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The Third Son of a Duke

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Well, if the wharf at Pinkenba in Brisbane is anything to go by, a tin shed and a wharf that the ship is considerably longer than, then where the hell had he finished up?

The port of Brisbane in 1914 didn’t amount to much, but it did have a railway station and a train he could catch to Brisbane proper.  From there, it was another two trains from Brisbane to Rockhampton and then to Winton.

Outback Queensland, Australia.  Fortunately, Winter is coming, but it’s not going to be the winters of England. Although cool at night, the temperatures in the tropics were much warmer.

From Winton, it’s a truck ride from the station to the cattle station, about 20 miles or so from the front gate.  It’s big with thousands of acres, and the station house is like an oasis in the middle of scrub.  His uncle owns the station with other family members. They raise beef cattle for export to their home country. As the war approaches, the war effort will likely require supplying beef for the army.

But war is not yet upon them, and he is introduced to life on the land.

His guide is his cousin, a girl about his sister’s age, and the difference between his cousin and his sister is as wide as a chasm.  His cousin is a station hand, manager, personnel manager, musterer, and guide.  She will be the one to train him up in what will be required, and with no time to unpack his belongings, they’re out into the wilds for a week’s orientation.

Luckily he can ride a horse.

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1980 words, for a total of 21125 words.