Section 11

My Ox

Around this time the Venlaw post office was opened. It was about five miles from our home. We could now get our mail once a week without much inconvenience. Although not much mail arrived in those days, a group of us boys would get together to go for the mail. When the water was high, I rode on the back of my ox to get across Drifting River. The ox was very obedient and usually went where I wanted him to go. I would direct him by tapping the side of his head with a switch. I trained him for this job during the time we were growing up together. When I went into the bush to bring the cattle home, the first things I would do was to look for my ox then, instead of walking home, I would ride home in style. There were times when he wanted to play tricks on me. He would look for a couple of trees not too far apart - with just enough space for him to get through - then he would run for that opening knowing that there was not enough room for my legs and feet, the result being that I would slide down and so free him of his load. Every time he did this I always thought he had a good laugh at leaving me behind.