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    The Twelfth Man
    The Twelfth Man
    The Twelfth Man
    Ebook86 pages1 hour

    The Twelfth Man

    By Raymond Boyd Dunn

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A SCHOOLBOY'S CRICKET ADVENTURE
    Roy lives and breathes Cricket. Will he be good enough to represent his school at the sport he loves. A schoolboy's cricketing adventure at Boarding School.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRaymond Boyd Dunn
    Release dateNov 20, 2011
    ISBN9781465931061
    The Twelfth Man
    Author

    Raymond Boyd Dunn

    Raymond Boyd Dunn is a "born and bred" third generation Australian. After his retirement Raymond Boyd became a grey nomad, and, with his wife, spent some time touring this vast country of Australia. He was born in the small Burnett Valley town of Monto, Queensland, and for his entire life has answered to the name of 'Boyd'. Apart from his travels he has lived all of his life in Queensland, and after satisfying his thirst for seeing first hand this wonderful country we live in, settled on the Sunshine Coast to spend his remaining years in the sunshine near the beach.He commenced his working life as a Bank Officer and resigned after thirteen years to become self-employed. At various stages he has owned a Corner Store, a small Supermarket Chain, a Butchery, a Milk Run, a Printery and a Cattle and Grain Farm. He has been involved, in various capacities, in Cricket and Tennis Clubs; Jaycees, Lions and Rotary Clubs and Aero Clubs. He was a Cricketer, played tennis, tried to play golf, and was a keen long distance runner.Upon taking a well-earned retirement he wrote his unpublished autobiography, which was for distribution among his family of six children and numerous grand-children. A visit to Cooktown, where he learnt of the Palmer River Gold Rush, was the incentive to keep writing and produce his first novel 'Palmer Gold' He then settled down to write novels, producing two more books to complete a Trilogy...'An Australian Ranch' and "Carly and Sam...Will and Effie'. There followed numerous short stories, and other novels: 'Lord of the Manor in Australia', and 'The Vintage Years'. He continues to write whilst enjoying life in the sunshine on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

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      Book preview

      The Twelfth Man - Raymond Boyd Dunn

      The Twelfth Man

      by Raymond Boyd Dunn

      Copyright 2011 Raymond Dunn

      Smashwords edition

      Chapter 1

      Are you going to eat your butter?

      The question came from the boy sitting next to young Roy Duncan at the long table in the Boarding School dining room.

      Roy had no appetite. His throat was all choked up. He had turned thirteen a couple of weeks before, and had never been away from home at that stage of his life. It had been only a short time since his parents said goodbye to him outside the Headmaster’s office.

      No, he managed to say.

      As if by magic, the tiny square of butter disappeared from his plate. It was the last time young Roy ever gave his butter away.

      It was late January in the year 1943. Australia was at war, and food was rationed. The first Term was about to begin at the Rockhampton Boys’ Grammar School on top of the Range in that city, and his Ration Book had been handed in at the Headmaster’s Office as he was being admitted. The Headmaster’s name was Frederick Jennings, nicknamed ‘Buck’ by the students, and it was commonly known he was a pilot in the First World War, and suffered the experience of being shot down and wounded. He had a robust physique, and he was known to be a stern disciplinarian, which trait was tempered by an understanding, sympathetic nature.

      Because Roy was somewhat gifted in the mathematical field, his parents thought he should take the Commercial Course, which ten subjects included the study of typing and shorthand, and should stand him in good stead as an office worker. His father and his uncles left school at about eleven or twelve years of age; their destiny was to earn their living in manual labour jobs. His parents were determined that it would not happen to Roy. However, after reviewing his school history, the Headmaster persuaded them that, because Roy was a good scholar, he should take a General Course, which instead included Latin and Chemistry in the ten subjects.

      As soon as his first meal mercifully came to an end, the school Matron took Roy upstairs to the Sub-Junior dormitory, and showed him to his bed and chest of drawers, and left him to unpack and store his clothes. There were about thirty other beds and lockers in the large room, and not another boy in sight. Roy sat on the edge of his bed, and contemplated how he was going to survive the next four and a half months until he could go home again for the mid-winter holidays. After a while, another boy came into the dorm.

      Haven’t you even unpacked yet? You’re Duncan, aren’t you?

      Yes. That’s my name. Roy Duncan.

      I’m Stanford Jenkins from up the Atherton Tablelands way. Some call me Jenks, but until you’re initiated you’d better call me Stanford. This is my bed next to yours.

      What’s initiated mean? Roy asked, very timidly. He was in for a culture shock, having led a sheltered life up until this stage.

      All new boys have to be initiated, grinned Jenkins. You’re not very big, so I expect you’ll just be de-bagged or have your head flushed in the toilet.

      De-bagged! The toilet! Roy was shocked.

      You’ll be lucky. The bigger new boys get roughed up quite a bit. In your case, because your name is Dunnycan, you’ll probably have your head flushed in the dunny!

      He must have possessed some sort of compassionate nature, because when he saw the distressed look on Roy’s face, he said, Don’t worry, Dunnycan. I’ve been here since Grade five, so I’ll see the others are not too rough on you. Hurry up and unpack, so I can take you down and fill you in on all the rules you’ll have to follow if you want to stay out of trouble with Matron and the Masters. You’ve been placed under my wing until you settle in.

      As the young new boy began to unpack, and store his clothes in the chest of drawers, Jenkins sat on the edge of his bed and watched.

      Where’re you from, Dunnycan? he asked.

      Monto, Roy replied, and pushing his timidity to one side, added, And I wish you wouldn’t call me ‘Dunnycan’. I hate it! Call me Duncan or Roy.

      Whoa, so the little one’s got a sting in his tail, after all!

      I just don’t like it! Roy repeated.

      "Okay, I won’t. But you’d better get used to it, because I’ll bet that’s what everyone’s going to call you.

      "I hope you like cold showers, Roy, he continued, (emphasising the name), because that’s all there is. And you’ll be on roster in the kitchen for a week every few months to help with the washing-up and drying."

      Doesn’t the domestic staff do that?

      Yes. They help too. There are two or three kitchen maids, but don’t forget there’s a war on, and there’s a lot of hungry blokes like us to clean up after. And we’re also on roster for sweeping out the dorms. If it’s not done properly, or if our beds aren’t made up neatly, we cop a tongue lashing from Matron. And take it from me she’s got a sharp tongue. The other housemaid, Ena, is not a bad old stick, but I think she’s scared of Matron.

      I only had to wipe up at home. My Mum did the rest.

      "You’re spoilt, Roy. You’d better learn fast here!

      Finished? he continued. It’s nearly seven, so we’d better go down for study period. They left the dormitory, and headed down the hallway to the main staircase. We won’t be doing any study tonight because we haven’t started in our new Forms yet. But every night from seven o’clock, we have to spend two hours studying. Then it’s up at six o’clock every morning for a cold shower, and to polish our shoes, then another hour of study before breakfast. The Senior school has to study for three hours every week night.

      Someone told us this school spent more time on sport than actual school work, complained Roy. All that study-time doesn’t sound like it.

      You like sport, do you, Roy? Well, you’ve come a real thud, haven’t you? What do you play?

      Cricket and tennis.

      Well, you’ll get plenty of that too. You’ll qualify for the Junior teams, if you’re good enough. That’s what I’m in. I just managed to get picked in both teams for the first time last year. Cricket practice starts on Saturday. You’ll have to put your name down if you want to play. Are you any good?

      "I’ve practiced a lot in the back yard with my Dad.

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