Lucan woke to a trickle of water on his face. He focused on the figure above.

Johann smiled and dropped a small bag of coins onto his stomach. "You winnings."

"How much this time?" Lucan asked.

"Enough." Johann shrugged, and then crouched beside Lucan. He ran his hand over his bald head and said, "No one's placing bets against you." He paused before adding, "Jimmy Main and his lot want you out of the ring."

Lucan put his hands behind his head and stretched. "Yeah...well...it's probably time." He sat up and rested his arms on his knees. "Wouldn't be more than a week until the boat docks anyway."

Nodding, Johann said, "You done well, Luc. Nine fights, seven wins." He grinned. "Why you no stay with Johann? Come to Brisbane. Make plenty money."

With a laugh, Lucan slapped Johann on the back. "Nah...it's been good but I'm sick of waking up with sore ribs."

"I'll tell Jimmy you out." Johann grinned and tapped Lucan on the head. He stood up and said, "You come tonight, yes. Watch Santo and Bellow. Should be good fight."

"Wouldn't miss it," Lucan said as he lay back and smiled up at Johann.

*****

The Merkara glided quietly into place against the wharf. Sailors hauled ropes overboard to waiting men who quickly wrapped it around the piers. Lucan watched as the  crowd on shore waved to those aboard the ship. He searched each face, more men than women, looking for one he recognised.

Johann gripped his shoulder. "Well, Lucan. We do good. Yes?"

"Yeah, Johann, we did good."

Jerking his head toward the town in the distance, Johann said. "You sure you not want to come south with Johann? We make plenty money."

"I'm sure." Lucan smiled. "But if you ever head back this way, you search me out, yes."

"Yes...I look you up." Johann grinned. "You been good friend, Lucan. Johann will miss you."

"Thanks for teachin' me to box." Lucan shook Johann's hand. "You'll always be welcome at me table, Johann."

Grabbing Lucan in a bear hug, Johann thumped him on the back. "I not forget you, Lucan." He pushed away, rubbed his sleeve over his face, gripped the ships rail and scanned the waiting crowd. "You see you uncle yet?"

Lucan smiled at Johann's turned back and moved to stand beside him. A glimpse of ginger hair, sticking out from under a wide brimmed felt hat, caught his eye. "There, Johann! That could be him!" As Lucan spoke the man took his rabbit fur felt hat off to reveal a mass of red hair.   He clutched the slouch to his chest as he made his way through the crowd, side stepping people, to get closer to the gangway being lowered. "Yep.  That's him."  Lucan chuckled at the face he had not seen in years. It was older of course, but still held the same expression, one of self-contentment, comical almost.

Thick heavy brows hung low shadowing Thaiter's green eyes. They gave him the appearance of being half-asleep. A docile look that had deceived many, but Lucan knew the power which lay within. Thaiter's ears were large and his nostrils broad. He wasn't a pretty man and had always reminded Lucan of a leprechaun.

Following his uncle's movements, Lucan yelled, "Thaiter!"

Thaiter's head rose to search the faces of the people making their journey down the gangway, and then onto those standing on the deck. Recognition ingrained itself on his face. His large thick lips tightened and stretched into a smile which affected his whole persona. "Lucan!" Thaiter raised his hand in uncertainty. Unsure if this man was really his nephew.

Grinning, Lucan turned to Johann. "Irvinebank, Johann. That's where I'll be." He shifted the pack on his back, lifted Riley and took Covey by the hand. "Well...we'll be seein' ya."

Johann rubbed both boys affectionately on the head and watched as Lucan followed others down the gangway.

Looking back, Lucan raised his hand in salute and smiled. He turned to see Thaiter's bowed legs carry him through the last of the crowd like a gun fighter in search of his foe.

"Thaiter"! Lucan beamed.

"Lucan!" Thaiter roared. His eyes swept from one child to the other. "What's all dis then?"

"These are me lads, Covey and Riley."

Thaiter frowned. "Jeez I wasn't expectin' you to have a wife and geats."  Lucan's mouth set in a firm grip but before he could speak Thaiter hurriedly continued, "No problem mind, just didn't expect it is all."

"It's just me and the lads, no wife. She died."

Hesitating  for a moment, Thaiter nodded, and then slapped Lucan on the shoulder. "Well I reckon we'd better get a move on. No good will come of us standin' here all day." He  positioned his slouch hat on his head, then bent down and shook Covey's hand hard up and down. "I'm ya Uncle Thaiter and you best look out son because I'm as wild as they be."

Covey's small body jerked with the force from Thaiter's handshake. He looked wide-eyed up at his father.

"Reminds me of the first time ya mother introduced us, Lucan." Thaiter laughed heartily. "Jesus he looks just like ya." He chuckled, saying,  "And I remember ya had the same look on ya face." He grinned and reached for the pack on Lucan's back.

