CHAPTEB L.—Continued.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1639, 6 January 1883, Page 5

CHAPTEB L.— Continued.

" ' Ho was almost well again, 1 this present letter goes on to say, ' and I had made up my mind to leave in a few days for Melbourne, when, the night before last, as we were sitting in the verandah about dusk, one of the station-hands rushed up to tell us that . three auspicious-looking characters were approach- j ing the house from the rear. They were so well armed andmounted, he said, that hefeared they were bushrangers, and scarcely were the words out of his mouth when the men turned the angle of the house. Two of them jumped their horses cleverly over the wire fence that bounds the lawn, but the third, a much more awkward rider, was obliged to go round by the gate, and, as he approached, I recognised in him, to my great astonishment, the fellow whom I prevented from stabbing Paola on the night of the burglary at Cintra. He kept somewhat in the background, while the other two, who had already covered us with their guns, ordered us not to stir, on peril of our lives. Mr. Addison, as I must still call him, instantly drew the revolver ho always carried about him, and fired rapidly, first at one, and then at the other. He only knocked off one fellow's hat, however, and both immediately returned the fire— one with a shot-gun, the charge from which lodged in Addisons right side and shoulder. He staggered, and fell, but, raising himself on his elbow before I could run to him, fired again twice — killing the third man on the spot, and bringing down the horse of one of the others. A stockman at the same time fired at them with a rifle from the corner of the house, and, finding matters getting too warm, the dismounted bushranger jumped upon the dead man's horse and galloped off with his companion, followed by several unsuccessful shots from the stookman. Mr. Addison was carried into the house, and a messenger despatched at full speed for the nearest doctor ; but he lives at Kurrawidgery, thirty miles away, and long ere he arrived Addison was dead. We had done what we could towards stopping the terrible bleeding, and, after remaining insensible for about a quater of an hour, the wounded man opened his eyes, and asked feebly to be left alone with me. When this had been done, he made known to me that his Mi name was Walter Addison Warwick, and that he had long ago cut off any connection •with his friends and relatives in England. With great difficulty he directed me where to find the proofs of his identity, and would have gone on to speak further, but his strength suddenly failed him again, and he was barely able to gasp out, before he breathed his last, that he had made no will. Indeed, it was strange that he had lived so long, for when tjVe doctor arrived, he said that the charge of sho* h&A completely shattered the shoulder, and B evere d Beverft l important blood-vessels. Upon examining M . r « Warwick's papers I find he is the identical Lieutenant Warwick of whom yoJ* have heard Bill Crusher speak, and that having arrived in Melbourne over a score of years ago * n an almost penniless state, he was suddenly s'efc on his feet again by an unexpected bequest from a distant relative, whereupon he dropped the last part of his name, and took up the , Yaramboona run. Any further particulars I can give you when we meet, which will be soon, as I start for Melbourne directly the funeral is over, leaving the station in oharge of the overseer for the present. In the meantime I can furnish you with what may turn out to be a clue to the whereabouts of Harrison. Upon searching the dead bushranger we found an ill- written memorandum to the effect that E. H, was in hiding at Yallagon, and I have no doubt the •older ruffian had some reason of his own for .not losing all trace of the younger one ; perhaps he meant to put the screw on him about jfche deeds, which I agree with you in thinking .Harrison stole." " Yallagon," I asked, when I had come to the end of the letter—" do you know where it is, Shuter?" "No; but very likely Mucklebody does. Where's Yallagon, Muckle ?" •"It's a wee bit toonship doon near the Harwin Eiver." "And where is that?" I asked, rememberidg that the Tarwin had been mentioned in the tobacconist's shop as the present residence of Harrisons Jewish-looking friend. 41 Weel, it's no verra Ut frae here. Aboot rthrettynule alang the coast tae the sou l•east'ard. We'll tak a rin roon there, gin ye like ; but there* nftething worth seem'—i t's a ■wild foreßt aboot there." " Yes," said Shuter "wild country, I. know, Like to visit it, though, ' Got particular reason. You explain, Kaymoad." " Eh, man, that's gran T. said the Scotchman, when he had been made acquainted with our reasons for seeking an interview with Harrison. "We can slip doon there douce an' canny, an' catch the lodn unawares. Ahce get him aboard the craift an' he's safe till we get to Melbourne." "No, nol" I said; " you mistake ; wehaye no power to arrest him. It is true that' I ( .suspect him of having stolen the documents, ■but the detectives appear to think differently." •" An' what for's he in hidin', then ?" «« Because, as I think, he imagines the police are on the look-out for him. A guilty conscience *od all that, you know." "Ayf* *w& the Scotchman, drily—"suppown' he U gttilty. But we'll gang doon there, at any rate, an 4 ire micht manage tae frichten him iatil tellin' thetruth o' the maitter. Sac joost *(*«' by them head-sheets, an' all pit her aboot j though am mmjkle dootin'wd'll hie a job tae get oot o' here wl' flbis win."