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    99 views63 pages

    Ned Kelly Drama

    Uploaded by

    Jothi Thangavel

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 63
    that when 1 was preparing to write Ned Kelly red to me to wonder if Kelly was a suitable subject for a p certainly it never crossed my mind that he was unsuilad © i€ I cven thought about the advisability or otherwise of writing: on a specifically Australian theme. Ned Kelly interested mes. that Was= sufficient motive. But there would, of course, have been reasons why he interested mes At that time I had not long come from New Zealand to settle in Australia and 1 was full of the excitement of “discovering” this new. land. Obviously such a theme az Ned Kelly would give me @ chance to work out for myself and set down in print all I had been thinking and feeling about it, both the bush and the people: 1 Australia’s the violent country, the earth itself Suffers, cries out in anger against the sunlight From the cracked lips of the plains; and with the land, With the snake that strikes from the dust, The people suffer and cry their anger and Kill. . « A harsh view of the country comes out in that speech of Gribble’s; but that was only one aspect of it. Joe Byrne’s sunset speech in Act 2, Scene 1, was a description of the bush as 1 had seen it from Norman Lindsay's place at Springwood, New South Wales. Then, too, I began thinking about Ned Kelly not long after 1 had ’ written The Fire on the Snow and 1 was still most deeply interested—as Tam today—in what I called “the heroic image": voyagers, explorers, snen of daring: pursuing the line of thought that Robert D. FitzGerald was afterwards to express so clearly in “Heeniskirck Shoals”: The necessity in men, deep down, close cramped, not seen in their own hearts, for some atiempt at being more than ordinary men, rising above themselves, It was an urge that swung from wars to follies, being the purge of stagnation from the veins, and violent when there was litsle 10 work it of against; but was man's only greatness «iso. Sie mre “game as Ned je element remained in him; saw him, a5 a3 a mun Kee sun v Z the romantic interest of the ‘bushrangers, theme in Australian Nistory-—and you muehe "in a poetic drama. It was a theme | could enjoy discovery” of Auarais, the sud the romance of the bushrangersblentled roger und the play was the result. Jalier i had been published and performed hat 1 lesent PENS sty ree ahoughe ty ony pele tee Gubject to verte about—in faci, once had to debate thac fp 2 tadio intcrview—and so perhaps, fantastic though § seem to me, I should ty briefly wo juify my choie th ‘People fave objected to the play because I am suppored to be ‘Ned Kelly”. Well, 1 am not. 1am studying Ie charseen BIT rather sutpect that shoe paniculse objectors (el that Ned Kelly is a threat to their propery. They may be sHe is dead. And the play merely points the proper moral, thax snot pay. Tithing feel nationally ashamed of Ned Kelly He is noe and somehow they feel involved with him. This must be that famous “national inferiority coinplex” we hear se rls Be ieitey Nas tes cabbeted tance and U dou dssk te Doser to feel very mmuch ashamed of Rebin Hond, nor the ff Jest James, The Kellys, asan outlaw family, ser 10 me in inlike some of the eattle-thieving. oulaws of the Scottish Bosder Seerainly never occurred to me ip be ashamed of the Arm BEM ioee: deskended and whose hemes were d by Qusen Elizabeth. It is pleasant to have had swne wild Bo arsy ces ood | think that ne she nation a ieisercad iy be able sicnly to enjoy having Bee erten is histey, ortho troubling to be satan of the. ae bjections, am afrakd, mui ret upon the nave bit fj should be about 9 yood man, noc about a bad one is quite fastane. Be eeiiny but «oe