The Morehouse clarion. [volume] (Bastrop, La.) 1874-1904, 1886-08-27
TW0-HANDED DICK.
ADVENTURES, IN THE AUSTRALIAN
BUSH.

son, / put up for the night at a small,
weather bound inn, perched halfway up
mountain range, where several Bush SER
wants on the tramp had also taken refuge
from the down pouring torrents. ! 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 q 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. I grimly puffed at my pipe III
silence, allowing the bubble bubble of the
Bushman's gossip to flow through my un-
noting ears.
Fortunately for my peace, the publican's
stock of rum had been exhausted. and, az
! was the last conner, all the broiling and
frying had ceased; but party sat around
the fire, evidently set in for a spell o;
'yarning." At first the conversation ran in
ordinary channels such as short reminis-
cences Of old world rascality and pcrils in
the Bush, till at length topic arose which.
seemed to have paramont interest for all
This was the prowess of certain person
called : Two Handed Dick. the Stockman"
. Yes. yes; I'll tell you what it is.
iuaICSs SAu OHC, tIlo CCHtOHuGSu IGtuti1yss
and writing, gives plain fellows like yon
and me no chance now, if it were to come
to fighting for living. don't care whether
i vas haf migq.s sms VI Aafasa aEshea Eahlss
if You and me, and Two Handed Dick,
wouldn't take the whole Legislative coun-
Gil. the governor and judges--one down,
tother come on. Though. to be sure, Dick
could thrash any two of u.s.
WAS too tired to keep awake, and tlozeG
off. to be again and again disturbed with
cries of 8 bravo. Dick ! - That's your
sort. : Hooray, Dick all signifying
approval of that individuals conduct in
some desperate encounter, which formed
LIE subject OF a stirring narrative.
For months after that night this idea
Of Twc-lIantled Dick haunted me. but the
u-tie OF cstsbl sh.ng new station at length
drove it ont of my head.
suppose year had elapsed from the
light when the fame of the double-fst ed
sSocllmaa first reached me. had to take
three days journey to buy score of fine
Woolsd rams, through a country quite new
80 me, which chose because it was a short
cut recently discovered. I got over, the
:irst day. forty FIVE miles comfortably. The
second d y. in the evening, ] met an ILL.,
iooking fellow walking with a broken mus
ket, and his arm in sling. He seemed
aulky, and | kept my hand on my double
barre,ed pistol all the time / was talking
10 him. He begged little tea and sugar,
which I coald not spare, but threw him
!: fs5 Of tobacco. In answer to my questions
about his arm he told me, with string OF
caths. that a bull, down in some mimosa
flats, q days journey ahead, had charged
him, flung him Ditoa a water-hole. broken his
arm. and made him lose his sugar and tea.
Dag. Bulls III Australia are generally quiet.
but this reminded me that some of the
Highland black cattle imported by the
australian Company, after being driven off
Dy party of Gully Rakes (cattle stealers).
fii;d escipcd INTO The mountains and turned
gnite w.id. Out of this herd, which was
OF breed quite unsnited to the country,
bNll soinatimes. when driven off by strong
CT rival. would descend to the mirnosa
Hats and wander about, solitary and dam
,erous.y fierce.
1t st. uck me, as rode off, that it was
quite as well my friends arm and musket
had been disabled, for he did not look the
sort OF man it would be pleasant to meet
4 thicket of scrub, if he fancied the
horse you rode. So, keeping one eye over
my shoulder, and o sharp lookout for anv
traveller Of the same breed, rode aff at
brisk pace. ! made out afterwasa .hat
my foot-friend was Jerry johnson, hung for
shooting bullock driver the following year.
At sundown, when reached the hut
where intended to sleep, found it de-
serted, and so full Of feas I thought il
better to camp out; go I hobbled out old
Graytail on the best piece of grass could
find, which was very poor indeed.
The next morning, when / went to look
for my horse, he was nowhere to be found.
put the saddle on my head and tracked
him for hours; it was evident the Door
beast had been travelling away in search
of grass. / walked until my feet were one
mass OF blisters; at length, when about to
give up the search in despair, having quite
LOST the track on stony ground, came
upon the marks quite fresh in a bit of
swampy ground, and a few hundred yards
further found master Graytail rolling in the
mud OF nearly dry water-hole. as COM
sortably as possible. I put down the saddle
and called him. At that moment heard
-oud roar and crash in scrub behind me,
and out rushed, at q terrific pace, black
Highland bull, charging straight at me.
had only Just time to throw myself on one
side, dat on the ground, as he thundered by
me. Ny next move was to scramble among
small clump of trees-one of great size,
the rest were mere saplings.
The bull. having missed his mark. turned
again, and first reyenged himself by tossing
my saddle up in the air, until fortunately It
lodged in some bushes; then, having smelt
me out, ne commenced circuit around
the trees, stamping, paving, and believing
frightfully. With his red eyes. and long
sharp horns, he looked like demon. I
was quite unarmed, having broken my
knife the day before my pistols were in