New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-07-19

Of mr. 46bscc6 and advised me to sleep away
from tie ire since it WAS possible that the blacks
might creep up and throw in shower Of spears
took the hint, relied myself IN my blanket
ind. iii spite 0f MI nisgivings, fell asleep. AL
sunrise, awakening stiff and chilly, found my
blanket gone. Fortunately had nothing else
worth taking about me; my friends had not rob-
bod me of my horse. The great hollow gum
tree which had formed the FIRE still smouldered
90 / warmed myself before it, and nibbled bill
or the damper left behind by my departed hosts
y On the evening Of the same day reached
my station, fortnight afterwards, Bald
fkc6d Tom came up with the light cart from
Msit,And, snd thereewas great mirth in the
rriso hut. The Joke was in due time inn
psrt6d to me- Moody's overseer-who had the
credit, like his master, Of serving out short ra-
tions, and getting the men too freely hogged-
had met two hQYs in the Tea-tree Flats, had
III tak1I aF ~ horse, stripped, tied to . tree,
al pr Ned With q service Of three dozen
laskes u course, he waS ut to 60 home as he
might b able, naked, and on foot From the
description, at once knew that these six men
4 had been my Supper companions in the bush.
h Tint was ny first adventure; nothing very
Eezrible The next day, however, you will find,
& vas serious enough and these two are all the
stories Of bush peril that can tell you from my
own experience.
& Was going down to Sydney, after two years
\ il The bush, only varied By an occasional jour
ley 10 South Australia. My hool had gone on
3 week before, and my. intended COMPANION,
Charley Malcolm had disappointed me, being
suddenly prevented from travel by affection OF
+ the heart He had seen, and married within a
week, pretty Scotch girl who had come into
cur district as nurse in the doctors family /
set ont accordingly, alone, with carbine at my
back. and two of the best kangaroo dogs in the
country for my escort, riding horse no man
ever can own twice in single life. bought
him, at two years old, from the stockman by
when he was bred, at j very lorg price, and
had spent great deal more pains in training
him than we can generally afford in the bush,
TO horse flesh. We set out, as usual, at a foot
pace, to do thirty mile stages, which would
bring Us to Maitland in Eve Or six days On the
very first day was tempted foolishly to chase q
stray emu, because | had promised few fea-
thefs TO some Sydney friends The emu was
caught; hut Moonlight, my horse, putting his
foot into . w0mbat- hole, gave me a fall over his
head, BY which tie stock Of my carbine was
snapped asunder So, for the rest of the jour-
ney, I was doomed to go unarmed
Before getting to Liverpool Plains, at O Bush
Inn, where passed the night, there was great
talk about . certain One-eyed Dick, bush
K ranger. whom the mounted police had been seek
ing for the last three weeks. In chase Of him,
few days before my arrival, they had shot his
away into the scrub, and find hiding place
among the rocks 1t was supposed that he was
BY this time driven to extremities, and no one
would dare to help him, if there had been any
one inclined, and he could not venture SO much
as to Light q fire to cook his food, lest the smoke
Or flame might betray. his whereabouts to the
.pursuers. sHe was a murderons fellow, for whom
y No one had q good word and it seemed to be
agreed on all sides, that, if he did not find means
IN
district, his life would not be worth many weeks
purchase. Being tired, and knowing full we'll
that bush travellers were given to ornament
their narratives, paid little attention at the
time to all this gossip, and went drowsily to bed
Crossing the ranges on the following day,
had TO pursue narrow track along the steep
side Of hill which went down by steps into the
valley Before reached the open forest, as
WIS winding round long peninsula Of rocks,
my dogs dashed after kangaroo In another
minute Twas hailed by voice Immediately
overhead, shouting, with wild oaths, Bail up,
or Eli blow ont your brains r L caueIt "a
lisaPse of an extremely ugly face, and of the
nuzzle Of rusty fnusket. There was no time
f0r consideration. The gentleman above required
my horse regarded that horse as my choicest
treasure. Therefore Ipressed the horses Sides
threw myself Hat on his back, and away We
went tumbling, rather than gal1oping, along the
narrow pathway OF uneven stones. The mus
ket, Of course, was discharged and the slugs
whistled round me, raking up the skin of nv
neck and shoulders. But we soon turned the
peninsula from which the bush ranger had fred.
The narrow defle into the open forest being
partly blocked up by asmall tree that had fallen
across it, the gentlemen Of bush was taking
short cut to meet me at this point, holding his
musket dubbed, ready to deal, when he could |
ct At me, q desperate blow. He had evidently |
~ his mind on bestriding Moonlight.
Y. We got to the barrier nearly at the same
tune. Moonlight went at and cleared the tree
Ikea kangaroo but, as he alighted on the
other side, he tripped and, struck upon his head
among the brambles. Irolled over him, still
holding firmly by the reins. 1t was well for me
that the hush-ranger, being ont Of breath,
missed the blow aimed at my devoted head II
WAS parried for me by the strong arm Of an
overhanging tree, which caused the musket toll
recnii at an unexpected moment with SO much
force as to fly out Of the ruffian's hand, md to
tumble down the hill side, Ny horse rose, and
the man ran to seize him, shouting threats and
oaths against me which do not think needful
70 repeat. Istillmaintained my hold upon the
reins and the stirrup My blood was up; and
NTH ~! my torceI cut my assailant across the
fsce with my double stick whip Then he
grappled with me. and we fell. He was bigger,
'hroeder man than I, but starvation had weak
ened him, and was in the better condition for a
.sETestle. We rolled over and over, at first each
trying to get the other down / had his left
Nrizt graspedi IN my right hand; my left hand,
missing his throat, tugged at his chin and beard.
He clenched my handkerchief in his fist and
dng his knuckles into my throat, and would
certainiy have strangled me, had not my hand
kerchief (which was thin-given way. Then he
attempted to get out his knife; but in the mo-
ment when he put down his right hand-being
then nndermost--I threw back my own head
and struck him stout blow on his only eve. l |
do not know how long the struggle lasted, but
my strength began to fail His Knees were once
or twice upon my chest, and although threw
him of, my hands were losing power rapidly.
g Until / felt that his endurance surpassed
mime until Sdespaired--I had been silent, /
while my antagonist most vehemently swore
summoned, however, at last, my failing strength
for n loud shout. In a very little while his
cursing took the form of wild howl of rage
and pain, his grasp relaxed, and l saw him
fighting at the jaws of my fierce and faithful
dogs Supporting myself on my hands and
knees, I, like d savage, urged them on in feeble
Whispers they were my last hope and my strong
nope. One dog had the robber by the throat,
the other had plunged his sharp muzzle into his
side. Shrleking horribly he wri thed and fought
NTH them As soon as could gather strength
I arose, and with faltering steps followed my
horse, who waited, trembling, for his master.
1 mounted, and without looking back, pushed
over ffteen miles until we halted at q cattle
station. My dogs did not follow me. I wa;ted