man. He n so that he could steal his crown. He murdered. eats lleseeie Wes (and ticresfter \7as most ta] since Agamemnon had allowed | ous, she murdered her husband in shocking the Chorus: Wile tow do e—show the wife That skew thy husband with the ky Nor if Ned Kelly is net a suitable subject for be metely beeause he was a bad man and did atroci killing of the theee policemen at Stringybark Ci the deed, the moze, inthe tradition of the poetic is there » valid objettion, chen, im the fact that bushranger and 50 lacked the royal elevation which, if then, zave digeity to the crimes of Macbeth and Ch taditienal poetic tragedy is based on the killing of a something we feel to be sacrilegious in the deed. Innocen an an innocence we feel to be something central to the life even semisdivine And the dhres policemen at Stringyback certainly neither kings nor divinities. ai Yet they were innocent men horribly murdered; and, ao ele life of t the safety and stability of society. Imagine thee pelicemen mu today, or # plot to Kill twenty safe in a aie magnitude of these crimes. It would shock the. whole country, iv seens to me that, odely enough, considering our rem ‘Atheniva Greece o¢ Blizabethan England, the theme of Ned Kelly with iis justifications or is excaaesy slag en sentatives of law and order—is really very close to the trad of poetic wayeds, the killing of the king—about a5 dose as in Ausealia if We see to deal with our own history and immediate signifieance to our own democratic. society, howd do not think that the pactic drama today eat BE theme of the sacrilegious killing of a King. Times have changed, and in mary countcies and in many ways of kingship has dwindled, Moreover, for the poet 40 em that thee wouldsinvolve him merely in repel Elizabyshaa’ tragedy, We amuse find. 20xe quis ‘wn timer, ovr own history and our owe wwe must find some story of legendary stature sigoificince o¢ we will lose that “elevation”, Is] tit above the prosaic and the merely think, much to rise it above the level ‘the first place we have Ned Kelly's ‘it may have been—in the gains what he believed to be WW bave bis cotstanding counge, his indomit- Saale luce of his exploits and his qual a ‘We can sce him, in part at least, as the representative Goll $ Sheers So ing against oppression. We im a5 ofthe bush agnnat the petness @ ee he ind «944 RL ants we Him innately wo 4 base Avsuallan myth. We can see him as } Stor of the busbranging tradition, whote tots go deep into the origins of our society. So that, taking all of this into consideration, 1m the start" though his «.« « Australis in it, yes; something of cowntry Where only cagles orc fi 10 travel she okiet And men like cagles to side it ; ‘That then—ia the peculiarly anti-social nature of his murders and fa the Australisn legend surrounding him—is where the case for Ned Helly as the theme for poetic drama rests, The crux of the play is in thet Scene 3, where Kelly argues with Gribble choot the Stringybark Greek murders As to how | have handled the therc, that, of course, is another maticr. Dorotas Stewant * = AcTr Tht is he en tie Place vn pushes ON, Bank Manager . Ta BANK AT JeetEn “muiors, Jeilderie ichoolcacher tian bt U5 nev. oxtoate SEs tee > s te “ Seabiiag ! counter, facing the street door fo'the rights Naren, @ merchant a . tive (sooped, parched, middle-aged; mumbling as he Manes, « store keeper - Mae Five and fives ten aid five’ ehreen, Wie w00, Ned Kelly's gir? Five “ Sve ten sod fives is ‘ive and five’s ten and five's fifteen AARON SHERUITT, on informer And five’s fifty. 