Esther Ludlow greeted them as they climbed down from their horses. "Thaiter... long-time no see," she cried with a beaming smile on her face.

Lucan liked her immediately.

She wiped her hands on her apron and held her arms out to Riley. "So, this is the babe, and what a handsome boy he is."

Riley didn't hesitate. He reached out, touched her face and grinned.

Esther put him on her hip and extended her hand to Lucan. "Esther Ludlow."

Lucan smiled and shook her hand. "Lucan Hayes."

She studied Riley. "He's like you."

"So is the other one. The older one we left with Margaret Scott," Thaiter called over the horses.

Esther laughed. "What happened to you, Thaiter? Did you miss out on good looks when God was handin' them out to your family?"

Thaiter cocked his head and peered in mock anger. "Ha, ha we certainly is funny today, Esther. I'm the one with the brains. Lucan obviously thinks with his dic..."

Esther held up her hand before he could finish. "Uh uh, ladies present. None of that talk here."

Thaiter laughed and spun his head from one side to the other. "Where's the ladies?"

Esther roared with laughter and took Riley inside while Lucan and Thaiter unsaddled the horses and watered them. They unpack the mules and carried the food supplies into the hut.

"I've got the kettle on. You men want a cuppa?"

Thaiter rubbed his hands together. "Got any of your famous scones?"

Esther nodded. "I have... known you were coming."

They sat at the table and talked about how the weather had made tin scratching so much harder. "Richard says it should get better now we've had that big wash. They'll be back at sundown."

"You don't mind watching Riley for me while I go out and help Thaiter?" Lucan asked as she stood up to stir the pot of beef stew, she had cooking.

"No, it'll be a nice change. It can be a bit lonely sometimes when they're out all day. Sometimes they camp out for weeks." She paused. "I loved my boys when they were babies. Miss it a lot. Can't wait for one of them to get married so I can have some grandbabies." She stuck her finger in the pot and tasted. "Needs more salt. How old is he, Lucan?"

Lucan thought. "Two, he was born July 91."

"That'd make it his birthday this month." Esther smiled. "It's easy to lose track of time out here." She added, "Do you miss Ireland?"

"No..." Lucan shook his head. "I left there seven years ago, worked around England for a year and was living in Scotland for six before I left. It's only me wife I miss." He hung his head.

Esther frowned. "So, she died, did she?"

With a nod, Lucan said, "Yeah. Giving birth to the lad there." He paused and looked where Riley sat on the floor. "Took me a while to forgive him."

Esther made a soothing sound in the back of her throat. "Not the boy's fault. These things happen." She changed the tone of her voice and said, "He's a lovely lad. He'll grow up and make you proud."

Lucan took a mouthful of tea. He grinned and to lighten the mood said, "So long as he doesn't pick up on his uncle's bad habits, we'll get along fine."

"No bad habits here, Lucan." Thaiter chuckled. "Like I said I'm the one with me brains in me head and not in me bal..."

"Thaiter!" Esther wagged the spoon at him so Thaiter roared with laughter.

*****

Richard Ludlow was a tall thin man. His sons both took after him in height but were bigger built and looked like their mother. Lucan figured they were sixteen and eighteen. They had the same friendly personality as Esther. Richard was quieter. He was the sort of man who let his wife do the entertaining and was happy enough to sit back and watch.

"You fella's can work downstream from us. There's a bend in the river where you might find a good chunk of Alluvial but if you find a heap, we'll want a share."

Thaiter nodded his head. "That's fair enough, Richard."

*****

The hut was one big room with a dirt floor. Lucan left them to talk while he tucked Riley into bed in the corner.

The Ludlow's slept on makeshift beds made of planks and tree stumps with some old straw mattresses thrown on top. The table was in the middle of the room. A fire place built of rocks was against one wall. Esther baked with a camp oven which hung low over the fire on a hook. When she wanted to boil some water, she shoved the kettle in amongst the embers.

Lucan laid down beside Riley on the swag and listened, not to the words, but the sounds of Thaiter and Richard's voices. He wasn't much interested in what they were saying and felt the last two days of riding had caught up on him. Riley snuggled close against his chest sucking his thumb.

*****

He woke early the next morning to the sound of dishes being put on the table. Esther smiled at him as he yawned and stood scratching his head.

"Good sleep?"

"Yeah, reckon I must have needed it. I'm not used to riding a horse all day."

"Breakfast will be ready soon; the others are already up and the privy's out the back if you need it." As Lucan headed to the door Esther added, "There's a tank of water around the side if you need to wash."

