A LINDSAY 0' THE DALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13604, 25 November 1907, Page 3

A LINDSAY 0' THE DALE.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

' 'BY A. G. HALES, jt Author of "The Watcher on the •Tower," ' Dnscoll, King 0 Scouts." " McGlnsky," " Jair the Apostate." etc., /etc. ; COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER XX; / DAVIE VENDETTA WITH VERNON. Naturally, tho doings of Davie and Basil McAllister mado a great stir'in the country. The raid on the Moombah breeding stud also made a big noise, but so cleverly had tho thing been worked, that Vernon and tho owners of Moombah came to the conclusion that tho Killowens had no hand in tho looting of the horses.

So they allowed tho looting of Moombah to remain as one of tho things that might easily be attended to later, and they concentrated tho whole of/their energies on tho task of capturing the Killowens. At about this time another gang broke loose—a terrible lot of ruffians, who had escaped from a. chain-gang. They were not bushmen, and apparently know that ib would not bo long before they would bo run down; and as they all had halters around their necks, they had apparently mado up their minds to commit as many crimes as possible befoie it camo to theirturn to die.

They robbed and ill-treated all with whom they came in contact, rich and poor,. men and women alike, and did not seniplo to murder on tho faintest provocation. This gang sent a message to Davie asking him to become their leader; but he sent them word that, ho would have neither part uor lot with them.

Ho saw thQfcirttlo dealer who was connected with the shipping firm, and arranged with" him to have a vessel in Port-Victor at a certain time, to pick up tho horses and -tho whole of the Killowen gang, and all the loot,they had accumulated.

Then Davie called with Basil McAllister at our old home and saw us, and laid his schemes before us. His plan was very simple. Tho man Thompson was already paid to get us out of the country as soon as tho hue aid cry for the Killowens had settled down a bit.

Mother diSt not want to go. Pointing to the grave at the foot of tho gum-tree, she cried, ".Ma heart is in the groon, laddie; let me bide hero. As for ye, who are young an' blithe, gang awa," gang awa; diuna fash yersel' about me • a'am a withered leaf—let me bide by the broken bough." But Davie held fast to his purpose. " Give me your promise, mother, or I'll stay here to the bitter end."

She relented then, for Davie always influenced her when no one else could. "When Vernon has paid his debt, paid it in full, a' will do yer bidding, Davie laddie."

"He shall pay it, good measure, mother, heaped up and running over. You shall hay© justice ere I go." He kissed her grey old face lovingly, and left her to go and see Mary McAllister, not knowing of" the love that, existed between, Bonuy Mary and his brother Bryan. He met her at our slip-panel, for she knew that her brother Basil was with us, and had come to see him. .

lean see Davie now as I saw him that day, walking beside the dainty bush lassie. A tall, slenderly made young-man, who carried himself like a king. He told her of the plans that had been made, and then he added (ehe told me of it all when ho had ridden away)— "Mary, if mother and my sweet sister Kato go away aero?;; the sea, will you go with them'/" U J , ■ 'And she answered readily enough, foi ;he was thinking of-Bryan—

"Yes, Daviel win go where they go and share what they share." " Thank 'you for 'those words," he had made answer; "for, .Mary, I want you to bo my wife, if -we ever "reach a place of safety." ,v" ..no, no, no! You must not say such words to me," the- girl had cried m ;stKklen terror, "Davie, it cannot be; it 'cannot be."

"And -why not, lassie?" lie had asked her. <

"Because I have given my heart to your brother : Bryan," the girl had cried "out. "Oh, Davie, I thought you knew; I thought everyone who had seen me with him must have known. I love him with all my heart and soul." ' For .1 few moments he stood there beside the sobbing girl, staking her hair kindly with hia hand, and when he spoko it was in the gentle voice that he had used when a boy, when speaking to his mother. " If you love brother Bryan, lass, you love the finest man in all this. land ; and now forget what I said to you, for the past is dead."' ./....-. Ho touched her hair once more with his hand and left her; and as he tossed the .saddle on Uoncyball's back, I saw that his face was jus white as death.

He saw me watching him, and beckoned me to his side.

"Sister Kate," said he, "I am going to find Vernoon, and make him pay tho debt lib owes our family. -You must .jet Jksil McAllister to ride"-away, so that he may join Bryan at Port Victor." " You are going on a. mad errand, Dime," I whispered, with my arms, around his neck. He smiled at me*in his old way. "I'll not lie to you, sister Kate,'' paid be. "I am going to ride old; Honoybail right into the police-camp, and I am gong to execute justice on the man who has wrecked our family. Tt. shall never be said, in tho days to" come, that I played tho part of ,i cowardly assassin and shot the ni.ui from 'ambush. <■ I will beard him in the midst of his men, and loose, my gun upon him. But it is a one-man job, little sister, so coax that madcap lover of yours to ride off and wait for me at Green's Gap— is' sixty miles from here on the track that I must take to reach Port Victor. If I do not meet him there within five days he will know that it is all up with me;" if I succeed, we will meet and ride away together."

