The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-04-17


So, louder and louder screamed the con-
certinas, faster and faster whirled the PAN
ting couples, till nearly midnight, when
supper was announced by the sound Of
great bullock bell, and out into the calm
night air trooped the crowd. The tables
this time had been set out on the sward in
front of the house, just without the long
dark line of forest which bordered the
river, through the tops of whose giant
abelars' the full moon shown down on the
merry feasters with subdued glory, while
in quiet pause you could hear the rush OF
the strong Barwon current, broken every
now and again by deep sounding "plop,
as some fragment of the ever receding
clayey bank would fall into the water.
Four or five native bears, disturbed by the
noise, crawled out on the limbs of great
coolabar, and with unwinking, beady-black
eyes, gazed on the scene below, expressing
their astonishment every now and again in
hoarse mutterings, now low and almost in
articulate, then ''thrum, drumming
through the bush till it rang again. From
a neighboring swamp came the shrill scream
of the curlew; while far away, in the low
ranges of Cooyella, could be heard the dis
NAL howl of solitary dingo coo-ee-ing to his
mates.
Scarcely had the guests taken their seats
and commenced, amidst jokes and laughter,
to attack fresh and substantial meal, when
furious barking, from pack of about
fifty dogs, announced the advent Of stran-
gers; and in minute or more three horse
men, in the uniform of the Queensland
mounted police, rode up to the tables.
One, sergeant apparently, dismounted,
and, with his bride over his arm, strobe
forward, commanding every one to keep
their seats; for several at first sight of the
"traps" had risen, and apparently thought
of quietly slipping away. This order,
however, enforced as it was by the produc-
ton of revolver, together with an evident
intention of using it on any absconder,
brought them to their seats again.
"What's all this about" exclaimed old
Dwyer. "We're all honest people here,
mister, so you can put up your pistol,
Tell us civilly what it is you're wantin', an
we'll try an help you; but don't come it
too rough. You ought to be 'shamed o
yourself. Don't ye see the faymales?"
"Can't help the females retorted the
sergeant, sharply. az haven't ridden four
hundred miles to play polite to lot of
women. 1 want man named James
Dwyer; and, by description, yonders the
man himself" pointing at the same time
across the table to where sat the newly
made husband, who had been one of the
first to make a move at the sight of the
police.
"What's the charge, sargeant?" asked old
Dwyer, coolly.
"Horse stealing" was the reply; "and
here's the warrant, signed by the magistrate
in Tambo, for his apprehension"
was sitting quite close to the object OF
these inquiries, and at this moment heard
young Mrs. Dwyer, while leaning across
toward her husband, whisper something
about "the river" and ''New South Wales;
and in another moment heels over head
down the steep bank rolled the recently
created benedict into the curious and cool
nuptial couch of swiftly flowing reddish
water, which he breasted with ease, making
nearly a straight line for the other bank,
distant perhaps a couple of hundred yards.
The troopers, drawing their revolvers
dismounted, and, running forward, were
about to follow the example set by their
superior, who was taking steady aim at the
swimmer, perfectly discernable in the clear
moonlight, when suddenly half dozen
pairs of soft but muscular arms encircled
three representatives of law and order, as
the women, screaming Ike lot of curlews
after thunder storm, clasped them in a
tight embrace.
Young Mrs. Dwyer herself tackled the
sargeant, crying "What would you shoot
a man just for a bit of horse-sweating
Leave him go, can't you. He's over the
border now in New South Wales, mare and
all; and you can't touch him, even if you
was there.
Just then yell of triumph from the
scrub on the other shore seemed to vouch
for the fact, and was answered by dozen
sympathetic whoops and shouts from the
aforementioned "Cornstalks" and "Banana
men," who crowded along our side of the
river.
The sergeant struggled to free himself,
and his fair antagonist unwound her arms
saving: "Come, now, sargeant, sit down
peaceably and eat your supper, can't you
What's the use of making such bother ovei
an old scrubber of mare ?"
can old scrubber of mare - repeated
the sergeant, aghast. "D'ye think wee
ride this far over scrubber of mare
Why, it's the Lady Godiva he took; ole
Stanford's race mare, worth five hundred
guineas, if she's worth penny. Bother
me, if he didn't take her clean out of the
stable in Tambo, settling night, after she'c
won the big money! But there, you al
know as much about it as | can tell you
that's plain to be seen, for l never men
toned mare; it was your own self, | d'
believe; and I'll have him, if have tt
follow him to Melbourne. Just got mar
ried, has he? Well, can't help that; he
shouldn't go stealing race mares. Well
perhaps YOU didn't know all about it, " wen
on the sergeant, in reply to the asservation
Of the Dwyer family as regarded thei
knowledge of how the young man had be
come possessed of the mare. "But, shak
ing his head sententiously, 'Tm mucl
mistaken if most of this crowd hadn't
pretty good idea that there was somethin:
cross about her. However" he concluded
philosophically, ''it's no use crying owe
split milk I'll have to ride over to q =
at daylight-that's another forty miles
and get an extradition warrant out for him
He might just as well have come quietl..
at first, for we're bound to have the tw'
of them some time or other"
1t was nearly daylight, and our part,
set out on their return home, leaving tn
troopers comfortably seated at the supper
or rather, by this time, breakfast table
while just below the house, in bend Q
the river, we could see, as we passed along
group Of men busily engaged in swim
ming mob of horses among which wa
doubtless the Lady Godiva herself-ove
to the New South Wales shore, where, o
the bank, plainly to be discerned in tn
early dawn, stood the tall form of her law
less owner.