Arthur relates the tale of how poor Nelgi lost her tail. Arthur came out in the 1948 party.
It was just before Christmas of 1952/53, and i was on dairy duty at the Fairbridge Farm Molong.. Myself and some other trainees including my mate Brocky were doing the hand milking. Machine milking had not commenced then. There was always fierce competition as too see which team could set the fastest time to complete the milking. As a result clangers were made. Oh boy did i make one.
I was busy milking a young cow, with fine good size teats and a well shaped udder namely Negli, when she decided to whip me in the face with her urine laden tail. I was not impressed,despite her doing so, to get off the pesky flies, ever present in the milking bails. Well i thought i fix you, i tied her tail to the chain holding her in the bail.. The milking was finished, and i opened the bail door, the cow exited bellowing,( which was puzzling i thought). I soon discovered why. Her tail was still attached to the bail chain..
I hurriedly threw the stump of the tail under the nearby tankstand. Poor Negli with her bloodied stump of a tail,was maimed for life. Brocky, luckily had the cows down the race and into the paddock, before Ted came on the scene.
The sequel to this story is rather surprising as far as Ted Begley was concerned. I revisited Fairbridge in later years clad in my RAAF uniform, i talked to Ted and he remarked to me. You know Novis, i still owe you a hiding and a kick for what you did to Negli. Ted never touched me for that incident. I remember it all, as if it were yesterday. Arthur.
