"One dark night, a convict about my own age, and myself, resolved to make an attempt at escape. Our chains were filed off, and knives placed in our hands by men outside of the prison walls; these we had kept secreted for many weeks, in hope of finding a use for them, and when we heard the rain' dash against the roof, we resolved that the hour had arrived for an attempt for freedom.
"Most of the sentries were under shelter, when we crossed the court yard, with steps like those of a cat, and stood before the astonished turnkey, who kept watch upon the inner gate. Before he had time to raise an alarm, we struck, and he fell without a groan. We hastily tore the clothes from his body, and I dressed myself in them, casting away the prison suit which I wore, and then with the key of the massive gate, I unlocked it, and continued on to the outer lodge, where I knew we should meet with another keeper.
"The latter was busily engaged in writing when we entered, and did not notice but that we were servants of the prison. He never probably knew what killed him, for he fell—"
"Good God!" I exclaimed with horror, "did you assassinate him, also?"
"How could we have escaped unless we did? By the keeper's side was a bell rope, a touch of which would have brought, a dozen soldiers upon us, and then death would have been certain. We had been prisoners too long to scruple at murder when our safety was involved.
"My fellow convict removed the man's clothes, even before the breath had left his body; and while he was dressing himself, I glanced my eye over the letter which the keeper had been writing. I saw, to my astonishment, that it was addressed to Mr. B——, the banker, and that an account of my health, my work, and rebellious disposition, were set forth, and a hope was manifested that I should break down under the severe discipline of the hulks, and that if I did not, other employment would be found in a few weeks, which would surely end my days. A donation of twenty-five pounds was acknowledged, and thanks were returned for the same.
"I ground my teeth with rage, and then added a line in the letter, to let the villain know that I still lived, and hoped to get square with him before I died.
"Time was too precious, however, to waste it there. Every moment was worth an hour to us, for we were liable to be interrupted; and if seen at large the whole city would have been aroused, and capture inevitable.
"The huge key that unlocked the outer gate was hanging on its accustomed peg, and to take possession of it, and emerge into the street, was but a moment's work; and then to give our oppressors all the trouble possible, we locked the gate, and hurled the key into the river, which ran hard by.
"The night was pitch dark, and, as I said before, the rain poured down in torrents, for winter had set in with uncommon severity. The streets were without light, and the gutters were like small rivers; but by the latter we were enabled to find our way. You are aware that Melbourne is partly built on a hill, so by following the course of the water, as it rushed towards the bay, we gained the outskirts of the city, and struck across the broad fields, and toiled on through the long night, and when daylight came, no sign of house or inhabitants was to be seen.
"That day we rested for a few hours, and continued our journey towards night, hardly knowing where we were wandering to, almost famished with hunger, and dead with fatigue.
"I have not breath to tell you all that we suffered while getting towards the bushranging haunts; our days of hunger and wretchedness—our adventures with the natives, and their attempts to kill us—the desperate risks which we ran of being captured and taken back to prison—and last of all, our reaching this hut, which is to be the scene of my death.
"Here is where I first met Bimbo; and as he is already a prisoner, there can be no harm in my telling you that be provided for our wants, kept us in his secret cellar over a week, until we were fully recruited, and able to grasp a musket, and then introduced us to Black Darnley, as possessing spirit enough to belong to even his gang.
"By him we were accepted; but after I had served in the ranks a short time, I raised a band of my own, and have pillaged and murdered to my heart's content."
The robber ceased speaking, and a spasm passed through his frame, that I thought would result fatally; but a drink of wine restored him, and he again spoke, but in a voice not above a whisper.
"I have a commission which I wish you to take care of," the bushranger said, scanning my face to see what effect his words would have upon me; "can I trust you to take charge of it?"
I promised faithfully to fulfil his wishes, no matter what he required of me.
"This cross," he said, touching it to his lips, and uttering a sigh as he did so, that came from the heart, "I promised to send to Julia, only when death overpowered me. Will you take it to her, and say that the wearer has gone to another world, where treachery and crime do not exist, and where I hope to meet her and her father, and then disprove the unjust accusation that was brought against me?"
I promised to obey his wishes, and a look of gratitude stole over his dark face.
"My name," he whispered, "is engraved upon the jewel: do not give it to the world, but know me as Jim Gulpin, the robber. I do not wish to disgrace my father's name, even if I have been unjustly accused by him."
I also promised compliance with this request, and asked if there was any other matter which he wished to confide to me.
"You know where the hut of Darnley stood in the black woods which you visited?" the robber whispered, with a painful effort.
I replied in the affirmative.
"Near the hut I buried all my ill-gotten gains, and there they remain yet; to you I bequeath them, to do as you see fit. There are thousands of pounds' worth of gold dust there, besides jewels of value. After searching the hut, walk in a south—"
The robber's voice failed him; he made painful efforts to recover his breath, and during the struggle his eyes rolled fearfully in their sockets, and his hands clutched the earth convulsively. I feared that he would die without revealing the hiding-place of his hoard, and impressed with this idea, I dashed a pot of cold water in his face, and poured more wine down his throat.
"Thanks," he gasped, "I'm—going—farewell—ten paces—in a south—"
There was a gurgle in the bushranger's throat, a convulsive movement of his limbs, and then all was quiet, and the spirit of the outlaw chief had taken flight to a better world.
CHAPTER XVI.
A FORCED MARCH TOWARDS MELBOURNE.
I removed the cross from the neck of the dead robber, placed it around my own, and reported his death to Murden.
"Dead, is he?" repeated the officer, carelessly; "did he make any confession?"
"He spoke about an unjust sentence," I replied, "that is all of any importance, excepting a history which he confided to me; it would be uninteresting to you, however."
"Ah, I dare say," answered Murden, languidly; "but to tell you the truth, the man always passed for a person of good birth, even at the hulks; and there was some romance connected with his sentence, but what it was, I have forgotten. Old Pete, however, the same whom Gulpin murdered when he made his escape, used to receive money from some source or other, for keeping them posted