Year: 1865

I
approached the summer house. They


were not there. Of course they were ir
the house then. ! was not long left ir
lndecision as to ny next step. The win
dow of her sitting-room Git was French
window opened, and there they stood
within few yards of me, his arm thrown
around her waist | heard, | saw him
kiss her | heard his impassioned Good
bye and then, witch a noiseless step, |
fastened by a near cut to the bridge


" crossed it, showed the ends of three
planks off their support, so that the least
weight should tip them over, and walked
about ten yards off, with a heart whose
throbs heard above the angry roaring of
the flood.


" He came lie made few steps along
the bridge. Then wild cry, a plunge in
the torrent, an interval of silence another
cry, Help, help, that was all. l was
avenged. No mortal could escape out of
that rocked banked stream in its then
state.


Next morning | sent note to my
wife. Caroline l said, L was close to
you when you and he parted, last night.
lie shall come to you no more God for
give you


:" left at once, joined your ship, and
know shall never land alive Don't mis-
understand me- | shall not commit sui
eide. But his face-that | never saw in
life-is with me ever And so closely is
the memory Of her entwined with my be-
ing, his face bears likeness to hers; but
unlike hers it always wears a ghastly
frown. All viii soon be over"


And it was soon over for one evening
at sundown q man fell overheard. The
ship was going free at the time, and there
was Il stiff breeze. As the man passed
the quarter, or rather as the quarter pas
sed him, it was plain that he could not
swim, and his look of horror as he rode
on wave, would have gone through you.
Mr.. Aspern stood beside me on the poop~
deck lie snatched up life-buoy and
went overheard A boat was lowered,
but it took too long time. The ship was
brought to. There were only two oars in
the boat, though four men jumped into
her; and we saw that they hardly made
any way towards the floating men, around
whose heads cormorants were sweeping,
their terrible bills often coming very near
them


Darkness soon came on. We burned
lights for the boat, which at last returned
without Mr. Aspcrn and without the sail~
or There was no doubt they had gone
down. This, sir, was the end of our queer
passenger.


I reflected very often on the above story,
told me by the captain of the vessel as !
was on the way to Australia, but the many
incidents Of the voyage, and the prospect
of our speedy arrival in the land of gold,
soon drove the tale from my mind.


Our ship reached Victoria in safety, and
lost no time in getting up the country TO
see some gold fields that had recently been
discovered. | was fortunate enough to
procure a black "boy" to lead my pack
horses, and l set out with Il couple Of
seven~inch rcYoisers, a good rife four
good horses, two of them laden with a
tolerable ''swag." | travelled about fifty
miles day for four days, camping out
each night, and at last came to good
sized public house, where | determined to
stay few days to give spell to my horses.
was lonely enough during my stay, until
gentleman came who was treasure as
a companion He was much my senior,
and seemed to have a thorough knowledge
of the world / had meyer met a more
fascinating man. / was delighted that We
were to travel together


We did travel together, and well it was
for one another that we did so. On the
second day we camc to n creek, where /
I opposed that we should stop and lunch.
had scarcely spoken when a hors9man
passed US at a rapid pace. He wore a
red GariJaldi shirt, and a helmet hat, with
a red silk puggarce streaming behind it.
lie had hardly disappeared over the steep
bank on the opposite side of the creek,
when two shots were heard, followed by q
shout We spurrcd our horses over the
creek, and in few seconds beheld the
person who had passed US ovcrthrown, his
LEG pinned to the ground by his horse,
which had fallen, and a man in a mask,
about q dozen yards off, taking aim at him
with revolver. We dashed on, but my
confounded horse came down with me, his
feet having landed in b&ndicoot's hole.
staggered to my feet much shaken, and
was in time to see the issue. The red
horseman and the bushranger fred stimuli
taneouslv, and the robber swerved in his
saddle. but he came very close to the
other. and extended his revolver again
The others fate had been sealed but for
the promptness and skill Of my compan-
ion. He took a long shot and the robbers
nistol fell to the ground, and, uttorinc q
howl of rage and pain, he Galloped off to-
wards the scrub. When We reached the