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CHRISTMAS, 1902
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The Bushranger's Gift.
Christmas in Australia.
It is bard for us dwellers In tho
north to realizo what Christmas
weather is in tho antipodes. Hot and
dusty and dispiriting, It would seom
there could be littlo thought of re
Jolcing at such n season, but the fes
tival spirit was strong in the race
which fashioned far-off Australia into
a great country, and it will not bo
robbed of Its traditional merrymaking.
Such a merrymaking had been
planned at tho farm of John Wickham,
near what is now tho city of .Victoria,
but then (in 1842) a lonely sheep-herd
er's home, for in February, Mllly,
Wickhani's daughter, was to marry
Frank Goodwin, a rider on tho adjoin
ing farm, though many miles away,
and Frank was to spend -tho week
with them.
Naturally tho girl had been looking
forward Impatiently to this visit of her
lover. Distances In those days were
Immense, and the only means of travel
was the horse, so that the young peo
ple did not aco each other very often,
and Mllly wa3 almost counting tho
hours that must olapso before his ar
rival. On Christmas eve sho stood In the
twilight at tho door of tho rude house,
and watched anxiously for Frank's
coming. Ha was late, for .she, had jx;
.pected him since the morning, and
these were tho daj3 of the-bushrangers.
If Frank had been, waylaid by
them, she thought, with a shudder,
there would be little merrymaking for
her.
Milly stood there for some time,
shading her eyes with her hand and
peering In tho direction from which
sho expected her lover to appear. The
sound of fast-falling hoofs rapidly
ncarlng her caused an expression of
Joy to cross her face, still mingled
with a little anxiety, for Frank had
not given tho joyful "Coo-ee!" which
he always soundod at the same, dis
tance, and hor heart mlsgavo her that
the fast-coming rider could not be him,
but a casual stranger.
Rapidly tho horse drew nearer, tak
ing shape In the darkness, and still no
joyful hail from tho rider. Alarmed,
she hastily sounded tho well-known
call. ,No answer! Then with a mad
r-ush which told of his terror, the horse
his horse rushed past her and
stood trembling In tho yard, to which
his Instinct had brought him for sare
ty, and Mllly saw that the saddle was
empty!
Quickly calling to her father Inside
tho house, sho hastened to calm tho
terrified horse, and lead him to tho
door. Tho light from the lantern held
by her father showed her what sho
had feared to see tho saddle wet with
blood.
No accident with which the rider
might have met could account for that
dark stain, and tho terror displayed by
the horse was proof positlvo that a
tragedy had been enacted. The ono
question now In MUly's mind was
whether there was yet time to help
her lover. He might be dying on tho
trail, or as bad, or worse a helpless
prisoner la the hands of the bush
rangers. Her mind was mado up instantly.
Without a thought of the danger she
faced, or stopping to answer her fath
er's call to her to wait, she sprang on
the back of tho horse, which know hor
well, and turned hU head In tho direc
tion of tho bush, where sho know her
lover was either dead or In the hands
of the rangers.
What she meant to do she hardly
knew. Fear she felt none, and the
wild ride and the thought of what she
might meet stirred her blood to mad
ness. A few minutes of fierce gallop
ing and sho realized that In her haste
she might pass the object of her
uearch If ho had been wounded and
fallen from his horse, though she felt
Buro tho faithful beast would not
have deserted his master, and that her
lover must be a prisoner.
Checking tho speed of her horse, sho
rode along for some time, scanning
with, sharp eyes every spot on the
"
SUPPLEMENT
M
ALLIANCE,
trail, and peering anxiously on each
side, dreading to see what might meet
her gaze, but ready for anything that
would end tho suspense. Several
times dark patches of rank grass took
tho shape of tho object of her search,
and after each Blight pauBO sho rode
on with her heart alternately lighter
and heavier lighter because tho sus
picious looking object was not the
body of her Frank, and heavier as she
realized that each stop into tho bush
carried hor Into danger from tho out
laws who had their hiding places there
and It was In one of these sho well
knew sho would find hor lover, If, in
deed, she was fortunate enough to find
him at all.
Riding at an easy canter, Mllly was
well Into tho "bush" when tho gleam
of a light from a camp firo shone be
fore her. Fitfully it showed, as if In
a gully or among rocks, and on tho
soft grasff she drew closer without dls-
covery. Suddenly sho was sharply
challenged, and a startled sentry fired
point blank at her, but tho surprise
spoiled his aim.
At onco Mllly urged her horse over
the edge of a small gully, and with the
spring landed In safety among a group
of men lying at ease around a camp
Are.
Though surprised, the bandits wcro
on their feet with ready guns In an In
stant, Seeing only the unarmed girl
on the panting horse, the leader sharp
ly called to bis followers not to shoot,
and stood gazing at the silent figure.
MUly's eye went rapidly round the
camp she had no thought of danger
to herself and sho saw with joy, be-
a . mi , I, i t t gyV , . , , i i I, ni,i i iiiim'.., ii m . afyw
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TO THJB ALLIANCE HERALD
NEBRASKA DECEMBER 19, 1902.
llW'VJi VpSrajV
yond tho glare of tho fire, a dark bun
dle which hor heart told her was what
sho had como to find.
Uncertain what tfrp advent of tholr
visitor might mean, tho men stood
silent for a few minutes; then tho
loader said gruffly:
"You're a long way off tho trail,
ain't ye, miss? Did you como to spend
Christmas with us?''r
Tho gang good-naturedly echoed tho
guffaw their captairt-gavo at this sally
of wit, but tho .gIrI3iow realized tho
danger sho was lb, and her brain
worked rapidly. Rough, and often
cruel, were these rangers of tho bush,
but deeds of generosity wcro not un
known to them.. She would make an
appeal.
