PART XI.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 4257, 13 July 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

PART XI.

Colonel Baifour still had no suspicion that it was the outlaws who had so successfully attacked Bartlett's house that were now defying him. His first surmise that the plunderers were convicts still held good. There was a good deal of spirits in the house, so Day assured the colonel, and no doubt the men had f<?und it. While this would make them dangerous, it would also make them reckless and render their capture much easier. A low range of wooden sheds were on the east side of the building in which the outlaws were, and Colonel Balfpur placed seven of his contingent in them. The remainder he dispersed so as to surround the house and give the alarm should an attempt at escape be made. He took charge of the men in the sheds himself, as he intended to make an attack on the house on the first opportunity. Taking two of the most reliable of the soldiers, and also Mr. Day, the owner of the place, who displayed considerable bravery on the occasion, he proceeded to make an inspection of the place. lie was in hope that the strong • Irink would cause the convicts inside to neglect reasonable precautions and that without undue loss of life he could make a successful rush and capture or kill the offenders. On more than one occasion Colonel Balfour had found that rum was the best ally the authorities had in such cases, for often the convicts allowed it to stupify them, when to do so was fatal. As they crouched along under a paling fence which enclosed a small garden at the rear of the house, Balfour saw the gleam of a light through an aperture that was used as a window. It was probable that those who held the building were in that quarter of the house, and one of the soldiers volunteered to risk his life by going right up to the opening from which the light shone. It seemed like tempting providence, but something like that had to be done to force matters, and the colonel consented to the course suggested. The man silently left the anxious group and disappeared in the darkness which encompassed the place. For about five minutes there was nothing to denote that be was doing anything, but suddenly the small gleam of light was intercepted by an object which the watching men knew must be the devoted soldier. They got their muskets ready to fire, for they momenlaiily expected a volley from the house H'hen the spy was noticed. In a fewmoments the light was seen again and no shot had been fired, which showed that the soldier had not been noticed by the marauders. It was not long ere the spy rejoined the group and told the colonel that a small oil lamp was burning in the room on a table, but there was not the slightest sign of any human being. He suggested that the house should be entered by the opening, but the leader of the party was strongly averse to such a course, and he was supported in his opinion by Day. They both thought that the light had been purposely placed where it was to lure the assailants on to destruction, Their foes could shoot them down as they stepped into the lighted room without their being able to make an effective reply, and such a step the colonel vehejsiently asserted would be madness. Balfour was a humane man, and did not care about losing or taking life unnecessarily. To make a rush into the house without knowing what foes had to be contended against might mean destruction to himself and party, and he hnd to act carefully. He did not believe in night-fisthting at any time, and, after short consideration, he decided to surround the house and wait for daylight. He could do this most effectively for he shortly expected a number of men from the town, with whom he would be able to draw a complete cordon round the house. Withdrawing to the shed, he waited for the arrival of those from Launceston, and within half-an-hour they were in the building with him. They were met about three hundred yards on the south side by one of the soldiers and brought round to the eastern side. Altogether thirteen men came, and with the number he and Balfour was able to place a most effective watch on the house. For several hours nothing occurred to show that any attempt at escape was being made by those inside the house, and it seemed as though they did not intend doing so under cover of darkness. It was fully two hours after midnight when the men in the sheds were startled by a loud knocking on the outside. In an instant the lights were extinguished, and the soldiers waited breathlessly for the expected attack. They all concluded that by some means their foes had circumvented them and were now about to call on them to surrender at discretion. The blows had scarcely ceased when they were followed by a voice calling on Colonel Balfour. That officer, in considerable surprise, responded to the unknown voice, and askeAvhat was the matter. He felt for a moment almost ashamed of the first panic, for the demonstrative person was no doubt somepne fropi the town. Dr, Priest had

