St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-02-21
/" BAIL UP, THERE Y
A Thrilling Experience in the Aus
tralian Bush.

SIN 49, / was Deputy Governor of
Melbourne Gaol, and, upon one occa-
sion, having important business which
called me to Geelong, booked my place
on the mail car, which was the only
public conveyance available, and took
my seat on the box ON one of those de-
liciously balmy mornings so common
in that country but little experienced
here.
There were but three passengers, the
,car-driver and guard, and we ratified
along at brisk pace, conversing freely
upon various topics. Among others,
the vexed question of Free Trade vs..
Protection supplied US with ample ma
terials for animated discussion. Being
a stanch Radical in politics was elo-
,quent in favor of the former, and di-
lated freely upon the numerous ad-
vantages enjoyed by the 'sold country
in consequence thereof, winding up my
peroration by standing up, waving my
pocket handkerchief and shouting at
the top of my voice, free trade for
ever, when bang-ping-ping- What
could be the matter? We were not
kept long in suspense, for two men
suddenly emerged from the bush with
the cry which sent thrill
of horror to the heart of many tray
eler in these regions, "Bail up, there"
which is equivalent to the old highway
mems challenge, 'tYour money or your
life:' The car-driver mechanically
pulled up his horses, evidently fearing a
repetition of the revolver practice,
which might not prove so harmless as
the first, but |, perhaps more from long
acquaintance with the class OF men by
whom we were assailed than from in
difference to danger, seized the reins
and whip from the paralyzed driver and
dashed the horses into furious gallop.
'Pingi pingIp went the bullets most
unpleasantly close to our ears; how
ever, we were getting well beyond their
reach, and every bound of the in
furiated animals carried us further from
danger, when to our dismay, one of the
wheelers stumbled badly, and was by
reason of the great speed at which we
were going unable to regain his footing,
and after a short but desperate struggle,
fell heavily. We fastened to dismount
in hopes of getting the poor animal
upon his legs and starting again before
the robbers could come up with us,
but we were disappointed, for we Were
soon overtaken by them. The first, q
powerful man seized me roughly by the
throat, and, presenting a revolver to
my head, coolly informed me that,
upon my making the slightest resist.
ance, he would blow out my brains,
and suddenly releasing me from his
iron grasp, he, still keeping the re-
volyer to my head, drew another with
his disengaged hand and covered =
my companions generally with it, with
the remark that his friend would now
proceed to business, at the same
time loosely intimating that, prob
ably, my political opinions had under
gone a sudden change, and that
might want a little protection,
which pleasantly, being so much to the
point, Notwithstanding the serious as
pect of affairs, caused general laugh
at my expense. " Business was
quickly proceeded with by bushranger
No. 2 binding the GARDINER and guard,
whom he then assisted to mount the
car, after which he performed similar
kind offices for the other two passen-
gers, my turn coming last, for the
reason, / think, that the robbers de
tected my intention to avail myself OF
the slightest relaxation of watchful-
ness on their part to make sudden
and determined resistance, an inten-
ton / certainly had, but which was
efectually frustrated by the close at
tention paid me by him of the two re-
yolvers.
Being all aboard, the first bushranger
took the relns, the other keeping guard
over us with the dreaded weapons, and
we found ourselves being hurried away
in The direction of the Geelong sands.
Arrived there the quondam car-driver
alighted, deliberately embarrassed the
horses, and we were one by one assisted
from the car and bound, some to the
wheels, others TO the pole of the car,
Sspread-eag fashion The robbers
now proceeded to rifle our pockets OF
everything valuable, and next to open
the mail bags, confscating numerous
letters containing notes and Wantonly de-
stroying yalueless ones (from their point
OF view. Having taken everything
which they could, without risk of dis
i