Short-Lived Bushrangers.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 52, 10 December 1909, Page 7

Short-Lived Bushrangers.

(By Charles White, Author of "Australian Bushrangers," "Old Convict Days," Etc.)

CHAPTER VII..

A HARMLESS DUEL WITH RIFLES. During the early part of 1866 a bushranger named Hunter, alias Russell, caused no small stir in Queensland by robbing Her Majesty's mails. The last to be held up was the down mail from Tarooin to Condarainc, on which occasion Hunter took the whole of the letter bags away with him. Rut before leaving he did a peculiar thing. He handed to the mailman a letter addressed to the editor of the Burnett Argus, and with it a number of crossed cheques, representing a value of £ 1,000, which he had taken from the various mailbags previously rifled by him. Tfhen the mailman reached' Condamine with the news, the local police saddled up and went out to look for Hunter. Thev could not find him or get upon his tracks, although they remained searching for several days. Three weeks afterwards, however, he was seen by a squatter at Wallan, about 30 miles from Condamine, and word was at once sent in by a black boy to the police station. Next morning the Condamine police started out, Sub-inspector Elliott and a black tracker taking the Tarcoom road, while two of his men and a black tracker took the Roma road. At Wallan, Elliott was informed that the bushranger had disappeared, having stolen a favourite horse from the head station ; and taking ablack boy from the station to assist in the tracking, he started off in the direction in which Hunter was supposed to have gone. For 20 miles a wrong track was followed, but then Elliott's boys were fortunate in striking the right one, which led them to an outstation on the \\ allan run, called Begandilla, and from the son of the overseer there they learned that a horseman answering Hunter's description had called two days previously enquiring the way toDulacca and Bendemere. Some blacks camped on the run also stated that a man had passed up Bendemere road, and had turned off to shoot some plain turkeys. For Bendemere, therefore, the subinspector headed, and made the place at noon on the following day, with horse quite knocked up. The manager of the station, Mr Swari, had seen a man like the bushranger at a bark gunyah, about a mile distant, the night before, and volunteered to guide the police to the spot. After a hurried meal the pursuers again set out, Eliiott having obtained a fresh mount. Swan was unarmed, but Elliott carried a Terry's breechloader and a revolver, while the two black boys carried a carbine each, one of them (Jacky Lister) having also a revolver. As the party came within view of the hut they saw a mail walking towards the creek with a saddle on his head and a doublebarrel carbine in his hand. "That's him !'•' cried the black boy George, who had seen Hunter at Wallan. "Shoot him, Mr Elliott \" At the same time the sub-inspector called upon the man to stand and surrender, h,ut Hunter, for this proved to be the man they were looking for, coolly turned and said. "What for ?" following this up by another question, "Have you got a warrant ?" at the same time edging towards the nearest belt of trees. Elliott didn:t care to approach too near, seeing that the bushranger held his gun convenient for firing, but he rapidly unslung his rifle-and shouted : "li you don't surrender at once, I'll fire !" As he spoke Hunter dropped the saddle from his hand, and ran for the trees. Elliott fired, but the shot went wide, and from the cover of a tree the bushranger returned the fire immediately, the bullet striking thq ground and throwing the mud up into Elliott's face. One of the black boys, Georgv, seeing that there was likely to be warm work, hurriedly dismounted and made for a safe spot in the creek, but his companion. .Jacky Lister, plurkilv stood his ground, while the sub-in-spector and the bushranger repeatedly fired at each other. After the first exchange Elliott dismounted and fired over the saddle, keeping the' horse between him and the bushranger : but he was soon deprived of that shelter, for the fourth shot from Hunter struck the horse in the forearm, and caused it to break away. At this juncture George's horse strayed near to Hunter, who dodged from tree to tree with the idda of seizing the animal, but was cut off by Elliott, who had also sought cover behind a tree. The duellists were at this time about eighty yards apart, and Elliott called out that if Hunter would come nut into the open and have a talk he would not fire. To this the bushranger replied "All ri-fht, I'll come out if you pledge your word not to take an advantage of me, and not fire a train until f have got back ; and I'll pledge myself to do the same bv you." "Agreed," said Elliot, and the two men went into the open and stood face to face at a distance of ten pacts. Here Elliot reasoned with him to surrender quietly, assuring him and' tried to induce him to surrender quietly. assuring him that it would be in his favour if he did so. * Hunter at first seemed inclined to yi'-ld, and asked if he surrendered Would he be allowed to ride without handcuffs and carry his gun, but Klliot would not agree to this, and then the bushranger said : "Well ] won't surrender. 1 have robbed three or lour mails, and I suppose I would get twenty years—l'd sooner be shot." Later he said : "You're a plucky fellow, and I wouldn't like to shoot you. You have done enough for your crerlit, and I'll tell you what you had better do. You can fire over my head : I won't fire at you, but I'll ] pot those two blacks, and then you j can let me bolt." "I - Elliot could not see this at all, but! but he could see in the distance two I Jnen, one of them Mr Swan, hurrying up from the direction behind the bushranger, each carrying a gun, and he % Baid temporisingly: "Well, Hunter, as can't come to terms we bad better fight it out f so you can go back to your tr«a and I'll go back to mine," fit the sagie time himself commencing to retrat, but keeping bU fatt Ho %

