Novel

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 378, 6 August 1903, Page 2

Novel

CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.) -After the departure of Alt and Jim the men gathered together to discuss the matter. Sun Sharpe, the foreman of the yards, suggested that the bushranger must be A ithu Kelson. ' But he was four hundred miles away last Saturday,' said Bill Jackeon. ' I guess it mubt to hiabrother Sid, who stuck up the mail last Friday.' Such waa the tenor of the talk of the numerous hands about the place. Bat we must leave Wilson's for a while, and see how matters axe progressing at their neighbours.'

CHAPTER V. DnOTSBS LKAVB DAW6ON'B TO 'MuSTBB.' Situated about five miles south west of WiUon's was anotl er station owned by two brothers named Dawson. t% li bad been arranged that, on Moaday morning, Mr Roberts, (Dawson's manager), his clerk, aßd drove n should stare rounding up the cattle for the semi-annual muster. They started at daybreak as therauster was to be at Gobong Scation, an outlying station ten miles away. The reason for this was that most of the cattle were grazing in that direction. It had been a very dry e*ason, and this station had several splendid streams running through it '■ 3fs It would have delighted anyone to hard teen them start from the homestead. Mr Roberts was an ear'y riser, as most settlers aie in this country. He had risen long b:-fcie daylight, had his breakfast and then put on his cabbage-tree hat and took down his Etockwhip, for he intended to work like the rest. Just as the first streak of dawn showed it eel f in the cast he stepped out of the door and greeted the droveis and the others, who had assembled to see them off, with a cheery' Good morning, lads !' Then turning to the drovers,' 1 see you ue ready to start. Let's mount and away. Almost before he had finished speaking every man had vaulted into his a.ddle, As they left the first paddock he said: 'We had better put on a spmt, to as to fix up things at the yards ready for tomorrow, for we will have no time to do anything then, as the cattle will be scattered all over the station; and jt will take us all our time to rouna them up by to-moriow night. The more we do to-day the less to do to-morrow.' The whole party then put spurs to their horses, forcing them into a gallop, and soon were' lost sight of from the house. The station, which had only a few minutes before been ringing with goodnatured ch&ff and banter, seemed to have suddenly loet all signs of life. Tne rousabcutß Bad not much work to do, and soon wandertd from the residential portion tf the station. Some went off with their guns, others retired to their huts to smoke, chat, or read just as they fait inclined, while some even lay down in their bunks to.sleep as the day was becoming intensely hot. Very few of the men showed, up before the time for their mid-day meal, and, after partaking of it, they again disappeared until they should be required in the afternoon. That morning if any of these people had happened to go into the bush belaud the homtbtead they might have observed a man watcliog the homestead. In his hand he held a telescope which he rtijed very often to his eye in order to discover as much as ht> could of the movements of the people about the house.. CHAPTER VI. One Man ' hol&s vv Dawsun"a. Mr Roberts employed only one female servant, who used to «ue about an hour before dawn every day to get the breakfast ready for the men. This was Mary Sullivan. Very shortly after breakfast next day she was i urprised by a knock at the front door. Mary opened the door to had heravlf face to face with a stranger, who seized her and forced her to the door, emothering her cries with his hand. While she 1..y on the flior the man gigged her and then bound her, hand and foot. She was then tied into a chair so that she could not more. The stranger proceeded to the manager's office, gathered all the valuables and othtr things, that could be got rid of at a profit, and put them into a leather mailbag. He then turned his attention to the

Game; An AiisMUak Tale;

By An Australian (A. c. w. W.)

