Old Melbourne Memories

ntleman, since an officer of high rank in the volunteer force, had lately come from Tasmania, whence he brought some valuable blood mares, with which he founded

from time immemorial a great hunting-ground and rendezvous for the surrounding tribes. It was no doubt eminently fitted for such a pur

ne by. Whether they could not bear to surrender to the white man these cherished solitudes, or whether it was the shortsighted, childish anxiety to possess our goods and chattels, ca

idently was in all our minds, as we rode straight for the place, and forced our horses between the thick-growing, slender, feathery points. In the centre, amid the tall tussac grass, lay the yellow heifer with the white flank, stone dead. A spear-hole was visible beneath the back ribs. Exactly on the corresponding portion of the other side was another, proving that, strange as it may seem, a spear

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ttlers from the highly unclassical shape of the facial appendage. He was known to be a restless, malevolent savage. Again on the war trail next morning, we tried beating up and down among the paths by which the cattle went to water, at the lower portion of the great marsh. It may be ex

Here they've been back and forward, and pretty thick too," he said, getting

nd running too. Look at thim deep tracks. The

cows and calves, heading now in this direction, now in that. Presently half of a broken spear was picked up. We followed the track to a thick brake of

ere's the mark of the side of him in the mud. They've cut him up and carried him away into the Rocks, bit by bit-hi

tered animal. Further we could not follow them, as the lava downs were at this spot too rough for horses, and we might also have been taken a

. They could watch our movements, and from time to time make sorties from the Rocks, and attack our homesteads or cut us off in detail. In the winter season much of the forest land became so deep and boggy that, even on horseback, if surprised and overmatched in numbers, there would be very little chance of getting away. By

manner. Shooting blacks, except in manifest self-defence, had been always held t

Queen's writ, as in certain historic portions of the west of Ireland, did not run in those parts. Like all guerillas, moreover, their act of outrag

ly on guard. The Children of the Rocks were occasionally

pherd maltreated. These young sheep were worth nearly two pounds per head, besides being impossible to replace. Mr. Cox told me himself

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ng personal attachment for Mr. Cox. Like most of his race, he had the true bloodhound faculty when a man-hunt was in question.

ng Sou'wester's piercing eye discovered signs of their havin

re making for the lake, which was

were gaining upon the robbers. And shortly too sure an indicati

me upon about a hundred young sheep, which had been left beh

eg of one of the helpless brutes, showed

tive of locomotion; to insure their being in the same place

fterwards, "as when I saw the poor things turn up their eye

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They opened fire upon the tolerably large body of b

sitation in this instance. I never remember having the feeling that I could not miss so strong in me-except in snipe-

lack, wounded to death, hastened his own end by dragging out his entrails, meanwhile praising up the weapons of the white man as

s occasion; but most of the others saved th

eson and Major Learmonth-then unknown to martial fame-went out to dispute title. The scene was in a reed-brake-the opposing force numerous. Spears began to dro

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rough straw hat alone saving his brain. The blood rus

A little faltering

spear, and under cover of this surprise he and Robert Jami

plenty." With this thoughtful admonition from his only surviving male relative I did not trouble myself to comply, though it occurred to me subsequently that it was founded upon a correct analysis of boy natu

fires at the black camp in the Rocks. We could generally see their fires in the distance at night, and could judge of the direction of t

usual appeared to be going on. The dogs, too, were uneasy, and

and roastin' away at shins of beef and the hoighth of good livin', as they have now, they'll think we're afraid, and there'll be no houldin' them. Ye might get the

em in the act, and know for certain what blacks they are, before I take the law into my own hands. As to driving them away from

he old man, sullenly. He li

distance into the darkness. The night was of a pitchy Egyptian darkness, in which naught was visible a hand's breadth before one. Once we heard a low murmur as of cautious voices, but it ceased. Suddenly the black boy, Tommy, who had crept a[Pg 72] few

eparating so that we surrounded the hut on three sides of a fron

erious sounds of the desert"; the chance of a rush of the wild warriors, who, if unchecked at the onset, would obliterate our s

. I happened to be away with Old Tom on a journey which took us more than a week. When I returned, "wonderful ashes had fallen on our heads," as Hadji Baba phrases it. Our homestead had been surprised and taken by the enemy. They had held possession of the hut for an hour or more, and cleared it of all that they regarded as valuable. Blood had not[Pg 73] been spilled, but "it was God's mercy," Mrs. Burge said, "th