Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Bush Detective' - Page 85:

‘We worked together when you arrested James Brokenborough for murdering my mother.’ Lynne whispered in Allan’s ear whose body held fast against the edge of the kitchen table. Heat rose to Allan’s forehead. Without thought he wrapped his arms around Lynne. Kissed her on the lips. She kissed him back, hard. Allan pulled away. ‘Don’t think you can break me down with your sexy kisses.’ Almost out of breath. She kissed him again. Much stronger. Gasping for breath Allan looked into Lynne’s eyes. Bright with love. Muttering these words; he hoped not to regret his decision. ‘We’re leaving at daybreak.’ Were the only words to escape his mouth.
Lynne released her hold, ‘I’ll be ready.’ She left the kitchen.
Allan rose before daybreak still thinking of his actions the previous night in the kitchen with Lynne. Prepared his swag; other things he needed for his trip. Without thinking any more about Lynne; walked to the rear yard to catch Apache.
‘You ready?’ A female voice echoed through the morning mist.
Allan sighted a silhouette of a woman standing beside a horse through the early morning mist. ‘Did you have any sleep last night?’ Allan responded to the voice when he opened the gate to capture Apache.
‘I had enough. After the night with you in the kitchen?’ Lynne responded.
Allan saddled Apache, fastened his swag to the back of his saddle; mounted. ‘Coming’. Allan commanded. They rode from the rear of the hotel to the front when he sighted Joe. ‘Good morning Joe. We have company.’ Allan nodded his head toward Lynne.
‘Morning Joe. Allan invited me to come along as his tracker. Hope you don’t mind.’ Lynne joined her two companions. They rode toward the bridge in silence. Sun breaking across the horizon on their backs. Crossing the bridge; they continued in silence for an hour. Many thoughts rushed through their minds. No one wanted to share their thoughts.

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‘We’ll stop here for a break.’ Allan commanded. Stopped Apache near a gumtree, dismounted, tied the reins around a branch. ‘I’ll make a fire.’ Others followed suit.
Allan filled his quart pot with water from his water bag. Placed the quart pot near the edge of the fire. Joe and Lynne did the same with their quart pot. Lynne took from her saddle bag johnny cakes wrapped in a tea towel.
‘I made these early this morning.’ Handed each of her companions a johnny cake. She took one herself. When the quart pots boiled; they each made tea. Sat on a nearby log ate their johnny cake, sipped their tea.
‘Lynne. Can I ask you a question?’ Joe asked. Lynne nodded her head.
‘Go ahead.’ Lynne replied. Her mouth full of johnny cake.
‘These are great. Haven’t had johnny cakes for many years. This is not the question I wanted to ask.’ Joe stated finished eating his johnny cake washed down with tea. ‘How did you convince ‘The Bush Detective’ to allow you to come with us?’ Joe finished eating his johnny cake; waited for an answer to his question.
‘Wasn’t easy Joe. We negotiated the details after dinner last night before I retired to bed.’ Lynne explained. Allan smiled. His memory returned from his encounter with Lynne the night before.
‘Tracker. You efficient about tracking?’ Joe asked Lynne.
‘I’ve done tracking since I care to remember. Can’t remember when I started. My Dad taught me everything about tracking. I read signs like a road map.’ Lynne answered Joe’s question.

