A Bushman's Tail

By Lindsay Johannsen

All countries have some interesting local characters out in their rural back blocks, but these two somewhat defective old-timers are in a league of their own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lindsay Johannsen
• Release date: Aug 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311096227

Lindsay Johannsen

There's not a lot to tell really, though on reflection, looking back on it through the lens of one’s recollections and memories, the whole business seems more akin to an extended Huckleberry Finn adventure, but set in the vastness of Central Australia. Born, raised and schooled in Alice Springs; taken from the leafy glades of learning mid-way through Year-eight to work at my father's remote little copper mine; later employed for some years driving his cattle-hauling road trains – him having pioneered road trains and the cattle hauling business (see "Kurt Johannsen: A Son of the Red Centre"). Married in the fullness of time; built a bush homestead on the northern edge of the Simpson Desert and raised a family there, all while running a small tungsten mining business and provisioning the hundred or so Aboriginal people local to the area who adopted us. Sold our mine and homestead a few years after the kids had flown the coop, acquired a forty foot (12m) touring coach, converted it into a big steel-wheel mobeel Palaise-de-passion motor home and took to the roads of this great land of Oz - in the main visiting our offspring (most of whom had moved to coastal regions), our grandchildren generally and a couple of great grandies, plus various friends and associates from years gone by. So these days all I have to do is keep the missus happy – my Bride my Precious Lamb and Flower of the Early Mid Morning. 'Anywhere you wish, my darling,' I tell her. 'You just say the word and we'll be on our way.' So it's free as the breeze, we are now, out and about having wild and exciting adventures and being amazingly cool generally. Best job I ever had.

Book preview

A BUSHMAN’S TAIL

Published by Lindsay Johannsen at Smashwords

Copyright Lindsay Johannsen 2014

Smashwords Edition Licence Notes.

By now you will be aware that I have tried to enhance your personal enjoyment of this short story ebook by making it available to you free of cost. I insist on maintaining my copyright, however, though until such time as this notice is amended I am happy for you to disseminate, reproduce, copy or distribute it amongst your friends for non-commercial purposes to your heart’s content, provided the story remains complete and in its original form. My preference, though, is for you to recommend to others that they download it from Smashwords themselves, so enriching my life with a warm glow of satisfaction in lieu of monetary reward. Thank you.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-publication Data:

Author: Johannsen, Lindsay Andrew

Title: A Bushman’s Tail

Cover art and design by the author.

Also published at Smashwords by the same author:

A novel: McCullock’s Gold

Uncle Jasper and the Eighty Acres – a short story.

To order the McCullock’s Gold paperback version or contact the author please visit

www.vividpublishing.com.au/lajohannsen

A BUSHMAN’S TAIL

What do you know about min-min lights?" Teddy Washpan asked me late one night. We’d finished our meal by this time, cleaned and put away our plates and closed the tucker box. Now, with the half moon up, we were relaxing by the campfire with a smoke and a mug of