I had cruel hard work to coax my daredevil sweetheart to do Davie's bidding; because ho wanted to ride bridle to bridle with his comrade into the police camp, and fight it out with his enemy. But I played a. woman's part, toiling him be had no love for me, since he must needs risk his own life, and, double the risk for brother, Davie, by going with him.

So, with a bad grace, he consented at last, and agreed to Davie's plat). "I'll meet you at Green's Gap next Friday, Dave," cried he. "This .is Tuesday, and five days from now we meet; or else I ride back to settle accounts with Vernon. For if you arc not at the meeting-place I shall know that he has killed you, instead of you . killing' him."-' • ','..•

"Start, at once, Basil, so that jour horse may have a good rest, arid be fresh ;■ for good as Tame Hawk is, he is not;the equal of old Honeyball,;.'and if I win my way to join you in safety the whole police force will be hot upon my track, and. we. will have .a gallop- front of us such, as few men have ever had to face. The whole, country is alive just now with bands of police-troopers, and they fro certain to , have a system-of signalling, pretty nearly perfect .by this time." ,

So it came about that I once more bade my lover and my brother farewell, and they cantered off together as far as the Black Ranges, where their paths diverged, Basil going slowly and easily towards Green's Gap, Davie winding in and out among the wooded hills like a wild dog. He was picking up information,concerning Vernon from his scouts. Here it was a lonely swagsman, plodding along from one cattle station to another . that gave him a hint of his enemy's whereabouts'; again it was a party of men who were dam sinking, or a stockman seeking lost cattle. Everyone loathed Vernoo, J/j& all gladly helped tho outlaw, lis marvel bow a man who was so thofßMrTl e teste d as Vernon was could have ■Jm so long amidst reckless men, few of wiiom. cared: much for their own lives; for those who were not of the criminal class were nearly all hopeless, desperate fellows, who had left the old world in despair, having cut themselves off from kith and kin for ever.

Vernon was. on the wiiig with a big body of meji, all well armed and well mounted, for he was seeking

to find the new haunt ho fancied' the -•: Killowens. had made for themselves. He was getting an elderly man now, but was remarkably active and wiry, and his bitter hate of all our family put new youth into him. '-'•<-*' *' »- >• - Davie followed his foo with infinite patience and .skill, so that he had no suspicion of the vengeance that dogged his footsteps. At last, just as a warm day was drawing to a, close; the outlaw stood on the top of a wooded height, his bridlerem over his. arm, and looked down into the hollow where Vernon had pitched his camp. '.. '. ;•■■', ~: : , ,■ :- ■ " We've run tho fox to earth at last, old boy," he whispered, as he slid his hand along the massive, muscular neck of his horse.: "and if I win through, there will bo plenty of galloping for you tomorrow." ;. ~ lie noted how tho police-sentries were posted, and them, slipping the saddle from his horse, led him to a little pool to drink. Then ho took from the saddle the ration of oats, bran, and chaff he had carried for just such a night as this, and watched the big horse eat his fill. - Then he crept down as near the sentry lino as he dared, and examined the policecamp in the starlight, so that he might know how to act in the morning. Once he saw Vernon standing by a •camp-fire talking to some volunteers. He could have covered him with his carbine and settled accounts with him there and then ; but he wanted to leave a name behind him in the bush that none could '.sneer at. He did not want his enemies to say that ho had killed las family's foe from an ambush. Having looked his fill, he went away as soft of foot as any rock wallaby, and making Honeyball lio down in the grass, he Hung himself on the ground with tho bridle-rein over his arm, and slept as only bushmen can sleep, with his saddle for a pillow arid the sky for a roof. Barely had tho dawn broken ere he was up, and having fed his horse and watered the splendid creature at tho pool, ho ate his own frugal meal, and then, with grim, set face, he led his horse down the hill towards the police-camp, for he had seen all the sentries draw in for tho morning meal. Keeping well within tho shelter of the trees, he approached to within a hundred yards of his foe, and waited until ho saw Vernon rise from his -breakfast and stand in the centre of his camp giving orders to his men. Then Davie Killowen, the descendant of the old, wild, Scots Border raiders, sprang boldly into his saddle, gripped the reins "in his" strong left hand, his revolver in his right, and touching Honeyball with the spurs, swept like, a thunderbolt across the open space towards the man whose hands were red with his father's blood.

AH. in the camp heard the thunder of the onrushing hoofs, for tho rocky ground rang to the strokes of the iron shoes. Men stood at gaze, as deer will stand when startled.

