Changes

== Recollections of a Victorian Police Officer by Sup John Sadleir ==

In other respect to the presence of these [[Police Trackers|black boys]] added to the safety of the party, and to the expedition with which the work could be done. It has been related already how the ‘scratch’ trackers failed the police in the early days of the Kelly pursuit, even on tracks that any bushman could follow. These blacks did not fail because of losing the tracks, but because the tracks led towards cover where danger might be concealed. This was a very natural feeling, only had we understood these blacks and they had understood us as well as Sub Inspector [[O'Connor|O’Connor]] and his Queensland boys understood one another, there would not have been those early fiascos. Our scratch trackers would not tell us of their fears, but preferred taking us off the track altogether. Mr O’Connor’s boys were just as apprehensive as were the others of running up against the Kellys unawares, but on approaching a danger spot when following the enemy’s tracks, they were allowed to adopt their own tactics. One on each side of the cover would make a wide cast. If the tracks continued on the far side, a short whistle brought the rest of the party cantering up; if the tracks did not continue, then the enemy was marked down, and was likely to be himself ambushed.

[[Category:Documents]] [[Category:Books]] [[Category:People]] [[Category:Sup Sadlier]] [[Category:Recollections of a Victorian Police Office]] [[Category:John Sadlier]] [[Category:history]] [[Category:book]] [[Category:full text]]

{{^|Original page location \documents\Sadlier\Sadlier_XX_002.html}}