A LINDSAY 0' THE DALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13603, 23 November 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

A LINDSAY 0' THE DALE.

BY A. G. HALES, Author of "The Watcher on the Tower," " Driscoll, Kins of Scouts," " MoGlusky," "Jair the Apostate." etc., etc. COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER IX.—(Continued;) Davie gave a glad cry when he saw his horse, and the big beast nuzzled its nose into the bosom of his shirt when he ran over to it and caressed its glossy neck. All the outlaws crowded round Basil to hear the tale he had to tell. They shouted with glee like so many schoolboys as he went through his performance again, with eyeglass and gloves, lisping and drawling, and lounging about for their benefit. " This story will travel all over Aus- ; tralia," cried Bryan. "It will be told in ! every shearing shed, and at every campfire, and in every drinking shanty, from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Southern Sea and wherever it is told Vernon will be a laughing-stock. The newspapers willget hold of it and ridicule him. Oh ! but it is grand. He will never hoar the last of it this side of the grave." And at that Basil was content. The gang almost at once shifted their quarters, for they knew that Vernon's hate would not slumber. . Right away back into an almost impenetrable wilderness of mountains they went, covering their tracks with infinite care and skill as they moved, until they came to a shallow stream that ran over a rocky bed from a higher range of moutfbains beyond. There had been many storm rains higher up, which had carried down vast quantities of reddish earth, and this made the stream thick. When Davie saw this he laughed, and at once headed Honey ball into it.

"We can,. ride in here, lads," he cried, "and • ten. minutes after we have passed on the mud that the water is bringing down will fill un our tracks, so that mi man, either black or white, will be able to tell that we have been here."

So they rode, two abreast, into the stream, and the water reached up just to their horses' knees. It was slow work splashing along in that fashion, but it was absolutely safe: for though tho trackers might trail them to the water edge, no man living could tell if they went up-stream or down. On and on they splashed, and at sundown the men wanted to-pull out of the strean and camp for the night, but Davie would not hear of it. ... ' '

" I'm not going to be beaten in bushcraft by Vernon,' he cried, "so keep on. If we camp here we shall be tracked as sure as fate; for I know just what Vernon will do when he comes to the spot where we took to the water. He will camp there, and send a man on each side of the bank down, the stream, and one on sach side up-stream; and they will travel a full day both ways, thinking we are sure to camp. We must sse our brains and do the thing that our esusmies will not credit us with' doing- So push on, boys." The men £ -ambled, but went on until about midnight, when, after whispering among feuast'veß, one of them called out« Look here, captain., we ore an full up with this game; wo are going to camp and have supper." The fellows polled up their horses. Davie expostulated with them, but to no purpose; they were utterly unused to discipline, and would not be controlledAt this juncture Basil McAllister, who was riding amongst the men, called out: — "Give your orders; don't argue with these fellows, Captain Killowen!" . As he spoke he dropped niß reins and drew two pistols, and held them ready for use. Bryan immediately did the same; and one of tfee men, the fellow they always called "the boundary rider," etood loyal to the iejder. "March!" cried Darvle, 4 *and no more growling. This thing is for your good, but you fools can't see it. If you had not someone to think for you, Vernon would have you in less than a month." > Overawed by the resolute attitude of Davie and his comrades, the rest gave in,' sullenly enough, and kept on the march all night. ' At dawn they made another protest, but he kept them moving until nearly noon, nor would he' have stopped then only the ' horses were completely knocked up. Then each horse was landed with care, and the camp was made. After that Davie felt pretty sure that he had given Vernon and his pack a hard task to find his trail. In the end," ho said to Bryan, "they will surely pick up our tracks; for nothing can tread the earth that those blacks cannot find sooner or later; but by that time we may be ready to move out of here." The gang had taken sufficient food supplies with them on pack-horses to last them for some time, and they kept quiet, hoping to make Vernon imagine that they had flitted right away. Every now and again Basil and Bryan, who were nearly inseparable, slipped across the mountains, and, working round, came to our home to see us; and during those stolen visits I saw a great deal of brother Bryan's comrade, for Bryan was always with Mary McAllister or with Kenneth. His love for Kenneth was just as strong as it had always been. As for our " song-bird boy," ho just idolised his outlaw brother, and thought him a hero; and Banny Mary McAllister though very much the same thing. Our dear mother had lost all-her good looks. She had: grown thin and gaunt and grey; a wild, weird, witchlike figure of a woman, with fierce eyes that burnt like coals of flame in her haggard face. All the sweet tenderness had gone out of her nature. Wlieu Bryan came to her, she put her thin hands upon his shoulders, and held him away from her, and looked long into his face. " Ye ha' come a-wooing, Bryan Killowen," she said harshly; "ha* ye forgot that the man who killed your father still lives?" ■. . . .;,.; "I have not forgotten it, mother, no answered, his voice low and stern. "Dinna forget, dinna forget, laddie; for wee! ye ken hoo yer fattier, loved, ye, and his blood cries from the sun-baked groon for vengeance." " ,

