A DARK DEED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6533, 3 February 1882, Page 6

A DARK DEED.

AN INCIDENT IN QUBHNSLAND BCBH MM. Bi Wandbbbb. la 185— on a flat on the eastern slope of the dividing range where it runs through tho New England country, and but a few mileß from the " great sorub," as it was then, and is now I believe termed, was erected a shepherd's hut of rather a more substantia* build than those generally seen down country j the slabs were strong, and their edges well dressed so as to fit tight together, while the several loopholes (for windows they oould not be called) that pierced each side were protected by hardwood sliding shutters. A couple of bunks, a rough table, and the .usual furniture of such a hut were visible, supplemented by a couple of heavy, clumsy muskets, and ammunition bags, or pouohes for the same. The time was sundown, and the shepherd was just securing tho hurdles on the sheep he had fprded, while the hut-keeper was engaged irig a simple repast on the table. These

two men were fair types of the shepherd of that period, a olaes now fast disappearing. They had been shipmates from the old country many years previously, bad eerred part o'f their time together, and then for some years had lost light cf one another, till they met by ohanoe on the northern road, and travelling together were engaged by the super of Yarraman station a* shepherd and hut-keeper for the new "florub Station Hot," as it was termed. Bob Watson, the shepherd, was the elder of the two, a taciturn man—one whom the lonely life of a shepherd suited well, and who even in the excitement of drink at his periodical sprees never lost command over his tongue; he was of a determined disposition, and considered it aa a sort of honour that he should always stick to his mate or pal for good or for evil, and help hint through with whatever undertaking they had in hand. Tom Wilson, the hut-keeper, was younger than Bob, and of a different disposition; a Londoner by birtb, and deeply initiated into crime from his earliest days, he had been looked up to as a sort of authority on criminal matters of all sorts by his comrade* on board of ship, and in the gang, by whom be was known as "Flash Tom," a nickname he was rather proud of. He was a cruel, cowardly villain, ill-looking, with a flash, self-opiniated air about him, that gave evidenoe as to his character, a man greatly given to talking and boasting; and, although he was constantly bragging of his sincerity to hie mates, and abusing those who would "pat away a pal" at he termed it, yet if certain private records in the penal establishment has been allowed to see light, it would have been found that " Mash Tom's " sentence had been considerably curtailed through his having acted as " dog" or spy to the authorities, and several times having given notice of intended plots, or projects amongst his fellow prisoners, the discovery of which had been attributed to the shrewdness and intelligence of their keepers. As soon as they had sat down to their meal, Tom interlarding his conversation with many ! frightful oaths, which, of course, cannot be admitted here, enquired of Watson if be had seen any blaokfellowt on his walk that day. On Watson replying in the negative, he said: "Then, mate, I just reoommend you to take your shooting stick with you to-morrow, j they're about, and not likely to be in the best of humours." "How do you know, Tom," said Watson. " Well, look here, just you listen and I'll tell you all about it. I had a sort of adventure with them myself today." So Watson, who was well acquainted with Tom's loquacity, prepared himself to listen patiently to the yarn, and to try and divide the facte of the case from Flash Tom's hyperbole. "You see," continued Tom, " about 11 to-day I went out to out a bit of firewood, when who should I see coming along the ridge but three gins, and although they must have seen the hut, it being right in front of them, they kept never minding it, but walked oh laughing and talking. One was a pretty ancient dame, and the other two were young ones. I noticed also they had got spicy petticoats on, as well as other toggery they don't pick up in the bush. So thinks I, these three must be the ones the Master and the Misses were nursing on the head station, and now they are going away cured, and that's why they are not frightened of white fellows; so I steps out from behind the tree and bowa quite polite to them, and they grinned, and nodded, and kept on. I then goes to the hut and got a cake of 'baecur, and held it up to them and beckoned, but they only smiled, and shook their head and went on, so I returned and got the damper I baked in the morning, and thinks I, this'll fetch any black gin, but they only shook their heads when I called them, and kept on making for the " big scrub." I did not like to be done by a black gin, so I swore I'd fetch one back to the hut. And I ran and got the gun, and when they saw it, they got a bit skeered like, but still would not come up to the hut, but held up their hands and hurried on, and so I ran towards them, and then they began to run, so I up with the piece and let fly, and tumbled over one of the young uns, but she sprang up again, and the other two got hold of her, and helped her along towards the scrub, and I had to go back to the hut for some more powder and shot, and then they had got so far towards the scrub, I did not care about following them, but I expect their black fellows are there somewhere, and we may see them about, some day soon." "That's very likely, after what you told me," replied Watson, "why the dickens couldn't you let the woman alone, they was inclined to be friendly, and-if they was the ones the boss has taken care of, we would have had friends in the scrub, instead of enemies aa I expect we will have now."

