Jack & Harry Read Online Free PDF

waited for lunch. Jack’s brothers and sisters were pleased to have the two older boys at home for the day but their childish games and noise made Harry and Jack even more bored.
    After lunch that consisted of left over chops, sausages and salad from the previous day’s barbecue they went into the garage to start putting the billycart together. Jack’s father reversed the car out onto the front lawn where he proceeded to give it its weekly wash. Jack was proud of his car, a near new, cream coloured Holden FX sedan with red leather upholstery, even though it belonged to the company. Alice had a small Austin Ten that she somehow managed to cram all the kids into to take them to school and do the shopping when Jack was away on a buying trip. It was old but honest and Jack couldn’t bring himself to upgrade it as they had owned it for many years and it was almost part of the family.
    The boys tinkered in the shed with much banging of nails and sawing of wood and by mid afternoon the cart was beginning to take shape. Jack had rescued four wheels from an old pram that was destined for the rubbish tip and with a piece of rope attached to the front cross piece for steering the boys were keen to try it out down the slope in the road outside the house.
    â€˜Dad?’ Jack asked tentatively. ‘Would it be OK if we just gave the billycart a trial run down the road?’
    Jack stood up from where he was crouched beside the car cleaning the wheels and thought for a minute. ‘Yes, I suppose so. You’ve been pretty good and haven’t whinged about stayin’ in the yard … but just a couple of runs though then it’s back behind the fence.’
    â€˜Thanks, Mr Ferguson,’ Harry said.
    â€˜Thanks, Dad.’ They wheeled the cart down the driveway through the double wooden gates and onto the road. ‘I’m goin’ first.’ Jack exercised his priority as owner/builder.
    The first run with Jack on board and Harry push-starting him down the slope revealed some adjustment was needed to the steering so they sat on the footpath at the bottom of the hill and began to make some modifications to the rope attached to the steering.
    â€˜I thought you blokes were grounded. Did ya pinch that cart too off some other kid?’ Billy Munse swept past them on the other side of the road and pulled up some distance away, one foot on the pedal to make a hasty departure if it was necessary.
    â€˜Piss off, Billy, you dobber,’ Harry responded. ‘Come over here if you’re game and say it again.’
    â€˜What are ya doin’ over here, Billy, why aren’t ya at home makin’ up more lies to tell to ya Dad?’ Jack threw at him.
    â€˜They were not lies. My dad says you’ll both be in big trouble with the coppers and will probably end up in jail for what ya tried to do.’ Billy edged his bike even further away as insurance to avoid any possible attack the boys might launch at him.
    â€˜It’s just your word against ours, Billy,’ Jack said. ‘There are two of us and only one of you so we have a better chance when it comes to makin’ statements and we’l be tellin’ the truth. Yours will be just a pack of lies.’ Jack turned back to the billycart on the nature strip.
    â€˜I’ve got witnesses.’ As soon as he said it Billy felt a hot flush of remorse colour his cheeks. His father would kill him if he knew what he had said. ‘Keep this between us, William,’ His father had warned. ‘The element of surprise.’
    â€˜What witnesses?’ Jack stood up from the billycart. ‘There wasn’t anyone else there.’
    â€˜Yeah … and how can someone witness somethin’ that didn’t happen anyway?’ Harry added.
    â€˜There was people there.’ Billy was committed now. Having spilt the beans prematurely he had left himself no option but to continue.
    â€˜People? What people? We never saw