THE DEPRIVED... Chapter 4...Part 20.

A continuation of my book.

Sam was to see how well it worked for James when James first approached Jack Tolliver to get a price for his eleven sheep and then went across the road to get a second price from Reginald Tolliver. This began a war of words between the two brothers, with the price rising until James agreed to sell five of the sheep to each of the brothers, the other sheep being sold to a man who lived in one of the small shacks at the end of the street.

The Aborigines had sold their sheepskin hide and had retired to the outskirts of the town, waiting till James and Sam came back with the cart for the homeward journey. But Sam had other ideas in that he had no intention of going back to James ranch and this he explained to James over a cooked meal in the back of Jack Tolliver’s store.
“I need to get back to England and see my family.” he explained.
James was disappointed, having hoped Sam would stay on at the ranch but he knew better than to try to stop Sam. In this way, they said their goodbyes. James had bought some stores from both the Tolliver stores and Sam watched him drive out of town, watching till the dust trail from the cart could be seen no more.
Returning to Jack Tolliver’s store, he purchased a new set of rough workman’s clothes and boots which fitted well enough, paying with a small nugget of gold which Jack Tolliver eagerly accepted, knowing its worth far outweighed the clothing.
“What I need is to buy a sturdy horse and to hire a man who can take me to the nearest port.” Sam said.
Jack Tolliver picked at his teeth with a bit of twig, his shrewd eyes gauging how much Sam could afford.
“The nearest port with ships in it is over there, to Fremantle and that’s many miles of travelling. You won’t make that at a gallop because it would take you a few months of hard riding to reach it.”
“Is there any place in between that I can stop off on the way?” asked Sam.
“Of course there is!” exclaimed Jack Tolliver. “There’s Tockworth, which is two days ride from here and then onto Carmshead. There’s lots of little townships springing up like this one and that’s a trade route through to Fremantle. You can ‘Town-Hop’!”
Here, Jack Tolliver stopped to laugh at the new word he had invented.
“Town-Hop!” he exclaimed again.
“Is there a man about who can show me the way, sort of ride along with me for the company and pay?” asked Sam.
“I got me George Weller whose working out back. He aint all there with the brains but he’s a man who can ride a horse and knows the trails backwards. I can allow you to hire him and two horses along with food for…Say.”
Here the wily Jack Tolliver picked at his teeth for a while, his eyes upwards. Then, as his eyes came to settle on Sam’s face.
“If you has three of them gold nuggets then it’s a deal! I can’t be fairer than that!” he bargained.
Sam considered the deal.
“Perhaps I might go across the street and ask your brother.” he said.
This brought peals of laughter from Jack Tolliver.
“Go on then, Mister.” Jack Tolliver said once he had got over his merriment. “You just do that but if you do then you had better be prepared to have me up my price when you come back here because him over there aint got a man like George Weller, a man as you needs to take you to the next township and onwards!”
Sam smiled at the crafty old man and reached out to shake Jack Tolliver’s hand.
“George!” shouted the storekeeper and from the back of the store came a small one-eyed man who wore an eye-patch and a floppy hat which covered a bald head. George took off his hat and turned it slowly by the brim, looking first at Jack Tolliver then at Sam, his mouth a small round hole, as if expecting to be told off.
“George, this is Sam.” began Jack Tolliver, introducing Sam.
George turned his eyes to study Sam, his mouth still holding the round circle of expected punishment.
“Hallo George.” said Sam, his tone genial so that George relaxed and he grinned through an embarrassed blush.
“Sam wants to have you take him to the next town of Tockworth. Can you do that?”
George’s smile grew wider.
“Yes, Mr. Tolliver. I can do that easily.”
George then turned to Sam.
“I can take you there, I really can!” he exclaimed.
“Then I shall have George lead me, Mr. Tolliver. But I will stay the night and set off early in the morning. Will you get up early, George?” Sam asked.
“Of course George will be up and have the horses ready. He sleeps out back in the stable.” said Jack Tolliver.
“Then can you lay on a room upstairs and have some food and water parcelled for me and George. I’ll also want a bath if that’s possible?” asked Sam, all of which Jack Tolliver promised to have on hand.

That night Sam sat in an old tin bath out in the back yard, with George running round and bringing hot water. That night, Sam slept very well, not even dreaming so that the night went by in a state of pleasant darkness.

“I have the horses ready, Mr. Sam.” said George as Sam came out into the yard.
“Just call me Sam.” said Sam as he examined the horse George held by the reigns.
Both horses were sturdy ponies which had the stamina needed for this terrain. George ran into the store to get the food and water, bringing the parcel of food and a couple of canteens. He was followed out by Jack Tolliver, who bid Sam a good morning.
“Don’t forget, Sam.” he said. “George will take you as far as Tockworth, where you can get someone else to take you on to the next town. And you, George, don’t forget to bring the horses back once you leave Sam.”
George nodded with a wide smile.
“Yes, Mr. Tolliver. I can do that.”
Sam shook hands with Jack Tolliver and mounted the horse as George followed his lead and he turned the horse round. Jack Tolliver opened the backyard gate and waved as both riders and horses moved out, riding into the early morning light.
It seemed that George was not so simple-minded once he rode out into the open countryside. His keen sense of direction drove them on towards their destination. He was also extremely interested in the world beyond his own experience, wanting to know about the city of London, from where he insisted his own parents had originated. As they rode, taking an easy pace, George begged Sam to tell him of his times in the big city, of what he had seen and remembered. Sam had been away for so many years that he had problems recalling some of the places he had seen though he embellished much, which gave George a very rosy view of life in London.
“Do you think I will ever get to see London?” asked George, his eyes lifted to the heavens.
He and Sam had camped up for the night and sat round the fire.
“You can do whatever you like if you’ve a mind to.” answered Sam with a loud yawn.
“Will you take me with you?” asked George, a question he had longed to broach earlier in the day.
“How can I?” answered Sam, preparing to lay down, his saddle serving as a headrest. “When we get to Tockworth, you have to take the horses back to Jack Tolliver and I have to find another who will lead me on further.”
“But I can take you on to the town of Carmshead and even further, even right onto Fremantle. I went there once with Mr. Tolliver and I can get you there. After Carmshead there’s Tackatoo, then Symester. I know how to get to all these towns.”
Sam sat up and looked at George. Indeed, there was far more to this man than Jack Tolliver knew. George had a compass for a mind and Sam believed George could actually lead him from town to town until the port of Fremantle was reached.
“Are you sure you know the way, George?” asked Sam.
George jumped to his feet, his eyes alight.
“I can show you, I really can!” he exploded.
“Then when we get to Tockworth I shall have someone take the horses back to Jack Tolliver while I buy two horses and food. We can then continue our journey.” said Sam, laying down again and closing his eyes.
George was beside himself, his smile wide to the night while large buck teeth shone as he began to enthuse about life beyond this red-earthed environment he knew. He talked continually while Sam snored.