THREE YEARS WITH THUNDERBOLT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

THREE YEARS WITH THUNDERBOLT.

{Being the narrative of William Monckton. •who for three . years attended the famous outlaw, Frederick Ward, better known as Captain '.Thunderbolt, /as servant, companion, and intimate friend, during which period he shared the bushranger's crimes and perils, and was twice severely wounded in encounters with the police.) • ~.' ' Edited by -■/. ''." • AMBROSE PRATT, iathor of "King of the Rocks," "Franks, ■ . ; ;.\Duellist," " Vigorous Daunt," "The : Counterstroke," .etc. : /' ; r [COPYRIGHT.] CHAPTER VII.--(Continued.) The police, however, not perceiving that they had been recognised, pressed us to cross, and followed us, walking along the hank.-.Thunderbolt answered them very civillv, but presently on turning a bend of the creek we saw that the stream was crowing quickly much more narrow. _ " The game is up!" he said to me. ■',' Comeon, Will." and setting spurs to his horse he trotted away at right angles to the .'•■ ; : The police knew then that the "dingo had scented the air," and they abandoned all disguise, calling upon us by nam© to stop and surrender. We returned them no Teply,"but:set to work to escape. The -ground before lis, however, was so hilly and ruggsd-that we had to proceed very slowly, '- ■ and we were still well in view when the ipolice had crossed the creek on their horses and were in full chase of ns. That they ■were well mounted, too, we saw at a glance, ': and it thrilled me to think that they might possibly effect our capture. > Choosing to " K ■ . chance'the dangers before us rather than the peril behind, Thunderbolt set the way, at a pace that made my blood turn cold considering the nature of the ground over which we passed. The troopers, however, seemed to the full as reckless as he. On they came at the top speed of their horses, and they even gained upon us. Soon they were within range. I heard the sharp crack of revolvers and the bullets began to fly about our heads. Twelve shots in all were fired and then we seemed to creep ahead. At the : end of a furious gallop of, perhaps, four miles we reached the top of a jagged hill. There Thunderbolt pulled up to breathe his • darling, Combo. We had a drink of gin apiece, and the outlaw then turned to view the situation. The police were already be- ; ginning to climb the hill. • "Curse.them!" cried Thunderbolt. "What say, Bill; our horses are tired. Shall we dismount and figbi. it out hero to a finish?" "No," said I, " let's ride»for it first. We can always fight if we have to. Besides, it's down-hill now, and we know the country!" , 'Thunderbolt nodded, and without another word we set off again. A wild, plunging gallop down the hillside brought" us to a deep creek, the banks of which were sheer and vertical, nearly thirty feet apart. To cross it- by any other means than a leap .was impossible, and J et the leap seemed ■ f ' too great for mortal horse to undertake. ' " ' Thunderbolt was far in advance of me. As » v "t••'»•.-;, ■ -he approached' the chasm, he turned in his ' saddle and called out, "Good-bye, laddie His face was chalk white. I shouted out, "Stop, Fred, for God's sake, stop!" Next instant, however, he touched his * horse with the whip, and the, gallant brute, " gathering himself together, ' sprang into the *&■; ": v air like a veritable Pegasus." I lived a lifetime in the ensuing second, but in a sort of ,',• , breathless wonder I saw Combo land safety on the opposite bank. The shock, however, was so great that the noble, animal went >"!own under his 3 rider. He .struggled .up again before my eyes, but I had not time to mark more, for my own trial was at hand. - „- Setting every nerve on strain, I pulled my horse up and sent him at the leap with spur and whip, uttering a loud yell as I did so. But the task was too great. He leaped ' short/ • His forefeet struck ' the turf, but -"•""' his hind legs doubled under him beneath •*< , the bank, and we fell rolling over and. over, '■ with a sickening crash, into th&bed of the. creek. By marvellous good fortune the -~ horse fell undermost. He was killed instan*m ' -.*- taneously, but I escaped with a bad shaking $&s*• - and a broken ankle. I,dragged myself to my feet and stood for a moment with the f? world broken ankle. I dragged myself to my feet and stood for a moment with, the world swinging around me. '•'. Then I heard Thunderbolt's voice. i . .Quick, Will. Up the bank with you, quick, *j' - - - and climb up behind me!" ; -,,-v,■'/- _ "< - I looked up and saw his face peering down '?