In this chapter, and one or more following ones, I propose to relate the doings of three gangs of desperadoes, who, after alternate intervals of hard work and deep drinking bouts, thought to adopt with more impunity than was allowed them a course of plunder on the scattered stations newly settled, when there was only a small and recently established police force, whom they esteemed lightly as inexperienced ; and they were also emboldened by the deplorable state of disunion amongst the Government officials, which had been notorious for some time previous.

I first remark that after Magee had been punished with death, and his mates with transportation for life, it in a short time became apparent that such severe examples had lost their effect, especially on the following parties : — First Green and Wilson commenced their career by stealing horses ; then Curran, Hughes, and Fox started in the most fool-hardy manner on their short course of bushranging ; next Storey and his juvenile gang, known as the black-faced robbers, in their petty depredations. I first encountered Storey in going with him after planted horses. All these men found to their sorrow speedy and efficient police control.

I begin with Curran, Hughes, and Fox, as they were the first caught and summarily dealt with. These men started on their expedition in the neighborhood of Gawler Town, in which part of the country they had been at work. The first action in their new or renewed pursuit was a visit to the hut of a Mr. Pfender, five miles from Gawler Town ; and finding the wife only at home, they stuck her up as they said for drink. This establishment was a sly grog shop. After supplying themselves to their hearts' content, they next demanded money of her. To this she demurred most resolutely, and as she had by some means managed to escape and get outside the hut, they fired at her, but did not wound her. They then immediately departed.

Information was quickly given to a policeman in the small settlement then at Gawler Town, and a mounted trooper started during the night to warn people on the few detached stations in the neighborhood, and to put them on their guard. Amongst others he called at Captain Walker's sheep station, not more than three miles from Pfender's residence. Mr. M—— was then in charge as manager, and from him I obtained the following particulars : —

''About 4 a.m. I and the three men, all of them ex-convicts, were aroused by a trooper calling us up to inform us that armed bush-rangers were in the neighborhood, who had the previous evening attacked and robbed Pfender's hut, and had fired at his wife. They desired us to be on our guard. I accordingly set a watch until daylight, and made myself as easy as possible. At sun-rise the two flocks were sent out, the bul-lock driver (the third man) also left the hut on his duties, and I was left alone, but I was not favored with any visitors during their absence. At 10 o'clock, or thereabouts, the three men returned as usual to breakfast, the sheep being left coiling. I observed three other men also with them, named Curran, Hughes, and Fox. I did not take much notice of them, as they had frequently called as they passed to their work, but I observed they had guns in their hands. Even this did not strike me as anything unusual. Shortly after their arrival one of them, Curran, walked into my apartment and seated himself without ceremony. He had still his piece in his land. He commenced the conversation by asking me if they could have tucker, to which I replied they could when the men's breakfast was ready. He said ''Oh ! but we must have something for the road as well.''

I now perceived the other men, one at the door of my room and the other at the window, and that they also had their arms in their hands ; and now the eyes were opened as to their characters and business, and I felt my position as stuck up in a civil sort of way, so I asked Curran, in answer to his demand, if they had taken to the bush. He said ''Yes,'' in a very cool and indifferent manner.

I then said, ''Why have you done this ?'' He answered, ''It is all through the cursed drink.'' Then I asked, ''Well, what do you want of me? I will give you nothing ; what you get here you must take yourself.'' "Well, we do not want much, to begin with, where is the damper ?" I pointed to a large one on the shelf, which he took down and said, 'Is that all you have got?' I said, 'All that is ready baked.' Well, I won't take it all,' and then he cut it in half, and put one part in a bag.

Then he demanded tea and sugar, and took part of my stock, and asked for meat. I said there was none cooked, but some in the pot boiling. ' Well, we will wait till it is done' During this time they took caps, powder, and shot, half of what I had ; so that under the circumstances forbearance and generosity marked their conduct, for they, as conquerors by the customs of war, had acquired the plunder. Their conduct was the more surprising as to their coolness, and the little haste they showed as my men must have told them of the visit of the police, and that a hue and cry had been raised some hours before their arrival.

