A LINDSAY 0' THE DALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13596, 15 November 1907, Page 3

A LINDSAY 0' THE DALE.

';' PUBLISxIED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. ■ i. ■ i '"

00:', : . BY A. G. HALES, Author of "The Watcher on'.the.'Tower." "Priscoll. King of Scouts," " McGlusky." ' " Jair tho Apostate," etc., etc. COPYEIGirr. chapter VI. JIAVt ITWESDS, BtT ONI TRAITOR. ■ jygrECTOB Vernon got nothing out of his hunting in the mils but a lot of ridicule, and a good deal of exercise Folks began to say on all sides that the Killowen men :. "were far too clover for. him. The fame- of the gang spread far and near, T even to the big Australian cities, and quite ": a, number of young men, who knew nothing of the reasons that made our family ' turn outlaws, came up to the bush to join in the outlaw hunt. These men came partly for the sake of the danger and adventure and partly to get the reward, which had been doubled by the Government. There are no people in all tho world who like excitement and danger more than the Australians, and they arc not always as particular as they might be regardiug the way they go about providing it. .As soon as father's arm was well enough, he determined to try and wipe out all the debt he owed to Vernon. His scouts told him where the inspector was beating the bush with the black troopers and tho * Afghans; so, calling his gang together, he fed. them to the attack. Vernon at that time was camping at Erasers station, a strong building composed of rough-hewn stone. , Mr. Frazer had been one of the most active enemies the gang had had; ho oveu. went ,so far as to offer twenty pounds per head, dead or alive, for each of our people, out of his own, pocket. Ho , was a hard, bigoted sort of man, who dearly loved ; to have all things his own way, and he • had taken it into his head that ho would hound the gang to destruction. Dozens of times our people had ridden close to his homestead, and had never meddled with it; scores of times they had ridden across part of his station, and had never' touched hide or hoof, belonging to him. and yet he thirsted -tor' their blood. - His wife, on the other hand, was a dear little woman, who did all the good she could ia the district. Once, when Davie was working at the smith's forge, she had ridden up to have a loose shoe nailed on iecurelv, and Davie had heard her say to the troopers who happened to.be there, that she for one did not believe the Kilt- - iwens were half as black as they were painted, and, further, she hoped they would : make off to the coast and get safety out of the country. ..." • < It was also very well known that she disliked and distrusted Vernon. The Frazers' homestead was situated in a very strong position for defence, being built on top of a v low hill, which commanded a 4 big plain that stretched away for a milo "on all sides. Frazer often boasted that if the Killowons came ' to. his place he would shoot them down like vermin in,the open, from his ; doors-and windows. Davie : begged father not to attack Vernon fa such a stronghold, but he would not v listen to reason; he was burning to have his revenge ;on the man who had ruined his life, ami vowed that if the others hung back would go alone, ...... Basil McAllister, who was always as reckless of his life as a human being could be, backed father tip. . ' ' ■ "Let ns go and smoke this snake out of lis hole," he cried. "He is always boast- ' ing that we run as* soon as we hear of his approach; let us give him the lie for once." Mv brother Bryan was nearly as bad as .. Basil McAllister; so Davie, sorely against bis own- better judgment, consented, and . the attack was made. * It was a crisp, moonlight night as the gang rode through the salt-bush plain that ; , j "i jlkd' to 'lie'; homestcad/^aEt&'^tEe: _ fpnf wel- * mounted men kept their eyes keenly open. They Boon had good cause,to know that they were well served by their bush spies. 'they passed an old sawmill a pebble hit .father, on the He gave the signal to halt, and a man came out of his. hiding-place and told the gang to beware,, as they were riding right into tho bands of the black troopers. ...Father tossed mm a rich " reward, and rode on. A little later a boundary rider, mounted on a neat stock-horse, sprang apparently out of nowhere and gave them the same intelligence. He got a handful of money, more than he would have earned by -his work in six months. He laughed when he was told that: the gang knew of the danger, and were going to meet it. . ;'* Good luck go with you," he said, as ho turned his horse's head; "I hope you rid , us; once and for all of these.black imp-*. When you've done this night's work, Killowen, come to me, and I'll put you oh to as nice a hit of loot, as any bushranger ever Kited, for I owe old man Frazer an ill turn." He touched his stock-horse with his ' spurs, and went off like a shadow of the night. Once again they were warned. This time they were crossing the mailtrack, which was simply marked out by wheel-ruts, when Bryan's quick ears caught the sound of wheels in the distance. "It's the Goongarrie mail-coach coming," he called out. , Let's stick it up and get ' the latest papers," laughed Basil. " I don't see why we shouldn't' have the best of p everything that's going." ■ . The others being in the mood for any mischief, they dismounted, and stood smoking amidst a clump of malice -trees until the coach came bumping along. Then they ■ :'•. jumped to saddle and cantered to the '••'•coacn,. .. . ■ • ■ # V " Bail up, Jimmy V cried Basil, who knew the mail-ariver very well. "Bail up, or *'e'J] snoot yoa off your perch!" ' , ■ • ( *- The driver evidently did not want to be at ' target fox rifle or pistol practice, for he gave a double-handed pull at his reins, and applied the brake with bis foot, and soon had the coach at a stands-till. "No one aboard to-night, gentlemen," he shouted ; " nothing but, a few parcehi , and the Royal mails. ■• u "All right, Jimmy," laughed Basil; "pitch down the mail-bags, and then climb down and tell us all the news." ■=-: This was soon done, and the mail-driver, who was a comical sort of fellow, soon bad the gang laughing, as.ho told of the doings of the folk in the different townships ho had driven through. Ho added, in a lower tone, a little later:" "Do you fellows know that Vernon and his blacks are now at Frazers, and that you are precious close to th *i place?'' Thev told hinji that they knew all ah.jut it, and were going to smoke Vernon out. . "Now, look here, Jimmy,' san father, "I'm ■ going to shoot one of your horses *o ■ that the coach can't go- on very fast; and ■ Wind you dou't say anvthing about our raid on Frazer's homestead when you get to your journey's end, or you will have a bad 4 time when we meet again." "Right you are, captain," ■ grinned Jufimy. "1 get my wages for driving coaches, not for meddling with bushrangers,.' and I'm -.not fool enough to put my fingers into your pie. I drive the coach, you stick it up. I report the sticking up; hut what you do, or where you go after— that is none of my business. V ' The gang took what they wanted • from the mail-bags, and then rode on until they came to Frazer' shearing' sh-.d-;, whore •hey dismounted and secured their horses. ■,': Then,, rifle in hand, they made for the big r ■■ Btone house on the hill; but the barking °f the dogs, of which there was a considerable number, warned those inside of dan- '.' ger.- ..-,.'• -.The front door was thrown open, and Mr. / grazer stood in the full glare of the light • from the hall; he had a rifle in his hand, , stood peering about him. %.» 'The fool, * whispered father; " if it was his life I wanted, I could have it now easily plough." , t , "The gang did not fire at Mr. Frazer, but '-, - continued to advance quickly. He saw , * n «ui, and at once sprang out on the verani «ah,and opened fire. At that, Basil Mc.Alhster made a snap-shot as he ran, and • H v*' razer fell with a bad bullet-wound in* _u i ribs. > : Vernon sprang out of the door, SLlL^t B^ B '^ti of ' him father ■, gave a ■ savage llfi lSi*2~' loosed \ a bullet, which we learned * wT*^ 8 smashed Vernon's right thumb. .WPector"did not wait for any more, aisfie:i;.:'!"r.v." !: ::.:••'■■ ~■,.'■■;•" , :■"'■ ' .■■'."■,'•.

