…He rubbed his chin, looked at me, smiled and said, “Well then, Robert, perhaps it’s time you did a man's work. I’m sending Charlie into Oamaru tomorrow, to look after some business for me; it would be a good opportunity for you to take his place on a trial basis. If you do a good job, you can be Charlie’s permanent partner.”
I was delighted. I could just see myself mounted on my horse, Squire, yelling instructions to Merry, my dog, as we herded animals into the water. I’d be a proper cowboy….
But young Robert’s first day of helping at the Waitaki ferry crossing almost ended in disaster.
Eve-Marie Wilson tells a tale from the pioneer days of New Zealand. This incident was recorded in the diary of the great-grandfather of Eve-Marie’s husband Brian.
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