THE BATTLE OF SOUTH CREEK

This is a story from a friend of mine.John Tebbutt has lived his whole life in Windsor New Soth Wales,in fact being now in his mid 60's has always lived on the same rural property,formerly a vegetable crop farm,now a turf farm.He of course grew up there. It would have been a fantastic place to grow up.South Creek runs through the property and you can imagine the fun kids would have with home made rafts,tree swings and battles that would have been fought between local gangs of boys.So here is my poetic version of Johns story.

IN THE DAYS WHEN ROY RODGERS WAS HERO.
FIFTY OR SO SUMMERS GONE BY
TOOK PLACE"THE BATTLE OF SOUTH CREEK"
WHEN CAME TO WINDSOR -THIS GUY.
THERE WAS TEBBO,CAMAK AND HINCHEY,
AND THE OTHER A MULLINGER KID
OH,AND OF COURSE OUR HERO FROM MELBOURNE,
AND I'LL TELL YOU JUST WHAT HE DID

THE GANG WERE HOLED UP,IN A BARN BY THE CREEK,
DAYS GONE BY,AN OLD MILKING SHED.
BUT BOYS BEING BOYS,THEY'D MOVED IN,AND
IT WAS THEIR "FORT APACHE" INSTEAD.
THEY HAD HEARD THE WORD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
THAT THEY HAD BETTER BE ON THEIR JOB,
"FORT APACHE"WAS BEING INVADED BY,
DOOLEY MAYNE AND HIS SOUTH WINDSOR MOB.

THEY DIDN'T EVEN SEE DOOLEY COMING.
BY CANOE,THEY'D CREAPT UP STREAM.
"INJUNS-INJUNS" CRIED OUT HINCHEY,
AS HE LET OUT A BLOOD CURDLING SCREAM.
TO THE FORT THEY RAN FOR THEIR SAFETY,
MUD GRANADES FLY AS THEY RUN
BUT THEIR DOMAIN WAS SOON TAKEN OVER
OUT NUMBERED BY TWENTY TO ONE.

TO THE OAK TREE THEY FLED,AS THEY MADE THEIR RETREAT
AND TOOK STOCK OF THEIR LOSSES AND GAIN
OF FIVE OF THEM THAT STARTED OUT
ONLY FOUR OF THEM NOW REMAIN.
"WHERE'S BLAKELY ?" CRIED THE MULLINGER KID
DID HE FALL IN THE BATTLE,OR FLEE?"
"I DON'T KNOW" SAID CAMAK AND HINCHEY
"WE WERE RUNNING TO FAST TO SEE"

LIKE ANZACS.THEY FOUGHT ON IN VALOUR.
BUT LIKE CUSTER,THEIR EFFORTS WERE LOST.
MUD GRENADES WERE FAST RUNNING OUT,
AND ALREADY A MAN IT HAD COST.
"THE BUGLE" (WELL,IT SOUNDED MORE LIKE A TRACTOR)
ON THE HORIZON.RE-ENFORCEMENTS WERE NEAR.
IT WAS DESERTER BLAKELEY, AND TEBBO'S DAD,
AND DOOLEYS GANG SCATTERED IN FEAR.

AND,WANTING TO PRESS HIS ADVANTAGE
OF HIS VICTORY,WISHING TO GLOAT.
BLAKELY RUNS TO THE WATERS EDGE
AND JUMPS IN DOOLEYS BOAT.
WITH MOBSTER CHASING IN HOT PURSUIT
"GERONIMO" HE CRIED
BLAKELY NOW,WAS SAFE AND SOUND
HE'D REACHED BANK,ON THE OTHER SIDE.

AND FROM SAFE HAVEN,ON THAT BANK
TO HOME WAS BUT SHORT RIDE.
BUT THERE IS JUST ONE BRIDGE IN WINDSOR,
TO CROSS FOR THE OTHER SIDE
AND DOOLEY WOULD BE THERE WAITING
FOR BLAKELEY TO ARRIVE.
WHAT WILL OUR CUNNING HERO DO,
TO AVOID A BUNCH OF FIVE?

THEY EVEN HAD CARS IN THOSE DAYS,
AND THEY HAD HITCH-HIKERS TOO
SO.BLAKELEY-HE STUCK OUT HIS THUMB
(I WOULDN'T PICK HIM UP -WOULD YOU?)
BUT SOMEONE DID."TO WINDSOR PLEASE"
SAID OUR HERO,WITH A SIGH.
AND ON THE BRIDGE STOOD DOOLEY.
BLAKELEY WAVED,AS HE WENT BY.