If it is your wish, mother, Til ride into Vernon's camp and shoot him in the oiidfst of his men," was the fierce retort. , Mother threw her long, grey, elf-like locks back over her shoulder with a quick movement of one bony hand, and looked past Bryan, an if she were looking at something that none of us could see. Bid me go, mother," repeated Bryan, in that low voice that to me always seemed so terrible, "and Vernon shall not live another forty hours." Basil McAlister pushed himself close to Bryan's side. "Say the word, Mrs. Killowen," cried he, "and Vernon's cup shall fill and overflow before two more suns shall set." Mother turned her blazing eyes upon him. "Ay," she cried, in her quaint Scots dialect, which seemed ever on her tongue now, " ay, I ken ye fine, Basil McAllister, strong han' an' true heart. ' Bryan's voice broke in again, low and distinct, " Shall I go, mother?" "Na, na, laddie ; bide y'r time, bide y'r time," " She walked away and sat by father's grave at the foot of the gum-tree she nearly always sat there brooding over her wrongs. Ken used to go and sit at her feet, his head against her knees, whilst he sang old Scots ballads full of war and wild doings. She would not let him sing the sweet old love-songs, or the hymns that she had' prized so much in happier days, for she said that her heart had dried up, and I think it had. *' It was Basil McAllister who comforted me in those days, and yet he filled my heart with pain, for I knew that life must be short for him, so handsome, so gallant, so careless. Again and again those two came to see as, but Davie never came. He was captain of the gang, and he would not leave his men. One day, whilst Bryan and Basil were away, the gang mutinied, and leaving Davie and the boundary rider, they wont upon a foray on their own account. First of all they rode through, the mountains, following the river along which Davie had made them wade their horses when baffling Vernon. They came to a small settlement at last, and went straight to the drinking shanty and began a wild carouse. They gambled ' heavily amongst them-. selves, or with any of the settlers, and then they drank the vile, raw rum that was sold in such places. • None of the Killowens had been drinking men, and it was owing to this fact that they had never been trapped by the police. Almost without exception, outlaws gave way to wild fits of intemperance, and it was the drinking habit that led to their capture in nine cases out of ten. • '■"". ..

.When they became more or less drunken, they gambled madly, and < lost all their money; then they became violent* and illused the folk in the settlement. ; After that they surprised faro police troopers in their bush camp, and killed one. The other, who was unarmed, surrendered at once, and him they brutally maltreated. Finally, fchey rode off and attacked a party of diggers who were prospecting for gold._ They behaved hi a most cowardly and inhuman fashion.to those rough, but honest, fellows, and were busy plundering their tents when a body of well-armed settlers, with a few gold-diggers, came upon them, and at once attacked the outlaws, A fierce fight" followed, but the robbers were either shot down or captured, and the news was soon ringing through the countryside tho* at last the Killowen gang had been broken up. ..,.-... • One of Davie's many spies brought the. news to our home at the very moment when Basil and Bryan were bidding us farewell after one of their visits. Bryan took Mary McAllister in his arms arid kissed her, saying, "I must ride far and fast, lassie, for brother Davie is in some sort of trouble but I don't think he 'is killed,' and .I'm certain he has not been. taken." , As for Basil, he drew me aside and— But why should, I tell of the words he whispered in my ears, or of the kisses he pressed on my lips, for my wooing was done within the shadow of death, and I had to take the honey mixed with the gall. Kenneth was wild to ride away with Basil and Bryan; but one bade him stay and take care of his grey-haired mother, and one bade him stay and guard his sister Kate. ' "'; ; •. /■ '. U

