CHAPTER XV 



IN THE KELLY COUNTRY 



Exploiting a Bush Town — Helpless Prospects — Question of Luck — 

 Backing a Hack — Where Ned Kelly had raided — Kelly Collections 

 — Besieging the Gang — Ned Kelly's End — Mike Fennelly's Tip 



I WONDER if the stay-at-home EngHshman ever realises 

 what an " up-country town " signifies as regards size 

 and importance. I had to be disillusioned. I had 

 a scheme which I thought would soon be done to death 

 in a big city; I therefore determined to exploit it in 

 a smaller place. I had heard of a certain town in the 

 Riverina district ; this place had been impressed on 

 my memory even before I emigrated, and as luck — or 

 ill luck — would have it I fell in with several men who 

 were always talking about this particular town. It 

 did not enter my head to make more careful inquiries 

 or to turn up statistics as to population. Preparations 

 were made therefore for the journey. This could be 

 managed almost entirely by train, except for a break of 

 a few hours. It was an imposing move, with luggage, 

 family, and others, and a cockatoo in a cage on the 

 top of the luggage, which was English, well made, and 

 fairly convincing had I desired it to be so. The 

 scheme seemed to develop as I drew near my destina- 

 tion : five hours in the train to begin with ; a night at 

 a small station hotel on the border of two colonies, 

 a short coach drive, and then on again by rail. At 

 last, on a glorious morning in Australian winter, we 

 arrived. 



I deposited the luggage at the station, arranged for 

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