Aaron's Pass
" And that is all. Well, Father Flynn, I'm glad you've come at last;
Sit there and take no notice while I babble of the past —
The nurse would think it nonsense from a mind that runs too fast.
" And thank you for the whisky (it will keep the spirit clean);
I'll hide it safely somewhere when the visitors have been —
The Devil be between us and all harm (the Saints , I mean).
" Two Bush girls worked and sobbed by turns amongst their pots and pans;
One was a gaol-breaker's girl, and one a " mounted " man's;
We all were schoolmates long ago, and planned our little plans.
" The perky soldier-birds came in from out amongst the grass
To get the crumbs beneath the seats where sat the infants' class —
The old bark schoolhouse used to stand in sight of Aaron's Pass.
" From Aaron's Pass to Granite Peak, from Granite Peak to Bourke,
And round to all the southern seas the sympathizers lurk;
And close at hand the harbourers are waiting for their work.
" They help a member of their class, as was the primal plan,
No matter what his nation be, nor what his creed or clan —
It is enough that he's a gaoled or bound or hunted man.
" There was a boy when I was young — and both our lives were marred
In that dull, dusty cowyard world of shuttered souls and barred —
Who played a wild but manly prank, and he got two years' hard.
" He was but sixteen years of age, a madcap, winning lad;
And we were proud, hardworking folk, which made the thing so sad.
His father died of heart disease. His mother — she went mad.
" There was a man, while I grew hard and shared a sister's fears,
He took what one had robbed us of — they gave him seven years;
And in the neighbours' sympathy I thought I heard the tears.
" Some go away and change their name in terror of disgrace;
But for the younger children's sakes we worked about the place —
As he'd have done for us, the one most loved of all our race.
" And he escaped and led them far by flat and mountain's brow,
Till he was caught at Talbragar — asleep, the troopers vow.
We heard the news without delay — go, ask our sister how.
" The mulga-wires went whispering round where people knew of him,
Behind the peak and through the gap and down the gully dim —
The very creek-oaks seemed to sigh in pity: " They've got Jim."
" I sent the word (no matter how) to only one or two —
The laws of men have many friends, the laws of God so few.
And I rode east to do the deed a brother had to do.
" And yet again the mulga-wires went flying round about,
So touched with lawless pride you'd think 'twould rise into a shout
Amongst the hills — " His brother Jack and both his mates are out!"
" I met my mates by moonlight on a misty ring-barked flat,
Where nothing seemed to live except the spotted native cat —
We'd only muzzle-loaders then, and two were cheap at that.
" Three mounted men rode up the range (I see as through a glass);
Three mounted men rode up the range and through by Aaron's Pass
To where three men who had not slept lay waiting in the grass.
" And one rode crouched (I see the scene as gypsies see such things),
One rode between with handcuffed wrists strapped to the pommel rings —
The heat and dust and flies are in the hatred memory brings.
" I strained my eyesight as I rose and stood behind a pine
To make sure that the man they'd got was kith or kin of mine —
I wonder if he had not been would I have made the sign?
" But long before they reached the ridge a something not of earth
Told me I knew the prisoner well and loved him for his worth.
His feet were fast to cords that ran beneath the saddle-girth.
" The mounted troopers paused abreast where rocks had formed a cup,
In that dry, haunted gully's head they called Lost Cattle Pup.
I raised my arm, and at the sign our leader bawled " Bail up!"
" One trooper turned and galloped back as but a coward can,
The other drew his Winchester and faced us like a man;
The hard blue glinting eyes of Law along the barrel ran.
" I heard the shot and saw the smoke, and felt my shoulder burn;
And from the grass a Greener gun barked out and smoked in turn.
The law fell in a heap and rolled face up amongst the fern.
" His wall-eyed chestnut reared and pawed, man-killer through and through;
He glared the murder from his eyes as wall-eyed chestnuts do;
And, lest he'd strike us with his hoofs, we had to shoot him too.
" I noted all the simple things, as men at such times must.
I saw his crimson blood turn red and blacken in the dust,
The shoe-marks from his death kick on the road's hard metalled crust.
" A pine cone fell, dead gum-leaves turned and rustled in a breeze;
I saw the parrots flash from red to crimson in the trees;
'Tis strange the mind at such a time takes hold of things like these.
" A great grey kangaroo crashed out and thudded down the hill;
The parrots dropped into the road and ran about at will
The old coach-road . . . . and it seemed strange the trooper lay so still.