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‘Hope so because this country you’re going to find these sheep; a bandicoot needs a cut lunch to move across the paddock.’ Joe finished.
‘Had enough.’ Allan commanded; threw the dregs from his quant pot over the fire. With his boot he scrapped dirt from around the fire to distinguish. ‘Mount up. We’re a long way to go.’ Allan mounted Apache rode off toward ‘Kahmoo Station’. Others followed.
Allan came to the sign ‘Kahmoo Station’. Followed the road toward the homestead. Halting Apache at the front gate to the homestead Allan asked Joe, ‘We stay here tonight Joe?’ Allan asked.
‘Why not. Start off fresh in the morning.’ Joe dismounted followed by Lynne. ‘Take your swags with you. I’ll let the horses go in the paddock.’ After they took off their saddles and swags Joe led the three horses to a nearby paddock released them. Returned to the others, ‘welcome home.’ Three walked up the front steps to the veranda, entered the house.
‘You take the first room Lynne. More private than the other two.’ Joe pointed Lynne to the room. Lynne followed Joe’s instructions.
After settling into their room. They met in the kitchen. ‘Cook arrives tomorrow. We need to fend for ourselves until then. Shearing starts in a week. I’ll be busy with preparing everything. Need to leave the searching for the stolen sheep to you two. Lucky you bought along your trusted tracker Allan, otherwise, you’d be on your own.’ Joe prepared dinner.
After dinner they retired to the veranda. Nothing like sitting on a front veranda of a homestead listening to night life in the bush. ‘I love this time of day.’ Lynne spoke in an interesting tone. ‘Fresh’, Lynne finished. ‘How long have you owned this property Joe?’ Lynne asked.
‘I don’t own the property. I manage Nat Young’s properties. This is the main one.’ Joe answered.

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‘How many properties do the Mayor of Cunnamulla own?’ Lynne questioned.
‘Nine in all. Many years ago. Purchased ten properties in the area. Nat and Martha gifted ‘Tilbaroo Station’ to Hannah and me for our wedding gift.’ Joe remarked.
‘What property do you think your father will gift to us on our wedding day Lynne?’ Allan asked.
‘None. He only owns ‘Tego Springs’. Married to you Allan. Surely you’re not thinking of remaining in Cunnamulla after we’re married.’ Lynne questioned.
‘Haven’t thought past tracking down these two hundred head of stolen sheep. I haven’t a clue when we’ll be married or where we’ll be living.’ Allan answered.
‘I’ll leave you two love birds to argue what you both want.’ Joe retired to bed.

Chapter 12

Soon after dawn Lynne walked into the kitchen. Table set for three. Food dished up onto plates ready for eating. ‘Morning Lynne. Did you and Allan work out where you’re going to live after you’re married?’ Joe asked pouring tea into cups.
Allan entered the kitchen. ‘No. We didn’t.’ Allan answered Joe’s question. ‘This looks great Joe. Thanks.’ Allan sat next to Lynne who began her breakfast.
‘Don’t you have something for me?’ Lynne asked looked directly at Allan.
‘Sorry. I forgot.’ Allan leaned across kissed Lynne on the lips. ‘Good morning my sweetness. Did you sleep well?’ Allan asked before starting his breakfast.
‘Come on you two. How are you going to keep you hands from one another when you’re searching for my stolen sheep?’ Joe said between eating his breakfast.

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‘Don’t worry Joe. Once I’m on the job. Nothing else matters. I need to concentrate on the task at hand. Not worry about Lynne.’ Allan sipped tea from the cup.
‘I’m sitting right here beside you. With me as your tracker. We’ll have your sheep back to you before the end of the week. I only have two weeks from work.’ Lynne finished her breakfast. Stood to clear dishes for washing.
‘Thank you, Lynne. Before you start washing the dishes. Take a seat. I’ll explain where I placed the sheep in the paddock.’ Joe stated. He lay a map of ‘Kahmoo Station’ flat on the kitchen table. ‘We are here.’ He pointed to the spot on the map. ‘I moved the sheep to this paddock which joins a neighbouring property named ‘Strathlea’. Belongs to a fellow named McIntyre. Joseph McIntyre. Owned the property for a couple of years. Through the bush telegraph he suffered a couple of hard years. Never met him.’ Joe admonished.
Lynne with Allan viewed the map Joe showed them. ‘Can we take this map with us?’ Allan asked. ‘Not doubting my budding tracker for a moment. I’m not much of a bushman. I can read maps.’ Allan finished. Joe folded the map handed to Allan.
Joe prepared food for the duo. Handed them a parcel. ‘This should keep you both from going hungry on your search for my sheep. I’m sorry I can’t go with you. Best of luck.’ Joe finished. ‘I’ll catch your horses’. Left the kitchen.
Each mounted their horses. ‘What’s with the whip?’ Allan asked. Lynne carried a whip on her belt.
‘I always carry this whip whenever I’m in the bush. Keeps me safe from creatures which move in the night.’ Lynne smiled. ‘Catch you later Joe. Come on slow coach.’ Lynne rode east. Allan followed waving farewell to Joe.
Paddock lined with mulga trees for sheep to eat. Rain hadn’t fallen in these parts for some months. Rain needed after shearing for sheep to graze. Silence fell between Allan and Lynne riding east toward the paddock Joe told them he left the sheep. Thoughts raced through Allan’s mind. Is Lynne a good tracker? Why did she carry a whip? Was his bush craftmanship up to standard to find Joe’s sheep.