"Yeah, Thaiter. Took me a whole month to realise you was just full of shite." They beamed at each other, and then Lucan said, "It's good to see you, Thaiter. You haven't changed."

"Well I can't say the same for you. What's it been...ten years...skinny runt with not a hair on ya chest." He shook his head in disbelief. "And look at you now."

They moved toward the town's centre. Lucan looked from one building to the other. "What's the idea puttin' all these buildings on posts, Thaiter. I ain't seen that before."

Thaiter boomed. "There are lots of things you'll have never seen before and I tell ya some'll just, well...you'll see." He paused. "We call 'em stumps not posts. It's ta keep the wet and the snakes out. Not that it does much good with the snakes they come in anyway." Thaiter's laugh filled the air once more. "What ya reckon, Covey lad, hope ya don't mind sharin' your bed with a snake."

Covey frowned and tugged on Lucan's hand to get his attention. "Da," he whispered. "What's a snake?"

"I've heard of them, son, but to tell the truth I've never seen one."

Tousling the boy's hair with his hand, Thaiter said, "Dey's like lizards but with no legs. Ya know what a lizard is don't ya, lad?"

Covey shook his head.

"Well dey's like a snake but with legs." Thaiter smirked. "But don't you worry any, you're a bit big for them to eat, but your brother now...you'll have to keep a good eye on him. Just the right size he is."   Thaiter grinned and winked at Lucan before saying, "I've got us a room at a nice little place in Sachs Street. The Crown. Only two beds. I wasn't countin' on this lot but I reckon it'll be all right." He paused and looked from Lucan to the boys. "Plenty of pretty girls. I thought after the trip, but...well I don't reckon you'll have time for any of dat, eh?"

"A bed with a soft mattress that doesn't move backwards and forwards will do me fine," Lucan said.

Thaiter chuckled. "Well I can guarantee they don't rock. Dat is if ya ain't got one of them lovely's with ya...but soft?" He screwed up his mouth. "Dat I can't guarantee."

They rounded the corner into Sachs Street. Covey's head moved this way and that, his face full of awe. "Da, Da." He pointed to a group of people gathered on the verandah of one of the buildings. "What are they?"

"They's Chinks," Thaiter said. "Chinamen. You be careful now, cause you might be too big for a snake ta eat, but for a Chinaman ya just the right size."

Covey squeezed his father's hand harder.

Thaiter continued, "See all dat smoke comin' out of dat building there. It's called a Joss House... and well...dat's where they cook the little boys they eat. Smoke 'em up they do. Makes the meat sweet, just the way they like it."

Tugging on Lucan's arm, Covey gushed, "Is that right, Da? Do they?"

Lucan smiled and studied Covey's worried face. "You take no notice of what ya uncle says. He's tryin' to scare ya." He scowled at Thaiter who grinned sheepishly, and then looking back at Covey, Lucan said, "They won't eat you, Covey.  They're people just like us except they come from China and we come from Ireland and Scotland. We all look a little different on the outside because we come from different lands, but we're all the same on the inside."

"Reckon I'll get ya every time, lad." Thaiter rubbed the top of Covey's head. "Do as ya father says and take no notice of ya Uncle Thaiter. I just like to tell a tale or two."

For the first time, though uncertainly, Covey smiled at Thaiter.

For reader's interest  my main male characters names are Irish.

Covey - Irish - "Hound of Meath." - Meath is a county  in Ireland in the mid-east region. It is named after the historic 'Kingdom of Meath' (from Midhe meaning "middle" or "centre").

Lucan - Irish form of Lucius, which is the Latin form of Lucian, which means - "Of Light."

Riley -  is a common surname but I felt it's meaning was in some way out of respect for Kat losing her life to give birth to Riley - "Descendant of the valiant."

Thaiter - Irish form of Walter, which is Old German for "rules and "folk". There are many forms of the name Walter. 

Photo - Australian Slouch Hat and the look I'm going for. Copyright - gettimages.

A Slouch Hat - is a military hat used in many countries including the USA, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It was introduced into Australia around 1885, although it traces its military use back to Austrian skirmishers. The modern slouch hat is derived from the black "Corsican hat" (Korsehut) – historically used in the Austrian army during the Napoleonic Wars.  Australia and New Zealand have had various models of the slouch hat as standard issue headwear since the late Victorian period and hence why I have used this term to identify Thaiter's hat. In today's time Australian's are more likely to call this hat an Akubra but the name wasn't a registered trademark until 1912 even though the original hat maker started producing hats in Tasmania in 1876.

Photo images and copyrights - Top - Shutterstock

Middle - Australian-homes-Australian-architecture

Bottom - CROP-Entrance-to-the-Cairns-Joss-House-1896 - Cairns Museum