Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-13


served, and It will be quite soon
enough for us at the end Of that
time to decide what you are to do"
A month later l was at sea again,
bound this time for Sydney. We
reached that port on my nineteenth
birthday, and BY that time I had
made up my mind. Articles or NO arti-
cles, I was determined to spend no
more Of my life on board that hateful
ship. Accordingly, one day having
obtained shore leave, I purchased q
new rig-out and, leaving my sea-togs
with the Jewish shopman. made
tracks, as the saying goes, into the
bush with all speed. Happen what
might. 1 was resolved that Capt. Fair
weather should not set eyes ON
George Fairfax again.
From that time onward my career
was strange one. I became . YER
liable Jack-of-all-trades. A station
hand, a roustabout, ehearer, assistant
to a travelling hawker, = gold miner.
and at last trooper in one OF the
finest bodies of mon in the world,
the Queensland mounted police. 1t
was in this curious fashion that l
arrived at my real vocation. After
a considera BILE period spent At head
quarters, was drafted to . station
in the far west. There was . good
deal of horse and sheep stealing 60
ing on that particular locality, and
a large amount of tact and ingcnui-
ty was necessary to discover the
criminals. | soon found that this was
a business at which | was likely to
be successful. More than once I had
the good fortune to be able to bring
to book men who had carried on their
trade for years, and who had been
entirely unsuS pected. Eventually my
reputation in this particular line Of
business became noised abroad, until
it came to the ears Of the commits g.
sioner himself Then news reached
us that a dastardly murder had been
committed in the suburbs of Brs-
Dane. and that the police were una BILE
to obtain any clew as to the identi-
ty of the person accountable for it.
Two or three men were arrested on
suspicion, but were Immediately dis
charged on being in a position TO give
! a satisfactory account of their &C
tions on the night of the murder. 1t
struck me that | should like to take
up the case, and with the confidence
of youth l applied to the commits
sioner for permission to be allowed
to try my hand at unraveling the
mystery. What they thought Of my
impudcnce I cannot say, but the fact
remains that my request, after being
backed up by my inspector, was
granted. The case was a particular
~ complicated one, and at one time
| was beginning TO think that
should prove no more successful than
the others had been. In the end
however | came upon the murderer
who, seeing himself very neatly
trapped, placed a revolver to his RICH,
temple and. before ! could prevent
him, pulled the trigger
At the conclusion OF this case I re.
signed my position in the police of the
northern colony, and Joined the detec
tive aft in Melbourne, seeing in their
service a good deal of queer life ano
ferreting out not a small number oil
extraordinary cases. The experience
gained there was invaluable, and lee
me, after one particularly interesting
piece OF business in which | had the
| good fortune to be most successful, tc
entertain the notion of quitting gov
| al. 1I
ting up for myself. lid so. and soor
had more work upon my hand than
could very well accomplish. But
was too ambitious to be content with
small things, and eventually came tc
the conclusion that there was. NO
enough scope in the colonies for me
After - years absence. therefore,
returned TO England, spending yea
in the further east en- route in order
to enlarge my experience, and to quail
fly myself for any work that nigh
come to me from hat quarter.
On certain bitterly cold day il
January reached Liverpool from h,
United States, and took the train 70
my old home. My father and mother
had long since died, and now Il II tina
remained to me of them was the ston,
slab that covered their resting place il
the quiet little churchyard at the foo
of the hill.
"Well, here | am" said TO myself
"33 years old and alone in the world
Nobody knows me in England, but i
won't ne my fault if they don't hear o
George Fairfax before very long. TT
be off to London and try my fortuna
there"
Next day l made my way to tn
great metropolis, and installed mysel
at a small private hotel, while
looked about me preparatory to com
mencing business. To talk of gainin
a footing in London is all very well il
its way, but it is by no means so cas-
a task to accomplish as it light ap
pear. Doubtless it can be done fairl
quickly if one is prepared to spen
large sums of money in advertising
and is not afraid to blow ones owI
trumpet on every possible occa
sion, but that is not my line
and besides, even had I so wished
] had not the money to do il
For a multitude of reasons | did no
feel inclined to embark my HARD
earned savings on such a risky enter
prise. preferred to make my way b
my own diligence, and with that en-
in view l rented an office in cor