Pat Ritter. Books

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 92:

‘Not much action here. Hasn’t been for some time. This is the paddock Joe left the sheep. No sign of any sheep.’ Lynne remounted.
They continued east. Sun direct above them. Huge gum trees grew around a billabong. Lynne searched for sheep tracks only coming up with kangaroo; emu; goanna; lizard tracks. No sheep tracks. No sign sheep ever stayed in the paddock.
‘We’ll have lunch.’ Lynne dismounted.
‘I’ll make the fire this time. You relax or keep those eyes peeled for slithering creatures.’ Allan dismounted. Made a fire.
‘Are you excited to have me along; The Bush Detective?’ Lynne asked finished her lunch. A slight breeze cooled her face.
‘Lynne. You saved my life. I’ll never forget what you did. My respect for you has risen one hundred and fifty percent. You’ll do me being my personal tracker and life saver.’ Allan pronounced in a serious voice.
‘Wasn’t much to save your life. Those bloody mulga snakes are dangerous. Only good one is a dead one.’ Lynne admonished. ‘Couldn’t have my husband-to-be killed before we were married.’ Lynne smiled.
‘Lynne. If I don’t tell you enough. I truly love you. Thanks again for saving my life.’ Allan told Lynne.
‘We have work to do. Find those stolen sheep.’ Lynne rose, re-saddled her horse, pushed dirt onto the fire to extinguish any flame. Mounted. ‘Come on ‘The Bush Detective’. I want to find these sheep before dark.’. Lynne rode off toward the eastern fence. Allan followed.
From the eastern corner of the paddock Lynne searched the boundary fence for signs of sheep. No signs existed. She followed the fence as far as possible to the east, turned south to follow the fence south. Joe told her this paddock measured seven miles by three miles. A huge paddock. With no sign of sheep prints near the water holes Lynne decided to search along each boundary fence in hope to find where the sheep disappeared.

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 93:

Closing in on darkness Allan rode abreast of Lynne. ‘Lynne, you’ve done enough for today. More than enough. What about we camp for the night along this fence. Start fresh again at daybreak tomorrow. Come on Lynne. You’ve done enough.’ Allan coaxed Lynne to stop for the night.
After they hobbled their horses, Allan made a fire. From his saddle bag, a pan plus food Joe gave to them earlier before they left the homestead. Been a long day. Don’t understand how Lynne looks so fresh. She’s worked hard concentrating on finding tracks. Setting their swags on the ground near the fire Lynne gathered wood for the fire. Gidgee wood burned solid leaving only ash.
Allan cooked meat, potatoes, onions in the pan. Lynne filled their quart pots with water from the waterbag to heat for their tea. Cooked meat together with odour of onion mixed with potato gave off a delicious odour waiting for their mouth to explode with pleasure. Neither wanted to converse, only eat. After finishing their food Lynne said, ‘After we’re married, I’m never going to cook again. You’re a good cook, The Bush Detective.’ A smile spread across her face.
Allan sat silent beside the fire not wanting to answer Lynne’s question. His mind affected by the flames. ‘Lynne, explain how looking into a fire relaxes one.’ Allan asked.
‘My mother told me many stories around a fire.’ Lynne explained.
‘You miss your mother. Don’t you?’ Allan said looked at Lynne staring into the flames. Tears glistened in her eyes. She nodded. Allan moved close to Lynne placed his arm around her shoulders. ‘I’m sorry to ask. When you’re in the bush. You’re a different person than in town.’ Allan answered.

