The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-04-01
My Adventures in Australia.

=
small, weather-bound inn, perched half
way up mountain range, where sever
nj Bush servants on the tramp had also
taken refuge from the down pouring tor
rents. had had long and fatiguing
ride over very bad country, so, after
supper, retired into the furthest corner
of the one room that served for " kitchen
and parlor, and ALL" and there, curled
up in my blanket, in preference to the
bed offered by our host, which was none
of the cleanest, with half shut eyes, /
grimly puffed at my pipe in silence, al
lowing the bubble-bubble of the Bush
mans gossip to flow through my un-
noting ears.
Fortunately for my peace, the publi-
cans stock of rum had been exhausted,
and, as was the the last conner, all the
broiling and frying had ceased; but "a
party sat around the fire, evidently set
in for spell of yarning." At first
the conversation ran in ordinary chan
nels, such as short "reminiscences of old
world rascality and perils in the Bush,
till at length topic arose which seemed
to have paramount interest for all.
This was the prowess of certain per-
son called 1.-Two Handed Dick, the
Stockman."
"Yes, yes; IN tell you what it is,
mates," said one, "this confounded
reading and writing, gives plain fellows
like you and me no chance; now, if it
were to come to fighting for living, L
don't care whether it was half minute
time or London rules, rough and tum-
BILE, or single-stick, or swords and bay
onets, or tomahawks-I'm dashed if you
and me,and Two Handed Dick, wouldn't
take the whole Legislative council, the
governor and judges-one down, t'other
come on. Though, to be sure, Dick
could thrash any two of u.s."
was too tired to keep awake, and
dozed off, to be again andagain disturbed
with cries of " bravo, Dick!'' "That's
your sort!'' Hooray, Dick !" all signi-
flying approval of that individuals con-
duct in some desperate encounter, which
formed the subject of stirring nara
tive.
For months after that night this idea
of Two-Handed Dick haunted me, but
the hustle of establishing new station
at length drove it out of my head.
suppose year had elapsed from the
night when the frame of the double
fisted stockman first reached me. 1 had
to take three days journey to buy
score of fine-wooled rams, through a
country quite new to me, which chose
because it was short cut recently dis
covered. I got over, the first day, forty
five miles comfortably.
The second day, in the evening, met
an Unlocking fellow walking with
broken musket, and his arm in sling
He seemed sulky, and 1 kept my hand
on my double-barreled pistol all the
time l was talking to him. He begged
little tea and sugar, which could not
spare, but threw him fig of tobacco.
In answer to my questions about his
arm, he told me, with string of oaths,
that bull, down in some mimosa
flats, days journey ahead, had charg-
ed him, flung him into water.h hole,
broken his arm, and made him lose his
sugar and tea-bag.
Bulls in Australia are generally quiet,
but this reminded me that some of the
Highland black cattle imported by the
Australian Company, after being driven
off by party of Gully Rakes (cattle
stealers,) had escaped into the noun
tains and turned quite wild. Out of
this heard, which was of breed quite
unsuited to the country, bull some
times, when driven off by a stronger
rival, would descend to the mimosa
flats, and wander about, solitary and
dangerously fierce.
1t struck me, as l rode off, that it was
quite as well my friends arm and mus
ket had been disabled, for he did not
look the sort of man it would be
pleasant to meet in a thicket of scrub,
if he fancied the horse you rode. So
keeping one eye over my shoulder, and
a sharp lookout for any traveller of the
same breed, l rode off at q brisk pace.
l made outafterward that my foot-friend
was jerry Johnson, hung for shooting
bullock driver the following year.
Atsundown, when 1 reached the hut
where intended to sleep, / found it de-
serted, and SO full of fleas, 1 thought it
better to camp out; so / hobbled out