A LINDSAY O' THE DALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13615, 7 December 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

A LINDSAY O' THE DALE.

POLISHED BY SPECIAL : ABRIDGEMENT.

BY A. G. HALES, Author of "The Watcher on the Tower," "Driscoll. King of Scouts," " McQlusky," •" lair the Apostate," etc., eto.

• COPYRIGHT. CHAPTER XlV.—(Continued.) , When Mary McAllister and I were alone we had a lot* to say to each other, blushing and laughing, as we worked at ; our new riding-habits. * > Bryan' had sent a Chinese hawker to us with a-great roll of blue-black serge and two pretty hats. • Mother had! her old blue riding-habit and a hood, and would not hear of anything else being made for her. "Na, na," she cried ; "I'll ha' no finery, lassies; I'll ha' na gew-gaws. That which I wore th' last time I went a-riding with him who .sleeps out under yon gum-tree I'll wear at tho weddin'. It's just ma fancy, dearies, an' ye'll let ma ha' ma own way this once." ; " ' Oh, how we worked and waited, wondering all the time what the end of that mad venture would " be.,- The hours seemed weighted with , lead, and we thought of Davie in his peril in Sydney, close to his .dreaded foe; and of lven, our dear, loving, song-bird Ken, loaded down with chains and fetters in the chain-gang so near the sea; and the wonder of'it all is that I did not go daft with heart .agony and excitement.'' ' ' But the end came at last. . We were all dressed in our riding-habits, waiting with throbbing hearts, when we heard the neighing of horses, and a moment later Bryan rode up to the door, leading a splendid black horse, with a woman's saddle on its back. ' Close behind him came Basil, leading a fine iron-grey mare. Behind- him came the man we knew to be personating our Davie, and he also led a horse with a woman's saddle. It was the handsomest horse of them all, nearly milk-white. , Bringing up the rear there were three or four men, who were strangers ,to us, all armed and finely mounted, as reckless a band of bushmen as man or maid ever saw. All were dressed in far better clothes than the men of the wild country usually wore, even on festive' occasions ; and all seemed full of the spirit of the enterprise that lay in front of us. Bryan was out of the saddle with the quick movement of a man who had lived a life in the open air. He kissed Mary McAllister like a lover, and gave me a brother's kiss, and then taking the old grey mother in his arms, he kissed her; and then taking her by the hand, as if he had' been some , noble of olden times and she a great dame, he led her to the side of the big black horse, and, giving her his hand, hent her into the saddle as though she had been a feather; and she, gathering up the reins and giving her head a toss, made the big beast leap and prance with a touch of her heel, .for mother was a splendid horsewoman.

