BLACK TROOPERS ON THE TRACK.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7541, 3 May 1890, Page 2

BLACK TROOPERS ON THE TRACK.

By Flokian. TERRIBURRA, 1890. I said I would let you know how they finished the adventnre after old Bob's death, so here it is, and I hope It won't bore you. for it's a story that has been told again and again in pioneer annals —details differing, but the beginning and end the same—the story of outrage (probably provoked) on one side, followed by retribution undiacriminating and terrible, though necessary on the other, I do not vouch for absolute accuracy in any part of this tale. I tell it as nearly as possible as I heard it, but 1 must admit that my drover had that appreciation of the dramatic capabilities of a situation which rarely goes with slavish adherence to fact. As soon as the body of the murdered man was buried, most of the station hands started homewards, and the black troopers with Bob's'mate and my informant, got to horse at once to follow up the retreating Myalls. The trackers worked hard during what was left of the daylight, and next morning on the edge of the dawn, they were up and off again. I tell you there Iβ no difficulty in getting an early ecart when once those renegade devils smell blood.

It was a lone: chase, bat they stuck to it untiringly. Sometimes, in difficult country, the rate of travelling was about four miles a day. Again, the tracks would be so plain that the whole posse would ride on them at a hand gallop. Soon alter, perhaps, the trail would entirely disappear, only to be recovered after long and tedious search. The fact is, the wild blacks anticipated pursuit, and as they travelled towards the mountains, they employed every device known to them to mask their tracks and gain time. It was a pretty contest of bushmanship. The Myalls made false trails, dived into swamps, or split into small parties, and again and again succeeded in throwing ithelr pursuers off the scent. But the troopers were unwearied, and the officer's "Stick to them, boys]" was scarcely needed. Moreover, they had the advantage of being well mounted, and began to overhaul the Myalls rapidly, when at last the track became comparatively fresh. Then, as the quarry seemed almost within reach, the hunters got red hot with excitement, and scarcely stopped to eat or drink as long as they could see. They were chafing from delay and panting for blood. They had been getting on pretty fast all day, when one evening they pulled up at a waterhole, just as the sun was setting; and after unsaddling the horses and washing their backs, the men lit a fire, and started to boil their Quarts; all but old Bungaree, who feeling he had his reputation to retrieve, was keener than any of them. So he climbed to the top of one of those tall conical sandhills, in which the country abounds, to have a last look before dark for any sign of the Myall camp. Throwing himself flat on the ground he gazed long and earnestly towards the ranges, whose blue peaks he could see on the flushed horizon. In that clear atmosphere every outline was as sharp as if cut with a knife. Long he looked, shading his eyes with his hand and moved bis head slowly from side to side. Long he looked, till the swaying movement of the head uuddenly ceased, and he stiffened all over like a pointer. He had become aware of a slight haze far a way in the distance. He stared at it till his yellow, bloodshot eyes seemed to start out from his head, then, bounding to his feet, he hailed the officer, " Man oil i Mahmi I make a light. Quick, fellow t" Up jumped the officer, overturning his quart in the hurry; up jumped everyone, and tore up the hill. All but one man, who, with a presence of mind which cannot be too highly praised, reflected that the Myalls were betrayed by smoke, and remained to put oat the fire. Once on the bill everybody "mada a light ** (looked) for a long time, bat could not spot the smoke; Least of all the officers, for when it comes to long sight a white man isn't in ie with a blackfellow. It was setting dark, too, and Bungaree was almost in despair, when