*****

They set off on horseback with their picks, shovels, tin pans and the lunch Esther had made. The ride didn't take long. Richard took them to the bend in the river where he thought they might get lucky.

All day they dug and panned, moving from one area to another along the bank. Lucan took off his boots and rolled up his trousers. By lunch time he'd had enough and wondered how anyone could spend a lifetime doing this. How many hours work did they put in everyday and not find anything? He stripped off completely and swam in the murky water.

Lucan ran his hands through his hair as he surfaced and called out, "Maybe we're missin' seein' anything because the water's so dirty."

"You could be right," Thaiter agreed. "It'll clear eventually." He looked along the river, and then back at Lucan. "Can take weeks after a flood for it to settle because it washes in from the plains." He studied the water thoughtfully. "We could miss it I suppose but we'd see it in the pans. Richard's done this for years and he's pretty good at picking the spots. We just ain't found it yet."

"How do they stand doin' this for months at a time?"

Thaiter chuckled. "It's like gambling. Ya never know when you're gonna hit the jackpot. That's what makes people keep comin' back. That's why I have a go every year."

Lucan got out of the water and put his trousers on. He leaned against a skinny sapling and ate the thick crusty sandwich. "I don't think this is the life for me, Thaiter. How long you planning to keep at it."

Thaiter shrugged. "I try ta stick to it for a month. Any less and the blokes give me a heap of shite about it."

"Yeah, I reckon they would," Lucan said with a chuckle.

They worked for days. Every so often they struck a small amount of cassiterite. Thaiter placed it in their bag. They'd work the area for the next couple of days until they felt sure they'd find no more. Lucan worked enthusiastically for these few days and his opinion would change. Thaiter shook his head and laughed. "Got the fever, Luc. That's what makes a man keep coming back."

Each night they pulled out their finds. Richard and the boys analysed it.

"This is a good piece. Where'd you find that one? You're keeping track aren't ya? When you get a good bit, chances are there'll be more."

"Yeah, yeah." Thaiter waved his hand in the air. "Dis one we found near the fallen tree in the curve where the water runs faster." He looked at Richard. "You know where I mean?"

Richard frowned.

"I know the place, Dad," said Lenny. "That tree came down in last year's flood. Me and Stan had the swing on it."

Richard nodded. "Ah... yes. We'll come along tomorrow and work with you. Never know that tree could be hiding something."

They carried axes the next day and started to cut the tree into pieces. It took most of the day so it wasn't until the following day that any serious digging and panning could be carried out.

Esther and Riley came along to watch. She had packed a big picnic lunch and a blanket. She found a shady spot near some large boulders to sit. Lucan went for another swim before they ate. He took Riley with him. Stan and Lenny followed pushing and wrestling. Riley squealed as water hit his face. He slapped his hand on the surface making more splashes.

By mid-afternoon they still hadn't found any more Cassiterite.

Suddenly Lenny let out a cheer. He reached his hand under the water and brought up a large nugget of the opaque but translucent thin crystals. Its lustre and multiple crystal faces sparkled in the sun.

The fever got them all. They worked until dusk finding other nuggets.

"Fifths," Richard said.

"Fifths," Thaiter replied as they sat around the table looking at their find.

Lucan watched their faces and understood the attraction of staying and working for so many months each year.

By the end of the month, they had found small deposits here and there. Richard, Esther and the boys travelled back into town with them so they could sell the ore to Mister Moffat and split the money. The Ludlow's bought supplies and loaded the wagon for their return trip.

"You coming to bunk the night at our place?" Thaiter asked.

"If you don't mind." Richard grinned.

Thaiter laughed and shook Richard's hand. "I think we got some celebrating to do."

Lucan bought Covey a new hat and headed to Missus Scott's to get the boy.

"Da..!" Covey yelled and ran flat out towards his father.

Lucan scooped him up. "How are ya, boy?"

"I missed you, Da."

"I missed you too, son," Lucan said as he set the new wide-brimmed felt hat on Covey's head.

The photo is of my Great Grandparents house built in 1912.  This photo is only one month old and the house is in a town very close to Irvinebank.  My Great Grandfather worked in the Great Northern Mine of which Moffat was involved in. He also grew grapes and went tin scratching.  The house was lived in up until ten years ago by one of the grand daughters but it was almost in habitable with white ant/termite eaten floors and some rooms couldn't be walked into. Loose roofing iron was tied to the wooden beams with rope.

P.S. I've always thought that chapter 6, which I've split in two, was very boring but I felt that it was important to talk about tin scratching.  It's a lot of info dumping and one day I'll rewrite it with more enthusiasm. ☺

Thanks for reading. ♥♥