The record-union., 1896-10-18


about the middle of the southern shore,
the other, though only the third of a
mile off across the lake, was about a
mile and half ahead by the road. The
result was that though half the camp
turned out to search the scrub, they
failed TO find their man, though he was
thought to be still lying in the neigh
borhood- Mistake number two. and now
the Green Cub comes into the yarn.
To understand what follows, you
must know the lie of the roads. From
the scandinavian Reefs you travel five
miles along the Coolgardie road to the
Blue Bowlder mines due west; then a
seven miles ride slightly northeast
brings you to Clearhills. But from our
camp to this road is barely two miles
across a country of rock and high scrub.
Picture ME then riding confidently along
this road two hours later garbed a Ia
Australienne-if that be the proper
french for it. i felt rather proud, l can
tell you. Only eighteen months from
nome, and here was l, rugged out like
the best of them and just as formidable
looking, cantering across a West Aus
trailan plain. You see, / was an old
enough hand to have caught the style,
and new enough to have retained the
sense of novelty.
Il was just thinking how / would
startle the natives if l were to ride out
CrosshiIl way in the same guise, and
What dash | would cut as l galloped
through Mount Florida, when l saw
some one hurrying forward half a mile
ahead. innocently yearned for COM
pany, and gave my horse a dig that
sent 1t forward y a gallon
When l was still about a couple of
hundred yards behind, the person
turned and stood staring at me for a
little as l rode up. | could perceive
that, whoever he was, he had had a
heavy tramp, for his clothes were al
| most in shreds as if with forcing his
way through the bush At the point
where he was standing grew q gray
Wilderness of almost leafiess trees, as
lnpassable as the scrub itself, and into
this he dived as | approached. Coming
UP to the spot / looked about me in
Wonderment.
NOW, had l not been a bit. of jay
| would have ridden on with the reflec-
ton that if a man in a wild country
wishes his privacy respected it is ad-
visable to give him all he desires. But
being jay, L dismounted and walked
forward to the point at which the man
had disappeared. | was still peering
forward when a shot came from a
point not many yards in front, the bull
let Whistling past the side of my head
and striking the rock which bordered
the other side Of the road with sharp
click that | fancy / can hear yet
Il turned and ran for my horse, but
another bullet caught me in the hip:
and though | contrived to stagger to
the brldle, l fell as much through fear
as pain, | fancy. Though the mist of
failing consciousness came the dim Wis.,
| ION OF face seen somewhere else. and
then all was dark
| W nen l came to the sun was well
to the west and his rays were reflected
from the white road in a hot, binding
glare which was unbearable; so, to get
| out or the direct heat, / crawled pain
| 1ully across the road to the solitary
| ridge of rock on the northern side
which rose above the general level be-
yond like a whales back. Irregular
bush varied the monotony of the waste
and the outlines Of the leafless wood
made a thin disappearing fringe along
the roadside
Once against the rock, and partially
sheNered from the heat by gray
trunk, | began to consider the situa-
tlon my stupidity had landed me in.
1t wasn't pleasant one. My precious
money was gone for a second time, and
"ith II the borrowed horse; and here
was l, lame and faint with loss of
blood, half way between two stations
sank down disconsolately, and to tell
the truth, / cried from pure anger
against the cruelty of circumstances.
suddenly 1 caught sight Of one me-
mento of Australia, the fiattened bull
let which grazed my head / picked if
up and the next moment fairly gasped
Some small yellow particles were stick
| ing TO it. A few fragments of rAck
| had fallen with the bullet. These I
picked up with considerable trepida-
ton. They were literally sown with
gold.
Despite the pain it caused me. /
stood up again, and examined the nlace
where the bullet had struck. and 7 be-
| lieve l yelled. 1 didn't know much vet
about mining, still 1 knew there wasn't
a reef like it as far as Coolgardie. I'm
not Joking Tommy-the gold was sim
ply SUCKING IN 1t like peas.
MY pain vanished like magic. I tore
up scarf | Wore, bandaged the wound
the best way / could, broke off the
branch of tree, and, using it as stick,
crawled into Clearhills, and registered
the spot as my claim
But | thought you could establish a
claim Dy merely pegging out" ex-
claimed.
AS matter of fact 1 lost my head,
and was mortally afraid of pegging out
myself, if | waited. But listen to the
sequel. My horse, instead of being sto-
len by my assailant, as L imagined. had
galloped back to Blue Bowlders. with
the result that couple of miners rode
out in search of me- while word was
sent back to the camp and a pursuit or
ganized.
Three houre later these two came
riding into Clearhills in a fever of ex-
citement. They had come across the
trail of blood from my wound and seen
where | had crawled to. While exams
ining the spot they had noticed the re-
naming particles of rock, rediscovered
the reef, and pegged out as many claims
as they thought they could hold They
galloped up to the registration office in
order to make doubly sure
g Already registered, said the agent
Great Scott! Who by?'
William Johnstone of Scandinavian
Reefs
" Put down our names for the near
est claims, and We'll see how the busi-
ness dollies out
"Then they went to find me. I was
lying in the hotel in a wild confusion of
weakness and intoxicating dream. They