So the boy stood at the slip-panel j arid «iw the two'ride ' away. "When, they were out eight, he went and eat near mother's knee by father's grave, and for hours -we beard him singing wild, warlike songs of his own composing—-for Kenneth had the gift that the ancient Scottish harpers had of composing rhymes about things that took his fancy.. < The pair of sworn comrades rode hard to their old lair in the mountains, and much to their joy found Davie and the boundary rider safe and sound, but much perturbed on account of the mutiny. / "We must up and away out of this," said Davie when he beard the news. "I knew that those fellows would not go far before they got trouble. They wen*, all too fond of liquor, and they had no brains worth talking about. -i The man who wants to avoid the police in the. bush must know how to keep sober, and know, also, how to think carefully and quickly. " Have you any plan, Davie 7" queried Bryan. ; ■ : ' f ' , ■ ■/: "Yes,*' said Davie, "I have. The boundary rider and I have been planning whilst yon have been riding. Do you fellows remember the mob of thoroughbred horses on Moombah Station?" " Yes," was the eager reply. . '' " Well, why not make a lightning raid on Moombah and, lift the. lot? The two ex-army officers who own Moombah, were with the police the day father was shot. They have hunted us, so they can't complain if we loot from them. 6 -"We can get the horses, Davie, but what are we to do' with them when we've got them?" demanded Bryan. • "11l tell you," answered " Davie, in his quiet way. "You know the man who has always bought the gold we have loot* ed." ... ~. //• .; ~ ~, / .; :;:/■;> . : i ."Thompson, the cattle dealer," Cried Basil ;'"a pretty cool chap, and a fellow who breaks the law for the love of lawbreaking." . That's the man." "Well, Davie, what of him?" ■ " He owed father a good turn, and he once said to me, 'Dave Killowen, if it had not been for your father I should not be a free man to-day. So if you ever want to get out of this country, come to me and I'll get you out.' I am a careful man ; and I take no one on trust, so I made inquiries; and Thompson is all right as far as we are concerned. He is working partner in a ; concern." "What sort of concern, Davie?" "Well, cattle buying and gold buying is only a part of it. They have a ship or two trading between San . Francisco and Australia, and if a ioket-cf-leave man wants to get out of this country, and is rich enough to pay their prices, they, run the risk and get him away to America,, and he can then go pretty well where he wants to. They smuggle goods into this country, and they smuggle convicts and stolen gold out of it and do a lot of other shady things beside." "What part does Thompson play in your plan, Davie?" " We will collar the Moombah thoroughbreds, and two of us will run them with all speed to Port Victor, in South Australia. The boundary rider knows the way to the port. And two will remain to stick up a bank or two, and a few mail-coaches, to keep the police busy whilst the drovers take the horses on. I'll arrange with Thompson to get the horses ■ on board; they will fetch • tremendous prices on the Pacific slope, for California is just now alive with men who have money to throw away. And when once we are there, we can push on into the interior of America and make a new home for ourselves, and those we love; we can take new names, and begin life afresh." "Have you forgotten mother, Ken, and sister Kate?" demanded Bryan. I I'm not likely to forget them, Bryan. We have plenty of money, and. I can easily fix it with a reliable man to get them away from here. Hundreds of, others have done it, why shouldn't we?" "I'll never leave Australia whilst Vernon is on top of the ground," was Bryan's grim retort. " My father's blood is not paid for yet. He would have been alive this moment if it had not been for that Hmb of the devil our family would have been happy and honoured if it had not been for bis evil work. I'll not quit Australia, Dave Killowen, until the debt has been , paid to the uttermost farthing. I will have eye for an eye, a life for a life.", And so will I, Bryan," was Davie's slow, quiet answer. '.'.Vernon must pay. the debt his.villainy contracted * he must pay for our father's blood and for our

