The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-10-12

great treeleSS plelnS toward the HeAt station, some eighty miles distant, the pack horse carrying the swags and the men tramplng patiently alons beside him.
 Then winter heapeG in upon us, stay ed a few short months, and hushed away again, after which summer ar rived only too soon, with men prophe- swing good seasons and prosperity, or drouths and ruin, according to the state of their runs and the affability of their bankers. One mall day, to my sorrow ful astonishment, I read In a South Queensland paper that my friend, the Senor Gonsalvo Gomez, whose existence had almost forgotten, he'd been sen tenced to five years Imprisonment In Charleville on a charge of manslaugh- ter, and, from what I could gather of the case, had not a clever plea of exten- uating circumstances been set up by his counsel, 1t might have been mat ter necessitatlng even capital punish ment itself.
 Four years later had occasion to journey south, across country, and a days stage journey from my destina- ton camped beside considerable wa ter hole. I had hobbled my horses out and was In the act of lighting my fire when three footsore swaglnen came over the ridge and made towards me To my surprise. recognized the three remaining members of "The Roya Queensland Hippodrome and Acrobatic Circus company" They knew me al once and greeted men with every sign of cordiality; but I missed the twink ling eyes and infectious good humor ot my friend the Senor. When our re- spective meals were eaten and our pipes were in full blast I inquired after him
 Instantly hush fell upon the group andI realized that I had stumbled or delicate ground. For the moment had quite forgotten the reason of his absence, and, when I remembered, bitterly deplored my indfscretion. How ever, someone came to my assistance ill mysterious whisper:
 "e's out to-day sir; and that's why we're ere. You may not believe it, bu1 we've footed it right in from Boulia, 6 matter of close on five 'undred miles through the bush to meet i'm. Tot see, we didn't want the poor old bloke to think as how we'd forgotten i'm"
 This unlooked-for proof of their af lection for their unfortunate comradt so held me that for some moments preserved a rigid silence. and was re warded by having my curiosity, in { measure; gratified. A low growi cam from mass of blankets beyond tn, 1 fire:
 Five years for chokin' the ginge out'n a Fourth Publican who'd 'av' been lynched years ago on t'other side | if he'd had his rights
 | The company one by one solemnly ex pectorated into the fire, and, havin, done so, concurred in vigorous Ian guage. The voice began again:
 "Livin' ut ther, sir"-he jerked hi head In the direction of -Arcturus blaz | ing in the west-"you wiuldnt be like | ly to ave 'eard the true facts of thu case. Then, maybe, you'd think badl. of the old senor, who's all white mar in any way you look at i'm. Mind you I don't deny e scruffed the cove, bu if e did e did it fair and square, ant that's more than some can say" | I was about to ask for further par ticulars, but was stopped by hearing a heavy footstep coming toward ou camp. Then voice said quietly:
 "P'raps, if you don't mind you'll le cove speak for 'isself"
 There was a general start of aston ishment as the senor himself came in to the freight and threw down hi l ;,, ,,,t it,a
 The scene which follows beggars de scription. I never saw anything like in my life before. Gravely, and with pathos that could not be described, eac man rose from his place, stepped for ward, and, having carefully wiped hi right hand, placed it in that of the re turned. Not word was spoken. The one by one they dropped back to thei blankets and the same awkward s+ lence ensued. The senor was the frs to speak:
 -Four years and four months!" Il said.
 And two daysr" corrected my pre vious informant with convicnon.
 Eleven o'clock in the forenoon continued the Senor.
 Two traps and black tracker," as serted the growler
 Fifty miles over the Ranges wit me legs tied under police 'orse's be ly," said the senor.
 Committed for trial; guilty fiN years ard" remarkedthe other.
 And out at last!' thundered the CT tire company.
 A second handshaking was followe
 by another silence. Then the Senc turned to me.
 "Sir, if you'll allow me. I'll say T. pleased to see you. You was a zoe friend to us when we played in the ol stockyard away back, and 1t seems lil old times to see you with them when
 come out. You ain't changed nut since then, sir but then you ain't dor four years in the stone jug, have yor
 But there, what's the use of snivelli over what's done? l 'ope you wor
 think I'm quite as bad as they tried
 make me out. If you don't mind, l like to tell you low it all 'appened, sir Having expressed my desire to he; the story, he settled himself more con
 fortably on his blankets and thougl
 for moment. A pannikin of tea ar
 some food was handed to him, and a
 ter deno1ishing half, he began. H
 voice was as soothing as the sounds
 the Bush.
 Mind yer sir, what I'm goin' to te
 yer is the truth, the whole trouth, ar
 nothin' but the truth, and if I dor