Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-07-11
pHN rAACKE

caused IL 10 DE put tnere- i Wckeu
up carelessly and read. ASK Smyth
what he did with the half caste bo,
| Freddy he used to have with him. ant
notify the magistrate that you wish {.
have IN opportunity Of examining
Smythe later on in order 70 confron
him with a witness Of Importance. :"
looked across at Norah Mackenzie
What card was she going TO play now
But her dark eyes did not betray th'
workings Of her mind. fancied. how
ever. there was the ghost Ct q smil'
lowering about her lips.
/ put some other question to diver
.::ention. then asked Smythe suddenly
and with as much significance In my
voice as could be thrown into il wha,
he had done with the half caste boy
Freddy
The witness glared at me with wild,
open. fearful eyeyfor a moment with
ont speaking. He was evidently taker
by surprise.
Surprise was on my side now. fsI
he fell down In fit
II wish TO give notice. your wor
ship that would like 70 examine the
witness later on in the day.
''lf the witness is In proper condi
ton 90 appear. said the magistrate,
''you will have an opportunity for ex'
amining him.
And now the little crowd was being
rewarded for its patient attendance by
the sight Of this unfortunate wretch
misery But fts are not uncommon In
the vicinity Of back block shanties. In
relation TO shanties they are purely q
product Of home growth. So arc grave
yards Savile and brawny trooper
seized Dan Smythe and carried him ont
kicking and struggling. As il by magic
half dozen black bottles were pro-
duced from the inside Of shirts and
brandishcG before the sick mans face
with the most reckless prodigality. II
was evident that some Of the whites.
with praiseworthy philanthropy, did
rot believe in tempting the innocent
savages outside by turning a hollow
tree into temporary wine cellar.
They reasoned that II liquor could put
Dan into such Q condition 1t could
snrely fetch him out again The wo-
men left the tent. and the police mag
istrate declared an adjournment for
lunch. noticed that Norah Macken-
sie sent Ekie on ahead and waited ont
side for the two magistrates, who went
with her over to the camp.
What the sergeant had said about
the two Queensland bank notes being
found on the body Of the man killed
on Scrubby creek corresponding with
those taken from the murdered man
Sexton fairly staggered me. That
Jack had possessed no money / knew
for a certainty. had seen him. now
that / taxed my recollection, take what
looked like bank notes from the dead
mans pocket and put them back again.
Was II likely that II he had murdered
and robbed Sexton and wanted to lose
his identity, but anticipated discovery
Of his ssheme. he would put such in
eliminating evidence as the bank notes
into the pockets Of the man killed by
the blacks, TINS virtually proving that
he. John Farquharson, had murdered
Sexton! The case was fast becoming
. mystery even TO me and baffied con-
lecture.
But still cheered Jack as best l
could. Az to who the witness was that
Norah Mackenzie spoke Of bringing for
ward. something told me it would be
unwise to ask questions. Regarding
Dan Smythe's antecedents neither Jack
nor knew anything.
Before leaving my comrade ! had the
satisfaction Of learning that Smyths
had recovered from his fit, though feel
ing rather queer" as the. constable
who had him in charge said, and who
was pledged to produce him In proper
condition in the afternoon.
Then went over to the camp. where,
in the dusky shade Of a great leafy tree,
some little distance removed from the
others, I saw Norah Mackenzie enter
tanning the two magistrates. / got a
pannikin Of tea from Savile. DAILY was
very quiet and, indeed, seemed as If he
regretted the position in which he found
himself. Gordon informed me that he
felt like giving him his money and tell
ling him to 90, but the circumstances
hardly justified this summary mode Of
procedure. As il would have defeated
my project-dim, 1t must be confessed,
| of ultimate fulfillment-for eventually
discovering the murderer OF Sexton. l
commended his views on this point.
Then l had talk with Savile and Cor
dom. The former somewhat briefly told
me that the witness Miss Mackenzie
| had referred to was black boy, at pres
mt with Percy and Scruton, the drov-
srs, who were then on the Macarthur.
| I must excuse him. he explained, going
too infinitely at present into particu-
lars, as doing 90 might only put re-
straints on me while giving evidence.
Suffice it that this boy had once been In
Smythe's employ. He handed me some
questions on paper which ! might ask
the witness, but he begged that he
Savile-should first be sworn in as in
terpreter, and that no questions should
| be asked the boy save through him, the
| lad being almost myall black and only
talking q species Of pigeon Engliah.
When Sayile told me that he had talked
TO Miss Mackenzie on the subject and
that this was her request, at once ac-
quiesced to this rather one sided form
| Of procedure