mother's ruined, life. And what is more* brother Bryan, our' mother would never leave, this land, with, us; or without..tttv until Vernon's punishment is : complete.' After that there was no more to be said. They broke up the camp and rode down' *' the mountain, much as they had previously ridden up; and on the ■ way' they saw Vernon and his pack, with ,a posBQ. :ot, white troopers and volunteers, going up to hunt, them. Cleverly they ' gave, the police the Blip, and then hurried on with their plans.'. "'/■'•*."'"' The owners of Moombah Station had gone with , the volunteers, and the thoroughbred stock / were in charge of a couple of fellows at an out-station. Both of these men were well known to Davie, and a bribe not only made them willing to throw no impediment in the way of the outlaws, but caused them to help round up the very best of the stock, and a beautiful lot they were. .., There was one mare amongst the lot—*, a thoroughbred Timor pony mare,' that had been imported for breeding purposes —-and the boundary rider, who had all a buEhman's love for a clever-looking horse, was crazy to take her, so they let him have his way. The four of them drove the horses for nearly a week in the direction they had to take to reach the almost unknown portj and at the expiration of .that time Davie said: .-'■ ; ' ■ "'' ; .'" J '■'""" "Now, boys, I'll leave you here and go back to make arrangements, for it will; take you a couple of months to get to Port Victor." But Bryan would not hear of it. "You go on with the horses, Davie, and let me do what must be done;" both men were thinking of Vernon, .but, neither mention-, ed his name. ■'..■ , ,•: "Two go, two stay behind; that' waa the arrangement," put in Basil McAllisy, ter. "I remain with the man who• stays behind, because the boundary rider is the only man who knows the track to Port Victor so, Davie and Bryan, spin a coin for it, and let fate decide." ....... : ;-^-. So Davie and Bryan tossed a'shilling- ! into the air, and Davie won; and It was decided that Davie and Basil McAllister should stay behind,.... whilst , Bryan and, the boundary rider pushed on with the horses. Scarcely had ' the drovers ■ got • upon their way ere the other pack struok across country, riding for five-and-thirty miles at a _ fine, pace. Tame Hawk, though not quite a& good as Honeyball, was still a superb horse, a galloper and a stayer. ■ t Picking up a couple of ' Bwagsmefi oft' the track, just before they got to their destination, they v told the fellows they.' were bushranging, and asked them if theycared to join in one flutter for a fortune, and both agreed willingly. This the outlaws did in order *hat the police might not knotfif that they had {.plifa up the gang. Basil, going on v ahead, stuck up one of the small out-stations, used by the mail-coaches for stabling change-horses, and hero he obtained a couple of riding-hacks and saddles foe the two now allies. !■ v » ■ * ••" d

