ARMED AND ARMOURED 



He had a big iron nail can on his head, with eyelet holes, 

 a ploughshare on his chest, and other bits on his legs. 

 This was Ned Kelly, to whose credit it must be said he 

 had not left his brother and pals in the lurch, but had 

 come to do what he could. They fired at him, but the 

 bullets were turned aside by his protective steel and iron. 

 Then someone sang out : " Fire at his ankles ! " and 

 Kelly was soon down — no armour on him there. They 

 captured him and continued to fire on the small build- 

 ing, which held out for such a time that actually a small 

 field -piece had been telegraphed for to Melbourne. 

 Eventually, however, there was no response : the 

 three inside were dead. Ned was tried and hanged in 

 Melbourne. It is possible that they all might have got 

 away quite easily from their mountain quarters to the 

 5ea, and out of the country, had it not been for that 

 oaurder in the hut. Bushranging practically died out 

 with the Kellys. 



97 