They saw a horseman bursting on them at whirlwind • pace from the shelter of the trees—a horseman who stood bolt up : right, in the stirrups, gripping the flanks of his horse with the calves of his long, muscular legs. They saw him and know him, and a wild cry broke from many lips both black and white. They thought that he camo leading a gang of outlaws, for no man dreamed that even a Killowen would, of his own free will, face such desperate odds. There was a wiid scramble for arms amongst the white men, a frantic rush or the bush by the blacks. ' Like a streak of flame tho yellow-bay horse- dashed in amongst them. Vernon, dazed with sudden terror, stood with his pipe in his hand, unable to move, until Davie, sitting back suddenly, hurled Honeyball on to his haunches with a terrific twist of his bridle-arm.

Then, in sheer desperation, Vernon ' drew his weapon, but before he could touch the trigger, the outlaw had tired, and .Vernon, the wrecker of many a home, reeled -and pressed the palm of, his left hand to his breast. Again.Davie's pistol bit like a whip-crack on the chill morning air, and Vernon, with a moan of agony, sank to the earth with two crimson streams dyeing the front of his shirt. Davie gave him just one-.lightning-like glance, and then, loosing his iron grip on the. reins, he plunged the spurs home in the thoroughbred's Hanks. "beast launched forward, the outlaw bis body 'at f almost full length along the broad back, of his steed, his face resting amid the hair' of the flowing mane, his lithe body scarce discernible above the level of the saddle, and as, he had come so he wont. So ciuicklv had it all happened that the men had no time to think. A wild, spattering volley followed the great horse and bold rider, as the pair shot into the- cover of the forest; and then everyone rushed to the spot where Vernon lav writhing on the ground. The blacks crept back from the scrub, and began to collect the horses. that had been hobbled out on'the. grass overnight to feed. And soon, one was.riding at.frantic. pace, to bring a.doctor, in the hope of saving Vernon's life; though none who'looked at him would have-changed places with him, and taken his chance of life, for all the gold that ever came out of the hidden places of the earth. Gently they gathered him up and undressed him," placing him in a rude bed made of piled-up blankets; whilst he looked with wide-open eyes at something they could, not see, for his feet were very near the borderlino that divides life from dead. Then the police officer who was next to Vernon in rank bent over him and asked if he had any orders. * Vernon made a great effort, and caught hold of his wandering; faculties. " Get—the —men —together and—pursue Dave Killoto—the death," he gasped; and then ho fainted away. The officer left two men to look after Vernon until the doctor arrived, and then he set about, the; pursuit in a systematic fashion. Gallopers; wcro -sent.off to warn all the head centres of police camps hi the district; and they, in turn, sent the news living iu all directions, so that Davie was inside a great cordon of watchful men. Having done this* tho police officer took all tho rest of the men at his disposal, and gave the order to gallop on the outlaw's tracks. "Wo will ride our horses to a standstill, if need be; and- I have a Government order in my pocket which will empower me to demand fresh horses from any station wo may come to during the pursuit; or from any'township or mail-coach depot. Dave Kiflowen has a great horse under him ; but if we stick to our task wo must run him down for no horse that was over foaled can keep on the move night and day, and night and day he will have to move this time." ' This was the very danger that wise Davie had foreseen when he bade me coax Basil 1 McAllister to ride on ahead and await him I at Green's Gap. . . He had foreseen that if Vernon were «hofc down the police would make a tremendous effort'to catch the man who did it. Fresh troopers on fresh horses would take up the hunt where tho worn-out men and horses failed. . Straight as a bee flics to a hive he rode to meet Basil, using nil his bush lore as lie rode. Never Hurrying the yellow-bay yet never wasting an ounce of his speed or stamina; yet never pausing a moment longer than he could help anywhere. ' He was riding light, not even a blanket on his saddle —just his rifle, bandolier, revolver, boots, breeches, soft felt hat,' and shirt, nothing more except a pipe and tobacco. He did not carry food of any kind ; ho trusted to the fortunes of war to -supply, him with that. ~ -.;; ■ , . Every now and .again* he* jumped from the, saddle," loosed his girths, > tossed the bridle over his arm, and walked on with long, swift strides to case the horse; for he knew all that a man might know of horsecraft, and half an hour with no weight on ilia back was worth a lot to. Honey ball. Only the tyro in horsemanship waits until his horse is leg-weary before he starts to. husband .its powers. v , . ■ He found help in all sorts of out-of-the-Way places, though the enormous rewird the Government had offered for his capture or death might have tempted some of taose with whom.he came in contact. Yet the bush code. protected him, for, it was almost certain death to any man who betrayed Jam. Once he came across some teamsterewho were taking wool in their waggons to meet a river steamer. > The men did not know him; hut when he asked them to let him have a feed of com for his horse, they complied readily He would have taken it. at the point of his revolver if they had refused. -.{.To bo continued daily}.