The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-09-01

t;I!:% the greatest pleasure IL giving
:.r;nr.c details of the different outragcs
Us $;!lcy lad occurred, and always spoke
rs il he had been an eyewitness. But
50 thorough was NY brothers belief IL
:!:s Few friend that even this did not
shake his faith.
When within few days of the jour
rcy's end, the stranger suddenly and
quite unexpectedly declared his inten-
ton Of parting company. He offered NO
cxpi:.natioo as to his reason for doing so,
though all through he had seemed anxi-
ol;s 70 impress it on them that he III
tended to go the entire way to the dig
eings wit: them. No questions were
%si:c;i.
After a genera! and hearty leave
taking, which, however, did not inspire
m"ch confidence, as they were still within
range of possible attack. He asked my
brother to take q last walk with him, and
led the way into the bush further than
lie had ever brought him before, and Il
lo2g distance from the beaten track.
The first words the stranger said were:
::Mate, don't you carly revolver?
The answer was: Eyes, and first
class one Not such SIS are got out here.
l brought it from home. y
"Sh0w it to me-" said the stranger, Il
love real good weapon and without
tic slightest hesitation my brother hand
ed him the revolver. which he examined
carefully, and saw that the chambers
were loaded. He remarked that it was
the '.prettiest weapon" he had handled
for long time.
Ee walked few steps in advance,
and, turning round suddenly, he pre-
sented the revolver at my brothers head,
calling ont in a commanding tone:
Stand" his countenance so changed as
scarcely to be recognized.
At last my brother felt that he stood
face to face with the terrible bushranger,
but did not lose his presence of mind.
For moment there was q profound
silence, first broken by the stranger say
ing: '.Is there anything on earth to pre-
vent my blowing out your brains with
your own weapon, placed in my hands
of your own free Will? The wild bush
round Us, I know its every twist and
turn. The man is not living who could
track my footsteps through its depths,
where ( alone am lord and master.
Speak, man! What is there to prevent
me?'
With throbbing heart and quick
ened pulse my brother answered: ''Noth-
ing but Your sense of honor.
The mans face frightened, and his
voice resumed its friendly tone, and
handing back the revolver, he said: "We
stand now on an equal footing. You
hold nv life in your hands, as I held
yours a moment ago. Yes, boy, and
your own fortune too, but I trust You,
as vou trusted me. / would not hurt a
hair of your head, and I have spared
others for your sake. How, you Will
never know; but they owe you a deep
debt of gratitude. You are o noble
hearted fellow; and through the rest OF
nv stormy life I will look back with
pleasure on the time we have passed to-
gether. But mate, you are the greatest
fool I ever met. brought you here
to-day to give you lesson which I hope
You viii bear in mind. You are going
amongst a rough, lawless crew; never as
long .as you live, trust any man as you
have trusted me to-day. Where you are
bound for, your revolver will be your
only true friend; never let it out of your
own keeping to friend or foe. You are
far too trusting. There was not man
but yourself among those from whom l
have just parted who did not believe
from the moment I joined them that l
was Jack, the bushranger. Well, mate,
am not going to tell you who or what
am, or how or why came among you;
but of this rest assured, that you have
no truer friend. You will never know
what have done for your sake. Now,
mate, goodbye forever. We will never
meet again in this world, and it is best
for you it should be so" Then leading
him back to the track by which he could
reioin his party, he wrung my brothers
hand, turned and walked quickly into
the bush, leaving no doubt upon my
brothers mind that the friend he had so
loved and trusted was indeed the dreaded
bushranger.
They never did meet again.. Ny
brother came home to die; and unless
my memory deceives me, Jack was shot
dead in skirmish with the military.