| Show GOOD STORIES av THE PRESENT DAY held for ransom by australian bush kaugers rau gers yew york sun wa bad been out from melbourne two day purveying pu rueying toward the new town of il limy city on the marray river and wo were only two miles from a post flatten where a guard of mounted police had their headquarters when the the stage or wagon suddenly brought hiis tiis horses to a dead atop this was in the days of thirty veara ago before any part of australia wag half by the english and island had been more than half surveyed there ipaty of haunting every I 1 ighel y ge was usually accompanied by a guadi in our cire five of us had put together and lifred a private conveyance it was one of the usual etael but made a special crip tor our benefit of the five three were going up the valley of the murray ti locate land the fourth wai an lean who bail been in the country tao years and I 1 bad lanaud in melbourne only the week before my om pariot wa named DA via a and he had his only child along a bright little girl of eight years old he was going op to sheep ranch in partnership with a friend already fettled and he could not bear to leave bis child behind him in alie town the five of ua were well armed and every boor educe melbourne we had been reidy to defend hiir nelves As we bad met to alarm w thus tar and as we knew we were close upon a station no one vas prepared for what happened the atae bad no sooner stopped than two men came ap on a side covered us with revolvers and a kraft voice announced now then the first move and off boea your beairl step ont here one by one 1 I 1 v aa the elret one out it was just at sundown and on a portion of the road between two ridges the two men on that sido were rough unkempt desperate looking fellows fair samples of the other two and the instant I 1 saw them I 1 knew that we were in for trouble when we were all out they ordered the driver to turn into a blind rood to the right and we followed after the wagon As we were ordered to follow the vehicle the leader of the gang raid cowl the four of got our pistols looking right amyel after going thirty rods we were as well bidden from alia highway M if wo biad gone ten miles and were brought to halt in a little glade As there were five to four you may wonder that we did not make a break the first man who ha 1 moved to pull liia revolver would have ben shot in the back davia could not have apen counted on anyhow as hia anxiety for bis child t ok all the ficht out of libin the driver if not in league eiith the rangers wai at least treated aa neutral while he was armed he took matters BO coolly that we saw he was out of the scrape tha five of us were placed in a row and three men stood behind us the fourth disarmed us and went through our pockets we were ft poverty crowd the 30 they took from me constituted my worldly wealth while davis and the others bad been too sharp to trust their money to a stae unguarded the whole amount dad not pan out over and the bush rangers were furious why you bloody bloke I 1 the leader yon alone ought to have at least faw with you 1 do you im carrying carry iny my money about the country tor each as you protested the hotheaded hot headed victim im a yon got a blasted penni 1 added the second the idea of it all be hung for this 1 growled the third davia and I 1 hal nothing to ay we bee that the case could be helped by protestations the word of the englishmen provoked our cap to a white beat aad they were knocked about unmercifully for the next hie minutes then the leader speaking to lie two of aked you are not english no americans 1 I thought BO where ye bound for wo gave him our destinations well were a bit sorry to take money small as it la and BO delay your journey but weve got tado both theae three coves Is rich and we aint going to let them off with where we ought to have pounds while we were held under guard one 0 the men to thed nyer and held consultation with him and the result was that be his team about and disappeared in the direction of the highway we were lin ordered ti p in a northerly course through the scrub 0 ie m n leading and the othera rear not a word had been adress d to little eva by any of the men al though nil bad looked at hi r with softened slie realized what w as going on but w ent through it bravely and when we started through the scrub her father carried her on ilia we traveled for ell or seven miles beare hailing and then came upon a camp fire with a fifth sleeping acs de it he wag rudely awakened and I 1 then baw that ho had his arm in a slice haine been wounded are meeting with an accident the camp was a thicket with a temporary shelter of bruse to sleep under the fie of ns were ordered to bit dow n under this shelter and then every mans fed w ere tied together at the ankles and a guard took a seat before m then the lire was replenished and the huala eare us such a supper aa aliey could allard which consisted solely 0 roast mut on and a flour cake baked in the ashe when we biad eaten this and hern offered a drink of water all around the leader sat down before us and said now gents business is business the w orld over we ha e got to have money we want it to convert these eie natives the error of their ways and it will take a heap to do it you first ant who was so ready with your tongue bow are you worth its cone 0 yer blasted business you scoundrel you was the hearty reply well not bein as you is so poverty ill put you down for only now you second gent 1 I could raise if in mel bearre that means tor you then lie a t alf or more now you third gent ill see you hanged for this days work was the reply aebie Me bie you will but not until after I 1 sees byoir money you also go down for now the fouch gent youve got my last dollar I 1 replied 1 I landed in melbourne only a week ago bad for all of us but I 1 prees you tell the truth now you nath cent 1 I pis siby raise 5 it no at the rani h replied davis but that would be all I 1 am poor and just makin a start Is that your little gal yes wheres the mother dead too bad the cals name eva mighty sweet say gal come and kiss ae she went over to him and kissed his bronzed and bearded cheek w ith out the slightest hesitation and he held her for a moment and looked her over and said sweet as honey I 1 I 1 hurt you for all the gold in the biz world ache was allowed to return to her ti her and the leader then said we shall hold you three peppery gents until you raise lor us and as these americans liht give the alarm we shall be obliged to hold them as well sorry to do it but s is business and it we dont look out for ourselves no one wilt each one of the englishmen swore by all hat was good and giet hat hed never pay a cent but the buli rangers only laughed at their words at a late hour we were ordred ord red to go to sleep and thing I 1 before my eyes cload was the guard exiting on a rock at my feet the night passed kniely and as soon M uj had breakfasted in the morning the leader took pen ink and paper from a buiu lo 10 ile englishmen now then heres the chance to write to your friends to raise and ill ree that the letter reaches them each one of the three refused point blank to make any attempt to raise money although it was plain they had a desperate lot to deal with and that they would buffer tor their obstinacy st well some other day will do just as well laughed the fehder but I 1 want it understood that each day of delav adds to the ransom we were then untied given a few minutes to get over our stiffness of limb and then we all set off over a rugged scrubby country toward a range of hills we traveled steadily until noon and alien came to a very secure stronghold among the hills by placing u in a natural enclosure of about an eighth of an acre w e were surrounded rounded eur by rocky walls on three sides aud on the fourth the bush rangers built their fire and made their camp As we were penned in here the chief of the bush rangers an bounced to the englishmen that be would give thena two days in which to make their minds to send for the money if alwy held out at the end of that time be would take bis own measures to extort the dwey one of the englishmen wai a large landowner in australia another was a civil officer at melbourne the third wa from england and was in bendine to manufactory of some sort at melbourne or sydney bavis and I 1 both labored with them to make tarm realize the situation but they were pigheaded pig headed and obstinate de that it wai all a bluff and that the would not dare proceed to extremes wa believed differently they were escaped convicts each one outlawed and a more villainous gang one aber looked at |