' but dived at once back into the house. But Mrs. Frazer rushed out, and, kneeing down by her husband, began to dress his wound, and she never once left him, even when the bullets wero whistling about very freely for she was a. brave little woman. Vernon had his whole herd of black troopers with him, and they fired '. from i ™ e windows, and from every other kind of loop-hole, but they would not como out in the open and fight, though the odds wore greatly in their favour. Our gang had taken cover close to the house * other was behind a tree, not more than nfty yards from tho front door. Basil and Bryan were behind the dairy, which commanded the front and lett wing: whilst. Davie was hidden by a summerhouse, built of thick timber, on the rixht wing. ° The blacks wore very poor shots, and their courage was not of a very high order, though they could bo monsters of cruelty when they had helpless people to deal with. c Vernon took the greatest possible care of himself, never showing his white face even to get a shot at his enemies, though father .jeered him, calling him all kinds of a coward, and asking him to coma out and settle the old grievance man to man. , "If you have any heart at all in your cowardly body, Vernon, como out and moot me, rifle -to rifle, or pistol to pistol; 1 will send my men away if vou will fight;" but no answer came but Vernon's mocking laughter. Basil McAllister, who was with Bryan, was fighting as if it were merely a picnic, and not a, life-and-death struggle. He smoked an old wooden pipe nearly all the time he fought, and got rid of many a witty quip and jest, for nothing on earth could make him serious for any length of time. Finding . that the blacks were too cautions, and Vernon too cowardly to take any fighting chances, Basil hit upon a plan to draw them, so that Bryan, could get a shot at one or two. Standing at the back of tho dairy, out of sight of his foes, the wild fellow stripped himself nudo, and pulling up enough bush for his purpose, he stuffed his clothing until ho had an effigy. What on earth are you after now?" demanded Bryan. " You stand by your corner and watch the windows of the house with all your eyes, and when you see the whites of a nigger's eyes, shoot, and shoot quick. I mean to fool ' Vernon's crowd." * Bryan, who know that thero was always a lot of method in his comrade's seeming madness, stood watchful, his fingers on the trigger of his weapon. Father used to say that he believed Bryan was the quickest snap-shot that ever lifted a gun. Even as a child he was lightninglike in his movements with a weapon. 'Basil McAllister pushed the shoulder of his dummy and one leg out from shelter of the daily wall, holding the figure upright like that of a man going to shoot. In a second a black head appeared at a window, and a rifle-barrel was thrust out ; but before the black could aim, Bryan had fired, and the trooper fell forward, his head resting on the window-frame. "One!" cried Basil, as he pulled his dummy back out of sight. " 1 11 try another dodge in a minute; no use trying the same thing over and over again." "I wish Vernon would show himself," was all Bryan answered; for, like father, he lived for revenge on. that evil man. A little later Basil laid his dummy down on the ground, and kneeling down, began to push it slowly along. It looked for all the world like a man wriggling himself through the salt-bush, and a black head made its appearance for an instant above the edge of a window-sill. Only for an instant, but Bryan was waiting; he who never missed a hare on the run, or- a kangaroo or wallaby on the hop, was not likely to miss such a mark as that when he was waiting for it. He did not miss. Basil tried fifty more ruses with his dummy after'that, but the blacks had had enough ot the dairy, and would not show so much as an eyelash. " I'm getting eaten up by mosquitoes," said Basil, with his wayward laugh. No use trying to fool those darkies any more. They won't bile at my bait, so I'll dress." ;< ."''"'-..''(To be'-continued dally). ' ~.