The Outlaw of Windginna orge — His Last Shot Police Boy Pidgeon Had Dreams of an Aboriginal Kingdom in the Trackless Wilds of Northwestern Australia—But He Ran Foul of the Trooper Police of Western Australia, and at the End of an Exciting Two-year Chase He Paid for WINDGINNA GORGE?” I queried. Windginna Gorge sounds like a place yhere anything sinister could happen.” “Tt did,” tersely agreed the tall Aus- ralian traveller as he leaned over the ailing of the Lynn Creek bridge and egan to fill his pipe. He had remarked n the contrast between Lynn Canyon nd Windginna Gorge which has become show-place in Western Australia. From that point our talk had ranged s far as World War I, each discovering 1e other had been wounded at Passchen- aele where Australians and Canadians rent through some tough times. When I drew him back to the subject { Windginna Gorge, he explained, “You nderstand I was just a youngster at the me of the battle in the Gorge, and per- aps my memory of events is mixed up ith recollections of the story as told by ry elders before I graduated into the gar- ulous grandfather class myself. “But I think my memory of the two lack trackers, Pidgeon and Nigger, is ntirely my own. Pidgeon had a queer ‘ick when he thought he was alone of alking so his own big bare foot obliter- ted the track of some white man. When asked him about it he almost snarled 1 my face before changing to a sly grin. “Big magic—some day,” he chuckled. fe suddenly caught my jaw in a grip ireatening to crush the bones. Perhaps looked scared. “This secret—you and me? he de- 1anded with a wild light in his eyes. He ripped me too tight to permit me to nod promise, but he understood. He laughed ueerly and let go. I understood later. Trusted native “police-boys” have al- ‘ays formed a necessary part of Austra- CHILLIWACK GARAGE Chrysler - Plymouth - Fargo Dealers Phone 2331 CHILLIWACK B.C. IGHTEENTH EDITION His Crimes With His Life. lian police forces when working in the vast wilderness areas of the sub-continent, but the training given these police-boys plainly made them unusually dangerous outlaws if they proved disloyal. Back in the early “nineties in the Derby district Pidgeon was looked on as one of Native in ceremonial regalia with weapons. —cCourtesy Western Australia Travel Bureau the best, being above the average intelli- gence for a native. He was a good shot and a first-rate tracker. It was as track- ers and for dealings with the aborigines that police-boys were most useful. Pidgeon was one of the two native assistants of Constable John Richardson who was escorting no less than seventeen criminals collected from every gaol in the North-West to be taken to the peniten- tiary. This was in November, 1894, at a time when Eelemarra, the most notorious and dangerous outlaw in the district re- mained uncaptured. When Richardson arrived at Lillama- loora Station all white men were away, leaving only some natives in charge. This was to prove tragic. Richardson, fighting illness, found he had to stop here to re- cover. To add to his anxiety, he had what * As Told To DON MUNDAY By P. E. EPWORTH * seemed authentic information as to the present whereabouts of Eelemarra at no great distance. Native Boy Trustep To Limit Being himself unfit to travel, he decided to send Pidgeon and his second tracker, known as Captain. Pidgeon, two months before in the Barrier Ranges had actually flung himself in front of Richardson and been wounded by a spear meant for the policeman. He had doubtless saved Rich- ardson’s life, though his own wound proved to be not serious. So the constable felt no misgivings about lending his own rifle to Pidgeon, and his revolver to Captain. The two blacks also set off with a supply of chains and handcuffs to seize Eelemarra and as many of his followers as they could get. The tip received by Richardson turned out to be reliable. Eelemarra and _ his band, including “lubras” (women) were camped beside a secluded water-hole. Bet- ter still, when the police agents crept to the scene in the darkness the outlaws were all more or less overcome as the result of feasting and drinking. Even so, it was a fine feat of courage for the two trackers to leap into the midst of the orgie and disarm and handcuff Eelemarra and his warriors. One of the band showed fight and Pidgeon shot him, thus cowing the rest. They chained the captives together and began the twenty-mile tramp back to Lil- lamaloora. The women trailed along obe- diently behind with no attempt to secure them in any way. It was only from the evidence of the women that the police ever learned the night’s events. EMPRESS HOTEL LEE McGONIGAL, Manager A Modern Commercial and Tourist Hotel Excellent Dining Room Service Chilliwack’s Social Centre CHILLIWACK B.C. Page Sixty-five