Pat Ritter. Books

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 46:

Now to find the yoke. Still working on the same tree, he fell cut away branches to finally find a twisted branch he chose for a yoke. Removing the bark, trimming the branch finally shaped the branch into a yoke to fasten to his horses to pull the delver. A smile spread across his face, perspiration across his brow. Satisfied, he gathered his axe dragged his material back to the camp.
With the sun, high in the sky Joe reached the camp exhausted. Wiping his brow with a handkerchief, ‘water’, he called to Hannah who stood near the fire opening the lid of the camp oven. Instant aroma seeped through to Joe’s nostrils to sense the damper ready. Hannah quickly poured a pannikin of water from the canvas water bag handed him to drink. Joe gulped down the golden liquid some entered his mouth whilst the remainder soaked the front of his shirt. Perspiration caused his shirt to stiffen soaked with sweet from his labour.
Alongside the camp water gushed from the bore filling a pool. Joe handed the pannikin to Hannah, instead of allowing her to take hold of the mug, he reached grabbed hold of her hand bringing her close to him.
‘Joe. What are you doing.’ Hannah screamed.
Without answering her question, he picked her up in his muscled arms throwing her over his shoulder. Hannah shouted to put her down kicking her legs at the same time hitting Joe with her closed fists on his back. Joe carried her over his shoulder to the pool dumping her into the centre, jumped in after her fully clothed. Their arms reached for one another; soon bound together water covered their bodies.
‘Joe, we have our clothes on.’ Hannah looked into Joe’s smiling eyes.
‘I’ll fix that’. Joe removed his shirt in one swift movement, unbuckled his trousers, slipped them off throwing his clothes across the pool onto the ground. Hannah stood in shock. She’d never undressed in front of Joe before ashamed to undress in front of him now.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 47:

‘Turn around. Close your eyes.’ She instructed. Joe turned his back whilst she removed her clothing leaving her undergarments covering important parts of her body.
Water spewed from a bore into a pond of water, cool refreshing.
‘Can I turn around now?’ Joe asked his eyes squeezed shut.
After Hannah threw her dress she’d been wearing, on top of Joe’s clothing she said, ‘Yes, I’m decent.’ Joe turned to his wife in her underwear standing not two steps from him. Their eyes glued to one another. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around his wife passionately kissed her on the lips.

Chapter 7

They would have stayed longer in the pool only for the sound of a horse whinny in the distance. Each looked along the track leading to their camp Nat and Martha approached. ‘Quick Joe. Pa and Mother.’ Hannah shouted.
‘Why are you worried? We’re married. We can go skinny-dipping in our own dam if we want.’ Joe said lifting Hannah into his arms walked from the pool placing her onto the ground beside their clothes.
‘G’day.’ Nat called approaching their camp. ‘Thought we’d find you here. Followed your tracks from the gate.’ Nat stopped the sulky near their camp climbed down to help Martha from her seat.
‘Hi, Pa, Mother. I’ll be with you in a minute.’ Hannah called trying to dress quickly as possible embarrassed her parents seeing them swimming with little clothes on.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 48:

‘Don’t mind us. You remember mother after we were married acting like these two?’ Nat smiled.
‘Nat, I can’t remember those times. Too long ago. I’ll heat up the billy.’ Martha walked into the camp to stoke up the fire to boil the billy to make tea. ‘You’ve made a damper. Did you know we were coming?’ Martha said.
‘We had no idea.’ Hannah finished dressing walked to her mother, gave her a kiss on the cheek, gave her father a similar kiss then helped her mother prepare a cup-of-tea.
‘Mother had never seen your property before. Wanted to show her around. Terribly dry at home but here with the bore plenty of feed and water. Like an oasis in the desert.’ Nat said shaking Joe’s hand in welcome.
‘Take a seat on the log. I’ll make us a cuppa with fresh cooked damper. Cool under this huge gum tree. Pa this is where Joe is building our home. Right here.’ Hannah explained pointed to the spot.
Joe sat beside Nat while Hannah handed them each a pannikin of tea a plate with a slice of damper covered in strawberry jam. Martha inhaled a deep breath. ‘You have a great spot here.’ She sat on a nearby log after Hannah passed her a pannikin of tea slice of damper.
‘What’s that?’ Nat pointed to the forked branches Joe cut earlier.
‘I’m making a delver to dig a drain from the bore onto Moonjaree Creek.’ Joe explained in between slurping his tea eating his slice of damper.
‘Are you sure your idea will work?’ Asked Nat with a frown.
‘No, not for certain. If we don’t push water into Moonjaree Creek, the creek will dry up. The weather doesn’t look like rain. Too bloody hot. As soon as this heat cools down. I’m ready to give anything a go.’ Joe finished his tea returned his pannikin to Hannah.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I'LL BE ABSENT UNTIL FRIDAY 31ST MARCH 2017.

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 49:

‘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.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 50:

‘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.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 51:

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.
‘Mother, I never thought you would dive into the water.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.

[patritter]

'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 52:

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.
‘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.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/681247.