The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) π
Friends To Give Them A History Of My Adventures In That Land Of Gold,
Where Kangaroos Are Supposed To Be As Plenty As Natives, And Jump Ten
Times As Far, And Where Natives Are Imagined To Be Continually Lying In
Ambush For The Purpose Of Making A Hearty Meal Upon The Bodies Of Those
Unfortunate Travellers Who Venture Far Into The Interior Of The
Country--Where Bushrangers Are Continually Hanging About Camp Fires,
Ready To Cut The Weasands Of Those Who Close Their Eyes For A
Moment--And Lastly, Where Every Other Man That You Meet Is Expected To
Be A Convict, Transported From The Mother Country For Such Petty Crimes
As Forgery, House-Breaking, And Manslaughter In The Second Degree.
Read free book Β«The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) πΒ» - read online or download for free at americanlibrarybooks.com
- Author: William H. Thomes
Read book online Β«The Gold Hunter's Adventures Or, Life In Australia Volume 2 ( Of 2 ) by William H. Thomes (books to read in your 30s TXT) πΒ». Author - William H. Thomes
Trouble Of Leaving The City That Night, But Changed His Clothes, And
Passed A Large Portion Of His Time With A Lady Who Was Somewhat Noted
For Liberality Towards The Male Sex; And When He Was Tired Of A
Metropolitan Residence, He Dressed Himself In Female Attire, And With A
Veil To Conceal His Face, Passed Soldiers And Police, And Rejoined His
Gang, Who Were Fifty Miles From Melbourne.
The Story Of The Aide-De-Camp Was A Curious One. He Said That The
Stranger Requested Time To Pencil A Note To A Distinguished Gentleman In
Town, Who Was To Vouch For His Respectability; That After He Had
Finished Writing And Directing It, Sam Approached Him, As Though To
Request Permission To Send It By A Bearer, But Before He Was Aware Of
His Intentions Tyrell Had Garroted Him In Such A Manner That All
Resistance Was Impossible, And When About Half Dead, He Was Laid Upon
The Floor, Bound With Cords, And Then Had A Handkerchief Stuffed In His
Mouth, Threats Being Made At The Same Time That Death Was Certain If The
Least Alarm Was Given.
The Bushranger Then Waited Until The Guard Turned His Back, When He
Dropped From The Window Like A Cat, And Made His Escape. The Officer Was
Laughed At So Outrageously, That He Sold His Commission And Left The
Army.
Such Was One Of The Exploits Of The "Gentlemanly" Bushranger Whose
Actions We Were Watching, And Over Whose Head A Reward Of Five Hundred
Pounds Was Hanging.
"If You Must Call Each Other Liars, And Rush To A Fight, Why Don't You
Do So In A Gentlemanly Manner, At Ten Paces Distant, And Not Shoot Or
Cut Each Other Down Like Dogs? Can I Never Learn You Manners, And Be
D----D To You."
The Speaker, Of Whom Mr. Brown Had Whispered, Was Tyrell--He Walked
Towards The Young Fellow, Who Had, But A Moment Before, Killed The Old
Pirate, And Stopped In Front Of Him. From Our Place Of Concealment We
Could Admire The Athletic Form Of The Leader Of The Gang, And As The
Flames From The Camp-Fire Blazed Up And Showed Us His Features, We Could
Not Help Being Struck With Their Stern Beauty.
"Well, Captin, He Began It," Cried The Young Assassin, In A Snivelling,
Apologetic Sort Of Tone; "I Didn't Want To Hurt Him, Sure, If He Hadn't
Told Me I Lied. I Don't Take That From Nobody, You Knows."
"You Lie, You Dog, You Know You Do," Cried 'Gentleman Sam,' In A Tone
Expressive Of Profound Contempt. "You Stabbed Old Bill When His Back Was
Turned, And Did Not Give Him A Fair Chance. I'll Have No More Such
Doings. A Stop Must Be Put To Such Kind Of Work. Do You All Understand
Volume 2 Chapter 70 (Sam Tyrell And The Ghost) Pg 162Me?"
