THE MURDERED ORDERLY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 929, 28 March 1868, Page 3

THE MURDERED ORDERLY.

(From "All the Tear Round.") Theke was an Hungarian in my staff, a man closely bordering on middle age, and of extraordinary intelligence and information. He spoke five languages ; his native * tongue, English, French,- German, and Spanish ; and possessed an extensive knowledge of the history of many lands. My first encounter with him in Australia was rather curious, and shows what singular coincidences will occur in life.

I had camped one evening, after many miles of travel, near a welcome water-hole, and was sitting on a log wearily waiting * for the "billy" to boil, when a man rode up driving three horses before him. He saluted me in a slightly foreign accent, and was proceeding further on, Avhen I told him that, as tea was nearly ready, he had bet- - tor halt there. This is customary. God bless the gallant, the generous pioneer squatters of Queensland ! I say it, not so much on account of their kindness to me, for they might be expected to bestow it on account of the office I fill ; but the weary traveller, high or low, is sure of a shelter and a hearty welcome to every comfort the station can bestow.

After he had unsaddled and let his horses go loose, our dialogue commenced.

"You look ill. Have you fever and ague ? " I asked.

"Very bad, sir; I am on my way to town for advice and change of air."

Here he commenced shivering violently, and I gave him a strong dose of quinine, which, with a hot cup of "tea, gave him speedy relief. I sat up till a late hour that night, hearing passages of a life full of adventure and of struggle.

He had been an officer of cavalry, and had taken an active part under Kossuth, for whom he had boundless enthusiasm. My men had withdrawn to their own campfire, out of hearing ; so his only auditors were myself and my boy. He waa consequently unreserved in his communications. After describing a cavalry skirmish in which he had been wounded and taken prisoner, he proceeded to tell me he escaped in a manner almost miraculous, and landed on English soil without a sixpence.

"Never shall I forget," he said, "the crushing feeling of loneliness which came upon me when night arrived, and when I saw others hurrying, after their daily business, to their happy homes in the crowded city. Weak and hungry, I knew I could not last long, and I laid myself down in an archway to die. The pangs of hunger, however, soon roused me, and I went to a shop and disposed of some of my clothes, whereby I was enabled to live for some days. I went everywhere seeking employment, as teacher of languages, as writingmaster, as clerk, as porter, but all in. vain. No one would believo my story, no one would employ me without a character. I showed my wounds. I asked shelter until I could produce credentials from Hungary. Fruitless. At last, when literally starving, I roamed into the country. I had never yet begged. I had always offered my services ; but now pride began to break down, and I determined to become, a mendicant. I approached a country house, and saw a very young man reading in a bow-window which was partly open. Three times I vent within a few paces of that window, and three times I turned away, despairing. The young man, meanwhile, never raised his head, being absorbed in his book. Hunger spurred me on. I advanced, and said : " 'Help a poor man, Von Germaner?' '•'The youth looked up, and said, hastily and angrily, 'No.' He was very handsome, and the angry look did not become him. " Slowly and mournfully I retired ; and, I think, for the first time since my exile, tears flowed from my eyes. Hardly had I walked a hundred yards, when I heard a hasty step behind me, and, on turning, I met the young man running without his hat. "'Stop!'"' said he; "I was infernally busy with a choral ode when you spoke to me. Are you really in distress ? ' " 'I am a beggar,' I said, bitterly, 'and my words are hollow, of com # se. The poor are always impostors — in the eyes of the rich.' "'There is no of course in it,' hereplied ; ' hollow ! "Why, God knows, your cheeks are hollow enough. You are a real foreigner, too, and have read English a\ithors, or you. never would have used that word hollow as you did. Are you hungry?' " 'I have not tasted food for three days and three nights.' ' "'Here!' exclaimed the young fellow, 'wait till I get my hat ! Don't move from the spot ! ' And away he ran towards the house,- leaving we wondering at his strange manner. "In a few seconds he returned, breathless, and led me, with amazing rapidity, to a handsome hotel in the suburbs of the town. "With wonderful speed, a substantial meal was placed before me, and he made me swallow a tumbler of excellent sherry before he would allow mo to say a word. Evening set in. We drew our chairs near the tire, and I told him the sad history of my country and my own. Never shall I forget the manly sympathy of that noble fellow. "When I opened my closely buttoned coat, and showed him the newspaper I wore next my skin to serve as a shirt, lie complained that he had got an infernal cold in the head, and commenced poking viciously at the coals in the grate. After a long pause, he said : " ' Do you know any person in England who would bo likely to be of service to you V " I said there was a relative of mine, well off, but he lived in a very distant town. "'Well, now,' said he, 'look here: I am short of money. I have only got five pounds. Could you make your way to him with that ?' ' " I told him yes, but that I would rather take a trifle than put him to inconvenience.

