The Duke

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B><U>Assorted Stories</U></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Claude1"><B><U>Claude The Crow</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Claude Rturns"><B><U>Claude Returns</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Swivel Head"><B><U>Swivel Head the Koala</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ghosts in the bush"><B><U>Ghosts in the Bush</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Max"><B><U>Max</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Great Bed Race"><B><U>The Great Bed Race</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mr Webster"><B><U>Mr Webster</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Red"><B><U>Big Red</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Them Aussies"><B><U>Them Aussie are Tuff</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cokklebid"><B><U>Cokklebiddy</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id43.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marriage in the Bush"><B><U>Marriage in the Bush</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="7 Strippers in Paradise"><B><U>7 Strippers in Paradise</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Brotherhood"><B><U>The Brotherhood</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lady Penelope"><B><U>Lady Penelope</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gday Mate"><B><U>Gday Mate</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Duke"><B><U>The Duke</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bluey"><B><U>Bluey</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Walkers"><B><U>The Walkers</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Inventer"><B><U>The Inventor</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lumpy"><B><U>Lumpy</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Madeline"><B><U>Madeline</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stan the Pot Man"><B><U>Stan The Pot Man</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Man Stan"><B><U>Our Man Stan</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bert The Cook"><B><U>Bert The Cook</U></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id58.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coober Pedy"><B><U>Coober Pedy</U></B></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 style=" border-bottom: 1px solid #999980;" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0408dfe1egerdp.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Glenn-Harris</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GlennHarris"><B>home</B></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0408dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B><U>The Duke.</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Around the mid 1980's, I worked on a road gang, deep in the outback. Our job was to build smaller tracks, which would lead to the smaller townships, throughout the outback, it was dusty work, long days, and very little to do at night.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Our foreman, we called him “Duke”, mainly due to the fact that his ancestral line was connected to some of the upper crust from England, when he spoke, you could hear in his voice the twang of the upper class.</B></div> <div> <B>Now Duke was different from all us men out at camp, you see because Duke was gay, his boyfriend was the cook, and they had been together for over 2 years. It was common knowledge to us all, but it really didn't bother any of us, Duke was a leader of men, and we each looked up to him.</B></div> <div> <B>Most nights after work, we would set up a Rugby match, with about 40 guys in camp at any time, there were always volunteers for these games. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I remember we were about 40klm's away from Paynes Find, when one of the boys suggested we challenge the hotel to a friendly game of Touch Rugby. We sent one of the boys in to make the challenge, he returned later, covered head to foot in stale beer, they had accepted our challenge and by dowsing our man with beer, it was like sending a message, but it was just in good fun. I am just glad I didn't volunteer to deliver the message first.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Payne's Find is a place I would recommend all to visit, basically all that's there is a pub, in the main bar is a pool table, and if anyone is playing pool then it would be advisable for all to duck. The room is quite small and once them miners come into town, well watch them balls fly.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The night before the game, we all went into Payne's find, to wet our whistles and check out our competition, it seems that our opponents were a mixture of local miners and farmers from close by.</B></div> <div> <B>I took one look at this mixture and started to think twice about this game, they were the ugliest, meanest group I had ever laid eyes on, most of the night they taughted Duke , because he and cook sat drinking together, it was quite obvious that they were on together.</B></div> <div> <B>One big brute, obviously quite smashed started calling duke a poof, fortunately before a fight broke out the Hotel owner told Duke and this miner to take it outside, which they did.</B></div> <div> <B>Now one thing I have learned from the outback, is always to watch and learn and never go off half cocked. It took exactly 18 seconds for the miner to kiss the dirt, which is where he stayed all night.</B></div> <div> <B>Duke, having learned to defend himself from an early age, had finished this chap off very quickly, much to the respect of all that could still see, I think my sight was a little blurry at this time.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The next day early, 2 minutes before the start of the game, we were there all lined up, I remember each of us, were facing a member of the opposite team, Duke was facing the miner that he had belted the innards out of the night before, I guess, these were the longest 2 minutes in this man life, cause as Duke stood opposite him he kept blowing him kisses, and winking at him. If you looked real close at this guys face you I am sure would see him considering whether or not it was worth staying or running for the hills.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>