"I'm Willing To Abide By The Regulations," The Murderer Said, With
Alacrity.
"I Intend That You Shall, For I Am About To Constitute Myself A Judge
And Jury, And Punish You For Shedding Blood, As I Think It Should Be
Punished. Stand Up."
The Fellow Staggered To His Feet, And We Could See Him Glance With
Apprehension Upon His Leader, And Then Turn Towards His Comrades An
Appealing Look, As Though Desirous Of Their Support During His Trying
Ordeal.
"You Killed Old Bill Without A Moment's Warning For Telling The Truth,
For I Have Been Told By Others That You Was One Of The First To Run, And
Yet You Saw Nothing But A Shadow, At Which You Was Frightened. You
Deserve Death, And At My Hands You Shall Receive It."
"For God's Sake Don't Kill Me, Cap'en!" Shrieked The Young Fellow, In
An Agony Of Terror, Throwing Himself Upon His Knees, And Begging For
Mercy; "I Have Served You Long And Faithfully, And Robbed As Many Miners
As Any Man In The Gang."
"That Certainly Should Entitle Him To Mercy," Whispered Mr. Brown,
Giving Me A Nudge With His Elbow, As Though I Was Asleep.
The Leader Of The Bushrangers Did Not Make Any Reply, But Coolly Drew A
Pistol From His Belt.
"The Cold-Blooded Scoundrel Intends To Murder The Man!" Mr. Brown Said,
Trembling With Excitement And Indignation; "Why Don't The Brutes
Interfere, And Save The Life Of Their Comrade?"
"Take Notice, Men," Said The Robber Chief, Addressing His Gang, "That I
Am About To Punish A Man For Committing A Murder, And That Hereafter, If
You Must Quarrel, Refer The Matter To Me For Settlement, And If I Do Not
Satisfy You With My Decision, Then You Can Appeal To The Knife Or
Pistol, As Can Be Agreed Upon. Have You Any Reason Why Sentence Should
Not Be Executed Upon This Man?"
There Was No Response. The Villains Would Not Even Raise Their Voices To
Save A Comrade's Life.
"I Should Imagine The Fellow Was The Lord High Chancellor Of England To
Hear Him Talk," Muttered Mr. Brown; "Lend Me Your Revolver, And The
Instant The Ruffian Fires I Will Give Him A Shot If It Costs Me My
Life."
"And It Would Cost Not Only Your Life, But Mine, And That I Am Not
Disposed To Relinquish Yet. Be Patient, For We Can Do Nothing To Save
The Poor Devil," I Replied.
The Man Whose Doom Had Been Pronounced, A Second Time Threw Himself Upon
Volume 2 Chapter 70 (Sam Tyrell And The Ghost) Pg 163The Ground, And Crawled To The Feet Of The Leader In Humble Supplication
For Mercy. He Shed Tears, And Vowed That If His Life Was Spared, He
Would Steal With Renewed Energy, And Be More Faithful Than Ever; And For
A While I Thought The Chief Would Relent, But During A Moment's Pause, I
Distinctly Heard The Click Of A Pistol Lock, And Saw Tyrell's Arm Raised
As Though Taking Aim.
'I Shut My Eyes To Hide The Dreadful Sight, And Expected To Hear The
Report Of The Weapon And The Groans Of The Victim, But While I Was
Speculating On The Length Of Time That The Poor Devil Was Kept In
Suspense, I Received A Tremendous Nudge From Mr. Brown's Elbow,
Accompanied By The Exclamation Of--
"The Devil Has Come At Last!"
I Opened My Eyes, And Was Gratified To See That The Ghost Whose
Disappearance I Had Noticed, Re-Appeared Upon The Scene, But With One
Important Change In His Aspect, Which Rendered His _Tout Ensemble_ More
Hideous Than Ever.
By Some Means He Had Managed To Light A Fire Upon His Bony Head, And The
Flames Were Twisting And Squirming Like So Many Fiery Serpents,
Revealing The Long Bullock's Horns With Telling Effect. So Well Had He
Managed The Affair, That, Accustomed As I Was To His Presence, I Had
Half A Mind To Run, Not Knowing But A Real Devil, Or Being Of The Other
World, Had Usurped Day's Especial Functions In The Ghost Line.