2A stueaatTr, bir wife , and five's ten and fives fifteen— r Beets ethe of ie Shovin wacenn (mockinglyjcining in the chant Roop Iilocyaen os feakion WhO DUNE a GUAsInest Monday, Tuesday, Welacaegs Ftssn0n, a railwaynen oy VERA OF Pawpoty Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Mas Jans, proprietress of the Glenrowan Hotel Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, a —— a Oh God, and it’s only Monday! os Semiy < ima. Sshl And Bve's fifty. cumiow, Glenrowen schoolteacher Clow. Five and Give’s ten and five's fifteen, ‘MRS cURNOW, his wife Five and five's ten and five’s— : i. Mr Living! Police, bermsids, supporters and trisorers of the Kelly Gan i 2 fe eirerias end pri a OE tiwnic. Oh, bother it, Mackin, You've put me all ub some work to do? Macete: What would you de if you found Resign? uwvnic (off hisceward). 1 wouldn't rest tl 1 you, Mackin! z “MACKI ‘That's what I did on Pence. I was out in my balanes and afternoon, My half holiday, Garlt ‘What the deuce does it matter i ees oe! “to finish the balance. You'd think it was Sydney. as another in this des-bath. | matter of principle. got no interest in principle. ‘You Know very well the bank’s got it rules. If we didn’t obey Bese cs an cigtcisacoc, Nobody wins 6 ‘you of your half holiday. It’s just a matter of principle that ou've got to fnish your balance before you leave the premies. “Mackin. I supy ‘it's a matter of principle that you and I should slave Tere while the boss has a pot next dose. ‘aivivo, T expect he's aslep, ‘MACKIN, Well time he came to work and set me a good cxample. Taevet kenew a bank manager in acountry town who didn't spend half Ihis time asleep or mooching around the town holding up the posts and Taying down the law. They work about as hard as swaggies. | suppose, Be Pete ra atlecy, the old cow's out in the accet now, boding his belly in the sun. Cripes, it's hot! I'm going to take my ccat off. ‘iivinc, Better not, Mackin. Busca, Me Tarleton doesn’t like it. To hell with Mr Talon! ‘To hell with the bank! tivinc. You're ouly wasting time. Macrae, I can’t work in this heat. T loathe these country towns, these sparrows" dustbaths So dry and dead that the worms go off in disgust. RS recht No fu, no vorncs, Wo one to talk to, the beer not fit to drink, Lokewarm and soapy, like something you've washed your feet in, T hate these summers when even the dust's so tired Tt cocks its car, with an effort, once a weck Phen seitles to sleep agsin like a Bea-biten dog. (Serdonically) In fact, Living, I'm fed, up. “Brame. 14 prefer you to call me Mister Living. , t Td prefer you wo call me Captain Mackin, Field Marshal cin, Stageie Mackin, Minct, Bushranger—bt you don't. I'm Dabo licks the stamps and the boss's boots. Next time there's 2 th, by God, Ill dear out to the diggings. Or mayte Ill get Srevalver and sick soysell up. Ned Kelly Mackin, Anything for 2 [10] ivine,, ft does do: ‘bank alts Be ‘notice many people think its merely ‘They stole the bank's money at bank, It’s our duty to defend ackin. I'll defend it all rig I wis Co alps or dune Ge gel with to seal legs uivoxc. I'm not going to enter into ‘MACKIN. Supposing the Kellys did cross the | one knows where they arc. It's on Honestly, woulda’t you be pleased, just for a bi unaxe, No, would aot! Mack, Oh, to helll What's the vse of talking? going out for a smoke. Give us that letter-—if I run tell him you sent me to post it. i [He vault: the counter and goes out the front door. ivine (as macKIN is going). Tell him you're Ned Kelly! his chanting.) Five and Sve’ ten and fives Gfieen Five and fiye's ten and five's fifteen Five and fives ten and five’s fifteen And five's g Five and feed and. [While he is chanting the rear door slowly. n dressed in the uniform of a New South Wales ‘edges into the room, holding « pistol. Tall, bearded, syns is the “brains” of the Kelly ge Tike on educated man. He watks softly a step irvine, who, absorbed in his work, doesn't weve, Heyl [arse jumps] .ivinc. What's this? What do you mean by coming 3 