Smyrna times., 1900-02-07
DYING LIKE
"A GENTLEMAN
A Story of Australian Gold
Hunters.
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\ dozen men sat around a campfire
alongside the trail which led from
Hope Valley to Woona Walla.
The trail was 800 miles long and ran
up hill and down. over plain and
through scrub and now and then cross
ed river or climbed mountain.
The feet of 5000 Australian gold
hunters, accompanied for half the dis
tance by wagons and pack horses, had
left such a plain road behind that the
next 5000 could not go astray.
At no point on the trail could doz-
en- worse men have been picked out
than the u who sat around Jim Ag-
news campfire. They had banded to-
gether because they were bad. Had
they Travelled singly they would have
Jared badly at the hands of the crowd.
At 8 o'clock at night, with every
man ripe for mischief from the liquor
he had imbibed, the camp had a caller
two of them.
A man turned in from the trail and
passed the fire and halted in the midst
of the quarreling gang and dropped a
burden from his back. 1t was a little
girl or years old and sound asleep.
He pulled a blanket from under a
man and spread it out to make a bed
for the child, and he tucked her up
with tender hand before he straighten-
ed up and looked about him and said:
81 carried her ON my back from Sgd
ney to Hope Valley, and, finding the
rush on. I'm bound for WOona Walla
"And who may you be-" queried Jim
Agnew of the stranger.
"a gentleman. sir, or the wreck of a
gentleman" was the reply. You can
call me Scott
"And is this your childT
'No. sir; daughter of my ex-partner.
Mr.. Joe Taylor. He was another
wreck of gentleman. She was moth
erless. and when he died few weeks
ago he left her in my charge. Couldn't
refuse to take her, sir-nO gentleman
could. Very interesting young person;
bound to make Il lady if properly rear
ed and educated. She'll be waking up
directly. and then Wen thank you for
a bite to eat"
1t WIS DtdIhiiAE INT liOn III MS hfh.
After two or three minutes the men
recovered from their feeling Of aston
ishment. and then there was resent
ment at the cool and nervy way their
camp had been invaded.
The man before them was ragged
and unkempt. and dissipation was to
be read in every lire of his face. but
vet instinct told them that he was not
Of tEeir ilk
No matter what he was now. he had
one day been a gentleman. There were
mutterings and threats. and presently
Jim Agnew said:
Say. I've heard of you! You are
Scott. the gambler You used to hang
out at Red Hills"
Your information is correct, sir. |
used to be a gentleman. Then ! was
Scott the gambler. At present lam
Scott. the wreck of gentleman and
guardian of that child. Quite correct.
sir"
Hang your gentleman businessr
shouted Jim as his temper began to
boil up. "Say. boys. let's chip in and
buy the kid. Mebbe she'll bring more
iuck tndn a uunpDdck.
Yes; let's buy the kidv' shouted
half a dozen men in chorus.
Gentlemen" said the gambler as ne
waved his hand toward the girl. who
had been awakened by the shouts,
permit me to introduce Miss Ethel
Taylor of Sydney. daughter of Mr.. Jo-
seph Taylor deceased, ex-cOnvict' gam
bier. sharper and bad 'un generally
In dying he left her in charge of his
partner, the wreck of a gentleman
who has now been a day and hall
without food. but who wouldn't sell
out his trust for all the gold in Aus
tralla."
You'd better take a walkw exclaim
ed Agnew after a long look at the
gambler.
after the girl has eaten. sir" was
the'quiet reply.
The girl stays here"
Not unless | am dead"
The man Agnew backed Off a Few
reet and pulled a revolver from hl'
belt and raised his arm until the muz
zle was on line with the gambler
night eye. The arm rested there, an'
as his fingers curled around the trlg
ger he said:
I'll give you till count FIVE"
My dear Ethel. good night and good
oy, said Scott as he half turned AM
hited bis ragged cap to the girl
she did not rise up nor call out. AZ
new meant to kill the man before bin