The Gold Hunters' Adventures Part 20

The villain looked from one face to the other, as though he was almost resolved to evade the question; but receiving no encouragement from the scowling countenances which he encountered, replied,--

"There's twelve of us."

"Who's your leader?" he demanded.

"Jim Gulpin."

"As big a scamp as ever went unhanged!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Smith; "I have heard of his tricks, before."

"What is your object, in attacking the stock-hut?"

"To recover the gold which was stolen from Darnley, and also to revenge his loss."

"And you expect to succeed?" demanded Fred, ironically.

The bushranger made no reply, and as we had got all the information that we expected, and had other work in view, we gagged him, and had just secured the wretch, when a low growl from the hound attracted our attention.

"If this is the leader," whispered Smith, "you had better let me have a clip at him first, as he is a man of great strength, and a regular dare-devil!"

"You may pin his arms, while Jack looks out for his feet," replied Fred.

"I understand," answered Smith, and we fell back into the darkest shade of the bushes, as Jim came in sight.

He walked with a hasty step towards the spot where his companions were drinking, and we knew that they must be getting drunk quite fast, for more than once had we heard their voices mingled with oaths and execrations.

We stole after him, following on tiptoe to prevent our steps from being audible, and at a given signal, threw ourselves upon his burly form.

Although taken by surprise, he readily shook us off and gained his liberty. Once did he free one of his arms from Smith's embrace, and brought it down upon that unfortunate man's head with a clang that sounded as though he had fractured his skull; the stout-hearted Englishman only clung the closer.

Once the bushranger, by his desperate struggles, freed his neck from Fred's vice-like compression; but instead of using his voice in calling for help, as a more cowardly man would have done, he uttered fierce invectives and expressions of defiance.

We bore him to the earth and closed his mouth, and threatened with steel, but he still defied us; and not until his limbs were securely bound, and a piece of Smith's flannel shirt was thrust into his mouth, and the hound standing over him, expressing, by his deep growls, the most intense desire to taste the robber's flesh, did he become calm and submit to his fate with resignation.

"Curse you," muttered Smith, "what have you done with my goods?"

"Never mind the goods now, Smith," said Fred. "We shall find them all, I think, when we capture the gang. Do you take care of the prisoners, and above all things, keep them quiet. Jack and myself will take a near survey of the rest of the robbers, and then return."

"I'll keep them quiet--never fear," replied Smith, and he glanced towards his long knife in an unmistakable manner.

We followed the edge of the stream along for a few rods--each step bringing us nearer the voices which we had heard while lying in ambush; and although the bushrangers were sensible enough not to build a fire to reveal their location, yet the clamor which they raised while drinking from Smith's cherished keg of rum, was sufficient to lead a party to their seclusion without fear of being discovered.

We skulked behind a clump of bushes, and for a few minutes listened to the conversation. Oaths, robbery, and murder were themes as common on their lips as prayers from a minister desirous of getting an increase of salary.

"We have heard enough of this, Fred," I said. "Let us return, bring up Murden and his party, and take the villains alive."

"Agreed," cried my companion; and retracing our steps, we were once more by the side of Smith, who sat, in company with the hound, watching his two prisoners with great diligence.

"Your keg of rum is a blessing, Smith," I said. "The bushrangers are taking to it finely, and in an hour's time they will be unconsciously drunk."

"We are now going to join Murden and his policemen, and bring them up for the purpose of capturing the remainder of the gang."

"Good--I'll wait here with these two, and give a good account of them when you return. Let me keep the dog," he said, as the hound rose to follow us.

I spoke a few words to the animal, and he quietly returned to the chief bushranger, and laid down by his side with a brilliant show of teeth.

There had not been a shot fired from the hut for more than half an hour.

The inmates were evidently puzzled at the silence of those on the outside, and as the gang were too busy getting drunk to attend to business, it was not probable that another attempt would be made before our return.

Ten minutes' brisk travelling brought us in sight of Murden's force.

They were on the alert, for we were challenged as we drew near, but were received joyfully by the officer and his men. They suspected, from the sudden ceasing of the guns, that we had been surprised; and it was with the utmost astonishment that they listened to an account of the capture of the two men.

"We will lose no time," cried the lieutenant "Mount, men, and proceed."

As we trotted towards the hut, Fred suggested to give those on the inside an intimation of our presence, and as they would be likely to recognize the voice of their officer sooner than any body else, Murden rode to the door, dismounted, and rapping, spoke to his men in tones they well knew.

The bars were removed cautiously, but when convinced that their officer was speaking, the men were overjoyed. They rushed out to be congratulated by their comrades, and tell the short story of their siege. But there was no time to lose, if we desired to capture the bushrangers; so, leaving the horses in charge of one man, we joined Smith, and finding that his prisoners were safe, left them in charge of the dog, and then walked rapidly in the direction of the gang, still swilling from the rum keg.

They did not suspect our presence, although we heard a number of calls for their chief, and a few drunken surmises as to the reason of his long absence; and in the midst of their discussion, the loud voice of Murden rang out,--

"Surrender, villains, you are surrounded!"

We could hear them start to their feet, and search for their guns, and then whisper together; and then a deep-toned voice exclaimed,--

"Who asks us to surrender?"

"The police of Melbourne!" cried Murden.

"Curse the police of Melbourne! Come, my hearties, let's give it to the fools!"

An irregular discharge of half a dozen muskets followed his words, and a man at my side was struck down, and wounded terribly. He was shot through the heart, and died instantly.

Their firing revealed their position, and we saw that they were determined to rush to close quarters, and try the odds, drunk as they were. Murden no longer hesitated.

"Give them a volley, my men," he cried; and the police, enraged at the loss of a comrade, poured in a murderous discharge from their carbines.

Yells and imprecations followed, and loud above the groans we could hear one or two shouting that they would surrender, and begging the police not to fire again. Murden granted their prayer, and when daylight made its appearance, the dead bodies of four bushrangers, and three mortally wounded, were lying by that quiet stream, the waters of which received their blood, and bore it to the ocean.

CHAPTER XII.

DISCOVERY OF A MASONIC RING.--FUNERAL PYRE OF BLACK DARNLEY.

Knowing the treacherous character of the bushrangers, Murden would not allow one of his men to venture to the a.s.sistance of the wounded robbers. He formed a circle around them, and with carbines on the c.o.c.k, his force waited until daylight before relieving their wants.

In vain Fred and myself offered to venture among the wounded, and take to them water. Murden would not listen to the proposal for a moment; not that he was naturally hard-hearted, but he knew the men whom he had to deal with better' than ourselves; and he imagined that we should get a few inches of cold steel for our charity.