" It might seem cowardly, and mean, and foreign to our breed
To say, for other men to hear (and some perchance to read)
That, thanks to one who loved me well, I did not do the deed.
" A half-wit lad who loved me well, as one loved Maypole Hugh,
Because he thought me strong and kind, and brave and good and true,
Had fired the shot that found its mark and left no more to do.
" In haste the prisoner's bonds we cut and told him where to go,
With every tree a telephone to let his brother know.
He raised his head and nodded once; then rode from friend and foe.
" About the body in the fern we moved with chastened tread;
We covered with his trooper's cap the white face of the dead;
And straightened decently his limbs, lest brutal words be said.
" The half-wit softly knelt and prayed, as madmen sometimes pray;
He broke two bronzing fronds of fern, the while the east grew grey,
And crossed them on the dead man's breast, as is the Christian way.
" A mind will run at such a time on unexpected lines.
I hoped the children left at home had gone to " Granny" Pines;
I wondered if the " dicky-birds" nipped off the pumpkin vines.
" Two girls sobbed in each other's arms when daybreak shamed the sky;
And one was a policeman's girl, and one an outlaw's spy —
O yes, there was another girl, but that's long past and by.
" We all were schoolmates long ago and in the infants' class:
The little soldier-birds came in without a fee or pass —
The schoolhouse stood for forty years in sight of Aaron's Pass.
" We went where papers seldom go, where quest and search are vain,
And most men go with haunted past to suffer and remain —
The other two were buried there, and I came home again.
" And no one ever questioned me nor hinted of disgrace:
But stranger things had dulled my mind — the world seemed commonplace.
The hunted man we never saw till years had changed his face.
" He came into the ward the day that I was stricken lame,
With blucher boots and bowyangs on and bore another name —
Greyer than I, but in his breast the boy's heart beat the same.
" The sea is very calm to-night, and will not let me rest.
The old sad things I should forget I still remember best.
Nurse, help my friend to turn me with my face ... towards ... the west.
" From Aaron's Pass to everywhere the sympathizers wait
To help, whatever fault there be, a brother or a mate —
To help the hunters to go wrong, the hunted to go straight. "
The priest stood up, and bending low above the sick man's bed,
" The bush holds greater mysteries than yours, my son, " he said —
" The man you left on Aaron's Pass that day was far from dead. "
Sit there and take no notice while I babble of the past —
The nurse would think it nonsense from a mind that runs too fast.
" And thank you for the whisky (it will keep the spirit clean);
I'll hide it safely somewhere when the visitors have been —
The Devil be between us and all harm (the Saints , I mean).
" Two Bush girls worked and sobbed by turns amongst their pots and pans;
One was a gaol-breaker's girl, and one a " mounted " man's;
We all were schoolmates long ago, and planned our little plans.
" The perky soldier-birds came in from out amongst the grass
To get the crumbs beneath the seats where sat the infants' class —
The old bark schoolhouse used to stand in sight of Aaron's Pass.
" From Aaron's Pass to Granite Peak, from Granite Peak to Bourke,
And round to all the southern seas the sympathizers lurk;
And close at hand the harbourers are waiting for their work.
" They help a member of their class, as was the primal plan,
No matter what his nation be, nor what his creed or clan —
It is enough that he's a gaoled or bound or hunted man.
" There was a boy when I was young — and both our lives were marred
In that dull, dusty cowyard world of shuttered souls and barred —
Who played a wild but manly prank, and he got two years' hard.
" He was but sixteen years of age, a madcap, winning lad;
And we were proud, hardworking folk, which made the thing so sad.
His father died of heart disease. His mother — she went mad.
" There was a man, while I grew hard and shared a sister's fears,
He took what one had robbed us of — they gave him seven years;
And in the neighbours' sympathy I thought I heard the tears.
" Some go away and change their name in terror of disgrace;
But for the younger children's sakes we worked about the place —
As he'd have done for us, the one most loved of all our race.
" And he escaped and led them far by flat and mountain's brow,
Till he was caught at Talbragar — asleep, the troopers vow.
We heard the news without delay — go, ask our sister how.
" The mulga-wires went whispering round where people knew of him,
Behind the peak and through the gap and down the gully dim —
The very creek-oaks seemed to sigh in pity: " They've got Jim."
" I sent the word (no matter how) to only one or two —
The laws of men have many friends, the laws of God so few.
And I rode east to do the deed a brother had to do.
" And yet again the mulga-wires went flying round about,
So touched with lawless pride you'd think 'twould rise into a shout
Amongst the hills — " His brother Jack and both his mates are out!"
