternoon on the second day Joe pushed the delver for the final time.
‘This will do Nat. I’ll dig a drain from the bore head to open the drain release water from the bore.’ Joe quickly removed all loose dirt. A whoosh sounded, water cascaded through the opening entered the bore drain. Water flowed freely from the bore along the bore drain in the direction of Moonjaree Creek.
‘Congratulations Joe.’ Nat shouted, grabbed Joe’s hand shook with excitement. ‘You bloody beauty. This works. You’ve succeeded.’
‘Yes, must have been a fluke to think this was going to work the first time.’ Joe smiled. ‘Let’s wait until the water drains down the bore drain to Moonjaree Creek. Shouldn’t take too long with the rate the water’s flowing. In the meantime, a cuppa with a slice of damper sounds good.’
They walked to the camp greeted by the women folk. ‘What about a cuppa with a slice of damper for a couple of weary ole workers.’ Hannah called when both men approached.
‘You’ve read our thoughts. Sounds great.’ Both said in unison, looked at each other smiled.
Joe’s pleasure of delving the drain from the bore head to Moonjaree Creek overflowed to the other three. After a cuppa, all four left the camp to follow the water from the bore down along the bore drain to finally reach Moonjaree Creek.