"Why, mother,".cried Bryan, with a. note of pride in his voice, "you put us all to shame. You ride as none of us can ride and the men? set up a cheer, for to them, reared-from infancy in the saddle, this gift of the light hand, the. firm seat, and the inflexible nerve was the greatest of all gifts. Hat in hand came Basil McAllister to me, his spurred heels rattling on the hard boards of the verandah,, his feet falling lightly as the feet of a dancer. '} .He , led me gaily to where the iron-grey mare stood pawing the earth in impatient spirit to be off and away. u ■ , " Dear, kind, sweet Kate," he whispered, " nothing in all Australia;. from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Southern Sea, can give this - good mare points tin breeding, and the.man who rides to catch her, with your .weight.in.the will have to ride far and fast."" '". . ~,•;. I put my foot in his hand as he . half knelt, and the next instant I was sitting firm on the back of the ; best horse that had ever carried me. , I do not know what impulse possessed me. I had been fearfully frightened up to that moment, but as soon as the reins were in' my fingers," and. I'felt the grey mare quiver under me, a wild feeling of daring came upon me. Touching my mare's flanks with my spur, I made her bound and curvette like a thing gone, wild, eventually pulling her fup by the side of mother's black horse. " Bravo, Kate ! bravo !" called Basil. j " You are hard to beat, either mother ,or daughter of the Killowens " and the men,' standing high ,in their stirrups, niade the bush ring, with the \. stockman's wild halloo, and I felt my blood run warm in my veins. > , l When Brvan'lifte'd Mary McAllister to the back of the pretty milk-white horse, our party, was complete, arid at a sign from the leader we cantered off, # ~.v Mary • and I were put in the middle, : the outlaws rode beside us as a bodyguard: but mother, who knew the track through the bush to Taloo as well as any of them, persisted in riding .in the lead. , . ii We cantered on quietly, keeping to the shady track and avoiding:the, mail-coach road, and in spite of all that had gone before, and of all that we knew would probably follow, we were in wild spirits. Perhaps it was the intoxication of the I 'ride. in such company, the warm wiM i blowing upon our cheeks, the clatter of t hoofs, the jingling of spurs and bridles, the clashing of stirrups, the neighing and snorting of hortes, and the danger of I the enterprise. , ! Ido not now just what it was, but : for one of two short hours I was insanely I happv. I forgot he past, and I : would not think of the future—l was to be an outlaw's bride. ' • ' ■ " Life as other women knew it could not be for me. I was cut off , from my kind, a thing apart from all, excepting Bonny Mary o' the Glen. I looked at her every now and again, and I could tell by her sparkling eves and flushed cheeks that she thought even as I did. ..She-always; looked daintv and bonny, but that day I think ' she looked the loveliest ' creature that ever drew breath. . _ .. ' ;,; She loved my. stern, unbending brother with a love that no word can compass; she lived for him; his safety", his welfare: was her all in all. It is not every woman who can love as she loved, without one single thought of self. She was as near happiness in that hour as it was [possible < for her to be. The man she worshipped was riding on her bridle-hand, bold, resolute, watchful, with a look upon his face that would have told any woman that nothing could daunt him. We came to a spot where the bush trees climbed a succession of low 1 hills, and then Bryan bade the party halt, whilst he, putting spurs to his horse, shot: ahead to reconnoitre. I . /,. •„ r -.. He was too wily to ride in there, where ,an ambush mighjt have been set for/ us ; but the way was clear. He had seen one of his "telegraphs," who answered ■ for it that no' police , were in the hills. I learned later that men in. the pay of the gang had been posted at intervals all the> way between our home and the township: to prevent a surprise, but so ;: skilfully did they hide themselves that none of us women-folk saw them. They gave the outlaws the safety signal, and resumed their watching. We had got within three miles of Taloo, and the rest of the journey was all beau- j tiful, open plainland, covered with short, ;j sweet grass, when the horses began to; j prick „ their ears with one accord, and to " reef" iat :the \ bridles, a: sure sign that they could hear something that had not yet reached our ears, ' "Hold on!" cried Basil sharply. "Before we streak out into the open country, where there is no timber, cover, we had better see that all's safe behind us." The band halted, and we swung our horses round, facing the way we had come; and then we knew that we bad riot made a mistake, ; ; for every horse: stood, sniffing the wind and pawing the soil. Bryan was out of the saddle in a moment, with his ear pressed against the trunk of a dry tree, for dry wood will vibrate to a sound long before a human" ear can catch it in the air. He listened intently for a" second or two,/ then called curtly.-^ '"' j

