RANGERS OF RAZORBACK.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1435, 27 October 1896, Page 7

RANGERS OF RAZORBACK.

PART AT. ' No one spoke for a brief period but all looked at the light which seemed to fascinate and dure them on. In a way their home was being desecrated for even to the outlaw in the wild and i-vzHy bush the term, 1 home,” is not an unmeaning one. The worst passions of the bush- • angers had been roused by the day’s attack and the measure of success which had attended their defence urged them to continued action even the gambler who wins goes on until ruin ends his career. “ We may as well have a look at them, Mike, but there is no need for all to go down, Lewis and Alec, can stay here until we return. If we go under, it can’t be helped, but two in * matter of this sort are better than lour. Come along Shea,” said the leader. To speak was to act with the convicts, and in a few moments Davis and Shea were cautiously making their way Mown the side of the declivity towards the hollow. The locality was well known to both, and they soon reached close to the edge of the clearing which had been made by themselves. For several minutes they lay frmet and listened but no sound save the ordinary voices of the night peculiar to the place rose upon the air. ... “ Let us get round to the other side where the two ‘ loops ’ are, and we may be able to do' better,” whispered Davis to his companion and the two began to grope their: way in the direction indicated. It took nearly half-an-hour to accomplish this and when a position near the front was reached the confused sound of human voices met their xars. The words said could not be distinguished though the outlaws were eager to ascertain what the discussion was about. That is, they wanted to know what plans were being laid for their capture as it was certain they formed the subject of debate. “We may as well do nothing undll most of them "have gone to sleep, ft will be safer,” spoke Shea to the chief. Davis readily acquiesced in ffiis view and the two remained crouching in the scrub watching with lynx-like eyes the hut. The two apertures from which the outlaws had killed Brake and slightly Wounded Denny threw out small shafts of light which reached the scrub in which Davis and Shea were hiding and both marvelled at the carelessness shown by the constable and his followers. 11 was plain that no watch was being kept outside the structure and that Denny and his party felt perfectly secure in the hut.' Of course few persons would expect the late runaway occupants to return and make a night attack, but it is the unexpected which ,;,very frequently occurs. If the tell-tale apertures had been closed by those within almost perfect safety- would have been secured. As,it was the trifling omission meant a, terrible menace to Denny and In abcmt' ! pour’s time the murmur ceased and the calculated most of the pSiEy had gone to rest. So far the door had not been opened and that fact occasioned the convicts a little uneasiness. It might be that there were guards ambushed outside. Certainly they were not stationed at the building for the starlight w’as sufficiently clear to reveal them if such were the case. The probabilities that such had been done were small, and Davis and Shea resolved to risk an advance to the shining loopholes which beckoned them on. It was nearjmidnight when the ■wp moved from the cover and for a part of the w r ay th.£y .crept on hands and knees across vthe clearing. When within twenty yards of the building they became bolder and assuming an erect position began to walk quickly towards the “loops.” Shea had not gone half a dozen yards forward over the fallen vegetation when a smothered cry of alarm broke from him and in an instant Davis was at his side. The chief was just in time to see the Irishman rising from the ground and for a moment thought he had merely tripped apd fallen. That was really the fact, but a glance sufficed to show him the object which had caused his comrade’s discomfiture. He had stumbled over the body of settler Brake which had been left covered at the spot by Denny. At first of course, Shea thought it was a crouching foe and hence his alarm which speedily subsided, though the incident had a bad effect on his nerves. Davis, who apparently did not possess nerves, so cool was he in the most trying and terrible circumstances, quickly reassured his companion and the advance was continued. The two had almost reached the loopholes when a broad stream of light shot out of the hut and they dropped to the ground. “Someone has opened the door, Mike, that’s all,” Davis whispered to Shea. “ I’ll get around the chimney and see who it is,” he added. Suiting the action to the word, Davis rose and indicated to his companion to make for the nearest aperture which he did. In passing to the “loop,” Shea momentarily obstructed the gleam of light, and it was that which caused Butler to come round the chimney and meet Davis, who was advancing from the opposite direction. The reader already knows what the result was. After knocking down the settler, Davis turned and both fled, as it would have been courting death to haveremained. Shea had just reached the aperture and in afew seconds more would have been able to fire through