To this remark Tom merely answered, he'd shoot as many blacks as he liked without consulting any one, and that he was not afraid although all the blaeks in .the country were after him, and a great deal more empty vapouring, during which Sob took his pipe, and going outside, seated himself on his favourite seat, an old log near his yard. The second morning afterwards, Bob remarked to Wilson," I can't make out what's wrong with the dogs this morning, they look frightened and timid like, and have no life in them, I hopes they haven't been and took a bait." doon afterwards, however, he droppedhis hurdles, and giving Tom some instructions about refixing the yard, he started with his flock, carrying his gun in his hand, as he had done since Tom's cowardly attack on the gins. At mid-day he was sitting on a rook under the shade of a tree eating his dinner, when a spear passing close to him buried itself in the tree. He sprang to his feet to seize his gun, but this action exposed him to full view; and before he could raise it, half a dozen spears were driven through his body, and then the remainder of the life was pounded out of him by innumerable blows of waddies, while around him danced a mad* dened mob of savage Haoks, who as soon as they had beaten the last semblance of life out of him, started for the hut, thereto wreak their vengeance on Wilson; from a distance they discovered him repairing the yard with his gun leaning against the hurdles beside ■him, and by making a detour, they sue oeeded in getting the hut between him and then, they advanoed close up to the hut and remained ambushed behind it, waiting Eatiently until he should return. As soon as e had done his job, Wilson took his gun in his hand and strolled leisurely baok to the hut he was doomed never again to enter, the blacks waited till he was within 10yds of it, and then sprang out into full view about half half the number on eaoh side of it, and before he could oook the gun and raise it to his shoulder a number of spears were driven through him, and life and semblancy were speedily beaten out of him with their heavy clubs, after whioh, without entering the hut or attempting to possess themselves of any of the property about, the blacks departed for the scrub.

The next day the ration-carrier arming at the hut discovered the murder, and, galloping back to the head station, gate the alarm. A. number of stockmen and station hands were immediately mounted and dispatched to the scene, and speedily discovered Watson's body. A magistrate was summoned, an inquiry held, a verdiot of " Murdered by the blacks " returned, and the bodies were interred on the spots on which they lay. The sheep were mustered, and strange to say, but few found missing; a bullock dray removed, and the hurdles and cooking apparatus, and the " Scrub Station Hut was abandoned. Great was the exoitement on Yarraman station with regard to this murder; the owner, Mr 8., had always maintained that kindness towards the blacks was not thrown away, and had acted an this prinoiple, even to the aot of nursing two siok blaok gins and their old mother on the head station, and then despatching them back to their tribe in good health, and loaded with presents of no mtrinsio value oertainly, but valuable in their eyes; and now tho idea of the ungrateful wretches in return for his kindness, murdering a couple of his shepherds in cold blood, and that within a few days of the return of the gins to their tribe; he would protect such ungrateful wretches no longer, and would make one to teaoh them a lesson that Englishmen were not to be murdered with impunity.

So about a week afterwards a grand muster took place on the head station of Yarraman, consisting of squatters, jaokeeni, stockmen, •torektepars, 4c., 40., for the pmrpote of,

and determination of, reading the blacks a lesson.

Now it so happened that a tribe of Olif to* blaoks from the south borders of Queensland had made their way over to the Mole river to fish, as was their annual custom; news of their being in the neighbourhood was brought to the station, and the party of white men there in council of war assembled, decided that these must have been the murderers of Wataon and Wilson, or if not actually the murderers, that they knew of the crime, and, therefore, being particeps crimini*, they deserved to be punished, and it was resolved that they should be punished accordingly.

