The Morehouse clarion. [volume] (Bastrop, La.) 1874-1904, 1886-08-27

Of the arns, you see, and Dick put it into
my head that could make more money if
took to making fences; sharpening the
nails, and making the mortice-holes, and 4
stronger man setting them. did several
jobs at odd times, and was thought very
handy. Well. Mr.. Roland, during the time
of the drought, FIVE years ago, detexained
to send up lot of cattle to the north
where he had heard of plenty Of water and
grass, and form station there. Dick was
picked out as stockman; young gentle
man, a relation of Mr.. Rolands, as head
OF the party-a very foolish, conceited
young man, who knew very little of bush
life, and would not be taught There was
eight splitters and fencers, besides Charley
Anvlls, the blacksmith, and two bullock
drivers"
got leave to go because l wanted to
see the country, and Dick asked. Ny Mis.
sIs was sorely against my going. I was to
be store-keeper, as we'll as do any farming
and work, if wanted"
- We hed t~rc drnye, ar,a well .1il.co.
We were ntteen days going up before we got
into the new country, and then we travelled
five days, sometimes twenty -four hours
without water, and sometimes had to un-
load the drays two or three times day, to
get over creeks The fifth day we came to
very fine land; the grass met over our
horses necks, and the river was chain of
water-holes all full, and as clear as crystal
The kangaroos were hopping about as
plentiful as rabbits In warren and the
grass by the riverside had regular tracks of
the ernus, where they went down to drink"
We had been among signs of the
blacks, too, for five days, but had not seen
anything Of them, although we could hear
the devils cooling at nightfal and calling
to each other. We kept regular watch and
watch, at first--four sentinels, and every
man sleeping with his gun at hand"
NOW, as it was Dicks business to tail
(follow) the cattle, fye hundred head, I ad-
vised him to have his musket sawed off in
the barrel, SO az to be more handy size
for using on horseback He took my ad-
vice; and Charley Anvils made very good
job Of it, so that he could bring it under
his arm when hanging at his back from
rope sling, and fire it with one hand. 1t
was lucky thought of it, as it turned
out"
''At length the overseer fixed on spot
for station. 1t was very well for water
and grass, and a very pretty view, as he
S0A0 buu ~ w as wv ASdA u " ACI 9
the blacks would lay in ambush, for safety.
neck of land, where the waters protected
it all but one side, and there row of
fence would have made it secure"
well, We set to work, and soon had a
lot of tall trees down. Charley put up his
forge, and his grindstone, to keep the az
sharp, and I changed with him. Dick went
failing the cattle, and the overseer sat on
log, and looked on. The second day mob
of blacks came down on the opposite side
of the river They were quite wild. regu-
lar myGts; but some of our men, with
green branches, went and made peace with
them. They liked our bread and sugar;
and after a short time We had a lot Of them
helping to draw rails. fishing for us, bring
ino- ~iid honey. kangaroos rats, and fire.
ssran - 10 Be Isgs carefuf 81 our arms. We
gave them iron tomahaMks, and they seop
sum from hollow tree in half an hour with
one of our tomahawks, while it took day
with one OF their own stone ones"
i' And so the time passed very pleasantly
We worked away. The young l1cn ana girls
worked for US The chiefs adorEea them
selves with the trinkess and eio.aes we
gave them, and fshed and hunted, and
admired themselves in tie river"
= D.ck never trusted them he stuck to
his cattle he warned us not to trust them
aud the overseer called him blood thirsty
numbering blackguard, for his pains"
One day the whole party were at work
chopping and trimming weather boards for
the nut, the blacks helping as usual Twas
turning the grindstone for Charley Anvils,
and Dick was coming up to the dray to get
some tea, but there was brow of hill
between him and us; the muskets were all
piled up in one corner | heard howl,
and then scream-our camp was full of
armed blacks. When raised my head,
saw the chief, Captain Jack we called him,
with a broad AK IN his hand, and the next
minute he had chopped the overseer's head
clean off; in two minutes all my mates
were on the ground. Three or four came
run1ing up to us; one threw o spear at
me, which l half parred with pannikin
was using to wet the grindstone, but it fixed
deep in my hip, and part of it is, believe,
there still. Charley Anvils had an az in
his hand, and cut down the first two fellows
that came up to him, but he was f1oored in
a minute, with twenty wounds. They
were SO eager to kill me, that one Of them
luckily, or l should not have been alive
now, cut the spear in my hip short off
Another, q young lad l had sharpened
tomahawk for a few days before, chopped
me across the head you can see the white
hair Down fell, and nothing could
have saved us, but the other savages got
the tarpauling of, and were screaming with
delight, plundering the drays, which called
my enemies off. just then Dick came into
sight He saw what was the matter; but
although there were more than hundred
black devils, all armed, painted, bloody, |
and yelling, he never stopped or hesitated,
but rode slap through the camp, fred bang |
among them, killing two, and knocking out |
the brains of another. As he passed by a
top rail, where an axe was sticking, he
caught it up The men in the camp were
the rush there. and every one was hi b1afead
with several spears, or cut down from close
behind by axes in the hands Of the chiefs.
We. being farther off, had been attacked
by the boys only. Dick turned toward us,
and shouted my name. could not answer,
but 1 managed to sit up an instant; he
turned toward me, leaned down, and caught
me by the jacket and dragged me on before
him like log. just then Charley, who
had crept under the grindstone, cried "Oh,
Dick. don't leave me-" As he said that, .
lot of them came running down for they
had seen enough to know that unless they
killed us all, their job would not be half
gone. As Dick turned to face them they
dave way but flung spears; but they could
not hnrt him; they managed to get be-
tween US and poor Charley. Dick rode
back circuit, and dropped me among some
bushes on hill, where / could see all.
Four times he charged through and through
q whole mob, with an az in one hand and
his short musket in the other He cut them
down, right and left, as If he had been
moving; he scared the wretches, although
the old woman kept screeching and urg-
ing them Oh. as they always do Atlength,
by help of his stirrup-leather, he managed
to get Charley up behind him. He never