The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-04
Ballarat Sam
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

year | had lived. l haQ exactly IA
to begin life on in this colony, but was
a healthy yeungster, with no fear Of
the future. Luck was with me from
the start. On the second day after
landing from the steamer hired out
to a sheep raiser, who had q ranch on
the Murray river, near its junction
with the Darling, and on the third we
started off up the country.
One evening was building a fire to
cook supper by, while Mccall, the over
seer, went to secure lever with which
to raise a wagon off its wheels.
Suddenly a man burst out of the thick
ct and came running up to me.
For Gods sake. young Teller, give
me bite to eat!' he said as he stood
before me. Don't be afraid of me-
I'm sheep herder who has been lost
in the bush for three days and half"
| stepped to the wagon and handed
him a piece of bacon, some hard
crackers and a handful of tea, and
after he had placed them i'm his peck
cts he continued:
Young teller, do me greater ia
vor still Lend me your pistol and
knife until tomorrow, when you will
pass my station, and, furthermore do
not mention to any one that | was
here. Do this and you Will never re
greet it." Then he hurried away.
Just as Mccall came back with the
lever there was clatter of hoofs, and
l looked up to see five mounted men
ride into camp. They were in the uni
form of the patrol, and the appearance
Of the men and horses showed that
they had had long ride of it.
"Well, Captain White, what is it,"
asked Mccall, who seemed to know
every one of the five.
Been after Ballarat Sam again."
was the reply as the captain dis
mounted.
"And lost him, eh?'
Eyes, curse the luck! We struck his
trail near Dobney's yesterday morning,
and he led us chase Of fifty miles
during the day. We killed his horse
about duAk last night and had him sur
rounded ~ the scrub. He got out, how
ever, and we did not get his track un-
til about noon today. We followed to
the creek two miles above and there
lost it."
We continued on up the country and
finally arrived at the ranch. and for
the next six months was hard at
work as sheep herder and neither
saw nor heard much of the outside
world. Then one day was called to
report at headquarters and upon my
arrival found a couple Of visitors there
two gentlemen who had lately arriv-
ed from England. They had come out
to Australia to go into The sheep bust
ness, but would leave it in care of an
agent They hired me and a number
of others. and we began work with
them
One evening we had finished supper
and were grouped about the campfire
when one of the dogs parked and we
looked up to find ourselves covered by
FIVE rifles.
Hands up or you are dead men,
shouted a voice. and every one of us
quickly obeyed the command.
The five advanced, each keeping
his rifle leveled, and when could
see the man who had spoken l at
once identified him as Ballarat Sam,
the man whom had befriended
months before. He recognized me al
most as quickly and. taking a step for
ward. he said:
We'll. boy. you did me good turn
that day and I'll not forget it. Move
over to the left. Now. then. gents.
who are your"
All our arms were in the wagon, and
we were helpless to offer any resist
ance. The first thing they did was to
despoil their captives. After they had
robbed the two gentlemen of every
thing they had of value and helped
themselves literally to our stores in
the wagons Ballarat Sam shook hands
with me and said
$50 you didn't inform the police you
had seen me that day."
mo, sir
well. you were mighty kind to me.
and | am going to return the favor
Take this hundred pound note and
save it for rainy day. and here's the
finest pistol and knife In Australia
Probably some day you will see me
hanged. but whatever is said of me you
can vouch for the fact that Ballarat
Sam never forgot favor or failed to
get even with an enemy"
Columns of matter were printed In
the Australian newspapers concerning
Ballarat Sam and his crew of outlaws
during the next.year, and his picture
was posted everywhere and a large re-
ward offered for his capture dead or
alive. The authorities were bound to
get him, but he seemed to bear a
charmed life for awhile, and, although
arrested several times, he always man.
aged to escape by some ruse or other
Finally he was surrounded by a patrol
numbering forty policemen and taken
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