COPYRIGHT

ammunition chest, a small cedar box, which he. Degas to empty into his capacious pockets. Laaving the house he strapped the bag across the front of hiß saddle and returned to the house, locked the door on the outside and threw the key down on the verandah a little way from the door. Beturning to his horse he mounted and rode away at a slow pace so as not to disturb the men. When about ten chains away from the house he gave a low whistle and was joined by two other men, both of whom were mounted on splendid horses. . One appeared to be about forty years of age, the other looked to be about three or four and twenty. * Well, Tom, did you do it f was the query of the eldest man. *Yes! It was no trouble. I only mat the servant, and I soon placed her beyond doiDg mischief,' * Why ! You did not kill her, did you ?' was the excited exclamation of the younger man. * Nat quite! I bound her into a chair and., left her sitting, in the hall as an .ornament until some friend finds and releases her.' ' 1 say, Jack,' addressing the elder man, jwe. Nad : better cut out of of this quickly as possible. For if anyone finds the girl we will have a swarm of [. rouseabouta round us in no time, and perhaps get peppeied with lead.' So Baying, Tom put spurs to his horse and galloped away to the north west of the station, making a bee line tor Mount Black, the highest peak in the range. CHAPTEE VII. WOBK FOB THS TbOOFEBS. Juts before dusk on Tuesday afternoon Martin Ryan, one of Dawson's rouseabouts, galloped up to Wilson's and asked if the shooting party had returned. He had .been sent to warn Mr Wilson-to be careful of entertaining Btrangeru.ioi Dawson's had been robbed, while the servant had -been gagged and bound in a chair, where she had- remained for a period of four hours. The men had not noticed her moving about.as usual, and after a time became anxious. They went to the house to see what was the matter and found the djor locked, with the key on the verandah. On entering they found Mary almost dead with fear, as well as being stiff and sore, from beiag bound in a sitting position without being able to move. A man was sent for the doctor and the Inspector of Police, who at the time was in the nearest town making investigations into the late outrages committed on H*r Majesty's mail-coacheß. This man found the Inspector busj looking over the daily papers, and soon made him aware of the circumstances of tne case. The Inspector at once sent for the troopers and black-trackers, who were camped some two mles away. He then sent word to DawdOH b to warm all the eurrouuding settlers as soon as possible. Mrs Wilson, on Ryan's' arrival, told him Low it was that tiio party had not returned. He then rode towards the town so as to meet the police. The Inspector, on hearing that Wilson's party was on the track, decided to follow at once and overtake the original pursuera. On reaching the cave, one of the trocpera was told off to guard it till further orders. The Inspector was delighted when he heard that Wilson was on the robbers' tracks, as be knew he was a man who would not be shaken off in a hurry after once getting on the Ecent. The trooper's by the time they reached Wi'6on*s first resting-place were so weary that the inspector gave orders to picket' the horses for a couple of hours. This done they lit a fire, had some food and ky down to sleep, having flrßt placei two Eeatries on 6 uard, These men needed no rocking to Bleep, for no Booner had they thrown themselves down than they were as sound asleep as if they were at home in their beds with nothing to ttouble them. If they had reached the cave half-an-hour Boone* they would have met the "two who had boon sent back for provisions, for thty hfcd halted there for a rest and a little Bleep. And, while the police were sleeping at the first resting place, they had entered the other camp, which was soon a soono of great activity. Fires were lit and billies boiled, while

the hones were saddled ready to start; as ! soon as the party had breakfasted. Within half-an-hour the whole station | party was on the move. As the party advanced tbe track grew less distinct until at last it separated into two distinct paths, each leading away from the other. The party was without delay split into two divisions. Wilson kept command of one. Jack Anderson captained th« other, wbil9 for his lieutenant he had Arthur Bobittsm. Wilson's party followed the track as Ions; as it continued to show to the left. At laat tbey failed to see any ■sign of a track, and, holding a council of war, made up their minds to return to tte junction, and try to catch up to the others.

Anderson's party, after traversing a hard beaten track for a couple of miles, found the country becoming better for travelling on, and they found "the impression of fresh hoof marks in the soft, damp soil. This, caused theni to put iucreased tnergy into tbeir hones byjmeanß. of whip and spun. They Eoon found out that they could not keep up this pace long, because their horses would be entirely used up if they did. Anderson then remarked to Arthur that they were getting gopd|rprt-of of tbe old saying, 'a stern-chase ißy&long chase.' A halt was called to rest'bdth men and horses while they had some lunch, or tucker, as tb6y termed it. After resting for about an hour Wilson's party came in sight. This earned a delay of another half-hour to allow the horses of the latter party to get their wind.. The whole party was <nbw together again, and followed the trail as'last as their horses would travel, until it joined the mail-coac'i r ad.

