“Max, the bloody quack told me that I must get off the place and retire, or I won’t last long – the old ticker is not too good. So you go up to Terowie and make it right with that little filly of yours; get married and come down here to look after this end of the property.”
“But, Uncle,” I replied, “I can’t afford to get married,” to which he replied, “Well, we will have to increase your wages so that you can afford to.”
So that was that.
I rode up to Terowie that evening to propose. Barbara (the little filly) thought I was joking when I first asked her to marry me, as she knew that there was not an empty house on the property and it wasn’t until I exploded and said “Bloody hell, woman – I’m serious and I’m asking you to marry me!” that she realised I was serious and agreed.
I think it was the first time in her life that she had been sworn at.