Pat Ritter. Books

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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 62:

Chapter 9

Shortly after daybreak on Saturday morning Joe heard the whinny of a horse, sound of sulky wheels against the roadway. Todd, Melinda, Ryan arrived.
‘Good morning all.’ Joe met them when they stopped at the front of his home. ‘Come in for a cuppa before we go.’ They followed him inside. Hannah prepared a cuppa in the kitchen. She rose early before daylight to cook bread.
‘Good morning Melinda, Todd, Ryan.’ Hannah gave Melinda a hug when she entered the kitchen. ‘Take a seat, I’ll have some freshly cooked bread on the table in a jiffy.’
Melinda sat at the table beside Ryan. Todd sat opposite Joe.
Hannah placed plates in front of each person with a bread and butter knife. She placed a tub of butter and jam tin filled with strawberry jam. After slicing the bread, she placed a slice on each plate. ‘I’ll make us a cuppa. What would you prefer Ryan? A glass of milk.’ Hannah asked.
‘Yes, thank you Mrs Gibson. This bread is delicious.’ Ryan said eating into a slice covered in butter thickened with strawberry jam.
‘Freshly cooked. Ma taught me how to cook bread when I lived with her. I still bake in her old stove. This stove was the first thing Joe placed in the house, built the house around the stove.’ Hannah explained slicing more bread handing slices to her guests.
‘I bake in a camp oven. Nothing like cooking in a stove.’ Melinda replied eating into a fresh slice of bread looking sideways at Todd.
‘We better be going before the heat of the day.’ Joe said slurping down the last dregs of tea from his pannikin.
‘How far is ‘Kahmoo Station’ from Cunnamulla?’ Asked Todd.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 63:

‘About ten miles. Takes a couple of hours. Mother will have breakfast waiting for us. She normally does.’ Hannah said.
‘I can’t wait to go pig hunting.’ Todd replied. ‘Okay. Let’s hit the road.’
Crossing the old rattly bridge spanning the Warrego River the two parties continued along the Eulo Road toward ‘Kahmoo Station’. With a slight breeze blowing, heat from the morning sun beamed down on their back. They travelled at a medium pace to save the horses. Before leaving Cunnamulla, Joe handed Ryan a hat to wear. He didn’t want Ryan to suffer heat stroke in this arid land. Ryan looked the part of a mini bushman with his hat, trousers, shirt combination, a knife in a leather sheath fastened to his belt.
Arriving at the property Joe stopped his sulky in front of the homestead. Nat waved from the front veranda soon joined by Martha. Both walked to greet their guests. ‘G’day everyone. Welcome.’ Nat called meeting Hannah giving her a hug. ‘How are you Joe?’ Both shook hands. ‘Welcome Todd, Melinda. This must be young Ryan?’ Nat said shaking hands first with Todd then Ryan. ‘You’ve got a good firm handshake Ryan.’
‘Nice to meet you Mr Young.’ Ryan said after shaking hands.
‘Come inside make yourself at home.’ Martha said took Melinda by the arm. ‘Welcome to our home.’ She accompanied Melinda into her home.
Melinda smiled. ‘You have a lovely place.’ She told Martha.
‘I try my best except for this horrible drought. Hard to keep the plants alive.’ Martha replied. Everyone entered the home went to the kitchen. ‘I’ve prepared breakfast. Hope you’re hungry.’ Martha hurried to the stove to lift the frying pan filled with bacon and eggs.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 64:

After breakfast with the washing up done, Todd said, ‘Nat, whereabouts do I go pig hunting?’
‘Do you ride a horse?’ Nat asked.
‘Yes, of course. Too far to go on foot?’ Todd questioned.
‘Mate, these paddocks are seven-mile-long by three-mile wide. You wouldn’t walk the paddock in two days without a horse.’ Joe commented. He wasn’t certain of Todd’s bushcraft. Only thought of his well-being.
‘Have you a horse I can ride?’ Todd asked.
‘Yes, take your pick in the back paddock. I can give you mine, needs a little work so don’t go too easy on him.’ Nat said.
‘I’ll be off. Can you show me where the horse and saddle is?’ Todd asked Nat.
After Joe caught and bridled Todd’s horse, Todd slung his bow across his shoulders, swung his quiver of s across his back mounted the horse. ‘Be back tonight.’ He called galloped off heading west.
‘Hope he has some idea of where he’s going?’ Nat wondered. ‘All he needs to do is to keep the sun on his back until after midday, follow the fence back home with the sun on his back coming home. We’ll find him if he doesn’t return by night fall.’ Nat finished.
‘Okay Ryan, let’s look at what you can do.’ Joe put his arm around Ryan’s shoulder leading him to his sulky. ‘You’re the boss Ryan. Where do you want me to take you? Anywhere in particular?’ Joe asked sweeping his arm across the paddock.
Ryan’s eyes scanned the landscape. ‘I think we’ll head this way.’ He pointed due south-west then boarded the sulky.
‘Where do you want to go first?’ Joe asked frowning. Joe placed his faith in Ryan’s hands believing he would find water.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 65:

‘Honestly Mr Gibson, I’m not certain. When I discovered water along the railway track I walked for miles trying to find water. Perhaps if we go to the other end of this paddock. I’ll walk. I need to find a suitable fork stick to use. This one I have here is from a different area.’ Ryan explained.
‘Call me Joe. I’m intrigued with your knowledge about water divining because of your age. How old are you Ryan?’ Joe asked.
‘Eleven years old. In October, I’ll be eleven. I’m ten at the moment.’ Ryan corrected. ‘Not proper to call you by your first name. My parents taught me to call you by your surname because you are an adult.’
‘Okay. I don’t want to go against your parent’s teachings. I’d prefer you called me Joe when we’re by ourselves. When we’re with your parents call me Mr Gibson if you want. I think whilst we are working together you are entitled to call me Joe. Agreed.’
‘Agreed. Joe. Okay.’ Ryan smiled.
Joe drove toward a clump of mulga trees directed by Ryan. ‘This’ll be far enough. Thank you. I’ll find a suitable fork in amongst this lot of trees.’ Ryan said confidently decamped from the sulky. Taking his knife from the leather sheath fastened to his belt he walked toward the trees casting his eyes from one tree to another. Patience appeared to be uppermost in Ryan’s mind wanting to find the exact fork he needed to find water. His search took time. He walked through a clump of gidgee trees, stopped beside a bushy one, broke off a fork shaped branch began to pare away the bark. Stripping the bark using his knife he skinned the bark making the fork shiny. Once he trimmed the fork to the size he wanted, said. ‘This should do.’
Amazement beamed on Joe’s face to witness a ten-year-old child go about his task with determination plus skill way beyond his years. Joe wondered if Mr Clarke possessed this same ability. Obviously, he did, thought Joe. His knowledge of water divining was nil compared to what Ryan was doing. His knowledge only reading from a book. A term ‘Dowsing’ used to explain divination employed in attempts to locate ground water. His knowledge of how to divine for water compared to Ole Billy Campbell’s attempt boring holes throughout the paddock hoping water spurt from the ground. Ole Billy Campbell’s method of ‘scattergun approach’ didn’t impress Joe.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 66:

‘Now I’ve selected the right fork. I’ll walk.’ Ryan walked due south-west leaving Joe with the sulky. Joe couldn’t believe this small bushman wearing a broad brim hat holding a forky thing in both hands between his thumb and index fingers guiding his way toward water. Ryan walked at a slow pace changing direction often.
After a couple of hours walking Joe became concerned with Ryan, particularly walking in the heat of the day with little shade. ‘Ryan, what about we stop, cool off. Would you like a drink of water, a rest maybe?’ Joe shouted.
‘No thanks Joe. I’m right.’ He called continued to walk in different directions. ‘We may have to move further west. Nothing around here. No movement with this fork plus no pressure of any water nearby.’ Ryan shouted back.
He pulled the sulky up beside Ryan.
Ryan climbed aboard the sulky. ‘Over that way.’ Ryan pointed in a south-westerly direction. Joe moved to the area Ryan pointed.
‘Stop here. I’ll give this area a try.’ Ryan climbed down, pointed the ‘Dowsing Stick’ in front of him began to walk. Only small steps to begin with then enlarged his steps when a pull by the fork alarmed Ryan. ‘Around here. Something.’ Ryan shouted. Joe stopped the sulky waiting his next instruction from Ryan.
Ryan walked further following the force of the ‘Dowsing Stick’. ‘I’m getting close.’ Ryan called to Joe who by this time began to walk beside him. If Joe hadn’t seen with his own eyes what Ryan was doing, he would not have believed the action Ryan took. Ryan started to stride out faster toward a rise in the land. Suddenly he stopped. Joe’s eyes almost popped from his head when the ‘Dowsing Stick’ bent in front pointing to the ground.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 67:

‘Right here.’ Ryan held the ‘Dowsing Stick’ which began to bend toward the ground. ‘Water is right here somewhere.’ Ryan’s muscles twitched in his hands trying to hold the ‘Dowsing Stick’ from bending twisting from his hands. Knuckles on his thumbs turned white. He stamped his feet. Holding the ‘Dowsing Stick’ between his index fingers and thumb his wrists began to hurt from the force. The ‘Dowsing Stick’ splintered falling from Ryan’s hands to the ground.
Ryan collapsed on the ground exhausted. Joe rushed to him held him upright poured water to his lips. ‘I got you mate. If I hadn’t seen this with my own eyes I would not have believed what you did. Amazing.’ Joe gasped trickling small amounts of water into Ryan’s mouth. Taking Ryan’s hat off, Joe sprinkled water over the boy’s head. Joe’s chest puffed out, feelings of proudness with disbelief both at the same time.
Ryan soon regained his strength. ‘Better mark this spot. I think water is here. How deep. No idea. By the stick bending must be a long way down.’ Ryan stood, retrieved his hat. ‘I think that’ll do today’. They gathered sticks to place on the spot Ryan stamped his feet so when they returned exactly where his stick broke. Ryan’s eyes closed. His mind filled with sleep. Utterly exhausted.
‘Mate, I’ve never seen anyone go through what you did. At your tender age.’ Joe expressed in a joyful voice, wrapped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders helped him walk to the sulky. By the time Joe lifted Ryan into the seat returned to the driver’s seat Ryan was asleep. Must’ve taken more out of the boy than I imagined, Joe thought, clicking the horse forward to return to the homestead.
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