Pat Ritter. Books

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 8:

Once the police arrived and arrested Billy Wells, Joe escorted the prisoner with the police to Cunnamulla. On the journey Joe purchased the horse and saddle for five quid from Billy Wells. She ed at the thought, thinking about the present circumstances. She must’ve been a fool.
‘Miss Young, I’ll get you to sign for the release of the horse and saddle.’ Sergeant Gray's voice broke into her thoughts when she realised where she was.
‘Yes sergeant. Where do I sign?’
He handed her a nib and pen, ‘sign here please?’
Hannah signed at the spot.
‘I’ll show you where your horse is and here is the saddle and bridle.’ Sergeant Gray lifted the saddle from the floor, ‘I’ll carry them to your horse. Are you right to saddle the horse?’
‘I think I can handle the task. Thank you sergeant. Look after Joe.’
‘We will. Sorry about this.’
Hannah followed Sergeant Gray to the police paddock at the rear of the police station. ‘Hi boy, let’s get you out of there and take you home.’ Hannah placed the bridle over the horse’s head, slide the steel bit into the horse's mouth, fastened the chin strap, and folded the reins over her forearm. She lifted the saddle onto the back of the horse, secured the surcingle, and led him from the paddock. Normally she would’ve ridden him only for her dress. Wasn’t ladylike to ride a horse in the type of dress she wore.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 9:

‘Ma, come outside.’ She called when she led the horse around to the rear of the house.
‘Isn’t this Joe’s horse?’ Ma questioned frowning.
‘Yes. I went and spoke to Joe at the cells in the police station. I only heard his voice; he sounds a lovely person, quiet, solemn and sincere. He told Sergeant Gray to give me the horse and saddle.’
‘Did you tell Sergeant Gray about the right Joe Ryan?’
‘No – he’s not afraid to go to gaol and wants me to get on with my life. I told him Joe left.’
‘Isn’t this a right ole mess? You go to the police station to save an innocent man and return with a horse. I’m going to write to your grandmother to tell her the whole story. Might be a good idea for you to ride and tell your parents about Joe, in case he tries to get a job shearing on their property.’
‘I will Ma as soon I eat.’ Hannah attended to her horse and placed him in the paddock behind Ma’s house. She carried the saddle and bridle inside and placed them on the floor in the corner of the spare room used for bathing.
Ma went to her bedroom, gathered parchment, pen, nib and ink, sat on her bed and began to write her sister a letter:
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 10:

My Dearest Sister Gloria,
I sincerely hope this letter finds you and George in good health. I think of you both often, praise the Lord how we were bought together at Christmas Dinner after many years of separation.
Hannah is doing well as a trainee school teacher and learning from Miss Wallace. With further training she should become a fully qualified teacher in three years.
People are flocking to live in Cunnamulla daily with children attending the local school. Hannah will make a fine teacher when her time finishes.
There is important news I need to tell you about Joe and Hannah. You no doubt know about ‘The Great Shearers Strike’ we’ve had here in Cunnamulla which finished yesterday. Joe was the leader of the men who set up a camp on the outskirts of this town.
Yesterday Joe came home after the police closed the camp. Whilst in the camp he changed identity with another shearer named John Gibson, so our Joe is no longer Joe Ryan. He is Joe Gibson. I can’t believe what he’s done!
Gloria, I had to tell him to leave. My conscious wouldn’t allow me to let him sleep under the same roof when he isn’t who he said he is. He left Hannah and me behind and I don’t care where he’s gone. I’m most disappointed in him, Gloria.
The guy who Joe changed identity was arrested as Joe Ryan and charged with inciting men to strike. I wanted to go to the police and explain the story but Hannah went instead.
She returned with Joe’s horse and saddle to explain she spoke to the person using the name Joe Ryan who told her ‘to get on with her life’. He gave her the horse and saddle to take care of whilst he is in prison.
Gloria, I can’t understand why Joe would do what he’s done to another human being, honestly! Since he arrived to live in Cunnamulla I treated him as if he was my son. Now he’s another person. I’m most disappointed.
Hannah is riding to tell her parents about Joe and give them the news so if he tries to get a job on their property to send him on his way. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.
That’s all the news for now.
Your Loving Sister
Margaret.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 11:

Ma finished the letter, folded it and placed it into an envelope. She addressed the envelope to her sister’s address in Brisbane. Picking up her cape she called to Hannah to tell her she was posting her letter at the post office and wouldn’t be long.
When she walked up the steps of the post office a police wagon drove past with a man shackled by his arms and legs. Ma glanced at the man with his head down looking at the floor of the wagon this must be the person who took Joe’s place. Ma bowed her head in respect to this person, whispered a small prayer and wished him a safe journey and hoped he wouldn’t suffer too much at the hands of the authorities.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 12:

