Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-05-30

CHAPTER I.
NTIhI 4 IEs u
Tnyrn nv THE nj .ACEa

KILLED BY THE BLACKS
In July. 1885. was down on my
luck and wanderer in the wild
Never Never Of tropical Australia. by
the comparatively untenanted shores OF
the Carpentarian gulf. But. though
midwinter in that lind Of topsy tsirvy-
dom. the thermometer stood all day at
90 in the shade. and the relentless sun
blaxed down like ball OF fire from q
cloudless. steel blue sky.
This was the year Of perhaps the
greatest gold rush that Australia had
ever seen since gold had first been dis
covered on the island continent and /.
| Richard Parker. commonly called Dick.
your humble servant. by remark
able accident was false to the traditions
OF a never failing bad luck for once in
not being one Of its victims When the
discovery Of gold was reported in the
uncyplored Kimberley district In West
ern Australia and the cry went mp that
the veritable land Of Ophir had been
| found at last. from every spot on earth
where no,nGdic man wrests living
from Mother Earth men focked TO the
new FL Dorado.
Gold diggers are like sheep: let one OF
them start ont for "duffer" rush.
and all the Others will follow him blind
ly.
Nv mate Jack and were on our way
| to this rush. But at the time OF which
/ write had possessed al the gold in
Australia it would have been gladly
1 given by me in exchange for drink OF
water, q sedative. an opiate, or any
thing that would have soothed or sent
me 20 sleep forever; for my body was
| In the clutches Of that demon OF the
gulf. the fever and aguei and yet there
within hundred yards Of me-was
the creek which could not reach. My
body was consumed by q fierce heat
which even water could not cool. and
nv head was chaos Of wild, insane
fancies "a prey to the morbid imagin-
ings Of my own wretched self.
NV comrade. Jack Tyndall. had left
camp shortly before me 10 look for the
horses / could see and hear. but could
not properly understand nor think, far
less act. Ny delusions, born OF the de-
lirium. were painfully vivid. But a
laughing jackass with its loud. absurd
cackle called my wandering senses to
the fact that some one was coming
along the tsail- II was swagsman
he was tall Sod dark. and. at first sight.
40 like Jack that had ii been possible
for me 20 have moved or called, would
most assuredly have sung out TO him
as il was. | lay in a sort OF trance
From my shaded vantage ground he
could be seen plainly enough typical
swagsman. not different from thousands
of Others one may see all over Australia
He passed within 80 yards from where
] lay. trudging along wearily. looking
neither TO the right nor left
When. he had gone some 80 yards
farther. past that part of the trail oppo-
site me. he threw down his swag under
q great shady bloodwood tree.
must have gone to sleep or become
Unconscious again. for on coming to my
senses strange drama was being en-
acted before my eyes. There was such
an air Of unreality about il all that
fancied myself the victim OF some optic
nj illusion. and therefore did not act
with that promptness the occasion call
ed for.
He sat under the shade OF tree.
reading. Before him was small FIRE,
upon which his billy rested He had
taken of his boots and hat and was
ENJOYING pipe. But behind the tree
against which he leaned was naked
black fellow with a long, cruel looking
barbed spear raised in one hand. Sc
notionless was he that he might have
been carved ont Of solid block OF
ebony. Close behind him again, wrig-
Cling along the ground like reptiles and
sneaking upon all fours like animals,
were about half dozen savages with
spears and nulia-nullas in their hands.
Travelling up the creek, they had no,
ticed the fire and were now reconnoiter.
. ing the unsuspecting man. Yes. they
could manage him. They might have
thought twice about it had he stood
there facing them with rife or re-
volver in his hands.
II / tried to cry out 30 as to warn hin
. of his danger, but my throat and tongue
! were 80 dry that only hoarse gurglinf
} sound escaped from my lips. By an al
most superhuman effort drew my re-
volver and crawled forward few feet
on my hands and knees. had just
gathered together my scattered senses
, and was in the act Of resting my re
yolver against tree and surprising thu
, aggressors Dy the unexpected fire, wher
there arose hoarse shout. The savagt
: had been too quick for me- Down came
the spear. entering the poor fellow''
back. With an agonixed cry. and before
the cannibals had time to follow NJ
: their advantage, he snstched up his re
volver. leaped to his feet and fired Il
= point blank in the face of the savag'
I | who had dealt the treacherous blow
0 Then he reeled. with the spear still
= protruding from his back, threw ou'
: his hands and fell forward on his face
At the same moment. like alnumber o
hideous puppets, the black fellow
sprang from the long graaL Singing
ont the nearest one. fred my Colts
which was as good a. q rife, and b
dropped like a bullock when 1t is pithet
. IN the yard. Accounts were squares