it at one of the prostrate forms lying on the floor of the brightly lighted hut. Evidently the guardian angels of the party were watching 'over them And Butler’s exit must have been prompted by providence. In twenty minutes the two bushrangers reached Lewis and Zieman and soon explained what had taken place. Now that Denny was alarmed it would be no use to attempt anything further and aided by the clear night the quartette of outlaws turned towards Razorback Range. As the reader knows the attack made by Davis and Shea only added to Denny’s determination in the matter of pursuit. As soon as it was i day a grave was made for Brake and he was buried as decently and well as circumstances would permit. Then the blacks, who had encamped in the Hollow less than a quarter of a mile away were summoned. While this was doing the hut had been set on fire. Prior to that a closer search was made and ‘ in a recess near the chimney, a large quantity of round cakes fried in fat—called Doughboys then—though now known as “ Yankee Notions ” were found. This trifling circumstance caused the place to be named Doughboy Hollow and as such it holds a place in Botany Bay history. When the natives came up they were shown the spot where the two outlaws had run into the scrub after the. attack on Butler. The, was so clearly defined that it was quite easy to follow the trail' and soon the place where Lewis and Zieman had waited for their comrades w T as reached. From there the tracks went directly towards the steepest part of the ranges and the pursuers recognised that the outlaws had sought refuge in the fastnesses of the mountain chain. Being excellent bushmen that fact did not dismay them by any means but none of them underrated the task belore them. The range was so rough and broken that the utmost vigilance had to be exercised to prevent a surprise from the pursued. There were many places where the outlaws might make a stand more or less effective according to circmstances, and Denny took care to examine them before the main party were placed in jeopardy. At an altitude of over four hundred feet the aboriginals lost the trail owing to the rocky nature of the locality and it then became more a question of chance than certaintly to come upon the absconders. Fortunately for the pursuers the formation of the range at the place where the tracks were lost was such as to greatly assist them. There were only two comparatively narrow routes by which the fugitives could have ascended. These were a couple of depressions or glens which ran down the side of the great hill. Progress upward, save in these places was barred by stupendous cliffs, which not even a chamois could have scaled. To facilitate discovery the leader divided his party into two bodies and placed, the second under the command ot Edwin Butler who was now quite recovered from the blow received from Davis. The two glens were less than half-a-mile apart and ran parallel to each other. Denny took the one furthest westward as it was most likely in that direction the convicts would go. Arrangements were made to meet before sunset at a peak near the summit of the range, if nothing were discovered in the meantime. If a shot were fired by one of the parties that would be the signal for the other to join it as quickly as possible. It was eleven o’clock when the two bodies separated and a few, minutes after, that led by the District Constable plunged into the ravine which was close to them. Three of the natives accompanied the party and it was soon found that if the fugitives had fled in this direction it would not be possible for them to conceal their tracks. In places the ground was marshy, while at others, the undergrowth was of so dense a nature that no animal—much less a man —could get through it without clearly revealing the fact. Seeing this, Denny spread his men out so that a minute search could be made the whole breadth of the glen and it was speedily rewarded by the discovery of human footprints. They led upwards and after gathering the party together the advance was continued. For nearly half-a-mile matters went smoothly and then difficulties began to increase. A point was reached where the glen was comparatively level and widened out considerably. The whole of this was found to be simply a quaking morass. Of course the horses had been left in Doughboy Hollow but even the weight of a man was too much for the strange quagmire. It was totally unlike an ordinary quicksand for a thick green vegetation grew all over it, and in a few spots, stunted shrubs lifted themselves. When the morass was stepped on, it gave like a sheet of indiarubber stretched in mid air and for a radius of several yards the earth trembled in a strange manner. The impression it left on the minds of the men was not a pleasant one and not one would venture to try the stability of the morass. The natives in particular were very much' afraid of it and indicated by their actions that anyone attempting to cross the wierd area would be swallowed up. After a search a pathway was found along the eastern edge of the ravine but it was an exceedingly rugged one. Huge rocks outcropped occasionally and they had to be surmounted, a task involving great difficulty. Patience and perseverance, however accomplish “■much and in less than an hour the morass was passed and travel became once more comparatively easy. A great deal of time had been lost in gaining the short distance which