" Oα the horizon's curving rim " a faint bluish cloud rose suddenly. Som ej one in the Myall camp had thrown green wood on the ttre—a elight thing, wasa t it, to be the .death-warrant of a tribe ? Down the hill rushed the troopers, laughing and shouting like schoolboys in their blood-thlraty glee. The officer ntayed a moment to take the bearings with hie

pocket compass, then " boot and eadrfi* i» andaway went.the whole crowd a »a t d i! ' wtyMyou could hare seen Bobl mil" 6 ; that moment you would not L ' a, ceived much difference between hU-JT ment and that ot tho black f?* ,l *- They all "saw red," and yoa yJ+^u* , made their horses »lay dowj" to ittfe the lißhfc lasted. Not till it waSnu dark did they camp. But you Bfe P i« eh pose they 116 a tire 1 Not much! Vu 1 *" squatted on the ground with their blan»T ey round them, amoklng hard and talJrJ i whispers, though there was rafchtL ,£ *B chance of theirbein« overheard. litUf » The horses weren't hobbled in ju „ manner, but each had a turn of ihL u U ?' round one leg in place of the stran ?'? raiher severe on ahorse, but if y o £ t^' « you'll find him tolerably close tocatan? mornine, and i£ the feed's plentifni i!» x,: fill himself iust as well as If h. » ? further afield. So they waited tmtl morning, sleeping as well as they conff the troopers leaning up against oaehotw for warmth. Every now and then if n , horses moved, someone would get qn »»i turn them back to camp. v ***

Presently the stars begaa to pale, andm a faint tint appeared in the eastern aSc-v " Now, boys, look alive I" came from th» officer. Nqneedfor a second caU—eteryman was up in a moment, seized his brirtl? caught hU horse, saddled up, and eSlantl, took the road, feeling they could breakfe^ Now, a blackfcllow as a rule is not n* early riser, and particularly on a mv morninar, require* some inducement £ make him leave his 'possum ruj? Th Myalls, after the mur<ier.|had travelledihasri and fast, ana now feelinjz nrettv «««!? from pursuit, had, in view of Sβ *<& night, built themselves a largo cundv boughs and earth, inside whiclT the whnß party slept till tolerably late in the S2? ing. So it came to pass that when the troopers crawled up—every man strhmM for action, that is clothed only in I |fl and a cartridge belj.-f,hey were able to completely surround the gundy without any alarm being given. There %hl\ squatted among the tall grass and waited! not impatiently, for they were saetainel by a keen sense of the humoar olthl situation. m *

Presently one of the Myalls appeared a* the entrance of the crundy. Hβ was ver» cold, and tried to rekiudle lamt night's &tl After a bit he raised a blazofana .£ crouching over it for some time un. conscious of the keen eyes and amuanrt faces that were watching him. When ho was a little warm ha took a coolaman (water-vessel) and started to make his wav to a small waterholo near. Hβ had not gone many steps, when right Iα Iris nath out from a small bush, rose a head which looked at him and grinned. It Wβ Bungaree. The Myall dropped the coolaman, and bounded like a wallaby across to the scrub, but from another btwh rose another head and looked at him and grinned. It was indeed a very fine foke for turn where he might he sawablwlj face with gleaming eyes and teeth ulleatl? laughiugat him. And he knew their jok* was diath. Noue of the troopen attempted to harm him yot. They coaU afford to play with him for a bit. Wμ i« not their meat already ?

At last he broke forborne. "Now boys, go in I "shouted the officer, and he himself turned away so that he might not see, m if possible, hear what followed. Out bounded the black: troopers fro® their covert and formed a half-circle rotuxj the jrundy. It was buzzin« Inside like « disturbed awarni o£ bees, and as the A reached it a few spears flew wildly oat, but hit no one. Then tho rifiea w«w levelled, and volley after volley waepottti4 in, until the shrieks and yells had died away and only a low moaning came from the writhing heap inside. Then Bungma and two others tore down the guady'asido and went in——

At this point my information ceases, fts the narrator owned to having suddenly felt very sick (ascribable he explained To the fact that he had had no breakfast), and so he cleared out for a bit, as did Bob's mute, also feeling squeamish for want of food. But without being told one can piettf well guess what those three black tswpcre wont in for, and you may lay to It there were no wounded left to be burnttototfc ( when soon after the police set fire to Ibf gundy.