There was a very large mine in the vicinity, and Davie know the. men on it were paid once a month, and that the next day was pay day. His Intelligence Dcpartonerit was almost perfect; no one came into, or left, the district without news being quickly brought to him. You «ee/.he-paid most liberally for information, never divulged th* source of it to anyone, and always kept his promises to confederates. That, combined v with the fact that he always helped' poor _ , men when he met them, and never did wanton mischief, caused lots of folk to be. , only too ready to bring him news. On the mine in question there was a spy in .pay, who had tent ; him word,that* nob only was the. month's wages coming: to, the mine at this particular time, buta large sum in addition with which the company intended to buy out some of the smaller leases, adjoining them. ~ ~ „ -, "-'.*. . « The big company was very wealthy, and its officials brought unjust pressure to bear upon the small leaseholders to compel them to sell out. "They had, in fact, robbed-the smaller men of their water and otiier rights, ,but had done nothing that the poorer, folk could prosecute them for,, with any hope of winning the j suit.- • ~..•. . * ■._• >..' i -.a : ;hwkj-, ■./,■ - Davie* made up his mind to give the "com* ' pany a stern' lesson. -i Choosing his time, h» / and Basil /McAllister arid 'the two swags-, :; : men cantered easily no .to; the main office, and, dismounting, walked boldly in. , •:,;, Basil covered the clerks in the t outer office . with his pistols, remarking,. in ■his gay. . s fashion, "Now, gentlemen, no nonsense please, hands up ! We ; don't want to !. spill any blood, but if you force us to shoot you'll regret ~,. ..,, . ~..,;...., ,-,j ~,.,' v >,,'. „„;.«• The clerks eat on their chairs with, hands over their heads, and Basil joked with thci» ' as ho toyed witfli his weapons. - ', ■ .' Davie strode straight into the.manager's:/ !private room, where /found that gentleman busy counting a great pileof notes and gold in the presence of two city men—who were directors of the mine-r-whq had, coipifc ■; ; up to see the purchase of the, small leases • carried through. One of them was £ : 'lasjr yer, a sharp, shrewd-looking man, with a pitiless face. • "■:■:■ -.■' '', " Bail up! and be quick about it," was all. Davie , said? but his pistols looked a&. if they couM be very eloquent.' . >/•. ' . this? what's this?" cried, lawyer. ', , ■' •' ' •' ■ "Well," answered Davie, "it looks to mo very mxtoV as if you were being stuck up. Put that money in the big canvas 'bag on your right hand, and be smart," he con- / tinued. ', -.. The mine manager, who knew sdmetlbins . about bushrangers by practical experience, commenced to obey the order, when the lawyer interposed, crying: "This is robbery; barefaced robbery. 1 am a lawyer, and Ibid you beware." - " Oh, you are a lawyer,' are you?" chuckled ;///, Davie; "Well, we are two of a trade, yon and I. Only I rob" with a pistol, you rob with a pen. Now' stand back, or ITI teach, you a little bush law." / ' ' '' 'As he spoke, Davie pointed a pistol-at* // the legal man, who very quickly subsided. Whilst this was going on the two swags'men were patrolling Up and down outside the office, keeping an eye upon the horses. Some of the surface bands on the mine, , stopped to admire the . fine animals, out; none of them suspected what was going ', on inside the office; and if they had done ' so it is not probable that they would have interfered, for the company was a hard,, taskmaster, 'arid had only just reduced .the men's wages to a bare living' point. v ' As soon as the outlaws had collected allthe money on the premises, they got tctsad*. \ die, and Basil said banteringly to the firm's lawyer: • ~ •

"Good-bye, sir; beautiful weather- for riding. Kindly send our regards to Inspector Vernon. '< Tell him that the Killowens; are very anxious to meet; him and, for heaven's sake, bid him be careful of ■■ his precious health, for we have heard that lie is suffering, as our American' cousins aayy 'from cold feet.'" .■.;*'-'';■••-• Then they rode off. As soon as they had got to a convenient spot in the bush,' Davie called a halt and divided' the tpoil, giving the two swagsmen their share. • •" "We part here," said he; "you go your way, my friends, and we go ours. But if you will be advised by me, you will quit this part of the country at once, anu lead honest lives in future. If you follow bushranging, you will be shot or hanged in. the long run, as sure as fate. You have more money now than you ever hoped to have, in. all your lives. Clear out with it before anyone suspects you." , -/•;;: The two fellow* grinned and rode off, glad to get away. , As they went, Basil called out, "You fellows had better shoot thos* horses at some convenient spot, and. bum the saddles, for they all have the mailcoaoh company's brand upon them; then walk as you were walking when we met you. The police . will be after as; theywon't be looking for swagsmen on foot. ? The noted outlaws next busied themselves distributing a goodly portion of the plunder where they thought it would do good, and at the same time, make them firm friends and allies. ..„■.'-<•■ "vA'yojing widow with two children, whose husband 'bad been killed by a falling tree, they helped substantially by leaving a pareel of money 'on her table after. thev had eaten a meat in her house. This they d'd out of the kindness of their'hearts, and tfiero well repaid in the days to come, for sue had five brothers who were drovers on various cattle-tracks, and when they heard v of the outlaws'' generosity'' to ■' their:, widowed; ' .- 3j sister, they each and all swore to repay tho debt of kindness when opportunity cfee^j|e*(To bo continued daily)* i J