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 94:

‘How am I different?’ Lynne queried.
‘When you’re in the bush. You meld with nature.’ Allan stated in a defined voice.
‘You say I’m a bushie.’ Lynne expressed.
‘Through and through. You’ll do me ‘My Bushie Lynne’. Allan leaned across kissed Lynne on the lips. Lynne kissed Allan harder than she ever kissed him before.
She pulled away. ‘You want to share a swag tonight?’ Lynne asked.
Allan coughed. ‘What – share a swag’. Allan spluttered in disbelief.
‘Why not. We’re engaged to be married. Only two of us. Weather may change.’ Lynne coaxed.
‘Whilst I’d love to take you up on your offer. I can’t. Want you fresh for tomorrow.’ Allan’s voice rose. Thoughts of Lynne snuggled close to him all night in his swag. ‘No. We’ve got to be fresh to track those sheep. Sorry Lynne.’ Allan answered.
‘You can’t blame a woman for trying ‘The Bush Detective’. Can you.’ Lynne smiled. Stood. Walked to her swag, threw off her boots, climbed into her swag.
Lynne awoke at daylight the next morning. Odours of cooked meal slithered through her nostrils. ‘Didn’t you sleep last night?’ Lynne asked rising from her swag rolling her swag tight to be replaced at the back of the saddle.
‘Come. Breakfast is ready. Only need to pour water into your quart pot.’ Allan placed fried potato, chopped onion, baked beans on a plate, handed to Lynne who’d joined him by the fire.
Lynne swallowed a mouth filled with food. ‘You are definitely cooking after we’re married. This is delicious ‘The Bush Detective’’. Lynne continued eating her breakfast.
‘A pleasure ‘My Bushie Lynne’. Pleased you enjoy your breakfast. I wanted to start early before the heat of the day.’ Allan ate his final mouthful of breakfast. Wiped his plate.

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 95:

‘You’ve named me ‘My Bushie Lynne’. Is this your nickname for me?’ Lynne finished her breakfast handed Allan her plate.
‘I’ve been thinking of a suitable nickname for you since you honoured me with ‘The Bush Detective’. Allan replied placed dishes into a saddle bag.
‘Okay. Two can play this game. I’m honoured to be named ‘My Bushie Lynne’. She smiled, caught her horse, saddled, then mounted after placing her hat on her head. ‘Come on slow coach.’ She rode south along the fence. Allan mounted to join his bushie Lynne. A huge smile plastered across his face.
For more than an hour they rode along the fence. Lynne regularly stopped her horse, dismounted, searched the ground for sheep tracks. She found every other track except sheep tracks. They continued their search until another hour passed.
‘Nothing’. Lynne said. ‘Haven’t found any sheep tracks. Plenty of other tracks. No sheep tracks.’ Lynne told Allan.
‘Do you want to stop for a break ‘My Bushie Lynne’. Allan said with tongue in cheek.
‘No. Doesn’t sound as good as ‘The Bush Detective’. You may need to think of something else to give me as a nickname. Just plain ole Lynne sounds right.’ Lynne rode further south along the fence. Another twenty minutes she stopped her horse, jumped from the saddle, knelt on her knees searched the surrounding ground. ‘Look. Sheep tracks. Leading to the fence.’ Lynne stopped. Allan beside her searched for sheep tracks.
‘Where are they?’ Allan spoke. He sighted dust. No sheep tracks.
‘Come over here?’ Lynne beckoned Allan to join her. She pointed to faint tracks embedded into the dirt. ‘Plenty of them. They walked into the fence.’ Lynne expressed in astonishment.

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 96:

‘Point them out to me. Can’t make out any sign of any sheep prints.’ Allan asked.
Lynne pointed to the ground on their side of the fence. ‘They’re faint. Look. Small indents in the ground. Been about a month I’d say since they were here. Why would they disappear after the fence?’ Lynne questioned herself.
Allan stood amazed at Lynne’s discovery. Still he couldn’t distinguish sheep tracks she pointed out.
‘We’re still in the paddock Joe placed the sheep. Tracks show these sheep walked through the fence which is impossible.’ Lynne mumbled to herself. She walked to the fence of wire netting; searched for tracks on the other side. ‘Look here Allan. Sheep tracks leading away from the fence. I have a question for ‘The Bush Detective’? How did the sheep pass through the wire netting fence? Answer that one.’ Lynne questioned Allan.
‘I haven’t a clue. I’ll take your word for seeing sheep tracks leading to the fence and away from the fence. Nothing.’ Allan thought he lost his mind in the heat of mid-day sun.
‘You’ll need to take my word on sighting these tracks. How are we going to pass through this fence like the sheep did?’ Lynne puzzled her mind. ‘Must be a corner gate somewhere along here.’ Lynne spoke the words aloud.

