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William ‘Bill’ Kirkwood was, for the most part, a contented man. It was not, however, a contentment reached as a result of his achievements in life. In reality, up until he arrived at Aningie Station, Kirkwood’s life consisted mostly of a never-ending succession of failures. It seemed, at least to him, that whatever he attempted, he was forever falling short of the mark.
It was an unfortunate fact of life that most people placed certain expectations on others, and Bill Kirkwood was one of those who it was assumed by those close to him would attain a greater status in his life. Regardless of how achievable those expectations might have been, Bill never seemed to be able to reach them. It wasn’t that he didn’t try; he could never be called an unmotivated, indolent individual, it was jus