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‘Okay ‘The Bush Detective’. We’ll stop for morning smoko. Been a couple of hours since we had breakfast.’ Lynne stopped her horse beneath a huge gum tree. Dismounted. Fastened dinner camp hobbles onto the front forelegs of her horse. Unsaddled her horse. ‘I’ll build a fire.’ Lynne placed her saddle beside the trunk of the tree. Filled her quart pot with water from her water bag. Gathered sticks, leaves. Started a fire placed her quart pot at the edge of the fire. Allan followed suit.
‘I’m surprised you do these things. You’re quite a bush woman.’ Allan praised her on how she prepared their morning smoko.
‘You haven’t seen me track yet. I’m used to doing these things. Lived in the bush all my life.’ Lynne said. Taking her quart pot from the fire, throwing in tea leaves. Waited for the tea leaves to settle then stirred the tea with a stick. ‘Here are some johnny cakes Joe made this morning. Hope they’re as good as I make.’ She unfolded a tea towel, handed Allan a couple of johnny cakes. Took one for herself.
‘Thank you.’ Allan took the johnny cakes from Lynne. Smiled at her self-confidence beamed from within her.
Allan enjoyed being in Lynne’s company. From the first moment he sighted her working behind the bar at the hotel, he fell in love with her. Her beauty besotted him. From the corner of his eye Lynne sprung from where she sat; her hand released the whip from her belt, in one action her right arm flicked out the whip almost striking Allan.

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‘What’re you doing?’ Allan jumped away from where Lynne swung her whip. Turned his head in the direction of the whip; a black coloured mulga snake lay flat on the ground missing its head.
Lynne refolded her whip, reattached her whip to her belt. ‘Don’t worry about him. Won’t die until sunset. At least he won’t bite you without a head.’ Lynne resumed her seat, acting as if nothing unforeseen happened; took her quart pot in her hand, sipped her tea.
Shock filled Allan’s mind trying to replay what just happened. ‘You saved my life.’ Allan stammered. His voice quivered. Walked over to Lynne. Leaned down kissed her on the lips. ‘Thank you, Lynne.’ His face pale from the incident. ‘What do you mean. ‘Won’t die until sunset’. Allan asked.
‘I thought you were a true bushman; The Bush Detective. A saying in the bush when you kill a snake they won’t die until sunset. Learned this saying from my father many years ago. You okay? You look pale.’ Lynne asked worried for Allan.
Allan returned to where he sat. Drew his quart pot to his lips. Sipped. Looked over Lynne’s shoulder where remains of the snake lay on the ground. ‘You saved my life.’ Allan stammered again; finished his tea, threw the remains on the ground. His legs quivered. Pull yourself together went through his mind.
‘You’ve already rewarded me with a kiss. Come on. Time to go before the day heats up.’ Lynne doused the fire with her boot. Captured her horse. Mounted. ‘Come on. We haven’t got all day.’ Lynne rode east.
Another hour following Joe’s map landed them at the gate of the paddock where Joe left the sheep. Lynne dismounted to open the gate. Her eyes searched for sheep tracks around the gate. Nothing. Allan followed Lynne through the gate. Lynne said after she closed the gate.