The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-03-01
THE BUSHRANGER'S
TREASURE.
Copyright, 1soo, by ERIN Uardman.



Among the Instructions given me when
! engaged as sheep hcrdcr in New South
Wales was TO stand neutral between the
bushrangers and tho mounted nolico
rrbi, y.,. tho orI, ,,.o, ., ,,,t -, ,,.;tt +ba
I,..a.,,,I ',...i'I t..;,',, -
us ''l"'
H"u oeeh "ut oh 'he Sneep range
about four weeks when | met my hrst
bushranger. 1t was just at daylight, and
l was cooking my breakfast when three
men rode up TO the hut and dlSmountcf.
They entered the hut and looked me over
for Il minute in silence. Then the leader
said:
You are a new man on the range,
see, but think You are up to things. If
YOU play us fair, You need have no fear.
Can YOU get us some breakfast"
| was considerably ratified over the ar
rival of such guests, but ! put good
face on it and cooked for them until they
We're satisfied. They had whisky with
them and also plenty of cigars, and they
were in no hurry to leave.
just at dusk on the previous day, as
learned from their conversation, they had
held up stage 80 miles away and then
81 =
about 800 in cash, three watches and
woman's earrings and finger rings. They
were not at all shy of talking before me
and at me. They were headed for a big
ravinc to the west and about five miles
away, where a camp had been made and
a fourth man was waiting for them.
They asked when the police had called
last. how much travel there was on the
highway and many other questions, and
| got a goldpiece to pay for their enter
tainmcut
They had ridden so far and by such
dcyious WAYS that they had no fear Of
the native trackers EMPLOYED by the DO
lice and therefore made no effort to blind
their trail as they rode off.
| saw to that. however. Scarcely were
thev nut Of sight when | rounded IN nv
flock and drove nv Thousand sheep back
and forth across the hoof prints until
they were entirely obliterated 1t was
we'll for tbe bushronrers that | did so.
At nom q supad of monutpd nolice arriy-
cd They had not been in chase of the
robbors. but had received orders TO ride
ont ana hcad them off before they could
reach the razine.
| was sbarply questioned as to what
7 had seen. and nv ovosive rcplics arous-
cd tbc suspicion of the lieutenant in
charge Of The men. He coaxed and
Threatened bv turns. hut | knew that to
give tbr hushronecrs AWAY was TO bring
a knife to my throat. ana no Information
was obtained from me. Before riding
AWAY the police made circuit. and but
for INV care they certainly would have
picked M the trail. Ncxt day they re-
turned. having had their ride in vain, and
they had not been gone an hour when a
bushraucrr aDucarpd.
He was one of NV visitors, and | soon
found that | had undergone an unsus-
pectod tcst. He had been left behind in
the Scrub when the Others rode away.
He had seen me blind the trail. and he
also knew of the vists of the police. Had
played his gang false he would have
bcpn M hand 10 fake u supedv revenge.
The man COMMUNICATED me on nv dis
erection and had a bite TO eat before he
left, and during the next six months
encountered the full gang several times.
l did no spying for them. and the inror-
nation | gave them was of little account.