ing? nym. Tcame to se you, Livine (more mildly). Well, you should have cor Just because you're a policeman you can't come the private quarters of the bank. What do y ayant, My =o Kelly. tual + + every one’s Really thie morning. you dreaming iakwel, te bank’ suck atizing what is occurring and completly ln aa a 1p; youl Come on, put your hands up. Never mind about Til see that it finds a good home. > ‘my Godt avane, Where's your revolver? iitvmie, My what? The revoly— ch, yes, you mean the revolver tpenns What the hell do you think I mean; the egpbester? Where's “your revolver? “tivise, Tm afraid I don’t know. Te might be under the desk. Shall T Toole Me Kelly? Braxe. You keep your hands up. Pretend you're catching fies. They Took like eobvtels, anyhow. Who told you my name's Kelly? Eixrave (Focovcring His poise as wxan's mocery stings his pride). You id Bins. [My name's Joc Byrne. Remember that. When you're an eld grey dodderes with as many tecth as a ford you can tell your grandchildten Joe Byrne stuck you up before Ned Kelly. Il be a ice thing to tell your wife tonight. ] ei Litag cay wile. inte thie. “enn (in mocking admiration). You're 2 devil, aren't you! Where's that revolver? aavine (sullenly). Ucan'e cermeenber. ‘vane. Inkpot 11) spill your brains in onc big blot all over your ledgers. Bae ee cess? Why are you hice alone? “ivixe. Mackin's posting a leer. pyane.- Where's the manager? e- It's not my business to know where Mr Tareton chooses to spend his time while his bank's being robbed. Find hin yourself BYRNE. T warned you, Inkpot. ) [2] unin. “Mr Bysne—— aan (threatening ‘the counter like = bird. (Liv [urine clamberr over the it, nervously defying the toviva, Well, Mr Byrne? : avvoiz. Splendid! Now jump back again. I leord, kets € donate even when his habitual uneasiness bet brutality or boastjulness. When crossed, normaly, riatously pood-kumoured. He’ at the bank in @ glance and, satisfied shat according to plan, stands sling near the vine (hearing wsls entry but not yet having seen who iti ook outl (Seeing we9) Constablel xen. You've scared the wits out of the old ewe, Joe. (To 1 you know Ned Kelly when you see him? treme. Oh, my God! T know you. Robbery in broad ep (soothingly). T wovlda’t get eacited about it, 11 bad for your digestion, And so's lead in the stomach. Is that's all; come for_a_lean_ tvixe. You're going to rob the bank. (Inered ep (ironically). No fear. tyme. Oh, God, you must have murdered the police, sgt those uniforms? 3 wep. Joe, what's this fellow's name? syaxe. Inkpas. —> Rabers bp SA eoeeny taynic (with faint dignity). My name is Living, = nvnne (cheerfully). Well, Living, you'll soon be desd. nev. Listen, Mr Living Inkpot, you keep quiet any harm:-Nothing’s happened to, je that’s all. We stuck up the police od own cells. We skinned their uniforms off ‘em stuck up the pub, We stuck up the past office. (3) “Was Kelly when he held me up. Mudernu et in the naine of Kelly Bush vici Bens sens, Ben Hall's and Gardiners, ers, ‘with their guns out th aud fists I Bight with, wb (Shoucing) Jumpl (eave ser.) There you ate, p just a5 my hand jumps when I well i ce Yen clever, Mr Kelly. Ym learning what to do when stuck Pi ee ey Spot take a clan white handkerchief, i it to your small mean easy grin off your face; and tell us where the Mr, Ss To the patient, decent industry of decent men a6 me e c en aha Who wring an honest living from these hot plains “a Bec cietone? : ‘And will not be beaten down by such as you, bee He says the clerk—Mackin—is out in the town somewhere, Insulted and bullied and robbed by strangers and o thet the manager hasn't shown up. Who ride their horses at night while the tow ‘le “sep. He wasn't out the back? svmn. Good God, Ned, the thing can talk! Wonder if we ¢ -BYanz. I didn’t see him. it to