doubtless sent a messenger down to make enquiries, and under that impression the colonel replied to the summons. "Who are you, and what do you want?" he called out. "I can give you most important news. Brady and his men are plundering Launceston," was the startling reply. This seemed a highly improbable statement, for the colonel did not dream that the strong force sent to capture the Brady gang could have failed in their mission. Even if they did not [ capture the outlaws it was against reason to suppose Brady, in the face of many enemies, would attempt to carry out his threat of taking the town and breaking into the gaol. He had boasted that he would seize Jeffries, the bushranger, who was confined there, and hang him ; but Balfour had attached no importance whatever to the threat when it was made at Bartlett's. Perhaps, he thought, it was another band of convicts who had gathered to loot the town, knowing that it was almost unprotected. The fact that nearly all the soldiers and a great part of the civilians were down the river, would soon be known, and the ill-treated convict seivants might take advantage of it. 1 1 was very important that he should know at once what was going on, and he called to th 2 unknown man to come round to the doorway. In order to prevent treachery he had the entrance well covered with the muskets of his men, but there was no occasion for it as but one man entered and he immediately closed the door behind him. Seeing this by the aid of the starlight, Balfour ordered the lamp and torches, which were in the place, to be lighted, and as they blazed up he was surprised to see a man in convict clothes — and unmistakably a felon by his appearance— standing right before him. " Who are you ?" he demanded. <f I'm one of Mr. Bartlett's men, sir," the convict replied. "Oh ! you are one of the fellows, I suppose, who went off with the bushrangers. How did you manage to get here ?" j " I was took off, sir, by Brady. He said he would shoot us if we did not go ; but I've escaped as soon as I could," the man replied. " Where is Brady, then ?" Balfour asked. "He is in the town, and was going to attack the gaol when I made my escape." "But how did he escape from the party down the river ?"' queried the colonel. " We got away just after dark and came here. As soon as you came up Brady took us away at once," was the reply. "Then it was Brady and his gang who were in the house yonder, and who fired on us ? Do ydu mean to say they are no longer there ?" the soldier asked, in surprise. " Yes, sir ; they left hours ago, but I could not get away before to let you know. Brady suspected me and kept a close watch. I've been trying to escape from him ever since he made me go on the boat," the man answered. The new-comer was, in fact, one of the convict servants whom the outlaws had taken away from Bartlett's homestead. He had turned traitor on the gang, and was anxious to secure himself with the authorities. In a few minutes Colonel Balfour had obtained all the information he I could from the convict, and promised that he would use his influence on the man's behalf if the information was of value. Immediate action was necessary, and the new-comer, to show that his statement was all true, offered to go to the house and throw the doors open and at the same time light it up, so that a concealed foe might be discovered if there. The soldier, who had so bravely offered to approach the room where the burning lamp was, volunteered to accompany the convict and make certain that the outlaws had gone. To this the colonel agreed, and the large door of the shed, or barn, was opened to let the men out. The convict carried a light and walked a few feet in front of the soldier towards the house. The two men had got about half-a-dozen yards from the shed when the traitor gave a loud cry and fell forward, and at the same instant the report of a gun was heard. The private rushed back to the shelter as his companion fell, extinguishing the light as he did so. The whole affair was so sudden that the men inside could do n^'hing. It was evident that some foe had fired the shot, but who it was could not be ascertained. It was almost daybreak, and the leader of the party would allow no one to go out until morning broke. As the grey dawn crept over the scene, the still and prostrate body of the convict could be seen lying where it fell. In a few minutes it was light enough to see the surroundings, and one after another the outposts which the colonel had stationed around showed themselves. It was only then that the chief permitted the soldiers to carry in the body of the convict. The man was quite dead, for by the wound the bullet must have gone through his heart. No one noticed the flash that must have accompanied the fatal shot, and it was thought it must have been fired from the house. This was a question that could be decided, for the colonel considered the time had come to make a general attack on the building, ! The word was soon passed round, and the men advanced, taking advantage of all the cover they could find. They soon found how necessary their precautions were, for after reaching the house they poured into it from every i direction and found it unoccupied. The chagrin of the colonel was very great, for, without doubt, they had been anxiously watching an empty house all night. Balfour was still further mortified a few minutes later when a horseman ar