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 97:

They followed the fence to a corner post. Lynne dismounted, eager to find an opening. ‘Joe told us this paddock joined his neighbour McIntyre. Do you remember?’ Lynne stated.
‘Strathlea Station’ owned by Joseph McIntyre. I remember Joe telling us before we left.’ Allan answered.
Lynne opened a wire gate. Lead her horse through the gateway. Allan followed. Lynne refastened the gate before remounting. ‘We’ll follow this fence on ‘Strathlea Station’ side. Hope we’re not trespassing.’ Lynne rode ahead of Allan.
‘I wouldn’t worry about trespassing. I can’t believe you found a gate at this section of the property.’ Allan asked Lynne astonished.
‘I went many times with my parents hawking goods to station owners and workers. Pa always found his way through properties by searching on the bottom section for a gate. Second nature.’ Lynne expressed in a confidence voice.
They followed the fence to where Lynne found sheep tracks on the opposite side on ‘Kahmoo Station’. Stopped her horse, dismounted, knelt on her knees searched the ground for sheep tracks. ‘They went this way.’ Pointed in a southern direction. ‘Like a highway of sheep tracks.’ Lynne remounted.
For another hour they followed sheep tracks through a paddock, along a small gully when they sighted sheep ahead. ‘Your stolen sheep.’ Lynne stated pointed to a mob of sheep heading toward them.
Allan couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘You’re right. Someone is riding toward us.’ Allan stopped for this rider to reach them.
‘Hi. How’re you going. Who are you? What are you doing on my land?’ The stranger called before stopping his horse in front of Allan and Lynne.
Allan moved Apache forward to become abreast with the stranger. ‘I’m Detective Allan Honor. This is my official tracker Miss Lynne Smith. We’re investigating sheep stolen from ‘Kahmoo Station’ about a month ago.’ Allan described in a defined authoritative tone.

Pat Ritter Books then click.... PRB

[patritter]

'The Bush Detective' - Page 98:

‘I…I was bringing them back. I didn’t steal them. I only wanted the wool.’ The stranger admitted stuttering his answer.
‘Before you say anything further, I must warn you anything you say will be recorded and used in evidence. Do you understand you need not say anything further?’ Allan expressed in a clear tone.
‘Yes. I understand. I’m pleased you found me. All I wanted was the wool. I never intended to steal them. This is the reason why I’m returning them now. I’m pleased you caught me.’ The stranger answered.
‘How are you shifting the sheep?’ Allan asked not sighting any other person.
‘My dogs. All I need.’ The stranger stated.
‘Can we stop here. I want to ask you more questions?’ Allan said.
‘Wouldn’t mind a cuppa.’ The stranger answered.
‘I’ll make a quart pot while you two finish what you’re doing.’ Lynne dismounted tied her horse to a branch of a nearby tree. Collected firewood to start a fire. Allan and the stranger dismounted, tied their horses near Lynne’s horse. Walked to a nearby log sat down. Allan recorded their conversation in his official police notebook. The stranger explained his financial position with his property ‘Strathlea Station’.
His story explained to Allan. About a month before while checking his northern boundary next to ‘Kahmoo Station’ his attention drawn to two hundred sheep grazing. At this moment; his thoughts to take the sheep from the paddock to his shearing shed, shear them, sell the wool, return the sheep to the paddock without any other person finding out.
‘Did you intend to steal the sheep?’ Allan asked the stranger who told Allan his name Joseph McIntyre owner of ‘Strathlea Station’.