< - - at me over the chasm's edge. "My leg '*' '"" is hurt," I muttered. "Don't mind me, / Fred. I'm safe enough. I can hide if you / take off, for the police will be sure to follow. you!" - " All right he answered quickly. "But don't go too far, Will. I'll soon give the :.- . ~-„. -hounds the slip, and then I'll come back for you!" ■ >~.■.■■■-.. *" " ' " The world ended for me then for a while, because I fainted. ! When I recovered con- ' sciousness, it was to see Thunderbolt kneeling beside me, rubbing my hands, and calling - upon me to wake. He shouted with joy when he saw my eyes open*,,and very scon he was telling me all that had happen- ',, '.' ed while I had been insensible. It appears '' that the police had reached the top of the .' ' ' hill" just as Thunderbolt "was disappearing lound a bend'of the valley. Never dreaming that one of their quarry ,had met with a mishap, they did not doubt that both of iVA - 113 v had successfully accomplished the fright- ■:■■ :■ ' ful leap I have described. But they were • not brave enough to follow an example so desperate, ana they contented themselves with standing for "a while near the edge -~: . of the chasm, and marvelling at the outlaw's wonderful horsemanship and daring "''■.' after which they ;gave up the cjjase in dis- ' """*' gust and rode' away. Thunderbolt had ' '. examined their" tracks out of curiosity, and „ • • "- he assured ; me that they must have.halted within ? twenty paces of where I lay. ■ But -v apparently neither had . troubled to look down into the creek, for had they done so they must have discovered me! Never was there an escape so narrow. in my experience! To this day that spot is known as " Thun- - •- ': derbolt's Leap!" and hundreds of people ; ':, : \ have journeyed. thither from far afield, to gaze wonderingly at the scene of an exploit unrivalled" in the annals of '±iu country's /■ ■: adventurous spirits. I myself once revisited V ; the place,: after long intervening years, and '*--- .1 almost doubted the faithfulness of my "recollections, so wide was the chasm, so terrible the leap. , No longer then did I wonder that the police refused the hazard. Indeed, I only marvelled .that I had found courage to "follow my desperate leader as ■ I did, even, though unsuccessfully and to my own undoing. ■ .'.-V When I : felt strong enough to stand, Thunderbolt made me take a strong nip of gin, and he half-led, half-carried me down the bed of the creek, to a place where the bank was less precipitous. There by dint of much toil my leader at last got me to the top, but not before I.had again fainted with the pain of my injured ankle, which had by 1 , then swollen so much that he was obliged ', to cut off my boot. I shall never forget his kindness to me in the agonising hours that •'" followed. Placing me on. Combo's back, and strapping my bad leg over the pommel of the saddle, he led me, walking beside the horse, all through the night in the direction of Bundarra. The pain I suffered was excruciating, and I am afraid that in my torment I often bitterly reviled the poor fellow who was doing his best for me. Sometimes, too, I implored him. for the love of God, to shoot me, and put me out of my ; pain. He tended upon me, however, as gently as a woman, : and he answered all my outcries with cheery, soothing. words. Early next morning, w'hile I lay sleeping with exhaustion, Thunderbolt wandered from the camp ,' and stole another > horse. After that we pushed on more rapidly, but I knew very little :of what passed, for I was half the time either delirious or insensible. - We came at length, however, to the selection and house of a good Samaritan, a friend of Thunderbolt's named Clerk. This kind fellow took me home to his mother, who put me at once to bed, and there I lay for several weeks waited upon by the whole family with the utmost sweetness, until I was entirely recovered. I shall never forget those people, nor cease to remember them with heartfelt gratitude. They did not "know I was an outlaw, it is true, but >■■■' , neither did they know anything else about the v waif, that fate had brought to their floor. It was sufficient for them to perceive that I was a suffering human being to un- . look Slxdr heart* to my necessities, and !SfeSfe ; .'■■■?::-i :• ■■.■.■:':.'.. ,-..■ .';■■■'■■

never did one more undeserving .than I find such kind and charitable friends to minister to him in his hour of sorest need. • I learned to' love them all, and when at last I took my leave >of I them, < and rode: away, it was with tears in my eyes, and a. feeling in my breast impossible to describe, but which •it; still : aches me to remember. '///;\ v // : '. "/-.