As the track struck the road obliquely, the party continued straight ahead, but slackened their speed. Aftor a time they met the mail -coach, and on asking the driver if he had met anyone, he replied: 'No; but about a' mile back, where the road crosses the creek, I thought I heard the sound of horses coming towards me; but it suddenly ceased, and I thought no more of it.' We thanked him asd once more started off at a gallop, examining eacfj sida of the road as /we went, and, near ihe place in-' dicated, found that there horses had left the road and again joined it a few yard* further on. Tiie whole party was now very exciited, and wanted to catch their quarry as soon aa possible; but they were to be disappointed for some hours. The howes were tired, and the road was hard aHd no longer showed the hoof marks as the soft soil had done. Toe party steadied down to a cantet/for a few miles alead the road ran through a considerable sized bush town. They we.e v?tll aware that the fugitives would never attempt to enter the town, but would have to make a long detour round it. After passing the town we agreed to stop at the first bushy creek crcssicg we came to. :>* Three miles from the town we came upon the very kind of creek suited to our purpose. A clear stream crossed the road, the country on either Bide being heavily timbered, and the banks of the creek being covered by dense scrub. The whole party dismounted and led their horses into the buah. The girths were loosened and two of the party left to mind the horses, while the others lay in ambush near the creek to await the arrival of the fugitives The party had only been so disposed of a few ainutes, when the Inspector and troopers came along and were hailed by Wilson, who explained the plan to him. The Inspector was so pleased with it that he decided to carry it out without any alteration.

CHAPTER VIII. Thb Flight. After leaving Dawson's,- the bushrangers made for their den as fast as possible. On their arrival the eldest man entered the cave and took the proceeds of their haul in with him, placing them in a box üßder the bunk. He next proceeded to feed his horse from a box kept for tfee purpose. The other twoiiemained outside, unsaddled their horses and fed them from nose-bags. They then went in, lit the fire, and had some lunch. When they had finished the leader addressed his companions : 'I say, boys! I think "it would be just as w<dl for you two to make a move to the top and wait there for me to come up I have a notion that things will be getting lively hereab-ute very shortly, and three horses moving about at once will put jus away, if anyone happens to come near the mountain.' ♦Alright; Jack! ! will get how,' said Tom. 'Bob can follow in half-an-hour. It will reake less noise than going together. We shsll camp on the top, and shall be on the look out for you if you have to leave.' Accordingly Tom mounted his horse and rode slowly up the mountain, Bob following; half-an hour later. On reaching the top. Tom tethered his horse by means of a lariat, and, lying doim. was soon asleep; but was awakened by a horse coming up the mountain. •Is all clear nelowP' asked ho of his companion when he arrived. ' Oh, yes!' wsb the answer Before Bob could speak aga n they were interrupted by a sound that filled them with terror. Tom sprang to his horse, and saddled it without saying a word. He had just fiaished when Jack galloped up to them, his horse panting and wet with sweat. * Away, boys 1 As fast as our noises can take us!' It heeded no second warning to make Tom mount his hoase, and use hiß spurs too. Their companion then said,' Some one has found our retreat. A large party too,for I heard them coming up the track from towards Wilson's. '■':' 4 , The three men seemed to be following a fixed course, for no one said where to go, and no one led; but they seemed to be moved by one motive, for they kept to a certain line of march. This led them through some soft country, good for deadening sound but bad for leaving tracks behind. At last they struck the mail-road, and, after keeping along it for some distance,' turned aside into some Bcrubby lush to take the rest so bidly needed. : Having fastened theic horses securely, they lay down without having anything to eat, and without even a blanket wrapped round them. They dro?p:d off to alep quite hoodloß3 of the consequences that might ovortake tfcem if they overslept tbemselvoa (To be concluded next w< ek)