Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-10-30
A JIM"
THE CONVICT
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright, 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By Nj. QUAD

UUEutT anu lie 4CA anu Tic AAA02 "a
George Stebbins. In those days an
Australian convict was bid off-that Is,
a settler In wan of help would bid a
price for so many men, and they were
turned over to him for a certain length
Of time. He'was responsible for their
feed and care. and his word was Law.
He could work them as hard and as
long as he wished. He could starve
and beat them and there was no one to
come between. In case of insubordina-
ton he could shoot them down. and
the government simply accepted his
statement Of the affair. All convicts
were glad enough to get away from
prison and out upon the ranches. and
In most cases they found good masters
and were decently treated. As a mem
Der of the mounted police l knew that
Stebbins was a hard man to get along
with. He had been a tavern keeper
and a bully In England, and his wife
had committed suicide, and his two
sons had been taken away from him by
the law on account of his cruelty.
Black Jim came up to Woona Wally
with six other men. and the gang were
up at police headquarters for the night
1t fell to us to take their pedigrees and
post them as to their new master and
what would be expected Of them. In
u district we always gave a convict
a fair start. He vas told what would
be required of him. advised to do his
best to please his master and given to
understand that If he went straight we
would see that he had fair usage. I
was interested in Black Jim at once.
The law had made a convict of him,
but 1t hadn't degraded him.
l had an idea that Stebbins would
be down on him from the first because
of his superior looks. and / went pref
ty thoroughly into details. When I
had finished the prisoner said:
II thank you, sir. and shall do my
best to please"
Things came about as l feared. AS
Stebbins inspected his gang he picked
Black Jim out for special attention.
He had little to say to the others be-
yond making bl~oodcurdling threats of
what would happen If they didn't toe
the mark, but to Jim he said:
$50 they have sent me a gentle
man. have they? They thought l need
ed somebody to teach me per-
haps. Mebbe the idea was for you. to
sit on the veranda and give me daily
lessons. Well, you've come to the
wrong shop. Look, now, I'm goin'
to keep an eye on you'll You think
yourself head and shoulders above the
crowd, but I'll take the conceit out Of
you'll"
Not one convict in a thousand would
have stood the insults and degradation
put upon Black Jim the next year..
/ know he tried his best, but there
was no pleasing Stebbins. He was
always boasting that he had a gentle
man convict and that he was bound
to break him, and he spent a good
share of his time worrying the man.
One day, as l was returning with the
troop after hunting down a false alarm
Of bushrangers. my horse SHE'D and
threw me almost In front Of Stebbins'
house. and as l struck on a stone and
had several ribs broken / was carried
in. He was not glad to see me-, but
under the circumstances was obliged
to give me a bed. On the fourth night
of my accident four men and three
women arrived for an evening visit
When dinner had been finished and
the drink had gone around Stebbins
sent for Black Jim and ordered him to
dance for the amusement Of the COM
pany. The convict respectfully but
out In Indignation:
"You won't dance. eh? Too much
of a gentleman to give US a hornpipel
Mebbe this company isn't swagger
enough for the likes Of a bloomin'
murderer"
"The charge against me was forgery,
SIR" quietly replied the man.
~ don't care what it was. You are
insubordinate. and up you go by the
thumbs! After hangin' till daylight
you'll probably be a little more hum
BILE"
The mar had been hanging ten min
utes and the agony had almost
brought unconsciousness when the
door was kicked open and b~ushrangers
crowded in. 1t was a complete sur
prise. The women screamed put and
began to cry, but the men, with the
exception of Stebbins, took it rather
coolly. The bully and coward went
white as death and fell into a chair.
and 1t was almost pitiful to hear him
beg for his life.
The next instant Stebbins toppled out
Of his chair with a bullet in his head,
and the leader said:
"Sorry we have interrupted the fes-
tivities, but 1t was Jul calling night
We were after Stebbins alone, and the
rest of you need not fear. Come. Jim.
we want you"
Two Of them helped the forger-con-
vict out of the house and upon a horse,
and that was the making Of the most
notorious hr1shra npar in all Australia