'; •'£ CHAPTER ■ VIII. , •;" ■ TOE ITS AN'D DOWNS OF 110SHRAXGIXG. '■"( Our escape from the police at Teuterfield Creek had, curiously enough, disarmed the pair of us.; Thunderbolt lost both his revolvers during the ride for life, while mine had been damaged beyorid repair by my fall over the chasm. It was,.therefore, with considerable nervousness that Aye approached Cope's Creek, since we were weaponless and nigh penniless besides. A friendly selector, howeverj sheltered us for the night, and supplied us with the •information that two Chinese gold-diggers were in the habit of passing his place every Saturday, on their way to Bendemeer, to sell the gold that they had won during the week. That day being Saturday, we determined to waylay the celestials, and for that : purpose we cut two stout cudgels from the bush, , and ensconced ourselves undercover beside the road. / After a weary wait of two hours, our victims hove in view, and when abreast of our hidingplace we pounced out upon .them,' brandishing our clubs, with awe-inspiring yells. The Chinamen understood at once what we wanted, but when Thunderbolt requested them to fork out their gold, they replied in chorus, "No sabbee gold.'; Alleo sameo we go alongum get urn lashions on cledit.. No sabbee gold J" Thunderbolt winked fit me. / "What charming innocence!" he cried. "They 'no sabbee gold,' Will!" "";'■• "Strip!"■ he commanded, grimly, turning to the smiling chows. • . ;*•:'• Willi amassing docility they immediately obeyed, and presently stood upon the road barefooted and as naked as when they were born. V"c parched their motley garments inch by .inch, and even pried into their boots, hut r we discovered not so much as ii ha'/nt/: ***... Thunderbolt,"' convinced at hist that :!ie;, .'■« d told us the truth, threw them back their clothes, which they were glad enough to resume, for the day was bitterly cold ; after which we permitted them to go about their business. The artful celestials, however, had, with the cunning, of their race, actually outwitted us, despite the keen and thorough search to which we submitted them, for two days later we were- informed by a friend that, they had sold twenty pounds' worth of geld immediately after, on their arrival at Rendemeer, which said gold had been" all' the time bound up and concealed in their pigtails. Thunderbolt was very ; much laughed at over this affair, and we I both.were subjected •to a lot of chaffing \ by our friends, for news of it spread over the district like wildfire. It put the police ou our trail as well, and we were soon obliged to make tracks for Bundarra. We came just after dark one evening to a Chinaman's hut, about x two miles from the town; - I was for passing it, but Thunderbolt said, . "No, Will, not till we have examined its owner's pigtail, at all events!" ■He was in fact still sore at the trick that the Bendemeer celestials had played upon him, and I think he wanted to get his revenge. . However, as we were riding up to the hut the chow came running out, and going straight up to the outlaw, he muttered in a low voice, "Me know you. You Mistle '.'',.'. Thundelbolt., Two pliceeman in-si my hoosee. You lun away quick!" • A glance showed us two police horses tied up at a neighbouring fence, so with a word of hearty thanks to our friendly saviour, we turned- tail and set off at a gallop. The troopers were soon in hot pursuit of us, but ,we knew the country so well that we easily eluded them, and by daylight we were well on the way to Armidale. Thunderbolt said to me that night, "I'll never try to rob a chow again, Will, as long as I live, just for the sake of : that kind-hearted -.. beggar that warned us. I feel really ashamed of myself when I remember that I intended to rob him. But I'll: show, my gratitude by respecting his countrymen for the future!" r '■; On the following afternoon we broke into a selector's house whose owner was absent, and secured about two pounds in gold and silver. This was a "boon, for it was absolutely necessary to supply ourselves with firearms, and owing to our weaponless condition we could -only "procure such things by paying for them. After a deal of .cogitation we decided *to ride boldly I into Armidale ~ and visit : a store. The ! risk: was