However, they patiently waited till the meat was ready for them to bag the same, and then they produced a bottle of brandy, and insisted on all hands taking a drain as a parting compliment, and so departed ; before which I said to Curran, 'You have told me that drink has brought you to this and why do you carry it about with you, as your continued indulgence will be likely to bring you into the hands of the police, and to punishment ?'

Curran then threw the empty bottle away, saying, 'There, that is the last b—— drop we will get,' and then broke out in violent threats against several settlers, especially against Captain Hall, who had a station near us.

Before this I had noticed Fox to be quiet, soft-looking, and half-hearted in the work. I spoke to him aside, and urged him to give his bad companions the slip as soon as possible. This he promised me he would do. They left peaceably, and wished me good morning. '

"When they had disappeared, I called the men in, and asked how it happened these fellows had come in with them. They excused themselves by saying, 'They joined us when we were out in the bush as we were about to return to breakfast, and admitted to us that they had turned out. On which we exacted from them promises that they would not take more than what they wanted to carry them on with, nor injure any one on the station, or do any mischief, but confine themselves to what they required for the road.'

They must have been surprised at my manner towards them on their first arrival, as they would naturally think I would be down on them, as they say, from the warning I had received from the police. After they had left I sent as quickly as possible to Gawler Town information how I had been interviewed ; but then this was by the hands of a man who, although in our employment, was one of the same class as the bushrangers ; or, as they say, one who had 'been in trouble,' so that he would not be likely to hurry himself.'

It will be seen in the course of this narrative how exactly and speedily Mr. M—— 's warning prediction to these men came to pass, and how soon two of them suffered the extreme penalty of the law. The picture this chapter gives is without exaggeration, conveys to readers who have followed us and to others some idea of what risks and trying circumstances those of us had to endure who had undertaken to form out-settlements, and what cool courage and tact were often required to be exhibited by pioneers. It may be asserted that if Mr. M—— had not commanded the respect and good will of the men under him how extremely probable it would have been that they would have merely absented themselves, and have left the depredators at liberty to sack the hut and to maltreat their overseer. Many may disapprove of their conduct in acting as neutrals on such an occasion, and it may be only those who have been placed in similar difficulties who will be able to appreciate such half-and-half protection as these men adopted; but it must be remembered that had they acted in a more decided manner, they would have been 'bailed, up' themselves as the term is, i.e. tied up to trees and the manager would then have been at the mercy of desperate men excited by resistance, and left without the presence of even friendly neutrals.

From my own extended experience of such characters I believe that human beings, however low they may have descended in sin and crime, have yet a soft spot in their hearts, however small, which may be worked upon when reason has not been lost by drink or a calamitous visitation. As I was the last person who fell into the hands of these our first bushrangers, and was to some extent the means of their arrest, I will continue the narrative with my own experience in their short detention of me.

Their career was a brief one in this their last outbreak. Some hours after leaving Captain Walker's sheep station four mounted policemen were sent in pursuit of them, but did not succeed in capturing them although so close on their heels. The bushrangers next appeared in the neighborhood of Mount Crawford at a temporary station, where a Mr. Crawford with cattle overland had settled. It so happened that I started from Adelaide a day or two after the bushrangers commenced this tour. I was on the look out for a suitable country for sheep.

On calling at the Crawford's hut I found a man in charge — an old soldier, who had a little before been in my employment as hutkeeper. He surprised me with the information that the night before his hut had been stuck up by three armed men, that they took firearms, ammunition, and rations, and had greatly alarmed him, as he was all alone ; that they stopped for the night, and he pointed out the direction they had taken in leaving that morning.

As I had not heard of their doings in the neighborhood of Gawler Town, I did not know what to make of this information. He pointed to a large gum tree about 100 yards from the hut, and told me they practised their pieces on it, attempting to hit that mark, but, said he, they were poor shots, making more misses than hits.

The following morning, in riding a few miles towards the flats of Mount Barker I came across four troopers, who were sitting down allowing their horses to have a feed. From them I heard they were out in search of three armed bushrangers, who had attacked two stations near Gawler Town, and that a reward of two hundred pounds was offered for their apprehension. They were much surprised at my information when I told them what I had heard such a few miles away at Mount Crawford. I also told them, by what the old soldier told me, I thought they had taken to the overland track, i.e., gone easterly. To this they replied they were acting under orders, and must confine themselves to the course pointed out to them. By this, I suppose they were ordered to patrol from station to station a few miles around Gawler Town, in consequence of the threats used by Curran to Mr. M——.

