Litchfield enquirer., 1856-06-05


Around the wretched tenement were seats
formed of posts driven into the ground, sup
porting rude framework of branches These
covered with mass of boughs and leaves OF
the gum-tree, were to constitute the beds of our
travellers, as they had done those of their pre-
decessors
While Fritz was collecting this luxary his
elder companion, forgetting his learning and his
early-won fame in the scientific world drew
from their baggage small fryingpan and tin
pan bearing the familiar name of a billy, and
proceeded to slice solid piece of ham into the
frying pan. Anon, there commenced lusty
frying and cracking over the fire. Fritz
brought in the billy full of water, and set it to
boil F; and the place, with its two cheerful faces,
and very sayory smell floating through it, as
sumed a wondrously home like aspect Fritz,
humming some favorite Studenten Lied, threw
handful Of tea into the billy as it began to
boil, set, on the nearest bed, tin pannikins and
sugar, and the two comrades sat down to tea.
The wind roared, as if it would carry the
struggling trees all away together. Fritz de-
clared it was dark even now, and they mutu-
ally congratulated themselves on having reach h.
ed this shelter while it could be seen. But
bark at the moment that they were setting
about to enjoy themselves, the sound of horses
hoofs on the rocky ground caught their ear
AT the same instant came the thump of a heavy
whip or stick on the rude door, and a loud
" lilo there, within p Fritz started up, and
as he pluckcd open the hurdle, in stepped tall
man, STOPPING, as was needful from the humili-
ty Of the portal
what Fritz? what, mein leber Herr Pro
fpscor T1 ny,.I,n,nd n toll =, ,,ou &;
a dark green riding-coat and handsome jack
strangers. "Well, this is surprise though
one ought not to he surprised to meet you in
any savage spot. l saw light here to my
great wonder, and determined to take refuge
from the storm though it were with bushranger
or devil. Oh, what night dark as the low
est bit Of Erebus, and with suffocating wind
that sends the dead branches down upon your
ears in most pcrilous STYLE Had it not been
for my faithful Jack, must have given it up :;
but be tumbled along courageously, over stock
and stone"
But what in the world" said the two natu-
ralists, leads you here, doctor, in such
night ? Sit down, and tell US all about it over
a pannikin of tea"
But first, my horse, Jack" exclaimed the
doctor, who was the medical man from town
ship, some twenty miles distant and, stepping
ont, he brought up his horse to the light of the
door, took off his saddle, girthed his own rug
round his smoking body, and hung to his nose
u little bag of oats that he had carried with
him. This done, the friends sat down, and
commenced an animated conversation, which
ran through the recent adventures of the two
friends and the doctors, too, who, it turned out,
had been over the mountains to a new settle
ment, ut a most urgent call to sick man, and
prOportonatc fee.
A case Of life and DEATH" said he, "and
really almost Of the same to the doctor. May
the settlement flourish and set up its own sur
gcon for never wish to 60 their again. Fifty
miles through these terrible ranges, on the
edge of Winter, is no trife one ought to make
ones will before attempting it."
Here the doctor seeing his horse had finished
his oats, jumped up, and little Fritz, with
flaming brand, took the animal to be company
for the nuturalist's horse, in the little sheltered
glen, just by. Returned to the blazing fire,
they once more blessed their stars for SO cp-
perfume a shelter, drank pannikin afer pann-
kin Of tea, digested many good slice Of ham,
aud baked in luxurious content in the glow Of
the ample FIRE.
This has been some robbers den, take my
word for it," said the doctor. "Some despe-
rate convict skulked here till he found means
to'get over to the other side, and the goldfelds
But what times these are to those Of our IA
theirs in the island The Mosquito came down
upon them with the enraged natives, and Mich
ael Howe and his gang spread terror from the
lamar to the Derwent. There is story-a
wonderful one-told of those times, which few
who hear it will believe yet, it is quite true
and has been mentioned by West in his history
of the colony.
"At the time when heavy sum was offered
for the capture Of Howe, alive or dead, aud
when the desperate fellow was so hunted and
laid wait for, that he was irritated TO state of
deadly ferocity-a convict happened to make
his escape He bolted to the woods in moth
ing but the bright yellow suit which the social
ed anary-birds, the convicts, wear. He had
made his way up the country, by venturing to
approach shepherds and solitary stockmen, who
were often of the class, and actuated by the
fellow-feeling which makes swondrous kind
From them he had procured dampcr enough to
carry him on, and at length, arriving in the
mountains, he encountered the celebrated BAN
dit, at the head of gang of his desperate fol-
lowers.
"' Eth, mate said Howe, whittier away p
To join the bushrangers,' said the man ;
have made my escape.s
That won't pass, my friend said Howe,
bouncing savagely on the man. This is a stale
dodge won't do here it has been tried too
often. Rather tempting, eh!-that price on
INV head Rut vesva cattlad All that IT,,