Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-14
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ridden right In among them and un-
thinkingly jumped of my horse. In an
other minute j would have given all
| possessed TO have been on his back
again. and anywhere but in that COM
pany There were three men, and they
had neither seen nor heard me approach.
One was STOPPING over the fire IN The
act of taking a damper from the ashes,
and the other two were sitting with their
backs against "A falling tree, evidently
enjoying a smoke. However. | stammer-
err out, Good evening. mates" and tried
10 look as IL | were glad at having drop
ped across them.
Then 1 experienced a chilling sensation
OF dismay, for as the two men leaped 10
their feet / recognized the notorious
Mcdonnell as bloodthrsty and unprin-
cipled a wretch as ever lived. There was
no mstaking him; the same bill that
offered the $500 reward that would lead
TO his capture described him too fully.
There was the blush scar right across
the left cheek: the cruel, shifty black
eyes, and the coarse animal face. The
second man, Smythe-McDonelis COM
panion In crime-was not an unhandsome
man, but still evil-looking. They were
both men who would think no more
OF shooting any one who stood between
them and liberty than they would think
OF crushing n spider. But suddenly the
third man turned. and ] saw who ii
was-Billie Main. He looked somewhat
anxious for a minute when he recognized
me: but suddenly his brow cleared and
he came forward.
Now. l confess that, though Billie bore
none OF the best OF characters-indeed,
the REVERSED was somewhat relieved at
seeing him there. l could not help think
ing that there was a something about
him. in spite OF his unenvlable reputa-
ton, which limited at his not being desti-
tute Of common humanity. l had a pretty
shrewd guess that Mcdonnell and Smythe.
divining had recognized them. would not
care about letting me go back again to
civilization, knowing that the police were
somewhere in the neighborhOOd. on, how
foolish l appeared In my own eyes, hav-
ing come out without my revolver! l was
in an awkward fix, truly / saw the two
first mentioned men slip their hands down
towards their revolver-pouches. Then Nc
Donell, looking around 10 see il l were
alone. sang out: "Hiloal mister. what the
dickens do you mean by riding into a
mans camp like this. and making so
mighty freeg'
But here Billie came to my assistance,
for, with a ready laugh. and shaking me
heartily by the hand, he said 30 Nc
Donell: IT'S all right, Dan: it's Dick
| Holmes. one OF the boys. and one OF the
right sort-Tll answer for him. He's head
stockman 10 old IT. B. and minds his
own business. I'll go bail he'll keep his
mouth shut"
Inwardly, 1 blessed Bllie's presence of
mind and tact, so. seeing that my only
chance OF being allowed TO leave that
company was BY playing a part and con-
ciliating them. | tied up my horse along
side Of one OF theirs that stood saddled.
hard by. and said to Mcdonnell: "A nice
sort Of reception you'd give a man, mate.
But III forgive you II you give me a
drink OF tea and MI Of tobacco. / came
away without any this morning, and have
been riding all day. All. that's better-this
TO Mcdonnell. who had indicated the billy
alongside the fire, with an inclination or
his head l took drink OF tea. and cut
FIJI OF tobacco from the piIg that
Smythe handed me. Now hOspit il.ty or
this nature IS az much sacred rite win
the Australians as the breaking OF bread
is with the people OF the East, 30 / felt
/ somewhat more at my ease
| could not help admiring Billie's cum
ming; for after one glance az me mat
was full OF meaning. he talked as II ne
had known me for years, and In way
that had any unenliShtened party over
heard. would have seriously compromised
my character OF course | saw his drift,
which was to impress his comrades with
/ the idea that / was the last man In the
word to go talking about their where
abouts I must confess that his evident
| anxiety 10 put me In a good light I'm their
eyes struck me with rather unpleasant
! significance. For desperate men all three,
I and with the shadow OF the gallows rest
/ ing over two OF them, was II likely that
/ they would let me. a comparative stranger
/ walk right out Of their camp, perhaps
right into a police one, and give them
away" just when they were within some
thirty miles Of the Northern Territory
boundary-llne. past which the Queensland
police might not follow them?
/ And al the time / could see Mcdonnell
was turning over something in his mind.
| Only once did / catch the restless CLINT
OF those ferret-like black eyes, and they
convinced me that there was little chance
I OF leaving that camp alive. II he only
\ took IL into his head that | was not 20
be trusted As IL was. he and Smythe
observed disconcerting silence. and
replied aud talked 10 Billie in a strain
that IL Is 10 be hoped l shall never re-
quire TO adopt again when talking TO
any one Let a mans life be at stake,
however, and he will do many Il thing
| his conscience condemns. And. after all,
l frankly confess TO being no hero. IL
helps TO keep me from having any inordi-
nate opinion of myself now, when l think
that had a stranger heard me talking
| then, he would have thought l was a III
companion for Billie and his mates.
But IL would not DO TO stop In that
camp too long, or they might mistake my
motives Besides I was becoming all
the time more nervous on account OF the
! peculiarly sinister manner OF Mcdonnell
and Smythe, and was anxious eo have
! II oyer-such as II might be.
And now the go-so-burra or laughing
jackass had begun his noisy cachinna-
ton, as he does first thing in the morn
ing and just before shutdown. Innumer-
able trse-frogs and members o: the in
sect world now that the sun was get
ting lower and the air become cooler
began 70 make the Australian forest in
etlnct with strange sounds. the like OF
which can only be heard In a tropical
forest at nightfall.
Flocks OF screeching parrots and para.
keets. msny-hued pigeons. and noisy
leather-hesds, swooped down 10 drink al
the water hole as II oblivious OF our pre-
sence: and the graceful fronds of palms
with their lace-iike tracery. became
darkly and sharply si,houetted against
the gray sky.
II was a strange and significant fancy
that struck me iust then that some
OF their dropping leaves should resemble