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Transcript of Letter, 23 May 1916

Notes
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Physical Context
Papers of Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson, 1807-1950./Class 1/Series 1/File 26a
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Text

Heliopolis  

23 May 1916  

My own dearest wife  

There is said to be mail going today so am writing in some haste to  

catch it. Also am somewhat on pins and needles as have let 100  

horse go in wire compound and they are racing about and standing  

on their heads and snorting and galloping and am in great anxiety lest  

they rush the wire and stampede the camp. have proved to my own  

satisfaction for many years in the past that the horse is the most  

hysterical lunatic animal that exists and one never knows what they will  

do. took couple of New Zealand ladies out for ride yesterday.  

had met them at their hospital and they said they were fond of riding so  

asked them to come out on Sunday. afterwards remembered that  

had told the men would take any of them out that wanted ride and  

supposed dozen or so would come out. To my horror found men  

dragging horses out of all sorts of holes and corners and when we  

started had 100 men at least. So thought would do it in style then  

and took the whole 100 round in front of the hospital, formed them up  

in sections and when the girls came out they nearly fainted with  

surprise. However they both rode very well indeed and they led the  

squadron. put sergeant to ride with each of them as treat (for the  

sergeants) and the affair went off with great éclat. One of the  

sergeants was Dempsey the crack rough rider who turned out quite  

ladies’ man. My squadron is doing well, we take on any of the others  

at loading mules and the Queenslanders reckoned they were good but  

we each had to load 10 trucks yesterday and my sergeant, the  

celebrated Buster Brown the fighting man, insisted on giving them  

trucks start and then beat them. Also we rode 70 mules while  

squadron rode 140. We had falls, they had 27 so the old squadron  

is keeping its end up. told you we have the squadron cup which  

hope to bring home with me. At the same time mine are an unruly lot  

of devils and if any one gets arrested or accidentally shot or fights the  

police it is sure to be squadron man. have been very lucky in  

picking good sergeants and hope the luck will hold. We play bridge in  

the heat of the day in big building just up from gambling house but  

never used as it is likely to fall down. One thing is if it does fall on us  

we will never know it. Must close now with great love to you and the  

little ones,  

 

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