" Into the timber all of you, and he sharp. ' ■ ' ' Get your rifles ready, boys." Mother showed what was in her then. ' ' 'Look to your fechtin', laddie," cried she; ; "a'U look ta the lassies." She beckoned us "'vi fiercely to follow her, and, with anguish : in our hearts," we' did her bidding. •■' mad« - M us' dismount and crouch down'behind some . •,* big. gum-trees, saying/ " Dinna greet,' dinna y, ; greet th'men will fecht any the better « for the wailin' o' wummin-folk. The outlaws had stationed themselves ~si V V that they controlled both sides of the track, " and after awhile we heard "Basil call out, •'•■ "It's only one man, and he's riding as if a . L legion of devils were after him." - ■'■■- Then we peered out, and saw a man tear- ?;*y:£ ing along the track as if his ljfo depended . upon the speed of his horse. », -■< ' Basil and Bryan stepped out, t rifle in .g hand, to intercept him; but : the moment *", lie saw them he gave a joyous whoop and,^- : ,. drew bridle. ' '< " My word, captain," ho cried, as soon a» ' he could speak, "I've ridden this old moke, >. of mine jolly well off his legs trying' t* ' s ; get up to you." -. . , , " Well, and what is.your business, now! you are here?" was the short answer. "I've come to tell you that if you ride to Taloo you ride to your death, for Vernon ■',""'■- is back, and is coming hot after you. I got it from a sure source." ' • "You are not one of us who are you? . . f Why do you ride to give us warning?" . • "I'm not one of you; \, but I'm one you helped. Do you' remember RatcliffeVselec- , tion, the one the bank agent sold'up for debt?" , ■ ■ ' ' ,: ".•.■:;,:,■■ •. "Yes." ',- ■-.-.; ;, "Well, old man Batcliffe is my dad. ■ I .-, was away shearing when you , gave the old - - - ■ .- man the money that saved him from being , turned out of.his home, with mother and .... .' the kiddies. We ain't saints, and we' ain't " bushrangers out out way, captain;; but, fe don't forget a good turn nor the man that) • does it, and so I've ridden old ; Cocksptm" - there almost out of his bridle to bring you; * the hews. If it's, no _ good to you, why,. • there's no harm done, is there?" "Good, of course it's "good; and I'm ""■•'-' obliged to you for. the trouble you've taken," ■•■'■. responded Bryan, who somehow seemed to ; .. ~ have taken over the leadership in place of -'■' ~, Basil. "How.far awayas Vernon, and.how; • many men has he?" „ . "I can't answer either question exactly. . All I know is that he is riding hot-foot to - '' Taloo, and he has a lot of men, black : and ..';■ white. So you'll have to postpone the wed- -->*«■ ding, captain." »; f "So the-wedding is known, is it?" . * "Yes'; it's known that you are riding to " Taloo: to get; married ,to-day. Everyona, . - seems to know it. You'll find the township „ .... .packed with people." , .. a • ,„„,.■, ~•; *, l: ~, ." We've got a traiTor somewhere," put ii* -.'; Basil; "and when we find out who he is .. he will wish he had been born dumb. , But we won't put off our wedding for alii the • ■*■; police in the back-country, will we,- Bryan?','' ' "No," cried my brother, his dark face ■ >.- flushing red with passion.,- "No ;•■ we'll ride 1 and we'll fight, if we must, but we'll bo wed." . . When I caught that note in his voice I - ;■•;. whispered, to Mary; McAllister to.; mount ! quickly, for it would be .useless to argue j with- Bryan Killowen that day. Mother laughed eerily. "Ye air growin' ... 4 ! ower wise wi' men, Kate, ma lass for-an« r ~, j so young; but ye air richt, Bryan, will ha.' : ._f his am way th' noo, if. „the deil himself, say him nay. ■■:.■■'..'-■". < ~,-*-. -.. We were all ready to ride in very: short order, and. at once the word was given ta -' , let the horses have their heads, for we were to race Vernon and his gang. ; • Mother shot away to the front, riding ! * like a thing possessed. The big black hors« strode ' along under her light weight a* ■ though he only carried a gossamer veil, and we raced close behind her. . • - ■ She had always been a fine rider, but ii " was marvellous to see a woman :of her age „..„ controlling the-spirited brute she was oh. ; ": - It was a fierce, wild scamper; every horst was of the best the stations could breed, ana everyone could ride. So it came to pass that we swept into Taloo township",, down . - the long, wide, white street, on past the ;' - deserted police barracks, and station, on , past the post office and courthouse, on paw /. the two banks, arid righV through the" mar-; " ■. ket place, where a great i throng ! of, people . . were standing about, most of them holding * saddle-hacks by the bridle, for : it was in the air that the Killowens were coming; J there on a mad frolic, "' . " Great numbers of young women had com*, * to the township, , riding horseback with lovers, or fathers,' or brothers;' for they, were a romantic lot of lassies in the old ». bush , days, girls who thought nothing of - _.