whisde? “Ne, Where is he, Living? wo, T'll teach it to mend its manners, (To uve) Whats “tie. T told you I don't know. ch, what happens ‘o the bank’s money? It's got plesty t : ae , eis a %0t your money. The rest of the town's on our side: They Auzber rising). Don't talk to me like that, You must know isthe pub with Dan. Youll sil be ele eset hae is your miserable litle job when the Kellys side What's eating you? tivisc. You come bere and insult me, I was doing ordinary quiet, deceat Monday momning—and then all this heppens. Reccived my reward in position as well And mos of all in respect. Here in You may net know it coming Lom over the The people look up to the bank; it’s their own Sanding for honesty, standing for neighbourly service Standing for upright dealing between man and maa A temple, 2 monument, T don't know. IFT did, T woulda’ ell you. Find him yourself Te found you; that'll do, (He walks to the counter and leans h bethoning ravine towards hire.) Come here, Living; look the Vof a gun. Its Black down there Ie talks out of thst blackaese fs ready to talk. You won't like what it sys, vinoe, Dost anyching incising ver happen wo $00 oy a0. do what you please, You'se two to one and youre from Chrismas? How ate your bowels owean shoot ms dead and you can rob the bank; perhaps you ql ee With your lot. But the day will come when you'll reget 0. Come on, where's that key? et foot in Jerilderic, The bank has a long memory for thieves, uvixo. I haven't got it. h ee Tete ae! Ne, Who has? ake Fhe counter scises him by the calor of his coat, drags time. Mr Tarleton the mihager. ards him, then lets him go.) xen. The things thatll happen to you if T sme tek all your sort. You're not a man to fight, only ‘sinutes will go:down in the history books, ogee) fiad the missing nianager or you'l find a h Ty : \ stsa Sim with his revolver). Q alae T work bere. There's a rumour vero, He sid the manager had} siscant, Yes, Tarleton's got it wap. Cive us what's in the drawer and place what banknotes. thoot boys. Hop over aad jein your stsble mate. | them into his packet, MACKIE P c waults the counter and makes a dive for the desk where of Ned} ios is Rept.) wen, You can keep that to feed the chickens. muting), Stand! (scacens stope short.) You'se sher the gon, atacens. Sorry. It’s good money. i? (Motioning to nvane) Get it, Joc. wnore. Once upon a time there was 2. [avans jumps the counter, seizes she revolver and, “Prince of Highwaymen”. And the A © each hand, stands bekind uve and wacntn.) the peculiarly princely habit of borrowing m Bee ee this young roosters about ready fo ipun, never took silver. You should know that, aaa Boe Mr Kelly, by an odd coincidence, has the same Gem Hels 2 game cack, anyhow. You'd think this other old fowl had yan (amused). You go to bel. faid an egg and we wer going to pinch jit, all that fuss and cackle. avez. 1 intend to. But Pl ride there on my own mags) (fo siscun) You—what'syoer-name; Mackin—don't wy it again. Gardiner's. Teyou did shoot us, Dan and Steve Hart've got the pub fll of hoxages ? 2 silver across the counter). Hlete, theyll fx the lot if anything happens to us. ‘The town’s ours. You make the best of it. nears, I don’ want it sacems (good-humouredly). All right, we (shouting). Take itl ie, Where's the manager? anise. Take it, Mackin. “Gixcum,. Hase’t the old cow even got enough encrgy to put in an sacxmy (grinning). T might get copped swith it, Uappearance when his bank's being stick wp? T don't know where he van, Buy your best giel a bracelet and tell her isa presen is, Asleep, most likely. Tkaly. ‘yep (nuspictously). You didn't meet him? He's not up to anything? ava. That's an ideal (Handing sacxin a bundle of a0tes) 3 cack. No. ‘a present from me, too. A nice gold watch that ge ye. Find him, then. You, Living, go