“THUNDERBOLT.”

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1797, 15 August 1906, Page 30

“THUNDERBOLT.”

THE ROMANTIC ROBBER IN RANDOM RHYME.

A pretty bush station; a maid in elation her love of fierce “Thunderbolt” owns. Jack, sou of the squatter, MissFoituno has got her; “Forged cheque was dishonoured” he moans. He swears he will “cobber” with Morgan "the robber and stick-up the mails straightaway ; such scandal romantic will make papa fa-antic, but he, ’mud grim dangers, will “pot” sordid strangers, who loath© all bush-rangers, and hate like the devil to pay.

Tho squatter’s sweet daughter, the villain has sought her, and vows he will make her his wife; or, if she won’t marry her brother shall tarry in servitude penal for life! But, loving another, her hate she can’t smother, and plots for her brother’s release. Great “Thunderbolt” hurry the scoundrel to worry, ills scheming mind flurry, and then away scurry before he can fetch tho police!

-Tho skein now entangles in lonely bush angles, whoso shadows the mailcoach must pass. Gin, smoking ’baccu (ugh!) kisses a Jackeroo, whilst “Thunderbolt” empties his glass. There’s varied love-making in ways that are taking and thrilling melees in a pub. “Bai Jove, a beastly bore,” Jackeroo makes ’em roar; cop asks for kisses more; “cops out” right swift and sore ; make way there for the Law; £SOO for the gore of tho plaguey outlaw; they want to stint Thunderbolt’s grub!

The forger would take a huge tot of Jamaica, so cannot brave “Thunderbolt” help the villain to capture and then seize with rapture the note that was forged by the whelp. The heroine, reaches her hand for the breeches and, to the spectators’ great joy, discards all her dresses, and snickd off her tresses, a gee-gee caresses and with a gun messbs, whilst nobody guesses, though plump she no less is, the gal in disguise ain’t a boy!

Tlie girl now works under the “bolt of the thunder,” and bow to bail coaches up learns in lens than an hour, (while thunder-storms lowea-), and straight for the villain’s goi’e yearns. Boss Morgan the Cruel, drops dead in a duel, for “Thunderbolt” robs “on his own,” and hates that another should fleece a man’s brother or any bloke smother in this way or t’other, or make ’em “part up” with a groan.

Drawn by bay horses prime the stage coach comes to time and the“boygirl” and “Thunderbolt” cry: “Bail up! all you muffers, policemen and duffers, who won’t hold his hands up shall die!” Tho villain, a banker, who for love did hanker, is robbed of the note Jack did forge; then with stomach hollow compelled is to swallow, that morsel so droll-o, whilst menaces follow, that raise to distraction his gorge.

A sergeant in raptures the “boy” bandit captures, as up dash a band of police, but soon in a haze is when, after queer mazes, a girl finds the path of release. Brave “Thunderbolt,” meanwhile, proves ho is not senile, but, galloping madly, in strife he firstfires at his foes, in a heroic pose, although sweaty his hose, and much cramped up his toes, as swift onward ho goes; then, as all the world knows, and right swift the blood flows, a hiatus there grows, where a shadow dark throws; at the leap the horse rose, to the horror that froze, all the marrow of those, who came pelting after his life

With infamy fitted the villain, outwitted, leaves freely the maid to her choice; the Squatter, a hard-’un, gives Jack a free pardon, which makes that young forger rejoice. Come, cheer the bush-ranger for scorning all danger, who will not hurrah is a churl! For with eorybantic gesturings romantic, that ladies make frantic, he cuts his last antic, and gaily rides off to his “gurl.” —H.D.M. Wellington, August 14th.