So a couple of nights afterwards this party of whites camped within sight of the watchfires of about 20 blaoks, some of whom ■rere accompanied by their gins. Towards day. light the whites spread out in skirmishing order, and then suddenly with shots ana cheers advanced upon the startled camp. The attack was so sudden, so unexpected, and the noise of the firing so intimidating, that the blacks never attempted to make a stand, but hurriedly fled, few even waiting to seize their arms. Forming themselves into a semicircle, th<s horsemen now advanced, driving the blacks before them along a spur, whioh ended in a perpendicular fall of a hundred feot or so, down into the valley of the Mole below; retreat was entirely out off, and the whites keeping up a brisk fire, some ten or twelve blacks fell, the others were driven to the very edge of the precipice, and here some of them in their fright and despair sprang ont into the air, and dashing from rock to rock, their mangled bodies at last lodged in some of the crevices of the rocks below; some tried to find a track down the face of the precipice by dropping from ledge to ledge, in places where a goat would scarcely find foothold, grasping at and swinging from creepers and rock-rooted shrubs, which in many cases gave way, and precipitated those trusting to them down to the gorge below; but still some few, but very few, did actually succeed in accomplishing the dangerous and almost miraculous descent, and as they were not followed they returned stealthily to Clifton, and spread the report of the cruel, and, as they deemed it, unprovoked attack—of those who fell or jumped over the gorge. Some of the bleached bones are even to this day to be found amidst the scrub and rocks at the foot of the precipice. The brutal murder of the two white men being now considered avenged, the party disbanded, but not before there had been some " tall talking " amongst them, as to deeds of daring and gallant achievements, which to have entitled the performers (who ware invariably the narrators) to a Yiotorian cross each.

On* man, however, was not satisfied with the proceedings of that day. This was Mr B—; for although he had in his anger at the brutal and apparently unprovoked murder of his servants, joined in the attack upon the blacks, yet now, when be began to think over the matter he felt sorry for the part he had taken. He baa now gone to his long home, and I am aware that up to the hour of his death he always regretted the impetuous manner in which he had throws aside the rote and principle he bad followed for years, viz., "the kind and conciliatory treatment of the blacks," and allowed himself, although only a for a short period, to become one of their most bitter persecutors, and this feeling of regret was rendered the more intense and poignant by a circumstance which came to his knowledge some years after the occur* renees just related, which was as follows: Although at the time of the severe treatment of the blacks, there were some white men who spoke fearlessly against it, yet the general voice of the people, who knew of the affair, was in favour of the punishment that had been meted out to a tribe whom all regarded as the murderers of two harmless shepherds, none ever at this time doubted that the punishment had been inflicted upon the real murderers. But about five years afterwards, Mrs B. saw, when on a visit to a station in the neighbourhood, a black gin whom she recognised as one of her patients on Yarraman station about the time of the murder of the shepherds. She accused her of ingratitude for never having come back to see her, which she, her sister, and mother had all three promised to do; on being interrogated as to why she never came back, she acknowledged that she was afraid. Mrs B. wanted to know of what Bhe could possibly be afraid, had she not met with every kindness on the station? The girl, or rather woman, acknowledged this, and at last, upon being pressed, told the whole story, from the time of her sister being wounded to the murder of the two men, and then when the Clifton tribe were so severely punished for a deed they had not done, the tribe she belonged to would not allow her, or her sister, or mother to ever visit Yarraman station again, for fear that any inkling of the case should leak out. At Mrs B.'a entreaty the gin brought her sister and mother into her presence and they both confirmed the first girl's story in every particular, and if any further proof were wanting, the cruel shot marks were there plainly visible between her shoulders and on her arms as witness of the trath of the account. This account it was when brought to Mr B.'s ears that caused him to feel so much deeper regret for the part he had taken in that arbitrary and cruel carnage. He, however, never afterwards referred to the matter in public, and aa the real facts of the case were only known to a few (most of those who were aware of the attack being under the impression that it was made upen the real culprits) those few, out of respect for Mr B (who was held in much esteem), never made the affair public. As now nearly all the actors in that day's deed have passed away, I consider that the faot of its publication can do no barm; in fact, on the other hand, it may have the effect of making some of us hesitate to counsel the wholesale slaughter of natives of other countries, for even the acknowledged crimes of some of them.