The record-union., 1896-02-01

associate with the companionship OF
horsethieves and, perhaps, murderers.
His voice was pitched in that soft,
drawing intonation peculiar to natives
Of New South Wales; and, in spite of
the reputation he bore, he could look
one squarely enough in the eyes. "A
good man gone wrong" I thought, "and
neglect and ignorance at the bottom of
it all. That his natural inclinations
were neither of the ungrateful nor vi
clous sort when uninfiuenced by the
flash, bad company he had a weakness
for, knew; and despite what he said. I
believe that Billie would have been the
first man to help a stranger.
He was weak as a kitten; so giving
him my arm, l led him over to the
shanty where he muttered few words
of thanks, 1 suppose-and finging
himself down on a rude stretcher under
the veranda, lay silent with his head in
his hands. An hour or so later, when
the fierce and sudden thunderstorm
had lifted we hitched up our team and
went on again. But as for Billie. T did
not see him again for two years. Strange
rumors were afloat concerning him in
the meantime, and once he was reported
as having stolen horses at three differ
ent places, widely apart, at the same
time, which goes to prove the truth of
the adage, Give a dog bad name. and
you may as well hang him.
A cold-blooded murder had been COM
mitted on the Georgetown gold dig
gings, and the police wanted a man
named Mcdonnell badly for it. Indeed.
he had committed more than one n11r-
der, but as he was well known to be a
desperate and dangerously reckless
man. those who were inclined to assist
the law were chary about meddling
with him. Since the Georgetown muir
der, the police had been securing the
country everywhere; but, then. Austria
liza is quite respectabIe-sized hiding
place, and nothing had been heard of
him.
1t was late in the afternoon. in the
month of October, and l had occasion
to visit distant part of our main pad
dock fence, some ten miles away from
the head station. This fence ran par
allel to the only track (that is. trail or
road in that part of the country, which
was the Port Darwin track. but was
NCAAAN tNS lAA4lCo Oll H. WAS alone. ana.
strange to say. contrary to my wont.
had left my revolver behind T was
pacing along easily. admiring the
beauty of the evening and thinking of
nothing in particular. when among the
trees, some hundred yards outside the
fence, l observed the glimmering of a
fire. Blacks or white men? At least
it would not be difficult to see; so. put
ting my horse at the fence. I took the
top rail neatly. This practice of mine
always teaching my horse to jump
was to stand me in good stead yet.
White men at the yellow water
hole but what We're they doing so far
off the track? In another minute had
ridden right in among them and un-
thinkingly' jumped off my horse. In
another minute l would have given all
1 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 an
proach One was STOPPING over the fire
in the act of taking damper from the
ashes, and the other two were sitting
with their backs against a fallen tree.
evidently enjoying a good smoke. How
ever I stammered out, Good evening.
mates" and tried to look as if 1 were
glad at having dropped across them.
Then / experienced a chilling sensa-
tion of dismay: for as the two men
leaped to their feet recognized the no.
terious Mcdonnell. as bloodthirsty and
unprincipled a wretch as ever lived.
There was no mistaking him; the same
bill that offered the five hundred pounds
reward that would lead to his capture
described him too fully. There was the