Their names were
Gleeson, Poynton, Lyons, and two brothers McCarthy. One of these men
was brother-in-law to Barton, and had been a fellow-trooper with him
under Captain Foster. Barton had entered into family relations as an
honest man; he could give himself any character he chose until he was
found out. He was too frightened to stay another night on Bendigo,
and he began at once to bundle up his swag. Gleeson and Poynton
accompanied him for some distance beyond the pillar of white quartz
on Specimen Hill, and then he left the track and struck into the
bush. Fear winged his feet' he arrived safely at Nyalong, and never
went to another rush. The other five then stayed on Bendigo for
several weeks longer, and when they returned home their gold was
sufficient for a dividend of 700 pounds for each man. Four of them
bought farms, one kept a store, and Barton rented some land. Philip
met them again when he was promoted to the school at Nyalong, and
they were his firm friends as long as he lived there.
I went to various rushes to improve my circumstances. Once I was
nearly shot. A bullet whizzed past my head, and lodged in the trunk
of a stringy bark a little further on. That was the only time in my
life I was under fire, and I got from under it as quickly as
possible. Once I went to a rush of Maoris, near Job's Gully, and
Scott came along with his portfolio, a small pick, pan, and shovel.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156