THE BLACK TRACKERS OF AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11056, 6 May 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BLACK TRACKERS OF AUSTRALIA.

A STORY OF CRIME. None of the marvellous unravellings of mystery by the impossible detectives of fiction can surpass in ingenuity the work dono by our own and other detectives and by the black trackers of Australia, The following story of a stockrider who, travelling with a large sum of money, disappeared will give some idea of the cleverness of tho blacks, in tracking. The stockrider's horse had returned riderless to the station, and without saddle and bridle. A search was at once instituted, but proved fruitless. The horse's hoof marks were followed to the very boundary of the run, near which stood a hut occupied by two shepherds. These men when questioned declared that neither man nor horse bad passed that way. Then a native who worked 011 the station was pressed into service, and starting from the house, walking with downcast eyes, and occasionally putting his nose to the ground, lie easily followed the horse's track to the shepherd's hut, where lie at. once offered some information. "Two white mans walk here," he said, pointing to indications he alone could discover on the ground. A few yards further lie cried-"Here fight, here large fight'" and it was seen that the grass had been trampled down. Again close at hand he shouted in great excitement—" Here kill, kill!" A minute examination of the spot showed that the earth had been moved recently. and on turning it over a quantity of clotted blood was found below. . . . 'The black now discovered the tracks of men by the banks of a stream hard'by. . , . The stream was shrunk to a tiny'thread after the long drought, and here and there was swallowed up by sand. But it gathered occasionally into deep, stagnant pools, which marked its course. Each of these the native examined, still finding footmarks on the margin. At last- they reached a pond larger than any, wide, and seemingly very deep. The tracker, after circling round and round the bank, said the trail had ceased, and bent all his attention upon the surface of the water, where a quantity of dark scum was floating. Some of this lie skimmed off, tasted, and smelt, and decided positively— " White man here!" The pond was dragged, and the mangled remains of the stockrider were found in a sack weighted with stone. Suspicion fell upon toe shepherds, who were arrested and sent to Melbourne. The saddle-bags were still to be found. The black followed the tracks of the two men's feet, and after some time came upon a dry watercourse, in the middle of which was a high pile of stones The tracks ended at a stone on the side, when the native said he smelt leather.' When several stones had been taken down the saddle-bags, saddle, and bridle were found hidden in an inner receptacle. The money, no less than £2000, was still in the bags. The shepherds were both hanged at -Melbourne.