The Adventures of Ben Hall, Bushranger

By Raymond Boyd Dunn

Before Ned Kelly, the infamous Australian bushranger, there was Ben Hall. In fact, it is thought by numerous people that many of Ben Hall’s exploits were copied by Ned.
Hall operated in New South Wales, and his daring escapades earned him the title of ‘Brave Ben Hall’, making him a part of Australian folklore. Throughout his career outside the law he did not kill anyone, but when the Felons Apprehension Act was passed in 1865, as an outlaw he could be shot and killed without warning. As a result, he was shot by the police from ambush. The legality of his killing remains controversial.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raymond Boyd Dunn
• Release date: Jul 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301937080

Raymond Boyd Dunn

Raymond Boyd Dunn is a "born and bred" third generation Australian. After his retirement Raymond Boyd became a grey nomad, and, with his wife, spent some time touring this vast country of Australia. He was born in the small Burnett Valley town of Monto, Queensland, and for his entire life has answered to the name of 'Boyd'. Apart from his travels he has lived all of his life in Queensland, and after satisfying his thirst for seeing first hand this wonderful country we live in, settled on the Sunshine Coast to spend his remaining years in the sunshine near the beach.He commenced his working life as a Bank Officer and resigned after thirteen years to become self-employed. At various stages he has owned a Corner Store, a small Supermarket Chain, a Butchery, a Milk Run, a Printery and a Cattle and Grain Farm. He has been involved, in various capacities, in Cricket and Tennis Clubs; Jaycees, Lions and Rotary Clubs and Aero Clubs. He was a Cricketer, played tennis, tried to play golf, and was a keen long distance runner.Upon taking a well-earned retirement he wrote his unpublished autobiography, which was for distribution among his family of six children and numerous grand-children. A visit to Cooktown, where he learnt of the Palmer River Gold Rush, was the incentive to keep writing and produce his first novel 'Palmer Gold' He then settled down to write novels, producing two more books to complete a Trilogy...'An Australian Ranch' and "Carly and Sam...Will and Effie'. There followed numerous short stories, and other novels: 'Lord of the Manor in Australia', and 'The Vintage Years'. He continues to write whilst enjoying life in the sunshine on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Book preview

The Adventures of

Ben Hall

Bushranger

by Raymond Boyd Dunn

Copyright 2013…Raymond Dunn

Smashwords Edition

As this book is of the Australiana genre, all spelling has been checked in Heinemann’s Australian Dictionary

Before Ned Kelly, the infamous Australian bushranger, there was Ben Hall. In fact, it is thought by numerous people that many of Ben Hall’s exploits were copied by Ned.

Hall operated in New South Wales, and his daring escapades earned him the title of ‘Brave Ben Hall’, making him a part of Australian folklore. Throughout his career outside the law he did not kill anyone, but when the Felons Apprehension Act was passed in 1865, as an outlaw he could be shot and killed without warning. As a result, he was shot by the police from ambush. The legality of his killing remains controversial.

Hopefully, this story will add flesh to the bare bones of the chronicle of his life. Many liberties have been taken in the telling. The author’s imagination, at times, runs rampant, causing the narrative to border on fiction despite the truth in the deeds depicted!

Because this book is of the ‘Australiana’ genre, all spelling has been checked with the Heinemann Australian Dictionary.

Chapter 1

1841

Ben Hall’s earliest recollection was of carrying an armful of wood from the woodheap to the wood-box beside the kitchen stove. The reason the act was imbedded in his memory was probably because he remembered the splinters from the split wood digging into his young flesh, plus the smell of the freshly cut timber, and the relief as he listened to the satisfying rattle of the wood falling into place, which allowed him to rub his arms where they stung. Probably, a couple of sticks amounted to the limit of the load he was capable of carrying, because he would have been only three or four years old at the time. His step-brother, Thomas, old enough to split the blocks of wood, had persuaded him to help fill the wood-box, and young Ben was proud to be big enough to help his brother in such an important task.

At the time Ben was the youngest of the five children of Benjamin and Eliza Hall.

Surely you can carry more than two at a time, said his sister, Mary, the next in age to step-brother, Thomas, as he stood there rubbing his stinging arms.

Two is enough, Ben, said his mother, who was mixing a batch of bread at the table. "You’re getting to be a big boy now, aren’t you, love?

He’ll only hurt himself if he tries to carry too many, Mary, she admonished.

I’ll get some more, Ma, said young Ben, as he continued to rub his itching arms.

There’s no need, said Thomas, as he appeared at the back door with an armful of wood. This is all I’ve split, and the wood-box won’t hold any more.

He dumped the load on to the stack in the box, and grabbed quickly at a couple of pieces which began to fall. See! It won’t hold any more.

No running inside! said Eliza, as another son, William, came rushing through the door from the front of the hut.

Their home was a two roomed slab hut built by Benjamin senior on the side of a hill in a small valley north of Murrurrindi in New South Wales.

There’s a couple of traps coming up the track, gasped William.

Mary, take over with this, will you, love, while I see what the policemen want?

The two men came galloping up to the front of the hut, and slid their mounts to a halt, mindless of the dust stirred up by their inconsiderate approach. Eliza stood in the doorway, shielding her face from the billowing dust. The floor of the hut might be only hardened slurry of mud, but she was still proud of the fact she kept a clean and tidy home for her family.

Without the courtesy of a civilised greeting, the Sergeant of police said, We want to see your husband, missus!

He’s out in the top scrub looking for wild cattle and horses.

When will he be back?

I don’t know. Sometimes he’s out all day; other times only for a few hours. He could be back at any time.

We haven’t got time to wait. We’ll just go over to that paddock and take a look at the brands on the cattle you have there, and on the horses in the yard.

Why?

We’re trying to track down some stolen cattle and horses.

You didn’t find any the last time you were here!

That was last time. We might have more luck this time.

Without waiting for any further argument, he wheeled his horse away, and the two policemen trotted over to the horse yard. After a careful inspection of the horses, they re-mounted, and rode across to the wire gate opening to the cattle paddock. They spent fifteen or twenty minutes carefully examining each beast, before riding back to the house, where Eliza was waiting at the door, wiping her hands on her apron, the bread mixture safely covered to allow the yeast to act overnight, ready for baking in the camp oven in the morning.

You’re in luck, said the Sergeant, we couldn’t find any stolen stock this time. Just let Hall know we’re watching him!

You won’t find any stolen stock on this farm. You’re wasting your time coming all the way out here. We’re an honest family, and my husband wouldn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to him!

So you say, he said, as he turned his mount back towards the track. Without a further word, he beckoned to the Constable, and they spurred their horses into a gallop within a couple of yards.

Bastards! said Thomas, as he watched them ride away.

That’ll be enough of that kind of language, Tom.

Ben will say worse than that when he gets home and finds out about them.

I wish you’d learn to call him Da, Tom.

But he’s not my real Da, Ma. I wish you’d tell me more about my real Da.

"There’s nothing to tell, except he deserted us before you were born.