I then continued on my own course south through the Mount Barker district to my cattle station, and remained two nights there, and was busy in mustering cattle. I afterwards returned towards Adelaide, and about 3 p.m. reached Crafer's old bush pub., intending to refresh myself and feed my horse, as I had been out him four days, and had ridden many hours on a day. As I approached the slab hut I saw a great bustle about the place ; but this was not unusual, as a number of splitters and sawyers employed in this part of the Tiers were in the habit of frequenting that place to knock down, as they called it, their hard-earned cheques — working like horses, and spending like asses.

I alighted at the stable-door, close to the hut, and drove my tired cob into the stable, calling for the ostler. As no ostler appeared, I pushed my way through the crowded tap-room and bar, all in one, and with some trouble, entered the private room. On turning round to give my orders, I saw standing at the door of the room a big fellow with a horse pistol in his hand, which he presented at me and said, 'Here is another b——— jimmy ; I'll walk into him. I then heard a voice which I knew to be Black Dick's, a well-known splitter, from whom I had bought much timber, say, 'Let him alone; he's all right.' He carries no blunt with him ; he is just in from the bush.'

I now found I had stepped into a lion's den, and that these were the veritable bush-rangers, whose path I had crossed two days before, now drawn back by the temptation of drink to what proved to be their fatal last carouse. I, however, put the best face I could on the position I found myself in, and said in as jolly a manner as I could command, 'None of your gammon, young man ; Mrs. Crafer, send me in bread and cheese and brandy and water, and send Hardyman, the ostler, to feed my horse.'

I could now see one of the men (Hughes) breaking open a brandy case, and that the landlady and the ostler were bailed up behind the counter in charge of Fox, with a gun in his hand, I shall never for-get the terror stricken faces of the prisoners, both as silent as death. Now a scuffle occurred, and I saw a man bolt out and run past the window and heard a shot fired. Curran, who had bailed up and threatened me, had another prisoner bailed up in the corner of the tap-room out of my sight, who observing Curran's attention taken off himself, took advantage to make a rush out of the door with Curran after him.

I have since been told that one of the tiersmen pushed Curran's arm on one side, thereby probably saving the escaping man's life, as they were so few yards apart. I now saw my chance, and pushed instantly my way through the half-drunken crowd, who were enjoying the treat the bushrangers were affording them with stolen goods.

On reaching the stable-door I fortunately found my cob coming out ready for me, as he had found no provender. I sprang on his back and had not time to recover my stirrups, but stuck my spurs into his sides, when Curran returning from the chase, met me and grabbed, intending to unhorse me. I struck him on the head with the heavy loaded handle of my stockwhip and felled him to the ground. At this time he, as well as all hands, were about half drunk.

I then pushed my horse as fast as he could carry me towards town, feeling as I mounted the rise a shot might follow me. When I had ridden about half way I met Crafer the landlord on a fast horse. I told him what was going on, and that the bush-rangers were treating themselves and the houseful of tiersmen to the best in his house, and that his wife and servants were bailed up. I urged him to return for the police, and that he was welcome to the reward, as I was sufficiently thankful I had escaped out of their hands unharmed, except by the loss of my lunch.

He took my advice ; as he said to me "What good can I do unarmed against three armed men and all their friends, whom they have been treating with my stuff ?" My pace was necessarily slow, and he was mounted on a remarkably fast horse.

Before I reached town I met Crafer, with a party of mounted police at full gallop, who found the three men helplessly drunk, and the handcuffs were put on them without a struggle. On the following morning they were conveyed to Adelaide, and the Police Magistrate committed on a capital charge for trial to the Supreme Court.

I must reserve for another chapter the finish of them. Here I may mention that on meeting the police I renewed my declaration that I should not put in any claim on the reward, and stipulated that I should not be called on to give evidence against them unless such should be absolutely required. Prudence dictated this course, as in the pursuit of my business I was so much exposed to danger from that class of men ; but I was present at their trial, and was not called on.