The Book of the Bush eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 421 pages of information about The Book of the Bush.

The Book of the Bush eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 421 pages of information about The Book of the Bush.

“‘No you won’t, my fine coves,’ replied the captain.  ’You’ll go back to Hobarton, and join your ship if you have one, which I don’t believe.  You can’t humbug an old salt like me.  You are a pair of runaway convicts, and I’ll give you in charge as sich.  Here, constables, put the darbies on ’em, and take ’em back to Hobarton.’

“Two men who had been awaiting orders outside the door now entered, armed with carbines, produced each a pair of handcuffs, and came towards us.  But Jonathan drew back a step or two, clenched his big fists, and said: 

“’No, you don’t.  If this is your little game, captain, all I have to say is, you are the darndest double-faced old cuss on this side of perdition.  You can shoot me if you like, but neither you nor the four best men in Van Diemen’s Land can put them irons on me.  I am a free citizen of the Great United States, and a free man I’ll be or die.  I’ll walk back to Hobarton, if you like, with these men, for I guess that greasy old whaler has gone to sea again by this time, and we’ll get another ship there as well as at Launceston.’

“Captain Massey did not like to venture on shooting us off-hand, so at last he told the constables to put up their handcuffs and start with us for Hobarton.

“After we had travelled awhile Jonathan cooled down and began to talk to the constables.  He asked them how they liked the island, how long they had been in it, if it was a good country for farming, how they were getting along, and what pay they got for being constables.  One of them said:  ’The island is pretty good in parts, but it’s too mountaynyus; we ain’t getting along at all, and we won’t have much chance to do any good until our time is out.’

“’What on airth do you mean by saying “until you time is out?” Ain’t your time your own?’ asked Jonathan.

“’No, indeed.  I see you don’t understand.  We are Government men, and we ain’t done our time.  We were sent out from England.’

“’Oh! you were sent out, were you?  Now, I see, that means you are penitentiary men, and ought to be in gaol.  Jack, look here.  This kind of thing will never do.  You and me are two honest citizens of the United States, and here we are, piloted through Van Diemen’s Land by two convicts, and Britishers at that.  This team has got to be changed right away.’

“He seized both carbines and handed them to me; then he handcuffed the constables, who were so taken aback they never said a word.  Then Jonathan said, ‘This is training day.  Now, march.’

“The constables walked in front, me and Jonathan behind, shouldering the guns.  In this way we marched until we sighted Hobarton, but the two convicts were terribly afraid to enter the city as prisoners; they said they were sure to be punished, would most likely be sent into a chain gang, and would soon be strangled in the barracks at night for having been policemen.  We could see they were really afraid, so we took off the handcuffs and gave them back the carbines.

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Project Gutenberg
The Book of the Bush from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.