The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-06
Banarat Sam
BY W. QUAD
Copyright, tJIG. BY the Mcclure
Newspaper SYrGicata.

The day 7 arrived In Adelaide, AIS
rralia, was twenty years odd aud M
pocket contained a dollar for every
year had lived I had exactly "a
co bsgin life GU IN this COLONY. but wa.s
4 healthy F1ungsCsrr with 40 fear ct
the fI1r1Irg LTex WIS with NE from
tie srarr. On the ssehnd day After
landing from tie steamer I iire.i CUT
TO sheep raiser, Who had q ranch On
Tie Murray river, near ira Junction
with che Darling, and gu the third We
srarrsst otr up the country
One evening was building a fire 60
caok supper By while Mccall the over
seer, went - secure a Iever with which
10 raise A wagnl OF trs whs.Is.
was thus alone for a few moments
Suddenly man burst OUT of the thick
Ct and CAME running UP to TIE.
Fog Gods sake, young fsiIer, Civ :
NE a bite to eaEr' be said ~ be stood
before ME. "Don't be afraid of ne
I'm A aieep herrter VITO has been ldsG
ID the bush t0r three days and a half
stepped to the wagnu and handed
him piece Of bacon, souae hard
crackers and handful Of tea, and
after be had placed them IN his peck
eGs he continued:
Young teller, ID me a greater Ia
vor STILL Lend me your pistol and
knife Until Tomorrow. when You Will
cass my station, and, furthermore, do
Eot mention To any one that / was
here Do this and you VIII never re-
greE It." Then be hGrrfsd away.
Just "a McCau came back with the
lever there was cIarter Of boots, and
| looked up 10 see ave mounted men
ride into camp, They were In the uni
form Of the patrol, and the appearance
Of the men aud horses showed that
they had had I0nx ride Of It.
We'll, Captain White, what Is tip
asked McCaIl, who seemed 10 know
every one Of the five.
Beer after BaIIarat Sam again, So
was the reply az the captain dis
mounted
And lost him, ehY'
Yes, curse the luck. We struck bis
trail rear Dobney's yesterday morning.
and he led Gs chase Of fifty miles
during the day. We killed his horse
about d1sk last night and had him SUI
rounded IN the scrub. He got out, how
ever, and re did not get his track I'M
Ill about noon today We followed 20
the creek t-o miles above and there
lost tt
We continued on up the country and
finally arrived az the ranch. and for
the next six months I was hard az
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 couple OF visitors there
two gentlemen who had lately arrfv.
ed from England They had come out
10 Australia 10 90 into the sheep bust
ness, but would leave II 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 barked and we
looked up to find ourselves covered by
FIVE rifles
Hands up or you are dead men,
shouted voice, and every one Of Us
quickly obeyed the command
The FIVE advanced. each keeping
his rife leveled, and when could
see the man who had spoken at
once identified him as Ballarat Sam,
the man whom had betriende,l
months before He recognized me al
most as quickly and. taking a step for
ward, he said:
We'll. boy. you did me a 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 I'm
the wagons Ballarat Sam shook hands
with me and said:
80 you didn't inform the police you
had seen me that day."
mo, sir"
well. you were mighty kind to me.
and l am going to return the favor.
Take this hundred pound note and
save 1t for rainy day, and here's the
finest pistol and knife In Australia
Probably some day you win see me
hanged, but whatever Is said Of me you
can vouch for the fact that Ballarat
Sam never forgot a 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 outla WIS
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 be seemed to bear a
charmed life for awhile. and. although
arrested several times, he ALWAYS man