CAPTURE OF ALL HANDS, BY THE BUSHRANGERS.
There was no time to retreat, had we been so disposed; and though Fred's
rifle flew to his shoulder with the quickness of thought, he apparently
considered it better policy not to commence hostilities until the
bushrangers showed their disposition.
Fighting was not to be thought of; for who would think of taking part
in a struggle when eighteen or twenty guns were aimed, and ready to be
discharged upon the least sign of resistance.
There was one thing which I had the presence of mind to do. I stepped
quietly behind the stockman and Smith, and dropped the bag of gold
amidst a thicket of bushes, and I inwardly prayed that whatever might be
our fate, the robbers would not get sight of the treasure.
"Do you surrender?" asked a voice; and following the bushranger's words,
we could hear the ominous clink of the muskets as they were brought to
their shoulders.
"What promises do you make us?" replied Fred, undaunted.
"What do you wish us to promise?" continued the bushranger.
"Our lives and arms."
"Our promises are easily broken. Why do you request mercy at the hands
of bushrangers?"
"Because, in this case, if we do not obtain your most solemn pledge that
our lives shall be spared, we will die with our rifles in our hands. I
need not tell you that when we aim, we do so with the intention to
kill."
The bushrangers whispered together for a few minutes, and from their
eagerness we could see that a large majority of the men were in favor of
complying with Fred's request. Once or twice we heard the word "gold"
mentioned, as though that was the chief theme of their discussion.
Presently the whispering ceased, and the man who appeared to be the
leader of the band again spoke:--
"I have talked with my men, and they are willing to comply with your
desire, provided you will deliver to us the gold which you found buried
in this clearing."
"As for the gold," returned Fred, "we dropped it some time ago, and you
are welcome to it if it can be found."
"Then lay down your arms and step towards us. We are not to be taken by
surprise, having heard of your Yankee tricks."
"We had better trust to darkness and our guns," muttered the old
stockman; but his warning was too late, for Fred advanced towards the
bushrangers and placed his rifle in their hands, and with a sigh I
followed his example.
"Come!" shouted the leader, his voice growing harsher as the disarming
proceeded--"there are two more of 'em; hurry up, and don't keep us
waiting too long."
"I make the third," said Smith, handing in his double barrelled gun.
"Ha, driver, are you here?" laughed the ruffian, as his eyes fell upon
Smith's burly form. "You had better have stuck to the teaming business
than digging up dead men's gold--I think you would have found it more
profitable and less dangerous."
"There is where we differ in opinion, Sam Nosey," replied Smith, quite
coolly. "I work at any kind of business where I think I can make an
honest shilling, and don't see but this expedition comes under the head
of regular trade. At the edge of the wood you will find my team and two
pair of good oxen, with a bottle of brandy such as you have not tasted
for many a day."
"You mean that I would have found things as you describe, an hour or two
ago; but the fact is, my men were hungry; so two of your cattle were
knocked in the head, and a right jolly feed we had, I assure you."
"I wish they had been so tough that their flesh would have choked you,"
was the unsatisfactory exclamation of the stout-hearted Smith.
"Your wish is unkind, considering the favor which we intend to show
you," sneered the bushranger captain.
Smith uttered an oath, and I thought, that in spite of the number around
us, he would make a push for freedom; but after glancing around and
seeing that his intention was anticipated, and that the crowd had
enclosed us in a circle, he gave up the idea.
"There is one prisoner missing--where is he?" demanded the chief,
abruptly.
"There's no other to be seen," cried half a dozen voices.
"Fools! why do you talk in that way? The old stockman is one of the
party, for I saw him not more than five minutes ago. Bring him out of
the bushes and let us see if his hair has grown any whiter since the
time he shot at me for killing a lamb. I have an account to settle with
him."
"He has made his escape, for no one is to be seen," cried the men, after
searching for a few minutes.
"It can't be, for only a moment ago I saw him mumbling prayers and
hoping that his life would be spared. Fire the pile of brush, call in
the scouts, and let me hear their report."
As the chief spoke, a huge pile of brush was fired, which illuminated
the open space and cast a bright glare upon the faces of those present.
Involuntarily, I looked at the person of the man who appeared to hold
such despotic sway over his followers, and I shuddered while I gazed,
for a more horrible face I never saw, except in my dreams.
His cheeks were seared until the flesh appeared livid and raw, and I
expected to see blood trickle from the half-healed wounds. His eyes were
large and glaring, being entirely unprotected by eyelashes, and as for
eyebrows, they seemed to be eaten away and destroyed. The fellow's nose,
however, was the most disgusting part of his face; for the nasal organ
was entirely gone, and nothing was to be seen excepting two small holes
which led to the chambers of the head.
