Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-03
"I'n see you hanged for this days


"You've got my last dollar" | replied.
Handed in Melbourne only week ago."
"Thats bad for all of us, but | guess
you tell the truth. Now, you fifth gent
81 might possibly raise e5 if up at the
ranch, replied Davis, "but that would
be all. | am poor and just making a
start"
sis that your little gal?"
Eyes"
where's the motherp
Dead"
"Shool That's too bad What's the
gals manner"
EVA"
Mighty sweet Say, gal, come and
kiss me"
She went over to him and kissed his
bronzed and bearded cheek without the
slightest hesitation, and he held her for
a moment and looked her over and said:
''Sweet as honey! wouldn't hurt you
for all the gold in the big world"
She was allowed to return to her fa-
ther, and the leader then said:
"We shall hold you three peppery
gents until you raise eS00 for us, and as
these Americans might give the alarm
we-shall be obliged to hold them as well.
Sorry to do it, but business is business,
and if we don't look out for ourselves no
one will.
Each one of the Englishmen swore bv
all that was good and great that he'd
never pay a cent, but the bush rangers
only laughed at their words At late
hour we were ordered to go to sleep, and
the last thing [ saw betPre my eyes closed
was the guard sitting on rock at my
feet. The night passed quietly, and as
soon as we had breakfasted in the morn
ing the leader took pen, ink and paper
from box and said to the Engishmen:
Nov, then, here's the chance to write
to your friends to raise the rocks, and III
see that the letters roach them"
Each one of tu WOO refused point
blank to make 500. ,npt to rails
money, although II AN they had a
desperate lot to dea nnn and that they
would suffer for their obstinacy
"Well, some other day will do just as
we'll" laughed the leader, "but want
it understood that each day of delay adds
e25 to the ransom"
We were then united, given few
minutes to get over our stiffness of limb,
and then we all set off over rugged,
scrubby country toward range Of hills.
We travelled steadily until noon and then
came to a very secure stronghold among
the hills. By placing us in a natural
inclosure of about an eighth of an acre
we were surrounded by rocky walls on
three sides, and on the fourth the bush
rangers built their fire and made their
camp. AS we were penned in here the
chief of the bush rangers announced to
the Englishmen that he would give them
two days in which to make up their
minds to send for the money. If they
held out at the end of that time he
would take his own measures to extort
the money. One of the Englishmen was
large landowner in Australia, another
was a civil officer at Melbourne, the
third was fresh from England and was
intending to start mandatory of
some sort at Melbourne or Sydney.
Davis and both labored with them to
make them realize the situation, but
they were pigheaded and obstinate, &c
claring that it was all a bluff, and thr /.
the rangers would not dare proceed to
extremes. We believed differently.
They were escaped convicts, each one
outlawed, and more villainous gang
one never looked at.
Or morning of the third day, with
out annoyed us in the least dur
ing -rval, the chief called for their
decis,la Each Englishman curtly re-
piled that he would never get another
dollar of their money. The civil officer
was the leader and the most Independent.
He was seized, tied hand and foot, and
after his boots and stockings had been re-
moved he was placed with his feet to a
fire. He stood the torture until we could
smell the odor of his burning soles and
then gave in. The other two followed
his example without waiting for the tor
ture. Each one wrote q note to friend
in Melbourne worded by dictation. While
the chief was a rough looking fellow, he
proved to have very fair education.
When the letters we're ready he took
them and started, presumably to find a
messenger to act as a go-between. There
were four left to guard us, and after the
chief had gone one Of them bruised some
herbs and kindly tied up the English
mans feet. Our three fellow prisoners
rather Stunned Davis and myself during
the afternoon, seeming to be put out be-
cause we were not called upon to ransom
ourselves. But we afterward recalled
that they made much of the child, and
had her with them good share of the
time. Each outlaw also had good word
for her whenever she came near, and she
was permitted to run about without re-
straint.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon this was
the situations: Three of the guards were
asleep beyond the fire. The fourth sat
on the ground, with his back to a rock,
reading a novel, while he had a rifle
across his knees Davis and lay close
together, talking matters over, and the
Englishmen were ten steps away. Little
Eva was running about, shouting and
playing. ALI at once we heard the pop
of revolver, followed by death cry,
and as we sprang up two of the English
men, each with pistol in hand, dashed
past us. In sixty seconds more every
e L..