Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-07-03

| was thankful that he had come and
gone without knocking me on the
head. just as Mccall came up with
the lever there was a Clatter of hoofs,
and looked up to see five mounted
men ride into camp. They were in
the uniform of the patrol, and the
appearance of the horses and men
showed that they had along ride Of
| it.
"Well, Capt. White, what is it,"
asked Mccall. who seemed to know
every one of the five.
"Been after Ballarat Sam again"
replied the captain as he dismount-
cd.
"And lost him." q
"Yes; curse the luck! We struck
him near Dobney's yesterday morn
ing, and he led US n 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 fol-
flowed it to the creek, two miles above,
and there lost it. Haven't seen him
here. OF course?"
II only wish we had. There's a re-
ward of $500 on his head, hear"
1T has been increased to twice
that. Show me his body and I'll
make 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 story tell
ing until about 10 o'clock, ana then
oil but one man turned in for sleep.
had been introduced all around but
had taken very little part or interest
in the conversation, being sure, from
the first words spoken by the Cap
tain, that had met RalIarat Sam
and aided him to make n fresh start
l thought at first of telling the whole
story to the patrol, but they were
serious, sober-looking chaps, and [
had Il 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.
l remembered, too, that had solemn
~ promised Sam not to betray him,
and SO decided to keep II still tongue
and let the case work out asst 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 l was hard at work as a
sheep herder and neither saw nor
heard 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 herd
ers had from 500 to 500 sheep un-
der his care on a range by himself,
and each lived alone with his dog in
a hut. Once a week the "relief,' as
we called him, made the rounds and
lett provisions and heard our re-
ports. Several of the natives had
visited me-harmless fellows, who
wanted matches or tobacco, but no
white man excepting the relief had
come near me Tor three months be.
fore l got the call to report at head
quarters. l went in to find a couple
OF visitors there-two gentlemen who
had lately arrived from England
One of them, a MIR. Cullen, was from
my own town Of Shrewsbury, and
the other, Mr.. Williams, was from
Manchester. They had come out ia
Australia to take up a range and Ga
into sheep AS an Investment, neither
of them intending to remain, but to
do the business through an agent
They had purchased 1000 sheep o
Mr.. Davidson as a starter, and had
taken q 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 o
us herders. were to enter into the EN-
ploy of the new arrivals, who had al
ready secured their land and bull,
the house and stables for the over
seer. This man had come up from
Adelaide with them, and was a Scotch
man named Mcfarland. The other
who was an Irish lad of 20, was
O'Hara.
! When we made ready to start, thu
two gentlemen were mounted OF
horses. The overseer drove the bull
lock wagon, assisted by n black, ant
, O'Hara and myself were on foot
Some OF our neighbors had beer
troubled with bushrangers, but WI
had seen nothing of them, and al
the police patrol in the district hat
lately been increased we felt no fea
that the rangers would NEEDLE will
us on our journey. The weather wa
now pretty cold, but as the countr,
was bad we had to let the sheep picl
their way and go slow. In the frs
, three dIys we made only about twel,
ty-seven miles, but this was though
to be good progress under the cir
cumstances. On the third night
when at least ten miles from any set
tiers, and more than that from an,
regular highway, we found natura
/ I Oh oh I