and find him ‘Tell him Ned under her pillow all night. Tick-iock, like a tell Kelly would appreciate the honour of his preseace ie his bank. Don’t 6. .. anything clever, I've got you, boy. Tt keock this puppy cold if you try any tricks. “tring. "Oh, for a thunderstorm!” eh; Mackin? Watch out you don't scans (stuffing the money into his pocket) Te the get wet. See ie this I'm a goner. (He goes out the rear deor) wane. Better be a goner than grow up into a “He's getting quite gay about it. ‘yen, What's the other bloke tike—Tarleton? J (16) tm Bo ; up to something. Don't trast hi te 01 you od him, Tp. 4 dont know whe he To oo Desay Taf an You ny od nd. a araxe. Tl find him, Ned. Lhe ea ie od ac pt, ft es portion of the bask ented by the counter tnd ranma fe ee ad eer i oe, ho oe sttring a he exorinesdovimente, The door right i opened dla fas, sthmatic ono, healy mousached, who walks with s ‘eutiorr, the Jerilderie schoolteacher. wep Smedinly taker Cover teeth the count. The ft mn Morag eb bi suri, merce the cunt ord Hs EE just over the bucranger's head.) Gusore OU! (He rape esi; Hives. Then chats confidentially the “Hlenee,) You knows, anybody could enter, the property of the bank, retire, nobody any wiser. (Fle picks op « tray slver coinon the ’ sinter, examines i: thonght fully, chen puss it down with 2 sort se» (suddenly confronting firs), Youl You'se 2 thiefl Seusore (wartled). What's that? Seo. What do you mean by coming in here i Sreore, Al; constable, very glad to = Yor hyd left the bank completely una seo, Who are you? ; Solow, My name's Elie. This i very odd Nothing wrong, I trast? feo. Wat do yos do for 2 crust? Miuorr, You're new to the town T can & Hepow you, though I seem to have sen Jou semew en, fim not sure hat you're sats bee Tonking sort of fellow. a Cesare (puzsled). Very Hs080- say, cere ise’t anything wr00g, is there? (3) fils? Who are you? T thought for a minute Very foolish of them. June, 1 thought I dida’t T teach at the anger. You're a wild, retldess- suasors, That scoundell (He Bei wo, Goaing he low many times have you rabbed 3 horse? zi x x a {Confused Jummpinge end exptultons ore ne ED (threatening him with his revolver) eee hm enh ee le) Us rc shou hr dey mi |e ine ond wacetn, Having been dragged from Tent sonupee not uit be normaly dapper ae aly a towel about his ai ot tee See making of the angry dignity of ¢ ruined eas wen, What you got there, Joc? The banyip? rane, The Lain ob God ranusioe(furiouly). i} you levme pac my KOUseES OR [Ele ezempts to dress» Now then, that’s a0 way t0 ts well did you fish it up, Joe? Mr Taileton, manager of the beak xf Jerilderis, ” manager of Jet in his bath, Lilse a great big airy mermai Tas surprzed at yon, Tallon. Arann O99 Pucks, Whats the bask coming toh youtte Ned Kelly onesros (is rence activity. Bott's avery valuable oe ie itin the nude, ; {191 ster. r- And Til trouble you co Jet fee ee age its ae tak Bie To aso) So you're the ichectmance. 1 sap (Handing 0 wv) ol once, By God, I'd have liked to have had che maser tuvixe. I'm not going 10 do it Tie got you now. What's the population ce (howing). “Flop over the counter and 7 Sie eee alee ett a ee et ws heen eating chalk, It makes him thick in the hes araxe, By the door. {alin we shall have wo ee : You behave like children. fomutching wuviort’s sick). Ab, Tl behave like « master. Now, what are you doing Ey Ge ana peguaeet rancsrox (his indignt Hyou bring 2 note? (He waces she stick.) Answer mel found st, a man's manager [He prods extsorr in the stomach.) svexe. Confound it, a maa’s lost his trousers: fou Irish hooligan! \ ek peel | Gauzrox, Stop i damn Fou Fe is lone, Jor Pd ATS owed Tone po UP Spine, Oh, ccrtaials. 