The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly GangHare, Francis Augustus
History
The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly Gang
Hare, Francis Augustus
Brigands and robbers -- Australia; Kelly, Ned, 1855-1880
We mounted our horses and found that what he had stated was perfectly
correct. Aaron then said, "We are awfully late, we must hurry on to
Mrs. Byrne's house," and we again followed him in the same order as
before. He commenced to go down a fearfully steep range. I said not a
word but followed him, until he pulled up and said, "I am afraid to go
down here to-night, it is so very dark." I said, "Is there no other way
you can get down?" He replied, "Only by going a mile round." He said,
"Be careful not to move from your saddle, for this is a terribly steep
range, and if you attempt to get off you will roll down some hundreds
of feet." He told me to get off the horse on the off side, he doing the
same himself, and the detective also. We then led our horses round and
got down another gap in the mountains. After riding about a mile Aaron
told us that we had better dismount and tie our horses to a tree, and
walk down to the spot he would take us to.
We did so, and we followed him down the ranges until we came to a
house, which turned out to be Mrs. Byrne's, the mother of the outlaw
Joe Byrne. Here also, as in Power's case, we met some watch-dogs in the
shape of a flock of geese, and they did give the alarm, and no mistake.
However, after a short time, Aaron crawled up to the house, so as to
ascertain if there was any one talking inside. Everything was quiet,
there was a candle burning. He returned and said, "They expect them
to-night. You see, they have left the candle burning, and some supper
ready on the table." He then said, "Let us go up to a clump of trees
at the back of the house, where they generally tie up their horses."
I had previously been told by another agent of this clump of trees,
where marks of horses having been tied up were to be seen. Aaron said
to me, "Go into that clump. They often tie up their horses there, and
lay down beside them and have a sleep, after having their supper at
Mrs. Byrne's." I walked into the clump, but found no horses there,
and returned to Aaron. Aaron then said, "We must now wait in this
stock-yard, which leads up to the clump. If they come they will come
through here." It was then about two o'clock in the morning. We sat
down and waited until daylight, and then, nothing happening, we started
back to our horses, reaching Beechworth at eight o'clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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