had been covered and as the afternoon was far advanced when the bog had been passed, Denny began to look round for a path by which he could leave the glen and rejoin the party under Butler. It was not long before he realised the futility of attempting to do so. The eastern side of the ravine was shut in by inaccessable cliffs and there, was nothing for it but to camp for the night in the glen. In fact the district constable was sorry he made the arrangement with Butler, for it was much better now he was on the trail to follow it up ruthlessly to the end. If he left the ravine for the night the desperate men which the 1 party were pursuing might double back and turn the tables on them. Selecting the most convenient site, camp was pitched for the night almost under one of the eastern cliffs, and the men put in a miserable time until morning. The supply of food was meagre and the leader would not allow a fire to be lighted. Being at a considerable altitude, the air was keen, and to add to the discomfort, several heavy showers f rain fell during the night on the badly sheltered pursuers? They were glad enough when daylight dawned and they were able to resume the quest. The exercise was needed to circulate their half frozen blood. After going a few hundred yards from where they had camped the footprints were again picked up. The four outlaws had walked along under the shadow of the great cliffs and apparently had not taken the slightest precaution to cover the trail. A mass ol debris consisting chiefly of disintegrated granite had fallen from the side of the cliff, forming a rough sandy deposit and in this the footmarks were deeply imprinted. The four pair of feet were clearly enough defined and the discovery set at rest any doubt which might have been entertained regarding the accuracy of the search. The party were just rounding a jutting point ot the granite wall ’when a faint call brought them to a standstill and they looked round in surprise. In such a place the sound of a human voice was at least remarkable and when it was repeated the men could scarcely believe the evidence of their ears. The mystery was quickly solved however as one of the constables caught sight of a man waving a white handkerchief not more than a quarter of a mile distant. He was on the summit of the cliff and the wind blowing at the top had partly carried the sound away. “ It’s Dacre,” spoke the leader. “I’m glad they have seen us as Butler may be able to join us now.” Dacre was one of the settler’s party who had been sent to search the second ravine. They were able to get out of the glen and were at the appointed meeting place to time. As Denny did n®t appear the bushmen surmised he was unable to get out of the deep depression. Accordingly at daylight the leader sent out his men along the western glen to try and signal Denny, and Dacre was the first to get sight of him and his party. The settler soon signalled to his comrades and in a quarter of an hour they joined him. Denny was glad to see the second body for he knew now they must be on a useless quest and the more he had with him the less chance had the outlaws. The knotty question was, how could Butler’s party descend the huge cliffs. Going ahead the district constable got as near to those on the summit as he could and managed to make it dear to them that the outlaws were in the glen, or at least their tracks had been found. AH that could now be done was for one body to move along the summit of the cliffs while the other travelled at the base. This plan—the only one possible was maintained for nearly half a mile through exceedingly wild country when a break in the tremendous granite wall was reached. It was possible to, descend at the spot though the undertaking was one fraught W’ith danger. Butler led the way and in about twenty minutes the whole party reached the bottom. The settler had nothing of importance to tell his chief for not the least sign of the fugitives was discovered in the second ravine. Denny of course did not expect there would be after his own experience and it only made more certain the fact that he was on the road to ultimate success. About mid-day the ravine narrowed and a great wall of rock could be distinguished less than a mile distant. It appeared to fofm the southern end of the glen and if so the searchers must be near those they were in quest of. It was likely enough there were avenues of escape to the south but Denny fervently hoped the outlaws had run into a natural cul de sac out of which' there could be no redemption. Under this impression he spread out his men in a line which would block the glen and make a cordon it would be almost impossible to break through. To ht Continued. SYNOPSIS OF PARTS I. TO IV. The scene opens in a wild and picturesque gorge in the Blue Mountains. In a secluded glen near the junction of the Wollondilly and Nepean Rivers, a rude but strongly built hut is discovered. Around a huge fire fourroughly clad men are busily engaged casting bullet*. It transpires that they represent a band of recently escaped convict-servants, headed by Alfred Davis, alias the “Jew Boy,” one of the most desperate and daring ruffians that ever crimsoned the pages of the history of New South Wales, ills companions are Shea, Ziernan, and Lewis. In attempting their capture (3rd September, 1830) Bordertrooper Day loses his life. Six days after a strong party of constables and settlers guided by some aboriginals attack the outlaws in the hut, but are repulsed with the loss of one of their number. Mosaic floors, Slid with small pieces of dif-ferent-coloured stones set in regular patterns, were known to the Egyptians 2,300 n.c. In \ Babylon floors of this kind dated from , 1100 u.g.