1 wouldalt touch him with a Megepole, en, You're not much geod, you baskets wihous TO auiorn, relieved, turns away ond mene whacks hime ith the ‘Withoet the police, TAEk: wocsorn, ferios, raises his it, but syne threatens bir Be Til see you hanged, Kelly. with the gun he holds in his left hand.) we. Now you're without the law to wrap around You} swackin (delighted). Whack! ‘Man without armour, naked in the bush as WE att \/ Of fps You see what I've had co put up with, Mr Tarlton, fos 001 TRE guns against us, and our gats again the gxnss) Maule T eculda't cope with the situztion. They go cut of their way How do you like it? ‘ ‘qo bs offensive. pepe Pcie 23 TARLETON. ‘You can keep your brag and bluster rast (ominously). 1 don't like yo Takeo) 2” : rth dogs thar ike tobe Kicked im ao grea mine this schoolmaster. D sanseroste: Dasnn it, Kelly, there's aI sa tebibery enough for you ‘And V'm not at your mes. Ue Be Spiked bpsetting the whole applexart? To bg 1 oe ee toy: Ted shoot him for to pins wen, The tows a ified S24, are. The town's is ye. Why? What harm has he done you? iota ino vice Dea is? Saf it ur Mister Living. I'd shoot the pair of them. Do you know where Richards, “mate, is? U *edare. You've ot no reason. + Do you know ‘ys gun in te pub next door. Ja night well hoe for the opm 8 anueron (acepting the ineitetle)- You'te border doesn't answer.) ‘bandits from over the border? Robber (2) iys des't want them. if » nun keeps kis hore its nt ft forthe Kellys You ask the tet ee a ens. walk it through the cuttings ee tol Ask why the Wim branch crac or they bars aore ced Sy Os abied sercech out where the bush is thick aad lonely Ws the Kelly country, that’s why. They come to hunt us Aad blaze at a stump if it watches them too closely And run for their lives from the echo. You ask th: aps Why they don’t like sitting in te firelight, asi: how they like it sumn screams in the dark or 2 dingo hovils ‘Or a boulder shifts in a creek and it ‘ounde bike : S, “The scrub is the Kelly country. And so are the towns Where a man who might be wanted can ride in broad daylight And drink and pay for hie grog, or come by night And meet who he wants to mect, afraid of no ‘ens, ‘With a hundred friends to warn when the traps are coming. ‘How'd you like to be bankers there, in the Kelly country? ‘Well, this is the Kelly country. You'll sce us again, => We own Victoria and we've come for New South Wales mm. I suppose it’s something, to spend your lives scaring the wits out of the police, hunting and being hunted tivino. What.good does it do you?) sseane (lifting the sackful of money on to the counter), Her sack of good. ep, We get ome fu i ee Tt stops us growing into things like you, Inkpot] ED, Give ts 1 look at some of those papers, Jos. Maybe some of therm ‘will bring’ an honést penny. [prawns hands him o pile of documents from the saft.] sve, They're of no value. “‘ranuzrox, Damnation! Peering into private papess. “syxxa. Oh, we don't want to peer into your privacies, Mr Tarleton. You're sale in your towel, iv. You don't want that. I's of ‘xp, Then why ate you so worried 3 semen, What fei? reap. Looks like his insurance policy. I thiol 1 bur tive. You wouldn'e do that? ap (stufing the document into his pocket), All ‘bum it, sttiorr. This is just senseless malevolence. syanz. I'll give you senseless malevolence on the seat 9 you're not careful, uivinc, Task you not to buen it. ‘NED, t Til burn it, Living. aavine, LYou're trying to make me angry. L won't get "Why should you eause se nodes Uene emia 1 don't believe you'll burn it You do it, Ne ‘Burn his property and you burn the man himeelf, He'll uwist in the flame with the paper, Why shou ‘He's only a leg Le Barn them all; pile up the papers and LiviNG. You'd never do that? NED. ‘Come out in the yard ant ‘santzvox, Burn the papers, burn the bank and bed Burn the town, bene. uivino. Please Mr Kelly, let me have my pal