Hunter kept his gun grounded and called out, "You needn't distrust hie ; I'll keep my word. You can turn .your back on me with perfect satety. See ! I trust you"—and with that ho turned round and walked quietly back to his cover.

I T'ht 1 was resumed. Elliot ! was the liry.t to fire, the buller striking eW.' (,o Hunter's head, which ho had ) "(!••• Moment exposed for the purpose ol talfiingf an oqservation. Hunter jumped out to return the lire, discharging one barrel at Elliot and the other at Jacky Lister, but neither' of the shots took effect, although Jacky made a bound in the air as the bullet whizzed past his thigh, cutting a hole in the skirt of his jacket, and Hunter called out: "Ha ! that caught you, you black devil "Hail yet !*' cried Jacky, "close up', though. By ! me shoot 'em you directly—my word !" And it wasn't his fault that he didn't succeed in carrying out his threat, for he blazed away as fast as he could rehnul, until his ammunition was exhausted, and Hunter dared not show out to reply. The diversion which the sub-inspec-tor had been expecting occurred just here, and Hunter was surprised to hear two shots fired from across the creek in his rear, and realising that he was between two fires he ran to another tree which afforded partial cover from his new antagonists, while Jacky shouted to him : "Ha ! that makes you run, you plcrrv wretch ! You sec plenty masters the other side the creek.'''

The relief party consisted of Messrs Swan and Arnot, from Bendemere. The former galloped back to the station as soon as the light. commenced, and called Amott, awl the two, having armed themselves, hastened' to the scene, approaching the belt of timber so as to take the bushranger iu the rear.

Before any further firing took place Elliot, stepped out and urged the bushranger to give in, as he must see the game was up, in reply to which Hunter shouted : "You stop those fellows firing and I'll talk to you." Tfc then) came out and walked up to Elliot, who asked, "Do you surrender ?" "No, I don't "want to surrender," answered the bushranger. "You snoot me" : at the same time turning his head aside. But after a little tiersuasion he dropped his rifle and held up his hands, saying dramatically,"There's a wrist a handcuff was n ver on before."

After being handcuff, Hunter said jt paiapuajans tou pptOAi m[ had not put hi 9 last tw*o bullets in his carbine. On the way to Con'damaine he told Elliot that he name was not Hunter, and that he would never divulge his real name. He further said that he had intended sticking up the Roma mail on that very day and that he was on the lookout for another good horse when the sub-inspec-tor came across him. In due course he was brought to trial under an indictment of hignwav robbery under arms and received a heavy sentence.

Elliot was highly complimented by his superiors for the energy and' pluck displayed by him in Hunter s chase and capture : but had he been a better shot there would have been no need ior a trial, and his own lifs would not have been so long exposed to danger. .