Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-05-28
From the New York Sun.
THE AUSTRALIAN bUSHRANGER.

y
eft contained a dollar for every year [
had lived. | had exactly "a to begin life
on in the colony, and that was more
than some of the English oys who had
come out with me could boast of. We
were a queer lot who had sailed from
observation-disclosures, loafers, clerks,
lackeys, whole families, single men, ser
wants, and what not-all bent on new
life in the wonderful island in the In
dian Ocean. We had come in a sailing
ship, and had been knocked about for
months, and a happy lot we were to be
set on shore in the then small and stray
Cling town [ have named.
Luck was with me- On the second day
after landing [ hired to a sheep raiser
who had ranch on the Murray River,
near its junction with the Darling, and
ON the third we started off up the coun-
try. We had two o1 teams-that Is, we
had two covered wagons, each loaded
with supplies, and each drawn by three
to be left with settlers along the route,
and part belonged to Mr.. Davidson,
my employer. He did not hire me, not
being present, but the teams were in
charge of an OVerSeer named Mccall,
whom soon found to be a good-natured,
good hearted fellow. Each of us had a
native to assist in managing the teams,
and, though neither of them could
speak ten words of English, they were
valuable men, and had no difficulty IN
being understood.
1t was about Christmas time, and the
weather was very sultry, and we aimed
to make only fifteen miles a day. We
had a full weeks Journey before us, and
nothing of much interest happened until
the fourth day We went into camp a
little earlier than usual on that after
noon, as one of the wagons needed re-
pairs Our vehicles, after coming to a
halt, stood about twenty-five feet apart.
While | was building fire to cook sup
per by one of the blacks went off after
rabbits, and Mccall took the other with
him to help cut and bring back lever
with which to raise the wagon off its
wheels I was thus left alone for few
minutes, and they had scarcely dlsap-
peared from sight in the scrub when
man burst out of the thicket on the
other side and came running up to me.
His face and hands were scratched and
bleeding, his clothes in tatters, his hat
gone, and he had such a wild and terri
bic look that | should have run away
from him had [ been able to do any
thing but stand and stare with mouth
vide open. Mccall had told me of es-
capped convicts and hard cases who had
taken to the bush to make a living by
robbing, and the man had come upon
me SO suddenly that | was knocked out
for the moment.
''For Gods sake, young Teller, give
me a bite to eat y he said as he stood
before me. "Don't be afraid of me
I'm a sheepherder who has been lost IN
the bush for three DAYS"
| stepped to the wagon and handed
him piece of bacon, some hard crack
-ers, and a handful of tea, and then
found voice to ask:
"But why not stop with us for the
night?"
Thanks, but I'm in great hurry to
get back to my herd. [ know where [
am now, and can get there III three
hours. Any matches %
[ gave him some, and he looked all
around to make sure that we were alone,
and then said:
''Young Teller, do me a greater favor
STILL Lend me your pistol and knife
until tomorrow, when you will pass my
station. And furthermore be kind
enough not to mention to anyone that |
was here. Do this and you shall never
regret it
[ handed him knife and pistol, prom
Used what he asked, and he shookm by
the hand and disappeared in the scrub.
Ten minutes after he had gone figured
it out that he was buShman who had
been hard run by the police, but it was
all the same to me. He could have ia
ken what he wanted for all of me, as |
felt perfectly helpless, and | was thank
full that he had come and gone without
Knocking me on the head. Just as Nc
Call came up with the lever there was a
clutter 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 had a long ride
of it.
Well, Capt. White, what is it,, it?n
every one of the five.
Been after Ballarat Sam again. re-
piled the captain, as he dismounted.
t'And lost him?'
s'Yes: curse the luck We struck
him near Dobney's yesterday morning,
and he led us chase of fifty miles dur
ing the day. We killed his horse about
dark last night, and had him surround
ed 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.
f1aVn . seen III Jul mere, VI COuIot
81 only wish we had. There's re-
ward of $500 on his head, / hear"
ct 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 story telling 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 converse
ton, being sure, from the first words
spoken by the captain, that I had met
Ballarat Sam and aided him to make a
fresh start thought at first of telling
the whole story to the patrol, but they
were serious, sober-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 l had solemnly promised Sam
not to betray him, and SO / decided to
keep still tongue and let the case work