" ' Inconvenience be hanged !' lie said. 'The devil ! what is my inconvenience to the make-shift of a newspaper for a shirt V

"He would not be refused. I had to take the money, and from that moment all went well with me. I fell in with a captain of one of the Australian emigrant ships, who gave me a free passage. I became a shepherd in New Soxith "Wales, saved money, bought three thousand sheep, began to lose my health, came to Queensland for change, went far into the interior, got the post of subordinate overseer, stayed in that situation until last week, when fever and ague set in, and I am on my way to Rockhampton for medical advice." "What is your name?" I asked. "Frederic Wiener." "No/" I said, "your name is Miska Vensirdlen."

He started up from his seat, and peered into my face.

"No/ he said, after a pause, " you are not my benefactor. I should know him if ago had planted as many wrinkles on his face as there are leaves on this gum-tree. Yet yo\i are like him. And, now that I think of it, the name of the commissioner of this district is the same as his, and you are the commissioner ! Great Heaven ! yoii cannot be ho !'

"No," I replied; "I wish I were as good «a man. He was my only brother. He showed me the letter you sent him before you sailed. You omitted to mention that you paid him the five pounds in little more than a year. I saw the letter of credit."

'{Yes, sir, on the Union Bank. But he . was surely not surprised on receiving it V' "He was not ; but we were — bur family, I mean. ,We had not seen you. Why did -you change your name ?" ."•All respectable foreigners do so, who look for a return to their native country. Where is your brother now, sir?" • But he had only to look into my face to see the answer there.

" You need not tell me, sir, you need not tell me," he said, in accents of unfeigned sorrow, "that is one of my life'sobjects gone. Next to the happiness of seeing my native land again, I hoped to see him once more, and show him my gratitude." i- Miska (or Michael, in English) stayed with, me that night; and, as- 1 had a vacancy in my staff, he agreed to engage in my service, merely to drive my horses while I was surVeying and exploring. I knew I should cure him by a discreet use of quinine and chlorodyne, and I succeeded in doing so. Many a tale he told me of Hungary and of Deutschland, and many a happy hour we enjoyed at the camp-fire in the lonely, melancholy bush.

One evening we came to a sheep-station, where we found two shepherds. We were informed by them that, four days back, when only one shepherd lived there, he saw a largeinob of blacks at the creek to which he had gone down for water, and which was about a quarter of a mile from his hut. The blacks were all armed with spears, waddies (clubs for throwing), nullah-nul-lahs (clubs for close combat), boomerangs, and tomahawks. He was without a weapon. They sent forward two or three gins (females) to him, but he waved his hand, said "Yambo" (begone,) and they stopped. He then retreated slowly to his hut, got the sheep secured in the yard, fastened the door of the hut, and, having previously possessed himself of his carbine, went off for assistance to the head station, sixteen mileiroff. An armed party* started early in the morning, and found that the blacks bad dug under the hut, and had taken flour and various other things. They tracked the savages for a long distance, until they came to rocky ridges, very thickly timbered, where they gave up the pursuit.

I had to follow this creek down, and I issued orders that, no man of my party should go out of sight of the camp, without a 1 revolver. A few mornings afterwards some of my horses were not to be found, and the men scattered themselves to look for them. All were at last brought in save Miska's. I pushed on with my son to the head station, which was eight miles off, leaving directions with my chainman to assist Miska. That same evening my party arrived, and camped near the station ; but the horses were not yet found. My chainman came up and reported himself to me, but Miska I did not see that night. Next day was Sunday. About eleven o'clock in the morning I went down to inspect' my camp, and found that Miska had set off an hour before, expressing his determination tostay out until he found the animals. He took two or three days' rations, and told my chainman that he had his "shooting-iron" with him. He did not return .that night, and next morning I had to set off with my party to complete the adjustment of boundaries. A good many days elapsed before I returned. In this interim two travellers saw a. body floating in a very long waterhole near the place where I had last camped before I departed. This was the corpse of poor Miska, greatly decomposed, but not sufficiently so to conceal the spear-wound which had robbed him of his life — a cowardthrust in the back.

: . The word was passed from station to station (there are but few in that remote nook of earth), and in a day or two, eight or nine determined men, mounted on splendid stockhorses, and guided by two tame blacks,

were on the death-trail

For about a mile and a half, their course lay through what is locally called "Oldman Triodia" — a sort of spinitex grass. It covers the whole surface of the ground, and is from three to four feet high. The blades

are such strong prickles, that I have doubled

thick moleskin trousers four times — that is, • made eight layers of the fabric — and yet have passed the spear-blades through them as swiftly as you pass a needle through cambric. But the blacks make their way through this obstruction with facility and speed. The party now began to approach the water-shed,, which in that particular place was very wild and rough. .Night drew on, and there was no appearance of the blacks. te, traces were fresh. No fear was enterned of failure in coming up with them, . and our friends quietly camped beside a rocky water-hole. Next day, at an early hour, they resumed their march. Suddenly one of the black guides turned back to a squatter, and said, with great gleer " Cobawn gin like along a billie-bong." (Plenty of gins near a water-hole.) . "Where that fellow, billy-bong V . " Close up that fellow." In a few minutes we had surrounded the gins, and the wretched creatures shrank cowering to the ground. They were at once secured. Few whitemen slaughter gins, no matter how great the provocation. I have scarcely ever known them to be killed unless by mistake. Nevertheless, nothing is better established than the fact that they are infinitely worse than the males, as the instigators and the chief and primary agents of the most of the outrages committed by the latter. ; Many questions were asked of the gins . by the guides, which they answered readily. Next day the party struck sharp off to the north, over a high range covered with trees, and were surprised to find water in many clefts in the rocks, whereas a drought had prevailed for some time in the low country. It would seem that on this very high ground the spicula of the tree-leaves frequently attract the electricity of the clouds, and thus produce showers which do not reach the lowlands. The stony ground