In a volco tho steadiness of which
astonished her, sho answered: "No, I
can't stop. I came, for a Christmas
present."
Mllly saw In an instant by tho faces
of her audience that sho had made a
good impression, and went on:
"There's what I camo for," pointing
to tho bound figure, "ho could not
como to mo, so I came to him."
"Oh, him!" said tho leader, step
ping close to her and leading her
Lorso to tho light "Well, wo don't
want the fool. Ho wouldn't havo
been hurt If he had Btopped when bo
was told to. But if ho was coming to
you "
Ho broke off awkwardly, probably
nearer to paying a compliment than
he had been for many a year, but tho
girl's heart leaped at tho word "hurt,"
and in an instant she was off tho
saddle, and bonding over tho wound-
cd man In an agony of fear.
Tho band drew closer, and one of
them Bald: "Ho ain't hurt bad. May
be his arm's broko. Lot's bring him
to tho fire."
As thoy lifted him, and Mllly bent
tn sco his faco,sho caught hor breath
in fright, for ho was unconscious, and
a wild fear that ho might bo dead
?hot through her.
The movement, however, must have
caused him pain, for ho groaned, and
Milly tenderly passed hor handker
chlof over his lips and face.
"You can havo him, iow you'vo
como for him, though he'd make a
likely ranger," spoke up tho leador;
"though I don't Beo how you'ro going
lo carry him, Ho can't ride a horse,
that's sure."
Still somewhat surprised at her
friondly reception, and wondering
dimly if tho mou wore cruolly joking
vlth her, Mllly determined to play
her part to the end, as sho had begun,
and Bald with as much of a laugh as
sho could summon up:
"I'll wrap him up and carry him."
Her laugh was echoed boisterously,
and one of tho men handed her a
flask of liquor, which Milly took
gratefully, and forcing a littlo be
tween tho clenched teeth, soon saw
with Joy the color return to his
cheeks and his eyes open with sur
prise at bis surroundings. Asldo from
the broken arm ho was unhurt
Fearing ho might spoil tho good
effect sho felt she had made with tbo
robbers, she whispered to him to be
silent, and tho man, still only half con
scious, obeyed hor.
NEW YEAR, 1903
A Christmas Carol
There's a song In the alrt
There's a star In tho sltyt
There's a mother's deep prayer
Ami a baby's low eryl
Anil the star rains Its nra with the
Beautiful sing,
Tor tho manger of Bolhlohcm cradles a
King.
Thcro's a. tumult of Joy
O'or the wonderful birth.
For tho virgin's eweot boy
Is the Lord of the earth.
Ayl tho star rains Its tiro and the
Beautiful sing.
For tho manger of Bothlchcnt cradles a
King.
In tho light of that star,
Llctho ages lmpcarleil;
And that song from nfttr
Has swept over tho world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the Dcautl-
In the homes of the nations that' Jesus
Is Kins-.
Wo rejoice In tho Unlit,
And wo echo tho song
That comes down through tho night
From tho heavonly throng.
Ayl we ahout to tho lovely evangel they
bring, , .
And wo greet In His cradle our Savior
and King. ..
-Joslah anbert Holland.
Aa well as Bho was able, sho bound
up tho injured arm In such a way aa
to ease tho pain, and supporting his
hoad on her arm sho waited anxiously
for tho outcome of tho adventure.
Whllo Mllly was ministering to hor
lover, tho bushrangcra had boon coni
Jerrjni,nt ,a Jlttlo, dlfltancoand the
leader now camo uorwaru anu spone
to her with a littlo harshness In bis
tonos:
"Tho men Bay yon know our hiding
places, and If wo let yon go you may
inform on ub. Who are you, and who
is this chap?"
"My namo Is Mllly Wickham, and
this Is Frank Goodwin," tho girl
answered, "My father'o place Is only
a few miles over there," indicating.
"Frank Is a herder with Shepstone,
and we're to bo married In February.
I'll never say anything of this, believe
me, and I promise for him. You can
trust ub."
"Wo'vo got to trust you if wo lot
you go, but, by , if you evor say
a word about whero you found us,
we'll got you, be suro of that. Do you
understand? Not a word, oven to
your father, and don't evor rldo this
vny again. Will you swear?"
Gladly Mllly gave tho promise,
and ropcatcd after the man a rough
formula calling down vengeanco on
herself and her friends if sho over
violated tho oath. And well sho knew
how fearful would bo the vengeanco
of theso men if through her their
hiding placo Bhould bo found.
Tales are still told In Australia of
atrocities wreaked by theso outlaws on
persons whom they oven suspected of
betraying them, and rarely was a gang
of desperadoes so utterly wiped out
that nono survived to do the work of
vengeanco. Mllly folt gratitude toward
these men, In addition to fear, for her
enterprise had been extraordinarily
successful,
Thon the leader of tho gang gave
her her dismissal, leading up the tired
horse, which had stood patiently wait
ing. "Now, you've got to get him homo
on your own horse. Wfe can't spare
ono of ours," said the man. He'll
carry you both all right, though you
rdo him pretty hard. Must have
been In a hurry, weren't you?" with a
thucklo at tho pleasantry.
And Mllly In her Joy looked up In
h.'s face and smiled with him, too
pleased at her success to bo afraid
of his rough, bearded face and un
kempt hair, which In the growing
light sho could almost see plainly.
Well might sho bo proud of her
nigbt'B work.
Frank, still hardly conscious, was
lifted onto tho horse In front of Mllly,
and tho pair started out at a walk to
cover the many miles she had ridden
so fast a few hours before.
Stern injunctions from the rangers
not to look back on their journey
wero strictly obeyed, and in the dawn
tho pair went homeward, Mllly sup
porting In her arms as she often
told husband In after years tho
'BuBhranger's' Christmas Gift"
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