I understood the reason that he was nicknamed Nosey, without asking a
question, but it was not until some days after that I learned how he
came to be so badly disfigured.
Charles Bowen, alias Nosey, was sentenced to transportation for
twenty-five years for appropriating about ten thousand pounds to his own
use by means of a forged will. He was a man of a good education, and
withal shrewd and unscrupulous; but sharp as he was, it did not prevent
his getting convicted and sentenced--and from the time that he stepped
foot on board of the transport he began his career of defying officers
and all wholesome discipline.
One day he attacked an assistant surgeon, who was attached to the
vessel, and the doctor repelled him by hurling a bottle of oil of
vitriol at his head. Bowen closed his eyes when he saw that the liquid
was about to strike his face, and by resolutely keeping them closed
until the powerful acid was cleaned from his flesh, managed to save
them, and then the surgeons of the ship commenced and arrested the
progress of the vitriol, and preserved his life; but not until the
fellow's nose was entirely gone, and his eyebrows and cheeks nearly
eaten away.
A more hideous-looking wretch, as he stood by the blazing pile of brush,
I never saw; and it appeared to me that he gloried in his deformity, for
he rolled his glaring eyes at me, and chuckled immensely when he saw
that I regarded him rather closely.
"The stockman has given us the go-by," said one of the gang, returning
from his pursuit of the old convict.
"Have you examined every bush and tree between this and the prairie?"
asked the chief.
"As well as we can in the darkness," was the answer.
"Return to the woods, and don't allow a space as large as a man's body
to escape inspection. Away with you--our triumph is not complete without
the head of the old shepherd."
"I can find nothing of the gold," said a voice that I had heard before,
and looking up I saw our treacherous companion, Steel Spring.
The fellow regarded me with a sly grin, and winked his eye as he pointed
to the deep hole where he had labored when we discovered the treasure.
A frightful expression came over the robber's face as he heard the
report. His staring eyes seemed to become injected with blood, and the
scars on his countenance turned to a more livid hue.
"Where have you secreted the gold?" he asked, with a voice trembling
with passion.
"What gold?" I demanded, indifferently.
"The gold which Jim Gulpin buried here. You know what I mean; and let me
tell you that a civil and correct answer will stand your friend, just at
this time. You have no police to fall back upon, and if I but give the
word, your lives are not worth a farthing."
"It is true, we were after the gold, but what evidence have you that we
found it?" I demanded.
"The evidence of the man who has been on your track ever since you
entered the forest--saw you remove the sack, and then saw you attempt to
escape with your plunder. Come here, Steel Spring."
The long, lank, lying wretch came at the call of his commander, and with
a gracious nod towards us, stood ready to answer any questions.
"At what time did you give the signal, Steel Spring?"
"The hinstant that I sees they had got the money. I didn't know vether
you had returned from the trip vich you vas to make, but I vas
determined to try the signal agreed upon, and to my great joy, I heard
you hanswer the first time I calls."
"And you saw them remove the sack?" demanded the chief.
"Yes, hindeed I did; and 'cos I calls to you, these fellows fires at me,
but they vas not quick enough for Steel Spring."
"You hear what my man says; you were seen to take the gold. Yield it to
us, and go, and the devil go with you, for all I care; but deprive us of
it, and to-morrow's sun shall not see you alive."
Fred, Smith, and myself held a whispered conversation for a few minutes,
and concluded that it was better to give up the money and save our
lives, and trust to chance to recover the treasure.
"Have you decided?" asked the chief, his voice growing more rough at
each moment's delay. "We have."
"Enough; lead us to the spot where it is secreted."
"You have but a few steps to go," I said, as I motioned for the
bushrangers to stand one side and allow me to approach the spot where I
had dropped the bag.
"Let him pass!" exclaimed the robber; and, obedient to his word, the
gang stepped aside, but closed in upon me, so that I had no chance to
escape, even had I been so disposed.
"You will find the gold there," I said, pointing to the spot where I had
dropped the sack.
Half a dozen arms were thrust eagerly forth, and searched amidst the
rank grass and stunted bushes. Suddenly, one of the men uttered an
exclamation and sprang back, holding aloft his hand, upon a finger of
which was fastened a deadly snake, of a pale orange hue, with a fine
ring of black around its neck.
With oaths, and cries of terror, the robbers sought to escape from the
vicinity of their companion, who, with yells such as I thought no mortal
man capable of uttering, endeavored to unfasten the firm grip of the
adder's teeth.
We could have escaped at that time, and no one would have thought of
pursuit, so busy were the gang in regarding the contortions of the
wretch, who rushed wildly back and forth, begging, cursing, and praying
in one breath.
