The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-15

cent, but the bushrangers only laughed at
their words. At a late hour We we're ordered
to go to sleep, and the last thing saw be-
fore 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 morning the leader took pen, ink and
paper from q box and said to the EnQlish-
men:
''Now, then. here's the chance to write to
your friends to raise the rocks, and I'll see
that the letters reach them"
Each one OF the three refused point blank
to make any attempt to raise money. al
though it was plain they had a desperate lot
to deal with and that 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
We were then united, given few minutes
We all set of over rugged, scrubby coun-
try toward range of hills. We Travelled
steadily until noon, and then came to a
very secure stronghold among the hills. By
placing us in natural Enclosure of about
an eighth of an acre we were surrounded by
fourth the bushrangers built their fire and
made their camp. As We we're penned in
here the chief of the bushrangers
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 a
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 Mel
bourne or Sydney. Davis and both la
bored with them to make them realize the
%knvv hnu Id A<,k&
stinate, declaring that it was all bluff, and
that the rangers would not dare proceed to
extremes. We believed differently. They
were escaped cOnvicts, each one outlawed,
and more villainous gang ono never
looked at.
On the morning Of the third day. without
having annoyed us in the least during the
interval, the chief called for their decision.
Each Englishman CURLY replied 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 removed he was placed
with his feet to the fire. He stood the tor
ture until we could smell the odor of his
burning soles and then gave in. The other
two followed his example without waiting
for the torture. Each one wrote note to
q friend in Melbourne worded by dictation.
While the chief was rough looking fellow,
When the letters were ready he took them
and started, presumably to find messenger
to act as a go-between, There were four
left to guard, and after the chief had gone
one of them bruised some herbs and kindly
tied up the Englishman's feet. Our three
fellow prisoners rather Stunned Davis and
mys If during the afternoon, seeming to be
put out because we were not called upon to
ransom ourselves. But we afterward re-
called that they made much of the child,
and had her with them good share of the
time. Each outlaw also had good word
was permitted to run about without re-
straint.
At o'clock in the afternoon this was the
situation: Three of the guards were asleep
beyond the fire. The fourth sat on the
ground, with his back to rock, reading a
novel, while he had rifle across his knees.
Davis and lay close together. talking mat
ters over, and the Englishmen were ten
steps away. Little Eva was running about
shouting and playing. All at once We
heard the pop of a revolver, followed by a
death cry, and as we sprang up two OF the
Englishmen, each with a pistol in hand,
everyone of the bushrangers was dead. They
had coaxed Eva to bring them the pistols
which were lying on the far side of the
camp, and she had passed behind the guard
and made two trips. As soon as they had
the weapons one of them shot down the
half asleep guard, and then the others were
slain before sleep was fairly off their eve
lids, .5-
The smoke was still hanging over the
camp when we began the construction of a
litter, and within half an hour we were
headed for the highway and carrying the
victim of torture with us. We kept going
all night, as we had to go slow, and about
daylight came out at the stage station. A
aQuad of mounted police set off for the
samp, and on their way to it came across
end killed the leaders of the bushrangers,
thus wiping out the last of the bad gang.