An Adventure with Australian Blacks.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 81, 30 May 1871, Page 6

An Adventure with Australian Blacks.

I rememlwr a narrow brush I had with the natives. I remember it with pleasure, for even the sight of a Savage, although he was eager to kill me, was a relief. I had missed some sheep at odd times, within two or three Weeks. I was '. actually pleased when I first made the discovery, for it gave me something new to think of. One night I determined to watch ; and, sure ' enough, I came upon the natives, carrying off : half-a-dozen or so of the fattest sheep. I did : not see them sooner than thoy saw me, and I ; had to run for it. I had provided for such a ■ contingency, and when I arrived, almost breath- < less, at the hut, I made all fast in a twinkling, ; and prepared to receive them. They came up pretty fast at my heels, but I saluted them with t three barrels from my six-shooter, and all but , one retreated, yelling, faster than they came. ' The hut was rather queerly built, just in the , nook of some overhanging rocks, and there was ; only the front of it exposed. This was an ad- . vantage to me, for the savages could not get at ■ me at the back. I watched their dusky forms ; in the distance with absolute pleasure. It must i have been quite four months since I had seen . anything in the shape of a man, and though I i saw him now in the shape of a deadly foe, it was i better than living any longer the devil's life of - solitude. Besides, I did not care much for them, i If they had fought fair, I could have kept them ■, off as long as my powder lasted. But they don't s fight fair. The "noble" savage will take any < mean advantage he can of an enemy. They are * a skulking, idle, dirty lot of thieves. They i came to the attack three times, and each time i I received them with my six-shooter, and sent 1 them scampering back. Then they made pre- i parationa for doing what I expected, and what 1 i was prepared for. They collected all the dead i timber and brushwood they could lay their hands i on, and threw it before my hut, topping it with ; a lot of green branches. They were going to < smoke me out. But I was ready for them. My : hut, built in the cleft of a mass of rock, concealed a great fissure in the rear. In fact, the fissure served as a sort of tunnel. I had worked at it for a long while, and had dug along the natural tunnel until I came to an outlet. This outlet I had filled Up carelessly with loose pieces of foek, bo that no one unacquainted with the secret would have suspected that it was a place ■ of concealment. When the savages in front of : the hut set fire to the pile of wood, which they ■ did by throwing lighted branches into it from a : distance, I crawled through the tunnel. A feeling did come over me, that if the savages did know of this retreat they would be sure to guard it, and it would be all up with me ; and when I reached the outlet I was a bit curious to know if I should see any black skins knocking about. Luckily for me there were none, and I crept away, I did not have much time to lose, for I knew they would rush to the hut before it was half burned, and would discover the tunnel ; so I only crept slowly along until I thought I was out of sight of them, and then I scudded off. I ran a good many miles that night, and I thought I was pretty clear of them ; but the next day, when I was within eight or ten miles of the station I was making for, I saw three of the black devils racing after me, with their skinny legs. They haven't much superfluous flesh about them. They are all skin, bone, and muscle. They had tracked me the whole way, nearly thirty miles, and when they caught sight of me, they set up a hullabulloo of delight. I was pretty tired at the time, but the sight of them put fresh life into me, and I ran my fastest. But they were too much for me. I saw one of them disappear round a clump 'of timber for the purpose of cutting me off, while the other two followed after me. I soon came to where there was a bend in the creek, and just as I turned it, the first one sprang out of the timber. He Was within two hundred yards of me, and when he saw me he raised his "boomerang," and sent it whizzing into the air. Quick as lightning, for 1 knew how true those savages could aim, I turned towards the other two. Seeing this, and knowing that I had turned upon them to escape the " boomerang," they stopped short Suddenly, and threw their spears at me. I felt that there was nothing for it but ! flight. I had my revolver in irty hand, loaded i.i its six barrels. One of their spears grazed my cheek as I flew along ; and when I got close enough, I ssut a bullet into the nearest one, which dropped him. Then, with a sudden rush, I closed with his companion. I had not climbed the Welsh hills in my younger days for nothing. The hardy life I had spent served me now ; and as I flung my arms round the dirty savage, I knew I conld manage him in the end. But, in the mean time, the one who had thrown the "boomerang" was after me with raised spear. He did not dare to throw it, for fear of hitting his comrade ; for we were by this time upon the ground, locked iu each other's arms, and rolling over one another, enveloped in a thick cloud of dust. Throughout the struggle, I kept my revolver in my hand, but had no opportunity of using it. My finger was on the trigger, and in the struggle, I must unconsciously have pressed upon it; for, to my surprise, it suddenly went off. For a moment I thought I was hit ; but presently the clasp of the savage with whom [ had been struggling relaxed, and he rolled back ' dead. The one who had thrown the "boomerang'' took to his heels on hearing the report. , When I rose, and got away from the dust, I could sec him scampering off. I did not care to follow him. I made my way as qnioklv as T could to the station; and so ended my shepherd'? life.