" I met my mates by moonlight on a misty ring-barked flat,
Where nothing seemed to live except the spotted native cat —
We'd only muzzle-loaders then, and two were cheap at that.
" Three mounted men rode up the range (I see as through a glass);
Three mounted men rode up the range and through by Aaron's Pass
To where three men who had not slept lay waiting in the grass.
" And one rode crouched (I see the scene as gypsies see such things),
One rode between with handcuffed wrists strapped to the pommel rings —
The heat and dust and flies are in the hatred memory brings.
" I strained my eyesight as I rose and stood behind a pine
To make sure that the man they'd got was kith or kin of mine —
I wonder if he had not been would I have made the sign?
" But long before they reached the ridge a something not of earth
Told me I knew the prisoner well and loved him for his worth.
His feet were fast to cords that ran beneath the saddle-girth.
" The mounted troopers paused abreast where rocks had formed a cup,
In that dry, haunted gully's head they called Lost Cattle Pup.
I raised my arm, and at the sign our leader bawled " Bail up!"
" One trooper turned and galloped back as but a coward can,
The other drew his Winchester and faced us like a man;
The hard blue glinting eyes of Law along the barrel ran.
" I heard the shot and saw the smoke, and felt my shoulder burn;
And from the grass a Greener gun barked out and smoked in turn.
The law fell in a heap and rolled face up amongst the fern.
" His wall-eyed chestnut reared and pawed, man-killer through and through;
He glared the murder from his eyes as wall-eyed chestnuts do;
And, lest he'd strike us with his hoofs, we had to shoot him too.
" I noted all the simple things, as men at such times must.
I saw his crimson blood turn red and blacken in the dust,
The shoe-marks from his death kick on the road's hard metalled crust.
" A pine cone fell, dead gum-leaves turned and rustled in a breeze;
I saw the parrots flash from red to crimson in the trees;
'Tis strange the mind at such a time takes hold of things like these.
" A great grey kangaroo crashed out and thudded down the hill;
The parrots dropped into the road and ran about at will
The old coach-road . . . . and it seemed strange the trooper lay so still.
" It might seem cowardly, and mean, and foreign to our breed
To say, for other men to hear (and some perchance to read)
That, thanks to one who loved me well, I did not do the deed.
" A half-wit lad who loved me well, as one loved Maypole Hugh,
Because he thought me strong and kind, and brave and good and true,
Had fired the shot that found its mark and left no more to do.
" In haste the prisoner's bonds we cut and told him where to go,
With every tree a telephone to let his brother know.
He raised his head and nodded once; then rode from friend and foe.
" About the body in the fern we moved with chastened tread;
We covered with his trooper's cap the white face of the dead;
And straightened decently his limbs, lest brutal words be said.
" The half-wit softly knelt and prayed, as madmen sometimes pray;
He broke two bronzing fronds of fern, the while the east grew grey,
And crossed them on the dead man's breast, as is the Christian way.
" A mind will run at such a time on unexpected lines.
I hoped the children left at home had gone to " Granny" Pines;
I wondered if the " dicky-birds" nipped off the pumpkin vines.
" Two girls sobbed in each other's arms when daybreak shamed the sky;
And one was a policeman's girl, and one an outlaw's spy —
O yes, there was another girl, but that's long past and by.
" We all were schoolmates long ago and in the infants' class:
The little soldier-birds came in without a fee or pass —
The schoolhouse stood for forty years in sight of Aaron's Pass.
" We went where papers seldom go, where quest and search are vain,
And most men go with haunted past to suffer and remain —
The other two were buried there, and I came home again.
" And no one ever questioned me nor hinted of disgrace:
But stranger things had dulled my mind — the world seemed commonplace.
The hunted man we never saw till years had changed his face.
" He came into the ward the day that I was stricken lame,
With blucher boots and bowyangs on and bore another name —
Greyer than I, but in his breast the boy's heart beat the same.
" The sea is very calm to-night, and will not let me rest.
The old sad things I should forget I still remember best.
Nurse, help my friend to turn me with my face ... towards ... the west.
" From Aaron's Pass to everywhere the sympathizers wait
To help, whatever fault there be, a brother or a mate —
To help the hunters to go wrong, the hunted to go straight. "
The priest stood up, and bending low above the sick man's bed,
" The bush holds greater mysteries than yours, my son, " he said —
" The man you left on Aaron's Pass that day was far from dead. "
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