. was very severe on the horses, for stationhorses are never shod; their hoofs grow * even too quickly, and often need paring. "When night began to close in, the guides strenuously urged the party not to camp, but to follow them in silence. Some were opposed to this, but gave way; and at length, after emerging from a pretty thick scrub, they were gratified by the sight of numerous fires in a hollow about a mile off. On a dark night the fires of a camp of black fellows have an imposing effect. Each family have a number of small fire-sticks placed around them. "When nearly extinguished, they can fan these up in a moment. ; I have often seen nothing but tiny sparks here and there, and in less than a minute have seen a mile of blazing lights. The party tied their fasting horses up, and gave them a few bunches of herbage. f They themselves took cold moat and "damper ;" they could make no tea, as a fire ' would be discovered by the. enemy. ; Half an hour .before dawn every man was ; on his horse, and moving towards the silent , camp. Two went round by the right, and ; two by the left, the rest went straight on- • ward. Very quickly they advanced, and ,;, halted, for a space, the blacks giving no resign;; but at length, the day having now , broken, the dogs of the savages began to :. i/bark^the blacks bounded to their feet, and :=:.fotui,d themselves confronted by foes in three '^idirections.;. With a loud "whoop !" avenS^gera were among themj shooting them down .::j|:fj.'dm the distance of a yard* One squatter '^Mmk huge fellow with a map of Queensland &%ss*lms belonged/to poor Miska) hanging

from his" shoulders like an apron. He shot him through " PortDenison," which covered the region of the heart. The savages, seeing there was little chance of escape, whirled their weapons in grim silence. Tlaey never think of submitting by word or question, any more than they expectjthat the " wallabies," on which they feed, will submit to them in the chase.- Boomerangs, waddies, spears, flew thickly, but with little effect. A savage, seeing a rider about to cover him with a revolver, rushed forward, and dodged on either side of the horse's head in so surprisingly active a manner that the rider, who was almost disabled in the left arm, could not fire without danger to the horse. Another squatter, seeing this, rushed forward to decide the affair, when the black suddenly sprang to the horse's tail, and dodged about there in like manner. It was not without great trouble that he was killed. Another squatter, having pushed a savage hard, the savage suddenly wheeled round and sent a waddy against his enemy's head with such violence as to knock him off his horse. In a moment the tomahawk was raised above the prostrate man ; but, with the speed of lightning, the double-trigger "Tranter" was raised too, and with a guttural "owgh?" the savage fell dead.

Meanwhile the gina and the piccaninnies were flying about, shouting their shrill « e — c— c's," and " ow— ow— oVs," but it was over in a few minutes, and then the avengers began to reckon up their work. Eighteen blacks lay dead, and one piccaninny. Fierce gleams flashed from the white men's eyes when they came txpon the dead child.

"Who killed this boy V exclaimed one.

Of course no one had killed him, and, in fact, no one had meant to kill him. The boy had perished by a stray shot in the melee. Very few hurts had been received* by the whites. On examining the blacks' camp, almost all of poor Miska's property was found ; among other things, his chequebook, but all the money he had had about him was gone. The piccaninnies were taken prisoners by the squatters, and shared among them : certainly a fate for the better in respect of the boys.

From one of these — some months afterwards, when he could speak a little English — I received a mimetic description of Miska's death. The blacks of Queensland generally are perfect mimics. 'He described Miska walking along with his erect, military bearing ; then a sudden stop, and a peering look into the neighbouring scrub, as though he had heard a noise, or seen something suspicious. Then he described the walk renewed, another stop," and a rather frightened look around ; then, the siidden consciousness of being "circumvented" by the blacks, who now begin to appear from among the trees ; then, the quick but bewildered turn to fly ; then, a whir-r-r-r-r-r, and a boomerang strikes him on the temple ; he reels, puts up his hand to wipe off the blinding blood, and sinks slowly to the ground. Then, the rush of the savages (silent as fate) towards him. He struggles to his feet, and joins his two hands together. Then, came the halt of the wretches about ten yards from him ; then, the poising of the spear, the hurtling of the missile through the ail', the death-ciy of my poor friend as it grided through his frame ; his falling back, and the protruding spear supporting him for an instant ; his rolling half round, and tearing up the grass ; then, the blow on the head with a nullah-nullah. All this was shown to me with appalling effect, and, I have no doubt, with perfect accuracy.