278

DEATH OF WHITEHEAD.

"Take my watch," said

Whitehead

to

Howe, for he felt that he had been mortally wounded.

"Take my watch," in convict slang, meant cut off my head-in order to deprive his enemies of the reward set upon it. Whitehead was decapitated by his friend Michael Howe, who had done the part of "Little John" to this Australian "Robin Hood."

Howe assumed the leadership of this little band of convicts, which soon swelled to fourteen men, and three native women, who were armed like men. Again the 46th crossed their path, and killed three of the band.

Shortly after this a suspicion grew up that Howe intended to "sell" them. When Howe discovered that his loyalty was doubted, he resigned his leadership, and went off with a black girl. But when pursued by a party of soldiers, and hard pressed, he turned round and shot his black companion, who was unable to keep up with him,-on the same principle,

TREACHERY OF HOWE.

279

we conclude, that induced Bill Sykes to try to drown his dog, lest it should lead to his apprehension.

Such cruel and base conduct generally carries its own punishment with it.

The girl who was overtaken by the party in pursuit, had received but little injury, and was most useful to the military in tracking the footsteps of Howe, and the whole party with whom he had been associated, so that, driven to bay, he offered his services to Government in hunting down his companions, who, to the number of twenty, were under the leadership of one Mr. Geary-an Irishman, we suspect, from the name.

His services were accepted by the authorities, with whom he had frequent interviews, and by whom he was sufficiently trusted to be at large, under the care of a single policeman, to whom he gave the slip, and away to the Bush again.

It was at this time he was apprehended by

280

PLAN FOR HIS CAPTURE.

Watt and Drew, as recorded in a previous chapter, and from whom he made such a marvellous escape, shooting one, and giving a death stab to the other.

For some time after this, nothing was heard of him, when a man named Magill, who had been emancipated for his services against bushrangers, came upon his track, and pursued him so hotly, that he had to leave his guns, pistols, and knapsack behind him. In his knapsack was found a Journal, in which, among other entries, are some respecting his dreams, which show that his intellect must have been, to some extent, deranged.

A soldier, named Pugh, of the 48th regiment, Worrall, a stock-keeper, and Warburton, a Kangaroo hunter, resolved, for the sake of the eighty guineas placed upon his head, to capture him.

Howe and Warburton had been old companions. It was arranged that Warburton should invite him to his hut, with the promise

of letting him have some powder and shot. Howe agreed to go. On entering the cabin, and seeing the soldier Pugh, he became suspicious, and kept his gun in his hand, on full cock. "What about that powder and shot?" said Howe, addressing Warburton.

"Here it is," said Pugh, firing at him.

"Oh, is that your game," said Howe, retreating, and returning the fire.

Worrall now fired, and missed. Howe backed out, but was too hotly pursued by the three men to escape, who closed upon him, beat him down, and killed him by blows on the head, from the butt ends of their guns. He died without uttering a word.

Howe was a man of great strength, and as wild as an animal. He wore a beard of extraordinary length, and was clothed from head to foot in kangaroo skins. The captors buried the body, and carried the bloody head to Hobart Town, to secure the eighty guineas set upon

it.

282

A BUSHRANGERS' VISIT.

The following account from the pen of a lady residing at Hobart Town, of a visit from a party of bush-rangers in Van Diemen's Land, is very exciting :-

"A large party of young people were on a visit to Mr. Lord, of Avoca, invited for the sheep-shearing. They had been making merry with dancing and music, overnight, and the grand doings were to begin next morning. It was summer. Lord rose at five, and was surprised that he did

Mr.

Just as he

not hear any of the men stirring. finished dressing, and was about putting the guard of his watch over his head, the chamber door opened, and a good-looking sort of man, welldressed too, stepped in, saying, 'Oh Mr. Lord, I'll save you the trouble of doing that. Give me your watch.'

"Mr. Lord saw that resistance would be worse than useless, and gave it up. The stranger, who was the notorious Dalton, turning to Mrs. Lord, who was in bed with the baby, asked for her watch.