He was not a
coward, but something in the expression of the three men cowed him
completely. He turned his head and lowered it, and began to push his
way among the crowd to hide himself. After Mass, Philip found him in
his tent, and suspecting that he was a thief put his hand on a
medium-sized Colt's revolver, which he had exchanged for his duelling
pistols, and said:
"Well, my friend, and what are you doing here?"
"For God's sake speak low," whispered Barton. "I came in here to
hide. There are three men outside who want to kill me."
"Three men who want to kill you, eh? Do you expect me to believe
that anybody among the crowd there would murder you in broad
daylight? My impression is, my friend, that you are a sneaking
thief, and that you came here to look for gold. I'll send a man to
the police to come and fetch you, and if you stir a step I'll shoot
you."
"For goodness' sake, mate, keep quiet. I am not a burglar, not now at
any rate. I'll tell you the truth. I was a Government flagellator,
a flogger, you know, on the Sydney side, and I flogged those three
men. Couldn't help it, it was my business to do it. I know they are
looking for me, and they will follow me and take the first chance to
murder me. They are most desperate characters. One of them was
insubordinate when he was assigned servant to a squatter, and the
squatter, who was on horseback, gave him a cut with his stockwhip.
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