Unexpected Game: An Australian Tale

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 379, 13 August 1903, Page 2

Unexpected Game: An Australian Tale

* •.'■ By Air Australian ! n (A. c. w. w.) \

(COPYEIOHT.) CHAPTER IX7 A Smabt Capture. i<? g It was almost dawn next day jbefora they- awoke. They ate a light breakfast .consisting .of dry damper and cold jwater, mounted, and again joined the road, which they travelled along until they. heard the rumble of the old mail-cdacK in the distance. This caused them to turn suddenly to the left and enter the bush, where they dismounted and waited until the coach was out of hearing beft o they .ventured on Che road again. They rode as men never ride, unless they have very urgent reasons for doing eo They kept tbis pace up until 'almotst in sight of the town previously mentioned. They swerved off here to the right at right-angles to their course without -slackening the pace ef their horses.j Having gone far enough to warrant" their being undistuibed by. the cjitizana they turned to the left imagine parallel to the road and deter mised to keep off it altogether ft possible. The" horses were now becoming fatigued, and B jo's horse turned lame, so they were compelled to. slacken speed and at last to halt and rest their jaded st6eis. They s'ayedj about four hours and then continued! tneir journey. While resting thenhoise'a were left saddled in case of emergency and each of the three kept watch4h4n?n while the other two slept. ; sbooO .000* After resuming their flight the three kept a course slightly diverging from the road, hoping to make a cut across country without again travelling on the public highway. After some time, however/ they came to a creek which flowed down,a'dee"p : gully with impenetrable scrub on -both This threw. them out; .off £h.<^ E reckoning altogether. ' 'Whew I* was the expression of i Jack's astonishment. -While Tom and Bab gave vent to their feelings by one word, 'jSoldl? I little dreaming they were so very noar the literal truth. ■'" ' Well Jack! Well risk the crossii lg this time. If we get through we shall ae safe for the next month at least.' ] • Alright, lad 1 I think it very risky but it is our Shortest course to freedom,' ,. ,_ They turned their horses, towards the road and on reaching it found everything; as they termed it, OK. At the crossing l they gave -their- horses a-drink. 1 They, were emerging from the other side when

the stern order rang out:— I * Halt! Hands up !or we fire.' j Tom and Bob raised their hands as quickly as possible. Jack, who had a long list- against hitt^.quic^ly^fwheeled his horse and triedito dash-awjiy; but as he cleared the creek a bullet passed through ; his kg -which fell and to the: ground. Two troopers sprang from the bushiaad, after ■handcuffing him, released him from the weight of the horse. r The oJher two were being treated in a somewhat isiinilar manner, by spector, Wilson, Anderson, and several: troopers, with the exception -foat they .were fastened : to -thei* -horses by of a rope joining their feet under their horses as well as being handcuff ad. They ;j next proceeded to bind up Jack's injured leg and to, make a stretcher on which tocarry Hoi. ' '■•' l \ tuH lr, The whole> party then proceeded to ; .xeturn to thrown through which they" hM passed during the early part of the fuk-z , "•■ W - % f.7."'"*'> ; Jack, of course, had to be : carried stretcher. which had been made of a •couple of saplings and two of the troopers' coats. '■"." ; ■' : i ...

"Thua-the-.sr6gress:was necessarily slow. Anderson went ahead and brought back a in which- they placed Jack. Oa en&liipiig. the'town they;found the whole of the inhabitants turned oat to loos at the prisoners who were soon placed in the small lockup with a strong guard over them. Next day they were taken before a justice of peace and committed for trial, - At the trial they pleaded guilty to highway lobbery and to housebreaking.; Jac% who was a well-known character to the pslice,' r was sentenced to fourteen years penal Servitude. Tom and Bob, being previously unknown to the police, got three years each. These .two on their release shipped to America and went into the backblocks to begin life anew,

r visited America afterwards and met Tom there. He had completly changed his life and was at the time of my visit Mayor, of a flourishing mining town. We renewed acquaintance and in talking of Ma early, days. he_...pxoved how £.c;idental was bi3 association .with the outlaws and how thankful he was that he was captured at so early a stage of a bad career. (The End.)