The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-11-22
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"Mr. Parker you are very young, and
appearances are deceitful. Adamson 10
a desperate character, an escaped pris-
oner from Port Arthur, a monster
stained with innumerable crimes. But
the Langfords in spite of their plausi-
BILE outward aspect, ARE the worst wretch
es of all. From their earliest years they
have pursued career of-Hark" he
exclaimed, springing to his feet ana
grasping his revolver, "they are coming
now" He pointed his weapon towards
the four corners of the tent, and contin-
ued, "They are coming from north, east,
south and west" As he spoke his face
changed, his eyes glittered with the
baleful glare of insanity. / once more
beheld the terrible figure which / had
believed to be the offspring of a brain
oppressed with nightmare, but which
| now perceived, too plainly, to be Q
sad reality.
Brocklebanks exclamations were not
altogether based on delusion, Rapid
| footsteps were without doubt approach
ing the tent, for the bulldog began to
growl ominously. A moment later
I heard . well-known voice saying.
"Down, Boxer don't you know us old
fellow?"
I" It's Langford," remarked, in an
explanatory tone, being convinced by
this time that Brocklebank was labor
ing under some unaccountable delu-
sion.
The words were scarcely out Of my
mouth, when he uttered sharp cry Of
anger, and suddenly seizing me by the
collar flung me on my knees. The
next instant / saw the muzzle of his re-
volver pointed at my head. "Parker"
he shouted, "you are traitor and viii
lain you are in league with the rest OF
the gang. l must kill you"
My chances of escape would have
baen small, for the whole of this terrific
scene bad been enacted in few seconds:
but at that critical moment, when the
homcide's hand was on the trigger, the
frail canvas door of the tent was thrown
open, and Langford and Adamson burst
in. Langford Immediately threw him
self on Brocklebank, while Adamson
seized the wrist of tho murderous hand
which held the revolver. The shot
7 which, q few moments earlier, would as
suredly have penetrated my brain,
, passed harmlessly through the roof OF
!. the tent. After brief struggle the un-
| fortunate maniac, for such l now plain.
+. ly perceived bim to be, was secured,
and held in safe custody until day.
4 light.
4 Langford lost no time in communicat-
q ing with Melbourne, where Brockle-
i, bank, who had been settled for sew
eral years in the colony, had many
"a friends, who held him in high estima-
i, tion. We afterwards learnt that, some
n years before, when at home in Liver
I pool, he had shown symptoms of men,
" tai arrangement, but that he had ap-
I parently been perfectly cured. The
# doctors recommended him, on his re-
d. covery, to seek totally new sphere OF
action, and he had accordingly emil
n. grated to the southern hemisphere
Since his arrival in Victoria no one
10. had detected in him any traces Of insan
tb ity, but the seeds of that fell malady
,s. had evidently only lain dormant, and
had suddenly sprung up in full vigor
"I A few days later, after careful medica
od examination, the poor fellow was re
: " moved from Iron Bark Gully to tn
re. Lunatic Asylum at the Yarra Bend
near Melbourne. am not aware wha
ell became Of him subsequently. 1t wa
: a doubtless in the confusion of mind con
md mon IN cases OF approaching lnsahit!
,ad that he had forgotten where he ha
placed the two parcels Of gold whiC
ion had caused me so much trouble.
nto AS for myself l shortly afterwar,
heard news of my London friends, wi
,ur- came out by the John Taylor, b
pf a found that neither of them was asuit
cit pie companion ior one WHO WIS uel,
his mined to serve steady apprenticesh
an to the trade of gold digging. Ha
her manual labor did not suit them; tn
hat only stayed three weeks on the mini
ter and then gave up the profession in d
an gust. They afterwards obtained mc
his congenial occupations, the one AS asst
I'M anti Il ready-made clothes mart in Gre
hat Bourke Street, the other a. adverti'
A. ment collector to Geelong neWspaI
ing of limited circulation, ! was, therefC
lade well content 10 remain In coinpa
and with Langford and Adamson. won
ers- ed for twelve months with them, a
With could not possibly have fallen in wi
his pleasahter or more trustworthy co
iced panions. None of us, however, ma
aim our fortunes at golddigging. We toll
con- steadily and perseveringly, we seldt
load sank q hole that had not some gold
,epy it, yet on reckoning up our earnings
her the end of the year, we found that
ftho had prospered about rs well rs NictC
the an day-labOrers, in constant emplt
, an ment, that is, we had earned about
,ank shillings dayapiecc. Notwithstandl
q his this comparatively ill.succeSs,I i shall
me ways rccollect with satisfaction
time spent on the Bendigo gold-il
rma- for laid in stock Of vigorous hea
r." and self-reliancc, which are bet
worth having than o tin dish full
end nuggets. At the same time i ne
see an alleged thief in custody with
Rob- remembering that once stood in
painful position, and thanking God
,um. my providential escape.
valu-
stOn- DEFECTIVE NhlMNErs s'-As
We weather approaches and fires becC