The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-03-06

his door.
Here's Mr. Hardcastle from Ro-
sauna, sir. He says he must see you at
once"
The deuce he doesl What aboutT
"He says he'll only tell you, but he's
ridden over In three hours, and he
looks like the dead"
give him some whisky, Tyler, and
tell him I'll DO down In two ticks"
So saying, the gray bearded sergeant
of the New South Wales mounted 20.
lice tucked his uightgown into his cord
breeches, slipped into his tunic and
FASTENED to the parlor which served
as courtroom on occasion, buttoning as
he went. MFR. Hardcastle had a glass
to his lips as the sergeant entered. He
was a very fine man of forty, and his
massive frame was crowned with q
countenance as handsome as It was
open and bold, but at glance 1t was
plain that he was both shaken and ex-
hausted and In no mood to hide either
his fatigue or his distress. Sergeant
Cameron sat down on the other side
OF the oval table with the faded cloth;
the younger constable had left the
room when Hardcastle called him
back.
Don't go, Tyler" said he. you
may as well both hear what I've got to
say. lists Stingareer
The name was echoed in incredulous
undertones.
But he's down in VIC" urged the ser
geant Hes been giving our chaps a
devil Of time down therer'
Hes come back. I've seen him
with my own eyes. But I'm beginning
at the wrong end first" said the squat
ter, taking another sip and then sitting
back TO survey his hearers. you know
old Duncan. my overseerT
The sergeant nodded.
"Of course you know him." the other
continued. and so does the whole back
country and did even before he won
this fortune I'm the Melbourne Cup
sweep. suppose you've heard how he
took the news? He was fuddling him
self from his own bottle on Sunday
afternoon when the mail came. The
first ! knew Of It was when saw him
sitting with his letter in one hand and
throwing out the rest of his grog with
the other Then he told us he had won
the first prize Of 100000 and that he
had made up his mind TO have his next
drink at his own place I'm Scotland. He
left us that afternoon TO catch the
coach and go down to Sydney for his
money He ought to have been back
this evening before shutdown"
The sergeant put in his word
THAT he ought, for ! saw him come
of the coach and start for the station
as soon as they'd run up the horse he
left behind him at the pub. l won
dered what had brought him If he was
so set on getting back to the old coun.
try"
Il could tell YOU" said Hardcastle
after some little hesitation, "and l may
as well Poor old Duncan was the
most generous Of men, and nothing
would serve him but that every soul on
Rosanna should share more or less I'm
his good fortune | am ashamed to tell
you how much he spoke Of pressing on
myself. You have probably heard that
one OF his peculiarities was that he
would never take payment by check,
like other people? l believe It was be-
cause he had knocked down too many
checks in his day, In any case, we
used to call him Hard Cash Duncan I'm
Rosanna. and | am very much afraid
that when you saw him he must have
had the whole of his 100000 upon him
in the hardest form OF cash"
But what has happened, Mr.. Hard
castle?"
The very worst" said Hardcastle,
STOPPING to sip. The three heads came
closer together across the faded table
cloth. There was no sign OF him at z;
he ought TO have been with US before g.
We had done our best TO make It an oc-
casion and It seemed that the dinner
would be spoiled. So at young Ev
ans, my store keeper. went of at gal
Top TO meet him, and at twenty-five
past he came galloping bnck leading
riderless horse. II was the one you
saw Duncan riding this afternoon.
There was blood upon the saddle.
found IL. And within another hour we
had found the poor old boy himself
dead and cold in the middle OF the
track with bullet through his heart"
The squatter's voice trembled with an
emotion that did him honor In his hear
ers' eyes, and the gray bearded ser
geant waited little before asking
questions.
what makes you think Il Is Stinga-
req he inquired at length
II tell yon ! saw him on the run,
with my own eyes. this morning.
passed him I'm one Of my paddOcks, as
close as l am to you. and asked him
II he was looking for the homestead
he answered that he was only riding
through, aud we neither OF MS stop
ped"
Wen ride back with you at once"
said the sergeant. land Gnd you a
fresh horse II your own has had !
enough. Run up the lot, Tyler, and
Mr.. Hardcastle can take his choice. II !
seems clear enough, continued Cam.
erOn, as the trooper disappeared. But |
this is a new departure for stingaree.
It's the very thing that everybody said |
he would never do"
"And yet it's the logical climax OF
his career. IL might have happened |
long ago. but it's not his FIRST blood. Us
II U.s." argued Hardcastle, when he
had drained his glass. Didn't he wing |
one OF you down I'm Victoria the other
day2 Your bushranger Is bound to
come 10 Il sooner or later. lie may /