Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-06-27


pearance of the horses and the men
showed that they had had long ride of
it.
'sWell, Capt. White, what is it?" asked
Mccall, who seemed to know every one of
the five.
''Been after Ballarat Sam again." re-
piled the Captain as he dismounted.
''And lost him."
eyes; curse the luck We struck him
near Dobney's yesterday morning, and he
led us chase of fifty miles during the
day. We killed his horse about dark last
night and had him surrounded in the
scrub. He got out, however, and we
did not get his track until about noon to-
day. We followed it to the creek, two
miles above, and there lost it. Haven't
seen him here, of course9"
II only wish we had. There's re-
ward of $500 on his head, hear"
at has been increased to twice that
Show me his body and I'll make a rich
man of YOU"
The patrol turned their horses loose
and had supper with us, furnishing a
part from their own rations. Then there
was general talk and storytelling until
about 10 o'clock, and then all but one
man turned in for sleep. had been in
troduced all around, but had taken very
little part or interest in the conversation,
being sure, from the first words spoken
by the Captain, that l had met Ballarat
Sam and aided him to make fresh start
l thought at first of telling the whole
story to the patrol, but they were serious,
soberl looking chaps, and had fear that
they would give me an awful raking
down, even if they did not lug me off
and seek to have me punished as aiding
and abetting. remembered, too, that
had solemnly promised Sam not to betray
him, and so l decided to keep still
tongue and let the case work out as it
would.
The patrol left us at daylight, but their
work for the next three days was thrown
away. They could get no trace of Sam.
We continued on up the country and
finally arrived at the ranch, and for the
next six months | was hard at work as II
sheep herder, and neither saw nor heard
much of the outside world. Then one
day l was called in off my range, which was
about five miles from Davidson's house.
Each of his herders had from 800 to 1900
sheep under his care ON a range by him.
self, and each lived alone with his dog in
a hut. Once week the "relief," as we
called him, made the rounds and left
provisions and heard our reports. Sew
ecal of the natives had visited me-harm-
less fellows, who wanted matches or to-
bacco, but no white man excepting the
relief had come near me for three months
before l got the call to report at head
quarters. l went in to find couple of
visitors there-two gentlemen who had
lately arrived from England. One of
them, a Mr.. Cullen, was from my own
town of Shrewsbury, and the other, a
Mr.. Williams was from Manchester. They
had come out to Australia to take up a
range and go into sheep as an investment,
neither of them intending to remain, but
TO do the business through an agent.
They had purchased 2000 sheep of Mr.
Davidson as starter and had taken a
range above us ON the Darling River. My
flock was to go, as also that of the
herder To- the south of me, and we had
been called in to receive instructions.
Both of us herders were. to enter into the
employ of the new arrivals, who had already
secured their land and built the house
and stables for the overseer. This man
had come up from Adelaide with them,
and was Scotchman named Mcfarland.
The other, who was an Irish lad of
twenty, was O'Hara.
When we made ready to start, the two
gentlemen were mounted on horses. The
overseer drove the bullock wagon, as
sisted by black, and O'Hara and my
self were on foot. Some of our neigh
bors had been troubled with bushrarg-
ers, but we had seen nothing of them,
and as the police patrol in the district
had lately been increased we felt no fear
that the rangers would meddle with us on
our journey. The weather was now
pretty cold, but as the country was bad
we had to let the sheep pick their way
and go slow In the first three days we
made only about tweuty-seven miles, but
this was thought 20 be good progress un-
der the circumstances. On the third
night, when at least ten miles from any
settlers, and more than that from any regu-
lar highway,we found a natural valley in
which the sheep could be herded, and
our own camp was made in a grove of
ironwood, near waterhole. We had
finished supper and were grouped about
the fire, when one of the dogs barked and
we looked up to find ourselves covered
by five rifles. There were five strange,
hard looking men forming half-circle
about US, having crept into the grove so
softly that the dogs had not heard them
until the last moment.
''Brail up or under you 60" shouted a
voice, and every one of us threw up his
hands.
'tNow, then. the first one you who
makes shy move will get bullet +.
Close in, boys"
The five advanced to our feet, each
keeping his gun leveled, and when |
could see the man who had spOken / at