The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) - William H. Thomes (large screen ebook reader txt) 📗

At Her Tormentor, But Did Not Deign To Reply;

But The Robbers Were Not Disposed To Have Her Rest In Peace.

 

"Come, Tabby, Tell Us The Dream," Cried The First Speaker.

 

"You Would Know It, Would You?" She Asked, Her Dark Face Looking Grim

And Sardonic In The Wavering Light Of The Fire, Which Was Kept Up By

Throwing On Wood That Had Long Laid Exposed To The Hot Sun Of Australia.

 

"To Be Sure I Would; And, While You Are About It, Tell My Fortune.

Whether I Shall Be Rich And Marry A Princess, Like Them Old Fellers,

Hundreds Of Years Ago, That We Read About In Some Book, Blast Me If I

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Know The Name Of It. Come, Fire Away While I Smoke My Pipe, And Try To

Kill A Few Of These D----D Mosquitoes That Have Got Bills Longer Than A

Criminal Lawyer In Full Practice In Old Bailey."

 

The Man Filled His Pipe With Tobacco, An Example That Was Followed By

Those Who Had Finished Gorging, And After He Had Lighted It, He Turned

His Head In The Direction Of The Prisoners, As Though Signifying That He

Was Ready To Listen.

 

"The Only Wife That You Will Marry Will Be The Gibbet," The Old Woman

Said, Spitefully.

 

"Peace, You Old Hag," Cried The Bushranger, Angrily. "How Dare You Talk

To Me In That Sort Of Way?"

 

"I Thought That You Wanted To Hear What I Have Been Dreaming About?" She

Replied, With A Sneer.

 

"So I Do, But Don't You Mention Gibbets, Do You Hear, 'Cos You Might

Provoke Me, And Then You Would Dangle From One Of These Trees, A

Scarecrow That Would Cause Old Wright Much Wonder. Now You Go Ahead."

 

"I Dreamed That I Was In A Crowd Of Excited People, Who Were Walking

Towards A Prison Where They Said An Execution Was To Take Place. I Went

With Them, For I Felt That I Had Received So Many Injuries At The Hands

Of Men That It Would Be Joy To My Wounded Heart To See Them Suffer. I

Struggled Until I Reached The Front Ranks Of The Crowd, And Then Waited

Patiently Until A Procession, Headed By Soldiers With Solemn Music, Left

The Prison And Marched Towards The Scaffold."

 

"Didn't I Tell You Not To Talk About Such Things?" Cried The Bushranger,

Fiercely.

 

"Then I Will Not;" And The Woman Remained Silent.

 

"Let Her Go On With The Yarn," The Other Robbers Exclaimed. "Let Her

Tell What She Likes About Hanging Coveys, If She Pleases. Fire Away, Old

Woman."

 

Thus Commanded, She Resumed The Subject Of Her Pretended Dream.

 

"I Thought That I Saw Three Prisoners, With Faces Covered With Black

Crape, March With Trembling Steps Towards The Scaffold, While The

Hangman, Who Walked Beside Them, Continually Shouted, With A Voice So

Loud That It Was Heard By Every One, 'Behold, These Men Are About To Be

Executed For Murder And Robbery. Don't Pray For Them, Christians, For

Your Prayers Will Be In Vain. They Are Denounced By God And Man, And

Hell Alone Knows How To Punish Them As Their Many Crimes Deserve.'"

 

"You Old She Devil, Can't You Tell Us Something More Lively Than That?"

Demanded One Of The Bushrangers, Glancing Around Uneasily.

 

"The Best Is Yet To Come," She Replied, Calmly, Her Eyes Fixed Upon

Vacancy, As Though She Really Saw The Scenes She Was Narrating.

Volume 2 Chapter 76 (Capture Of The Bushrangers) Pg 205

 

"Well, Let's Have The Rest, And Don't Be Too Hard On Bushrangers, If

It's All The Same To You."

 

"I Saw The Procession Reach The Scaffold, And The Three Condemned Men

Ascend The Steps, Although They Trembled So That They Had To Be

Supported By The Soldiers, For, Though They Could Kill And Rob, They

Were Cowards At Heart, And Were To Die Like Dogs."

 

"They Should Have Given The Coveys A Pint Of Brandy Each, And Then They

Would Have Been All Right," Grunted The Fellow Whom The Bushranger

Called Bill.

 

"A Prayer Was Made By The Clergyman," Continued Nancy, Not Heeding The

Interruption, "And Then The Men Were Informed They Could Say Any Thing

If They Wished. The Crape Was Removed From Their Faces, And I Saw--"

 

"Who?" Exclaimed The Listeners, Eagerly.

 

"Your Face, And Yours, And Yours," She Cried, Pointing To Three Of The

Men, Who Sprang To Their Feet With Frightful Oaths, And Murder In Their

Hearts.

 

"Let's Hang Her," Cried One.

 

"Burn Her For A Witch," Said Another.

 

"D----M Her," Cried The Third; While The Fourth, Who Seemed To Be Much

Pleased That He Was Left Out Of The Galaxy Of Rascality, Remained Silent

And Thoughtful.

