The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-05-22


valley close TO the shore. He climbed
tree and caught an opossum, and
also captured few kangaroo rats.
These animals supplied him with food.
After three days OReilly, still believ-
ing that Capt. Baker must be cruising
for him somewhere off the coast, re-
solved TO make another attempt to
board the whaler. The rowboat was
too heavy for him to pull alone. Six
or seven miles further up the beach he
found an old dory out, launched it,
made it watertight by plugging the
cracks with paper bark, and put to sea
alone.
Before night / had passed the head
land, and was on the Indian Ocean. |
knew there was current going north
ward. Next morning / gave up pull.
ing, and sat down to watch and wait.
1t was very bot. The sun famed
above, and the reflection from the ws :.
ter was scorching. That day, toward
noon, saw a sail. 1t was the Vigilent
there was no other vessel there. She
drew near to me, SO that | heard
voices on deck. | saw the men on the
lookout, but they did not see meat
least Capt. Baker says so. She sailed
away again, and was out of sight be-
fore night. The dew and cool air re-
freshed me, and resolved to pull back
to shore and wait for Maguire's re-
turn. pulled all night, off and on,
and in the morning saw the sand
hills at the headland of Geographic
Bay
After that second disappointment
OReilly left his sand valley no more.
He slept most of the time for five days,
and then Mcguire came back with good
news that Father McCabe had arrang-
ed for O'Reillys passage on another
New Bedford whaler, the Gazelle,
Capt. Clifford. But Mcguire also
brought an unwelcome travelling com
panion, one Martin Bowman, ticket
of-leave man, and one of the worst
characters of the colony. Bowman had
discovered the means of OReillys es-
cape, and had threatened to put the
police on the track unless ne was taken
off, too.
That nigh, we slept little, some one
always keeping an eye on Bowman.
We were up at daybreak, and soon
after we were afloat. We pulled
straight toward the headland, as Capt
Clifford had instructed. By noon we
saw the two whaleships coming along
with fine breeze. Toward evening
we heard hail, and somebody shouted
my name, and cried out, "Come on
board!' We were all overjoyed. We
pulled alongside, and was helped out
OF the boat by the strong arms Of Hen
ry Hathaway, the third mate. Capt.
Clifford made me welcome, and gave
me place in the cabin. Martin Bow
man, the escaped criminal was sent for
ward among the crew.
Six months afterward, when the Ga
zelle touched at Rederique, an English
island in the Indian Ocean, the Cover
nor came aboard searching for "an es-
capped convict from Australia, black
haired man. was standing near Mr.
Hussey, the mate, when the Governor
made the demand. Mr.. Hussey said
that no such person was on board. The
Governor answered that a man had es-
capped on the Gazelle. Mr.. Hussey
feared that he might seize the ship, so
he said that man of that description,
who had come on board off the coast
of Australia, might be the person. He
called Bowman, who every one on
board detested, and he was put in irons
and taken ashore. We knew that he
would tell the whole story (the wonder
is that he did not do it then but he
wished to make terms for his own re
lease.) That night the officers of the
Gazelle threw overheard the grind
stone, with my hat, while lay hid in
the Captains cabin. A cry of "Man
overheard " was raised, boat lower
ed, and the hat picked up. There was
on board some English ex. convicts who
had been shipped in Australian these
only waited TO get me re-taken. But
one of them utterly deceived by the
officers strategy, declared that be saw
me sink where my hat was picked up.
When the Governor came on board
next day to demand his prisoner the
flag was at half mast, and the officers
sorrowfully told him that the man he
probably wanted had jumped overheard
in the night and was drowned His
policemen went among the crew and
learned the same news Two days la
ter the Gazelle sailed from Roderique,
and l came on deck, much to the
amazement of the crew.
That ended Mr.. O'Reily's adven-
lures. OFF the Cape of Good Hope
Captain Clifford handed him thirteen
sovereigns, all the money he had, and
transferred him to the American ship
Sapphire. This ship took him to Liv-
erpool, where he was provided with a
secure hiding place until berth was
secured tor him on the Bath ship Bonn
bay, which landed him in Philadelphia
on November 23d, 1868, nine months
after he made his first break for the
Australian bush, NJ y San,