sharp, but so was our necessity. We had not tasted food for twelve hours, and we dared not ply our usual trade without the requisite implements. Thunderbolt declared that it would be belter to enter the, city from the Uralla side, and we therefore* made in that direction. As we passed the Rocky River were were fortunate enough to find a pick and. shovel lying ! by the side of the. road., that had probably been left there by some maintenance man. Thunderbolt took the-' pick and I the | shovel, armed with which novel weapons j we soon afterwards trotted into Armidale, ; trying i hard to look like conventional diggers. In order to help along his disguise my leader slyly caused Combo to become restive, whereupon he allowed himself to bump up and . down in the saddle like a ! newchiM rider, greatly to the amusement of -the . passers-by, some of whom called [ after- and jeered at him. : We rode straight to" Richardson's store, and there pulled up. Thunderbolt got off I hi;: horse from 'the wrong side, and said aloud to me, " I don't know how I'm going to ride that beastly brute back home, Jack!" ■ - :

■■':'.' Entering the store,. he told the shopkeeper that he. wanted a gun because the native dogs were getting frightfully daring and troublesome about . his claim at the Rocky Diggings. The storekeeper showed him several guns, but Thunderbolt: artfully complained that their price was beyond him. "I can't afford more than a couple of pounds!" he declared. " • '"Then," said the 'storekeeper, " I can't fix you up. I'm afraid, unless you buy a revolver • instead, for ' the cheapest gun I have is £4 10s." ■'.-.-*" ."What-: are your revolvers?" asked Thunderbolt. . " Thirty shillings." ■~ : Thunderbolt looked at one or two, and after a: lot/ of pretended hesitation he al- N lowed the man to persuade him to buy one. With his remaining 10s he purchased ■a? supply of ammunition and some food, whereupon he got to horse aeain. and a few minutes later we were safely back in the bush. / The very • next -morning we were informed by one of Thunderbolt's many, friends, that the.authorities had decided to strain every nerve to effect our capture,/: and in that behalf had already despatched from headquarters a large body of'-' mounted troopers to reinforce the New England police. ' This bad news decided Thunderbolt to "light out'' for " fre.«h fields and pastures new." We therefore bended south, and made our way as quickly as possible to Bathurst, where we lay i for the next six weeks in close hiding, at the house of a farmer to,whom Thunderbolt' had once rendered a sigifal service. I believe he had saved the life of the man's daughter. Our sudden disappearance caused the greatest astonishment in our old haunts,, and many speculative theories were advanced to account for the phenomenon. At first the Sydney papers (with which our host regularly supplied us) declared that Thunderbolt was lying "perdu" in the Moonbi Ranges, waiting for an opportunity to perpetrate some new crime in safety; but as. time wore on and nothing fresh was heard of us they seemed to believe that he was . attempting to repeat a former experiment that he had made to settle down in some place where he was unknown and live honestly. Curiously enough this hypothesis made -my leader's critics quite venomous in. his regard, and the journals solemnly warned the police who guarded outlying and secluded districts to keep the strictest possible lookout for strangers, with a view to securing us at the earliest possible moment. Thunderbolt became so angry when he read these articles that I thought he would completely lose his head and do somehing reckless that would betray us into the hands of our hunters. He vowed that the whole world was against him; that every attempt he had. ever made to reform had only made society more surely his enemy ; "and he took a frightful oath that he would make the world repent the cruelly with which it had pursued him. I did my best to persuade him to a calmer mood, but he would not listen to me. / '■'■/.-.'.'..1 must do something or burst," he cried. "I'm off this minute. As for you, Will, if you don't care to come with me stay behind! It will be the best thing for you in the long run,!" 1 <To be ■ continued on Saturday next.) ~