 

"Don't Harm Her," Exclaimed The Younger Woman, Removing Her Hands From

Her Face, And Endeavoring To Shelter The Person Of Her Companion; But

The Bushrangers Were Regardless Of Her Entreaties, And Pushed Her Aside

With Rudeness.

 

I Did Not Stop To See More. I Rapidly Made My Way Back To Mr. Wright And

Party, Who Were Anxiously Expecting Me, For They Had Begun To Grow

Alarmed At My Absence.

 

"Not A Moment Is To Be Lost," I Said. "Follow Me, And Make No Noise."

 

"What Is Up?" Demanded Mr. Wright, Who Perhaps Did Not Like To Have His

Command Usurped So Rudely, Although He Did Not Object.

 

"I Cannot Stop To Explain Now. Haste, Or There Will Be Murder

Committed," I Replied.

 

No More Questions Were Asked, And In Less Than Five Minutes After We

Were In Motion We Were Near Enough To The Bushrangers To Witness Their

Operations. They Were Holding A Council, And Debating Violently What

Sort Of Death Poor Nancy Should Die, But Could Not Agree. They Supposed

Her Words Were Deserving Of Instant Punishment, And Each Man Thought His

Method Of Taking Her Life The More Praiseworthy. The Discussion Saved

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Nancy, For We Were Enabled To Reach The Spot Before The Fellows Could

Make Up Their Minds.

 

Even In That Dreadful Moment The Tongue Of Nancy Did Not Lose Its

Bitterness, And She Was Bold Enough To Boast That Her Words Would Come

True, And Them What She Had Told As A Vision Would Prove A Reality.

 

"Now, Then, Men, Rush On, But Don't Use Your Pistols Unless Necessary.

Let Us Make Them Prisoners," Whispered Mr. Wright.

 

We Answered Back That We Were Ready, And Dashed Forward Just As The

Ruffians Had Decided That To Hang The Woman Would Be A More Pleasant

Spectacle Than To Burn Her.

 

"Hurrah For Ireland," Shouted Mike, Springing Into The Clearing Where

The Enemy Were Encamped.

 

The Bushrangers Were So Taken By Surprise That They Had No Chance To

Gain Possession Of Their Weapons, Or To Beat A Retreat. One Fellow, When

He Saw Us Emerge From The Bushes, Drew His Knife And Struck At Mike; But

It Was The Last Blow That He Ever Made, For The Enraged Irishman

Shortened His Spear, So That He Could Use It To More Advantage, And Then

Drove It Through The Body Of His Opponent, And From The Squirming

Wretch's Back Protruded The Barbed Point. The Fellow Threw His Arms

Wildly Over His Head, And Fell To The Ground, And With His Last Breath

Cursed His Slayer And The Whole Of Mankind.

 

There Was Not Much For Us To Do, Although Every Man Present, Including

The Two Natives, Performed The Limited Part Assigned With Fidelity And

Despatch.

 

The Ghost, Whose True English Instincts Would Not Allow Him To Be

Outdone By Mike, Made The Welkin Ring With Shouts For England And

Himself At The Grand Charge, And Then Had Deliberately Knocked Down The

Most Burly Of The Robbers, And Placed His Foot Upon His Breast, And Hold

Him There Until The Melee Was Ended.

 

Of Course, The Other Robbers Were Easily Disposed Of, For We Were Two To

One; But Even After We Had Them Securely Pinioned, They Taunted Us With

Cowardice, And Dared Us To Meet Them In Open Fight, Where They Could

Stand Some Chance For Their Lives. Their Complaints Were Unheeded,

Although Mike And The Ghost Both Expressed A Wish To Meet Two Of The

Men, And Give Them Fair Play, According To The Well-Known Rules Of The

Prize Ring Of London, Of Which Institution The Shepherd Professed To

Have Vast Admiration. The Idea Was Not To Be Thought Of, And The Two

Champions Were Discontented.

 

The Women Had Remained Spectators Of The Scene Without Offering To

Escape, For They Knew Into Whatever Hands They Fell They Could Not Be

Treated Much Worse Than They Had Been, And Just At The Moment We Made

Our Appearance A Change Was Quite Desirable.

 

I Thought That Once I Heard The Shrill Voice Of Nancy Raised In

Thanksgiving To The Lord For The Rescue, And The Death Of The

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Bushranger, But Was So Busy At The Moment That I Did Not Pay Much

Attention.

 

"Ladies," Said Mr. Wright, "We Have Rescued You From Your Unpleasant

Company, And I Shall Take Great Pleasure In Offering You A Portion Of

My House Until You Can Make Arrangements To Join Your Friends. My Name

Is Wright, And I Reside But A Short Distance From This Fording Place."

 

"I Told You We Should Meet With Some Of Old Wright's Folks," Grumbled

Bill, Who Was Extended Upon The Ground, His Hands Secured Behind His

Back.

 

"Yes, You Scamp, I Am 'Old Wright,' As You Termed Me, And Believe Me, I

Never Felt Prouder Of The Name Than At This Moment, When I Have Helped

Rescue The Women From Your Clutches, And Feel That There Is A Chance Of

Seeing You Hanged."

 

"God Be Praised," Cried Nancy; "We Have Met With Christians At Last.

When Men Speak Of The Gibbet, I Know