The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-09-02
JACK,,>THE BUSIIRANGER.
? A THRILLING STORY OF TIE Nus
TRALIAN HUSH.

The Strange Experience of nn English Gyntlc-
man Who Went Gold Hunting i'm II Country
Where No NInn Could Chill His Life snlc.
(From the Atlanta Constitation.)
Reading in your journal an article
headed GA Bushrangcr Intervicwcd,"
says writer i'll Chambers, recalls to my
memory strange incident which oc-
CURED some years ago to my own broth
or, when on his way from Sydney to the
gold fields, and for the accuracy Of
which I can vouch.
At the time of his arrival i'll Australia
tho country was in state Of panic; IL
reign of terror existed, caused by the
daring outragcs committed on parties Oh
tho journey to and from tho diggings.
Robbery with violence, escorts shot
down, and large consignmCnts Of gold
carried off, were of daily occurrence.
The bush was infested by gang OF dCS-
pcrato bushrangcrs. whose leader, under
the cognomcn Of "Jnck," seemed to bear
a charmed life. For years he had cvaded
all the efforts made to capture him,
though tho military had secured the
bush. No sooner was on outrage pcrpC-
tratcd than all trace OF the perpetrators
was lost, as if the ground had swallowed
them. lie had n perfect knowledge of
tho most secret movements Of tho par
ties he attacked. Hcsccmcd ubiquitous,
outragcs occurring i'll such rapid sue
cession and SO far apart. Such an air of
mystery hung about him that q super
stitious feeling mingled with the mortal
terror he inspired. lie was represented
by some persons who had seen him rs a
ilnc, powerful, looking man, with nothing
forbidding in his appearance.
Even the mad thirst for gold could not
induce the bravcst person to undertake
the journey alone. The gold-5ccAcrs
Travelled i'll large cavalcadcs, well armed,
and determined to fight for their lives
and property; one of these parties my
brother joined. lie was Il haHtlsomc
young follow, all fun and love OF adycn-
Iurc, and he soon became general
favoritc. The "tracll"-for there were
no roads ut that timc-ran for the great
er distance through the brush, some
parts OF which were SO dCnsC as scarcely
to admit daylight. Every man WAS we'll
armed. My brother had brought with
him Il first class revolver, purchased i'll
London. This he kept with other valu-
ables carefully hidden on his person, his
other belongings being slowed away in
one OF tho wagons. When they
bivouackcd for the night, care WAS taken
that 1t was an open space, where 4 good
lookout could be kept, to make sure
against sudden surprise. The wagons
were placed i'll the middle, scntrics
posted, and scouts placed so that the
flight Of q bird or the fall Of a leaf could
not pass unnoticcd. All were on the
qui vivc For some days all went we'll,
nothing unusual or alarming occurring.
They were then we'll into the bush, and
consequently, if possible, more Yigilant,
DclleIlng that even mouse could not
l2trudc itself among them.
One morning it was found that during
the nighG. ICY had been, spite Of all thcil
bly, joined by Il stranger, who stood in
their midst us if one OF themselves. No
one could imagine how or whence he came,
and utter rastOnishmcntpr prevailed. He was
line, portly man, from thirty-ivc to
forty years OF age, with an open, pre-
possessing countcnancc and good adj
drcss-onc who, under other circum-
stances, would have been an acquisition
to the party. Not in the least taken
aback or abashcd by the scant welcome
he received or the undisguiscd SURPRISE
ais presence created, he came forward
boldly and told most plausible story tO
the effect that he was q stranger maxim ,
his way to the gold fields; that, notwith,
standing the stories he had heard in
Sydney of "Jack" and his comrades hC
had venturcd so far alone, but as he cot
farther into the bush he lost heart aud
determined to join the first party he met
1t looked strange that he had no lug
gage of any kind, not even provisions OF
anything to indicate that he was bOund
for long journey EIc made no attcmpt
to account for his mysterious appear
ancc, entered into the arrangements OF
the cavalcadc, and made himself quite at
homo. Every man among tn I'm, with
the exception of my brother, beloved
that no one but "Jacb" himself could
have taken them by surprise, the gcncr-
nj belief being that it could only be from
personal experience the terrible bush
ranger derived the perfect knowledge he
displayed when making his raids.
The party agreed that the wiscst course
would be to await the progress of events,
watch his every movement, and let him
see that they were prepared to sell theil
lives dearly, if driven to do so.
The stranger seemed to have an I'M
limited supply of money, and to be gen.
SOt' "'Oop ~, P"J JiIlS lid way lICClJ'
lie took ut once to my brother, and the
liking was mutual; in diggcrs' parlance,
they became mates, chummcd, walked
and smoked together. My brother found
nm wcll-informed, agreeable compan.
1on' a vast improvement on their rough
associates; and he seemed thoroughly tc
onl0y the society of the iovial young
h2sh gentleman. A sincere friendship
sprung up between them, notwithstand
ing tho disparity in years.
% Inc other members of the party be,
would take advantage of nv brotbn~'.
msuspicious, trusting nature to obtoin
information that would be usofnl to lin,
when forming his plans for tho nttoci
which was hourly expccted-in fact
looked upon as imminent. Nor wnrc
their fears allayed when, after little, h(
would leave the beaten track and wall