Chapter 2
Hannah rode across the rickety old wooden bridge crossing the Warrego River on her way to visit her parents property. A cool breeze brushed against her face. She smiled, I’m pleased Joe loaned me his horse. I can catch up with my riding. Relief eased her mind to understand the events of the past days and shook her head in disbelief. I could stay a couple of days because I’m on holidays and it’d be great to help Pa. Her mind returned to when she first met Joe Ryan working as a shearer on her parent’s property. Five years rushed by quickly. She should now be married but under the circumstances pleased she didn’t marry Joe. I would’ve been in a worse position in my life than I am now. She pondered.
She did love Joe from the first moment she set eyes on him seated on the top step at the rear of the shearer’s quarters. I should’ve taken Pa’s advice, ‘not to mix with the hired help’. Joe was different. When he cut the belly of the sheep I thought Pa would sack him on the spot. She ed at the memory of seeing blood and her father’s face. Thinking about the present circumstances perhaps would've been a good thing.
She rode on until she sighted the broken sign ‘Kahmoo Station’, it’s about time the sign was fixed and urged her horse to a canter. ‘Not far now boy. Remember the last time you were here?’ She remembered the first Christmas Dinner she enjoyed with Joe and her family. Ma and her Nana realised they were long lost sisters separated at birth.
Her mind drifted to the moment sighting her Nana’s birthmark of a heart on the back of her left hand. What a glorious moment it was when Nana and Ma realised their birthright. She smiled at the memory. Then Joe wanted to be a leader of the newly formed ‘Queensland Shearer’s Union’. I think it was about this time I lost him. Now I have. I can’t believe what he’d gone and done, taken another person’s identity. Shame!
‘Hello mother.’ Hannah shouted reining her horse to a stop.
‘Hannah. What a lovely surprise. What are you doing with Joe’s horse?’
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 13:

‘Mother, I’ll tell you over a cuppa. Where’s Pa?’
‘He’s down at the shearing shed. Shouldn’t be too long before he comes up for lunch.’
‘I’ll ride down and surprise him.’ She reined her horse in and headed toward the shearing shed. Dismounting near the entrance quickly fastened the reins to a nearby post, she walked inside. ‘Hi Pa.’ She ran to her father, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, ‘I've missed you.’
‘Hannah what are you doing here?’ Her father expressed excitedly, he hadn’t seen his daughter in months.
‘I’m on holidays and wanted to visit my parents, is there anything wrong with that.’
‘Where’s Joe?’
‘Can we talk about him later,’ her voice cracked, she laid her head against her father’s chest for comfort. ‘He’s gone Pa’, she sobbed the words.
‘Don’t worry, I don’t need to tell you but I did warn you about mixing with the hired help. I kind of liked Joe when he was here for Christmas Dinner and dad sure liked him. Never mind there are more fish in the sea, your Mr Right will come along one day.’ Nat rubbed his daughter’s shoulders to take the pain away from her broken heart.
‘It hurts Pa. You ever had a broken heart?’
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.

[patritter]

'Click Go The Shears' - Page 14:

‘Plenty times. When there's more time I’ll tell you about more broken hearts than I care to remember. Don’t tell your mother or I’ll be in strife. Speaking about your mother we should go up for lunch.’ Hannah led her horse and walked beside her father to the homestead.
‘About time you two came up for lunch.’ Martha yelled when Hannah and Nat approach the homestead. ‘Don’t forget to wash.’
They smiled, walked to the bathroom which wasn’t part of the main homestead and washed their hands and face, dried and returned to the dining room. Martha set a plate of sliced cold mutton and salad.
‘Don’t wait for me,’ Martha said, ‘I’ll get the kettle.’ She left to walk to the kitchen and soon returned with a pot of tea to join her family.
‘Isn’t it wonderful our family are together, especially now we know Nana and Ma are sisters?’ Hannah took a handkerchief from inside her sleeve to wipe the tears from her eyes. Thinking of the time she discovered her grandmother and Ma were sisters when Joe sliced the turkey and handed a piece to Nana, was the moment, she sighted the brown heart shaped birthmark on the back of her grandmother’s hand and suspected she was Ma’s lost sister.
‘Is everything alright Hannah?’ Her mother asked.
‘She’s getting over a broken heart. Joe left her.’ Nat said in between eating his lunch and sipping his tea.
TO DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.