The Argus at KellyGang 5/3/1879 (5)
Bushranging continued
True courage, however, does not always take counsel with prudence, when strongly provoked to action, so, soon after the scoundrels had gone, Shepherd called for his horse, saying he would follow them. On examination, how ever, he found that he had no bullets or slugs wherewith to load his gun-nothing but No. 4 shot-so he abandoned the idea of pursuit. However, his change of intention did not prevent the encounter for which he was evidently longing. In a very short time he saw two of the robbers return. They were Jack the Rammer and Boyd. They parted when they saw him, the former taking up a position on his left, and the latter on his right. When within 12 yards of him, Boyd stopped, knelt down, and deliberately taking aim, fired and missed. Shepherd then looked rapidly at the man on his left (Jack the Rammer), whom he found in the act of covering him with his musket.
There was no time to stand on ceremony, so raising his gun (which luckily he had loaded with the No. 4 shot in the absence of anything better), he shot the scoundrel dead. Having effectually disposed of this redoubt- able freebooter, he at once turned his attention to Mr Boyd. No sooner, however, did he present the other barrel at him than he held up his hands and said, "Don't fire," at the same time beating a hasty retreat in the direction of the men's hut. Shepherd followed him up, when Ball (with whom he had the conversation we have narrated) came out, and said, "Don't shoot him, sir." But the overseer's blood was up, and he only replied, "Not shoot him! By God, I will; he has fired at me." Where upon the "sympathising" Ball made answer- "If you shoot him, I'll shoot you." "If both barrels were loaded," returned Shepherd without hesitation, "I'd shoot the pair of you." Ball then said, "Leave him to me," and Shepherd, with what appears to us perfect recklessness, knowing what he did about the man, agreed to leave Boyd in his charge. Boyd then laid down his musket and after being searched to see if he had any more arms concealed about him, was left in the mens hut in charge of Ball. A very pretty pair! So ended the second episode in the raid...
Thinking that he had satisfactorily ac counted for his opponents, Shepherd started to look at the man he had shot. But if he imagined he had done all his fighting for that day he certainly reckoned without his host. As he was going along he heard some one fol lowing, and looking round, saw Keys (the third member of the gang) coming up with a double barrelled gun in his hand. Perceiving that he was discovered, Keys got behind a water barrel, and Shepherd sought cover behind a bell tent close at hand. As Shepherd had only one charge to depend on, it was necessary to be cautious. His object was, of course, to draw his opponents' fire in order that he might have him at an advantage, or be able to close with him. For this purpose he deliberately exposed himself from time to time- "waving backwards and forwards from behind the tent," as he called the maneuver he practiced.
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