Once I thought of starting alone, after vainly endeavoring to attract
the attention of Fred and Smith; but I considered how cowardly it would
be to desert my friends, and banished the idea, unless we could all go
together.
"Will no one save me?" shrieked the wretch, running first to one and
then another of his comrades; but as fast as he approached them, they
would retreat, and hurl imprecations at his head for seeking to bring
destruction upon themselves.
"Curse you all for a pack of cowards!" he yelled; "may you all die by
the hands of a hangman! Will no one save me? Will no one relieve me of
this cursed snake?"
"Hold your hand still, for a moment," cried Fred, suddenly starting
forward, and picking up a bowie knife, which one of the men had dropped
in his terror.
The poor fellow sought to obey, but his fright was too great; and as the
adder curled its tail over his arm, without relinquishing its hold, he
endeavored to shake it off, and succeeded so far as the tail was
concerned, but the jaws were too firmly clinched to be made to let go so
easily.
Fred's eye was quick, and his hand steady, and as the snake hung full
length, pendent from the finger, he struck at it with the knife and
severed it in two parts. The tail fell to the ground and wound itself
into knots, but the jaws did not relinquish their hold until the last
drop of blood had drained from the trunk, when, with an expiring gasp,
the teeth were unlocked, and the robber's finger was free.
Stout-hearted as the fellow undoubtedly was, he no sooner saw that the
reptile was dead than he fell to the ground in a fit. Foam issued from
his mouth, and by the light of the fire I saw that the poison was
already performing its work, and that it was mixing with his blood and
coursing through his veins with the speed of thought. His face grew
black and commenced swelling rapidly, and all the medical science in the
world would have been unable to give him an hour's life.
"Can you do any thing for him?" asked the chief, turning to us.
We replied in the negative.
"Then let him die where he is, and one of you take a torch and find the
money. Be careful; there may be more snakes in the grass."
The men obeyed the heartless speech, and forsook the writhing wretch to
look for the gold.
"There is nothing here!" they cried, in chorus.
"I put the bag there but a moment ago," I replied.
"You lie!" roared the chief; "you are deceiving us, and think to escape
with life, and pocket your stealing. I tell you, if the money is not
forthcoming, I'll hang you like dogs. Tie them up and lash them to a
tree; I will give them a short time to think the matter over."
The robbers threw themselves upon us and bound our arms, in spite of
resistance, and with an expedition that proved they were experts in the
matter; we were then fastened to trees, and taunted with our
instrumentality in destroying the gangs of Darnley and Gulpin.
Luckily, Fred and myself were fastened to the same tree, so that we
could condole with each other in our misfortunes. This was the hardest
situation in which we had ever been placed, and yet we felt no fear of
immediate death, although we knew that an injudicious word would seal
our doom without a moment's delay.
"Where can the money have gone to?" whispered Fred.
"I know not," I replied; "you saw me throw it amidst the bushes, and
yet, now, it cannot be found."
"One of the gang must have watched our movements, and, during the
confusion, moved the bag to another place."
As Fred ceased speaking, the dying man, who was lying at our feet,
raised his head, and sought to get up; the effort was unsuccessful, and,
with a groan of agony, he fell back and called in feeble tones for
water.
"Water," he cried; "for the love of mercy, give me a drink of water; I
feel as though I was burning to death. My mouth is parched, and my
tongue swollen to an unnatural size."
"Give him a drink, one of you," grunted the chief. "It's probably the
last one he will ever ask for."
"Don't say that," exclaimed the snake-bitten man, struggling to rise. "I
am not going to die just yet, I can tell you. I have not half revenged
myself upon those who injured me."
"Live, and be hanged, if you can," retorted the chief, coolly, seating
himself upon a log, and lighting his pipe; "I don't hinder you from
getting well, do I?"
"No, no. Nosey, I know that you would rather assist me," said the man,
with a faint attempt at a smile, but it was soon banished from his face,
and then he again sought to rise, but without success.
The poison was spreading swiftly through his veins, and we could almost
see his body swell, so rapidly was it bloating him. He had unbuttoned
the wristbands and collar of his shirt, for the pain was too great to
keep them fastened; and as he lay at our feet a spectacle too dreadful
to be looked upon without pity, we wished that we had the means to save
a life that had been passed regardless of laws or man.
"If one of you fellers are acquainted with a prayer or two, p'raps it
would be well to mutter it over the poor devil, so that his soul may not
be snatched by the evil one as soon as it leaves his body," said a
bushranger of grim aspect, speaking to Fred and myself.
"I will willingly do all that I can to comfort the dying man," I
replied; "but first I want my arms untied, so that I can hear his last
words."
