The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-03-01

inside of year, and we'd hev to cut
sticks or go to the poor house
Come as soon as you like, Ireplied,
without looking up at him, and he NUT
tered curse and rode of.
l called in some of the most intelligent
natives, and we were soon agreed that
no attack need be looked for under
three days. 1t would take the bush
rangers that long to stir up the natives
| and get them together When the ma
tives were asked how we would be ap-
preached they pointed to the ''thumbn
and criticised my action in erecting the
sheep pen, which offered an enemy a
shield of observation. No native Aus
tral;an will move by night if it can be
made by them. We decided that on the
third night the attacking force would
gather on the thumb and be ready to at
tack us at daylight, aud our plans were
laid accordingly Neither the bush
rangers nor the natives knew that we
had cannon. They knew that we had
muskets, but they could not say how
many. We should have to depend entirely
upon ourselves, as troop of soldiers /
could not have been sent for and reached |
us inside of a week
On the second day after the visit from
the bushranger some of the herders saw
signs of the coming attack. The natives |
were moving swiftly about in considera-
BILE numbers, and 1t was further evident |
that spies were watching US. That night |
l had the sheep herded between the |
Lachlan River and bluff, where ten
men could hold them safely. The night |
passed quietly. Next day the "signs" I
were more numerous, and toward sun
down one of my scouts came in with the /
information that force numbering at 1
least four hundred natives and twenty |
white men was coming through the scrub |
in the direction of the thumb This was
good news to me. The sheep were
brought in and herded as before, and
when night had fully come put fifteen
natives in each rife pit and gathered all
the rest of my people into the fort. We
had talked matters over until every one
knew what was expected of him. My
natives were promised certain things in
case they fought as I directed, and they
were only too anxious for the day to
break and the bail TO open At mid
night one of them crept down and found
the big sheep pen crowded full of men,
and there was no longer any doubt that
the attack would be made with the dawn.
Some of us caught tile sleep as the
night wore on, but we were all wide
enough awake when the first signs of
daylight came. When it was light
enough for us to see the pen a mass of
natives suddenly swarmed around each
corner of it and made a dash for the
fort. We talk about the yells of our In
dians, but native Australian can out
yell three of them. They swarmed over
ing, and bEandishing their spears aud
clubs, and they might have thought US
asleep until they came within pistol shot.
Then they were between the rifle pits,
and volley was Gred which took the
pluck out of them in a minute We
swept them with fire in front, and back
they went for shelter, leaving over forty
dead and wounded on the grass Not a
white man had come with them, but
soon discovered the reason. They had
divided themselves into two parties, and
had skulked around to attack our rear.
called in five natives from each rifle {
pit, and in few minutes we were posted
to meet all dangers. 1t was ten minutes
before the natives could get their cour-
age up to charge again, but when they
did come they evidently felt saw
age. The three bodies assailed us at
once, and for FIVE minutes it was hot
enough for the oldest veteran. The /
bushraugeTs were surprised 10 find US
inside of stout earth walls and palisades,
but they fought well and broke back
only when they saw how useless their
and W-heu the dharge-were killed out s
literally numbered the earn (
Now for the field piece. The mob ,
had gathered in the big sheep pen-to re- ]
form, and we could hear their angry
chatter and the oaths of the white men,
when gave orders to FIRE The two re-
ports sounded as one, and the two shells
went screaming through the pen. 1t was
The finishing stroke, and it is doubtful o
# the records of war can show greater s
execution by two missiles. We found o
-wenty-seven men killed by those shells, b
md the moral effect was greater than
he presence of a regiment of soldiers. s.
Two of the victims were bushrangers, I
making seven we had Sagged, and it h
vas afterward learned two more had n
lied of their wounds. On those killed h
We got Government reward Of upward
If $500, it transporting that all were old l.
offenders. The battle d q not last over =
/ quarter of an hour from the first yell, :,
md never was a victory more complete. =
The she Is produced a panic which did y
lot abate with the natives for years. :
Sot black rested under twenty miles,
nd for the next six months not one was m
cen within fifteen m les Of us. A great rt
district was actually depopulaied, and l d
lersonally inspected three different set d
lements or villages which had been bl
bandoned as hastily as if plague had
zen announced.
About tive weeks after the battle an al
.nglish tourist came into the station on d.
Dot and badly used up. He had been "
aptured by bushrangers at point about ST.
twenty-five miles away, robbed OF horse. IN
honey and clothing, and he came TO us 10
S naked as the day he was born. The or
,ader of the ruffians who despoiled him
as the chap who paid me a visit before a
he battle He had received a bullet TO
trough the calf of the leg and painted tv
'r revenge He spared the tourist in sn
rder to make = messenger of HIM. He on
mt me word that he would have nv br
fe if he had to wait dozen years for a in
nance to take it, and l was not egotist ON
Rough to let the warning go unheeded.
felt that was safe about the grounds, q;
Id l never went off them without being ~ =,
4 my guard. l was fond of hunting, w w
i'd often rode long distances, and il o. o.
lie bushranger was still thirsting for my 70
fe he would seek it on some of these 10 10
;casions Several months went by, ~,
'wever. and, as / had neither seen nor 20" a
ard of him, naturally grew more ra5
reles. 1t was five months, believe, "1'
fore the hour of peril came.
At noon one very hot day was riding sIp'
ross a prairie OF several miles in ex- I'M
Mt, having been out to locate grazing Pr
'Ound for a new flock ] was within on
lie OF the scrub when horseman rode wa
1t of it and charged at me. We were TN
cling each other, and it didn't take me inc inc
minute to make up my mind that the MI