rived in hot haste with an alarming story of a raid made on the town by Brady's gang of bushrangers. It was not known, the man said, whether or not the outlaws had gone away from the district or \rere in hiding, but Colonel Balfour and his men were wanted at once. Leaving the body of the convict in the shed, the disappointed men set off in all haste for Launceston. It will be necessary now to take the reader back to the outlaws in order that the events spoken ot may be made plain. After firing the volley at Balfour's party, which fatally wounded Dr. Priest and killed the three horses, Brady ordered his men to instantly follow him. In a few moments he had led them out the back way, and, keeping the building between himself and the attacking party, the bush was soon reached. The lamp which the soldiers saw burning was simply left by mistake and with no intention of being either a blind or a ruse to get the assailants caught in a trap. Brady had no sooner got his followers safely away than he suggested an attack on the town. He knew well that there was scarcely any fighting men left in the place, and he guessed, accurately enough, that the parties who were sent to capture the Derwent would not return until the following day, and perhaps not then. Everything favored his scheme, and his followers were in the humor to fall in with him. There was only one single exception, and this was the convict, Barton. This man had secretly repented of the step he had taken in throwing in his lot with the bushrangers, and he was only waiting for a favorable chance to get safely away. He knew the locality very well, and if he could escape the observation of his comrades he would very soon disappear. When he heard Brady's proposal he at once decided to get away that night. He would not join in the foolhardy venture of attacking the gaol so as to get out Jeffries and hang him. In fact, the noted bushranger, Jeffries, had been in league with Barton and others of the convict servants in the district, and he had a feeling towards the men. The night was a dark one and Barton resolved that he would give his comrades the slip before they proceeded far. By some extraordinary intuition the chief of the outlaws suspected Barton of treachery and he kept a good watch on him. They had gone nearly a mile towards Launceston and were passing through a thickly wooded gully when Brady noticed that Barton was" not in the party. He instantly cilled his companions' attention to the fact, and a search was made but without result. It was quite clear that the convict had gone away of his own accord as he could not be lost, and Brady, who was a man of decision, said : " Barton has gone back to the house to bring the soldiers there after us. I have suspected him ever since he joined us, and it is well that we have found him out so soon. He knows our plans, and we must alter them if we wish to throw him out." " Why not go back and try to have revenge on him at Day's?" hissed one of the convicts. This was one of the men who had been with Barton in service at the homestead, and he had long cheiished a revenge against his fellow-servant. The idea seemed to Brady to be a good one, and, after a short discussion with Sinclair and the other outlaws, the leader decided to go back himself in company with the convict. ' A place was selected where the remainder of the party could wait until the return of the two ministers ot vengeance, and if they did not get back by daylight it was arranged that Sinclair should take command and make for the Ben Lomond Ranges. If Brady and his companion did not fall into the clutches of the authorities in the meantime, they would make for a spot in the ranges well known to two of the outlaws and rejoin the party ; but if the opposite happened it was understood that Sinclair should do all in his power to liberate the captured men should he find that they were in the hands of the anthorities. Having hastily made these depositions Brady and his companion turned in the direction of Day's house and disappeared in the darkness. The convict servant was well acquainted with the locality, and he soon brought Brady to the clearing around the house. They both knew that in all likelihood Colonel Balfour and his men would be in the vicinity. They did not think he would have his men surrounding the house, as they thought he would long before have taken possession of it. It would be only common prudence, however, to use the greatest caution, and for that purpose they both conceived the same idea. That was to get round to the sheds and wait near - them in such a position that they could see anyone who might approach the house from the back. It was while doing this that they heard the noise made by Barton on the wooden side of the shed, and at the time they were not more than fifteen yards away. They could distinctly hear each word that Barton and the colonel spoke, and when Barton was told to come to the door the outlaws tried to intercept the traitor. Finding that they could not do so in. time they desisted, as it would have led to their discovery, and with hearts; full of revenge they waited to see if their false comrade would reappear. They were becoming impatient when fhe door of the barn was heard to open,, and from their place of concealment the outlaws saw Barton come out carrying a light. It was a chance that should not be missed, and Brady took aim a? the doomed man at a distance of twentj yards. The shot, as the reader already knows, proved fatal to the traitor, andj seeing him fall, Brady and his follower turned and made back to- where the remainder of the outlaws were awaiting their return. D D 36 ** (TO BE -CONT?NVW>.)4