The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-31

f'NA HbJtNL III Ah4AlAAAE i'lN. ~ "hfN~N-
For you to send that message If you
chose; there is your telegraphic instru-
ment That YOU may arrest me peace
ably If you wish: or otherwise. there are
men at The Angels Rest and a China-
man or two here who might care Tor
active service against ROadmaster.
And he laughed carelessly. Am | to
understand that you give yourself up
TO me- Yes, to you, Louis Bachelor,
justice of the peace. to do what you VIII
with me for this night was the reply.
rhe soldiers hands trembled, but it
was from imminent Illness not from fear
or excitement. He came slowly toward
the bushrangcr who, smiling, said as
he advanced: Yes, arrest me- Louis
Bachelor raised his hand as if 10 lay II
on the shoulder of the other but some
thing I'm the eyes of the highwayman
stayed his hand Proceed! Proceed.
Capt. Louis Bachelor" said Roadmaster
In changed tone. The hand fell to
the old mans side who are your he
family exclaimed. Il know you, yet
cannot quite remember"
More and more the voice and manner
Of the outlaw altered as he replied with
knocking bitterness. Il was Edward
Golding, gentleman; I became Edward
Golding, forger; I am Roadmaster, eN-
convict and bushranger''
The old mans state was painful to
see. More than fever was making him
y
ward!' he uttered brOkenly. Yes. all
that VIII you arrest me now, sir?" i
cannot"
And now the bushranger threw aside
all bravado and irony and said: Capt.
Bachelor. knew you could not. Why
did come? Listen, But first, will you
shelter me here tonight"
The soldiers honorable soul rose up
against this thing, but he said slowly at
last. If 1t IS To save you from peril,
yesi'
Roadmaster laughed a little and re
joined: BY --, sir you're man. l
only wanted to know If YOU would do
it. But it isn't likely that I'd accept it
of you, is it. Capt Bachelor? You've
mad 1t rouEht enough without my put
ting a rock in your swaE that would
spoil YOU for the rest of the tramp! You
sec I've even forgotten how To talk like
a gentleman. And now. sir, L want to
show you. for Barbara's sake. my dirty
log-book.' Here he told the tale of his
carly sin and all that came Of il, and
then went on. she didn't want to dis
grace You, you understand. You were
at Wandcnong: I know that, never mind
how. She'd marry you if | were out of
the way. Well. I'm going to be out Of
the way. I'm going 10 leave this cOun-
Try, and she's to think I'm dead, you
see"
At this point Louis Bachelor swayed
bushranger'S arms were thrown around
him and helped him to a chair. I'm
afraid that / am ill.," he said: cali
GOngi. No. no, You cannot do that.
All! He had tainted.
The bushranger carried him to bed and
summoned CionEi and the other woman
from the tavern. and in another hour
was riding away through the valley Of
the Popri. Before thirty-six hours had
passed a note was delivered to a station
hand at Wanden0ng addressed to Bar
bara Golding and signed by the woman
from The Angels Rest And within
another two days Barbara GOlding was
at the bedside of Capt. Louis Bachelor,
battling with enemy that is so often
stronger than love and always kinder
than shame
In his wanderings the sick man was
always in his youth and early manhood,
and again and again he uttered Bar
bara's name in caressing or entreaty,
though it was the Barbara of far-eff days
that he invoked; the present one he did
not know. But the night i'm which the
crisis, the unfortunate crisis. of the
fever occurred he talked of great flood
coming from the north and in his half
delirium babe them send to headquar-
ters. and mournfully muttered Of
drowned plantations and human peril.
Was this instinct and knowledge work
ing through the disordered fancies of
fever? Or was it mere coincidence that
the next day a great storm and flood
did sweep through the valley of the
Popri. putting life in danger and sub
merging plantations?
it was on this day that Roadmaster
found himself at bay in the mangrove
swamp not far from the port of Railway.
where he had expected to find a schOon-
er 90 take him to the New Tlebrides. 1t
had been arranged for bv a NveU-Uaid
cGllaq in no u DO
layed the schooner and the aYenging
sQuatters and bushmen We're closing in
on him at last. There was flood behind
him in the valley. a foodless swamp On
the left Of him, open shore ard jungle on
the right. the swollen sea before him:
and the only avenue of escape closed by
Blood Finchley's friends. He had been
eluding his pursuers for days with little
food and worse than no sleep. lie l.new
that he had played his last card and lost:
but he had one thing yet TO do: that
which even the vilest do. if they can.
before they pay the final penalty-to
creep back for a moment into their hon
est past, however dim and far away 1t
may be. With incredible skill he had
passed under the very rifles o. his hunt
ers and now stood almost within the
stream of light which came from the win
dow of the sick mans room. where his
sister was. There was to be no more
hiding no more strategy lie told Gon2I
and another that he was HOadmaster
and babe them say to his pursuers,
should they appear, that he would come
to them upon the shore when his visit
to Louis Bachelor. whom he had known
in other days, was over, indicating the
place at some distance from the house
where they would find him. lie knew
that these men would not make
breach of this invited contract. that
they would give even a bushrauger that
moment of shrift.
He entered the house The noise of
the opening door brought his sister TO
the room. One need not tell of that
meeting. nor of what it might have been
had Barbara Golding known all.
At last she said. "Oh. Edward, you are
free at last
YES, am free at last" he quickly
replied.
Il have always prayed for you, Ed
ward. and for this
Il know that. Barbara: but prayer
cannot do everything, can it? You see.
though l was born a gentleman, l had
a bad strain in me. l wonder if, some
where, generations back. there was a
had been going to say highwayman, but
paused in time. 81 always intended to
be good and always ended by being bad.
/ wanted TO be of the angels and play
with the devils also. L liked saints-you
are saint, Barbara-but / loved all
sinner. too. / hope when-when / die,
that the little bit of good that's i'm me
will 60 where YOU are: for the rest Of
me. il must be as it may"
Don't speak like that, Edward, please,
dear Yes YOU have been very wicked