--■ riding fifteen or twenty miles to a ball, and "~l ■ after dancing until the dawning, riding backs | home again. , They heard lis come clattering down this main street, and stood ready to mount and] ride, that they might? see the frolic out; and .. it spoke* volumes for the Killowens 1 that, ' though they had been outlaws all those years, not a woman there had. any- fear of' them.' ■' « ' . < ' .-.' - ' We must have looked a strange sight as we took the town by storm.- Mother, with ' a lot of her. grey hair escaped from he* hood, sitting as straight as a pine iii the - saddle, holding her head high and her hands , low, whilst the black horse, his chest all ; - flaked with' white foam, his neck arched as- . he strained on the bit, made the sparks fly'*" from the roadway as he' strode along, blow-, ing the steam from his big, red nostrils in ; angry'snorts, because he could not, get his > head arid race.; .- '■ ~ I did my best 'to look my mother's datigh- ", 'y-{, ter, and the grey mare seemed to fly. I. heard : the people shouting and cheering : ,. ; mother; then I heard cries of "That's Kati<j Killowen; that's the, outlaw's bride—God " bless her!—good luck to you—bravo,' bravo, lass, bravo 1" :''■', '■:■■■"'■'■"■ ■ Behind us came a wild, suiting crowd otf' horseback, merry bush-girls, and their lov- ' , , crs, and they raced their horses up to ul until they had us hemmed in, and th© men lifted their soft hats and cheered like things ~-> demented; while the girls, balancing them-. ' c selves with the skill born of a lifetime, of ' practice, waved white veils and kerchiefs, ;, and called out all kinds, of good wishes to Mary and me. . - All the outlaws were laughing, save broth- ..,,, er Bryan, and even his stem face wore <* kind of half-smile. As for Basil, my gay. ; '.'•• ■:■', lover made my cheeks i bum with .jefclousy, , . as he tossed light answers "and bold smiles back to the girls.; I grew so hot;that:ail - . last, in a pet, I turned in the saddle and ;„;," cried—• - •....[■..-'■:■■■ ■■■~-, ;■ -■• .>%*;.-*■. If these lassies please your eye so much, ': Basil McAllister, why not take one of them — into the church with you? I'll not say nay .„ to it." ' ' - ;-- ■ ' . ' ..• .. - He touched his horse with the spurs,- and was by my side in a moment. :.. • ' '» , "Why should'l take;a maid of honour, - when I have got the Queen of Beauty?'-' he . cried, and bent his curly-head to his'. horsed' ■ mane; and I had to smile and forgive him.. At the chapel door we met the preacher, a tall, gaunt Scot, who frowned upon-, us • all. " Gang your ways," he cried, " gang yam ways; wad ye make a mock o' the house 6' the Lord?" # . v m ■' Bryan .and Basil; went to him and told their errand, but he shook his head stub- ' bornly. ' - ■ * c "Ye ha* put yersels oot beyond the pale o' th' law. Ye men o' bluid; a'll ha' now ye." The two outlaws looked black as thunder ; and the crowd began to clamour wildly, for the romance of the thing had stirred . their, hot southern blood, and it would not have taken a great deal to have made them wreck the chapel in their wrath. , ,' ,' ■ " Give tue two poor lassies a chance, par- . son," cried a big cattle-drover. " You had a mother yourself, man; : give the poor lassies a chance." And the women cried shame :, * on him, whilst the girls said he ought to be ducked in the public-house water-trough. ' ,

"If you won't have a, wed ding in you« . church, you shall have a fight,' snarled - Bryan, whose ugly blood was up. "Take > the girls away,, mother. We men will go into the church and wait for the. troopers to come and fetch us, and we'll give 'em * fight they, won't soon forget. And you, .■ * ] sir," he turned with • a bitter .- sneer to > th« preacher, " when we fall you can "collect th( reward from the Government. You knoiM , 'to a half-penny, I'll be r bound, whit a prick is on each head. May the blood-money do ' you good." v :; The preached flushed; crimson. *If * was* - ." ' na' a meenester o' th* Word,' 4 he cried', "*- wad ram that saying down yr l*cix<J wwk-" ' 'And at that speech my reckjewlov** , :V 1 laughed until the place rang with bismJirfaic, T iTo be coittUwci '^