"Well, that's only asking for a reasonable thing, and hang me if I won't
risk it," replied the grizzly robber, proceeding to untie my hands.
"Hullo," shouted the chief, "what are you about?"
"I'm going to let this feller confess Ben, 'cos I believe he's half
priest or parson, and I think it's hard if a man can't have a little
religion occasionally."
"Tie the prisoner up again," said Nosey, sternly, laying his hand
carelessly upon a pistol which was stuck in his belt.
"Shan't do any thing of the kind," replied the robber, firmly. "Old Ben
is going to die, and he wants religion before he starts. I'm not the one
to refuse him."
"Once more I tell you to make the prisoner fast to the tree," cried
Nosey, drawing the pistol and cocking it.
"Look a-here--is that your game?" demanded the humane robber; "let me
tell you that you had better put up the barker, 'cos I've got one that
can speak when it's told to."
The old bushranger drew a pistol and held it in his hand for a moment,
and then, turning to his companions, said,--
"You ain't going to see me shot 'cos I want to 'friend as good a man as
was ever transported? How do we know how soon we may want a prayer or
two to help fix things up in the other world."
"Let him have the prayers," muttered the gang, with one accord. "What
harm can they do?"
Thus backed up, the old robber, who had formerly been a sailor,
continued to unbind my hands, while Nosey replaced his pistol without
further remonstrance.
I knelt by the side of the dying man, but he was past consciousness, and
no longer appeared to heed what was going on around. His tongue had
swollen to such an extent that his jaws were open to their fullest
width, and it was impossible to close them. His eyes were set and nearly
concealed in their sockets, so rapidly had his face bloated from the
effects of the poisonous virus that was coursing through his veins.
I spoke to him, but he did not heed me, and in answer to the robbers'
questions, I predicted his speedy death. They received the news with
great coolness, and fell back to their old occupation of smoking pipes,
leaving me alone with the body.
For a few minutes I sat there endeavoring to relieve the poor fellow's
sufferings by welting his lips with water, and while I was thus engaged
I was startled by hearing a slight rustling in the bushes; I looked up,
thinking that the companion of the dead snake was about to visit us in
search of its mate, and as I did so, I caught a glimpse of the wrinkled
face of the stockman. I did not start or manifest symptoms of surprise,
for I had lived too long in a country where Indians were my nearest
neighbors to allow such an emotion to be observed. I continued my
occupation, therefore, and while I kept my eyes on the hiding-place of
the convict, I did not neglect to note the movements of the bushrangers,
who were grouped around the fire, and wholly unsuspicious of the
presence of their most deadly enemy.
"Hist!" said the stockman, after successfully imitating the singing of a
cricket to attract my attention.
I turned my head towards him, but I still pretended to be busy attending
to the wants of the dying man.
"Cut Smith and your friend loose, and then stand ready to aid us in
striking a blow. Be cautious, and not a word."
I was left in wonder, for the head disappeared so quietly, it was only
by a slight rustling of dried leaves that I knew the stockman was
working his form through the bushes to rejoin whomever he had enlisted
to assist him.
I puzzled my head for a few minutes, trying to think who was near at
hand, but it was in vain; and I at length concluded that a passing train
of miners had volunteered, under a promise of a large reward, which now
I had not the means of paying. I tried to invent excuses for the purpose
of approaching Fred, and at length I hit upon a plan.
"I think," I said, speaking to the old sailor, "that I might relieve the
man's sufferings were I to bleed him."
"Go ahead, then, matey," he answered, with a nod of his head.
"Let me see," I said, feeling in my pockets; "I believe that my friend
has my lancet. Will you get it, or shall I?"
"Get it," he replied, mechanically, not even taking his pipe from his
mouth to answer.
I had carefully secreted a knife which I had found upon the person of
the bushranger, and with it I cut Fred's bonds, whispering words of
caution as I did so.
"I haven't got the lancet," cried Fred, with a sudden shake, as though
to prevent me from searching his pockets. "You know that I gave it to
Smith."
"I'm sure that you didn't," Smith said, surprised at Fred's assertion.
Before he could utter further remonstrance I had severed his bonds and
repeated my words of caution.
"Are you ready?" I heard a voice whisper close behind me.
I glanced to the spot where the rifles were lying, and then surveyed the
bushrangers, as they lay stretched out before the fire, perfectly
unconscious that we were plotting their destruction.
"All ready," I responded, making a signal to Fred to be on the alert.
"Stoop down a little," was the whispered injunction. I obeyed the order,
and no sooner did I bow my head than the bushes appeared to be
illuminated with a sheet of flame. A roar of musketry that seemed to
shake the forest followed the flash, and over my head I could hear the
bullets whiz as they sped on their errand of death.