If The Sudden Appearance Was Startling To Myself And Mr. Brown, How Much
More Must It Have Astonished The Bushrangers, Who Were Anxiously
Awaiting The Death Of Their Companion At The Hands Of Tyrell. I Saw The
Arm Of The Latter Fall As If Paralyzed, And He Started Back, But
Disdained To Fly Upon The First Alarm. Not So With His Comrades. With
One Accord They Dropped Knives, Meat, And Blankets, And With Shouts Of
Frantic Terror Rushed Towards The Woods, Tumbling Over Each Other In
Their Eagerness To Escape, And Looking Over Their Shoulders As They
Fled, As If They Feared That Satan Had Already Laid A Hand Upon Them,
And Was About To Claim Them As His Own.
Even The Young Fellow Who Had Murdered The Old Pirate, Seemed To
Entertain Some Hope Of Escape From Earthly Enemies, For He Commenced
Crawling Away From The Fires As Fast As He Could On Hands And Knees, And
Bent His Course Directly Towards Our Ambush. Once Or Twice I Saw Him
Look Back, Apparently With The Expectation Of Receiving A Shot In His
Rear, But Finding That His Captain Was Too Much Occupied With His Own
Matters, He Seemed To Think That Providence Had Interfered In A Most
Wonderful Manner In His Behalf, And Recommenced Crawling With Renewed
Energy And Hope, Not Caring Half As Much For The Ghost As He Did For The
Vengeance Of His Chief.
"Here Comes This Fellow Directly On To Us," Whispered Mr. Brown; "What
Can We Do To Start Him In Another Direction?"
"Groan Him Away," I Replied, Recollecting The Efficacy Of Diabolical
Sounds In My Own Case; And Forthwith We Uttered In Chorus The Most
Volume 2 Chapter 70 (Sam Tyrell And The Ghost) Pg 164Hideous Noises Possible For Human Beings To Produce. So Frightful Were
They That Even Tyrell, Who Had Made His Boast Of Being Able To Endure
All Things, Gradually Retreated As He Saw The Ghost Advance Towards Him
With The Flaming Headdress, And At Length, After Giving One Quick Glance
Around, And Finding That He Was Deserted By His Crew, Fairly Turned, And
Bounded Into The Brush And Disappeared From Sight.
We Listened Attentively, And Could Hear The Bushrangers Making Their Way
Through The Woods In Hot Haste; But Fearing The Shrewdness Of Sam, We
Kept Perfectly Quiet, Until We Were Certain That Gentleman Had Really
Left His Quarters, And Was Not Lurking In The Vicinity To See What Sort
Of A Ghost Had Frightened Him.
"A Splendid Performance," I Said, As Mr. Brown And Myself Stepped From
Our Ambush, And Congratulated The Shepherd, Who, Much As He Liked To Be
Praised, Didn't Think It Worth While To Listen In So Conspicuous A
Place.
"Follow Me As Fast As Possible," He Exclaimed, Removing His Still
Smoking Headdress, And Exhibiting A Face Blackened And Singed By The
Flames. "We Ain't Safe Here Even For A Minute, For The Devils Will Come
Back After Their Traps, And If They Should Get Hold Of Us We Would Be
Real Ghosts In Less Than An Hour."
I Had The Same Impression, And Therefore Followed Our Guide Through The
Woods In A Directly Opposite Course From That Which The Bushrangers
Took, And In A Few Minutes We Had The Satisfaction Of Gaining Our Island
And Finding Our Horses As We Had Left Them.
"Now That We Are Beyond The Reach Of The Robbers, Tell Me How You
Prepared Your Fiery Headdress?" Mr. Brown Asked, Turning To The
Shepherd, Who Was Rubbing His Burnt Face And Singed Hair And Whiskers.
"The Fact Is," Replied Day, "The Flames Are A New Sort Of 'Speriment,
And I've Hardly Got Use To 'Em. I Think That I Should Do Better
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