Ignatius?"
"Yes, he knows me well. My name is Carr; I have come from Ballarat."
"I knew various men had left Ballarat. One had arrived in Geelong on
December 4th, and had consulted Dr. Walshe about a bullet between his
knuckles, another was hiding in a house at Chilwell.* He had lost
one arm, and the Government were offering 400 pounds for him, so he
took outdoor exercise only by night, disguised in an Inverness cape.
"There was a chance for me to hear exciting news from the lips of a
warrior fresh from the field of battle, so I said:
"If you would like to stay here until the doctor returns you will
be welcome."
*[Footnote] Peter Lalor.
He was my guest for four days. He said that he went out with the
military on the morning of December 3rd, and was the first surgeon
who entered the Eureka Stockade after the fight was over. He found
twelve men dead in it, and twelve more mortally wounded. This was
about all the information he vouchsafed to give me. I was anxious
for particulars. I wanted to know what arms he carried to the fray,
whether he touched up his sword on the grind-stone before sallying
forth, how many men or women he had called upon to stand in the name
of her gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, how many skulls he had
cloven, how many diggers he had "slewed," and how many peaceful
prisoners he had brought back to the Government camp.
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