You'll throw our affairs into confusion; tive. I you'd only listen to eason— \ (23), . ‘ Richards comes with us az ung fool, would have got himself she for the bank. ‘Points cut the bank and places 0 Fee pase a ee ee nee . to papers, are you? Ne le vine ia his lock-up3 ? Papeete But Mis Devine has works to do at Si seni the flowers; oe 2 pelo), Tate che thing. You make ne “range the flowers wih the hous. meet oe — the thing. You make me sick, If she doesn’t go, neighboussll get suspici ‘you, Mr Kelly. I seally didn’t think you would have Cand if she goes—you know how women ~. he snight be tempted to mention, in a east Peal eh, beother, iT could be bothered with you. That ae Kelle Cepped in rom Benalla, She do we go? Doo't want to leave Dan and Steve too long ‘And she has to be persuaded not to" gossip, own So Joe goes with her. Joc Byrne gocs off 0 dl Ml be all right. ‘With the constable’s wife and helps her arrange ¢ S Theyre tough enough. But they're only a couple of boys; can't tantetox. T hope it did you good. eg Bein took down foc cree arms. I decided I coulda’t possibly rob your bank af shoot Richards if there's any trouble. I want to root yep, All he wants to do.now is to pick beautiful “groend. There mus be more money than thac in the bank. them to policemen in the cells to bring a little x You've cleaned us out. lives. eyes went. God knows, they need it. Br Wea ‘come back later. I don’t like leaving those youngsters macnn, Desines till inthe lockup? he ep, Too right he is. Dan's "yap, ‘They're a pair of mugs, but Richards is 3 bigger one. I'l back avene, Wedd better get going. “a Kelly against a trap any day. wen, Yes, we'll go. : “Won't you get a pleasant surprise if Richards has wened nustorr. Tf this damned tomfooleny’s over perhaps tw tbe tables and arrested them! back to the school. ) wen. There's no chance of surprises; we're rep, We like you too much to part with you: Co ae ‘and have a drink with the Kellys, You're all eo i a sanerox. I say, Kelly, I can't go in there like this; Ba pyaxe. You old dog! wine. Shell Hike you all the better. 1 Marder| an.eron. No.1 say, dammit, Kelly, Be a spo to the sation, yell ou" ee ee ‘on 2-girl at lunchtime on a. Monday. pe ee, Spe detend Besides, she knows me; don’t want to lo ete stand in the dark and yell ven, (Joe's got an eye on thgt barmaid, He i mg they run, swearing and buttoning their pants ‘You'd berter be a) 5 a4} Come en, shake a leg. 4 ET don't come with you? I'm not you need. You're seething with ink] ‘ot-come, if you don’t mind. over and have a drink with me or I'll blow your brains Tell you not to damn well argue with me? ‘Come on, Inkpet. Come on. cunrany ane trying bp fodluce come Holl auies hostage uation ond type from @ ip huddled together at the sideboards and a small ay ond impudent, quick fm thon ox and. dominated by the fa dit, das JOH toed tose sat ‘counteract them by exaggerated The curtain riser on a Ouse Of On snxiour for xx0 to return, DAN and MART behind them. aeert is edging towards we nant. It doesn’t take all day to rob a bank. paw. They haven't run into trouble, or we'd sant, [J'l take a bet on it, Ned's making poor cow poor is They ve go m0 dhe nan, We've get all-day before us. cox (6 buld, long-nosed, round-skouldered little man net, smokes @ cigar and exudes an air of ‘pood-fellowship and extreme rage). Aren't you come for the police from somewhere? vant, Ue soasted he pon @er amd ageing | grimy todiy, We'll be well away before hep. .. You're going soon? It's been a real treat to sce ye pax T bet ithas. When was the last time you vie tounoen, Never been known to shout for twer sas, Well be staying quite a while yet. Fill “em cox. Ab, it's a great morning, vue touxces, Good old Cox! Never been knows fi pan, One,for Constable Richards, cox (pouring a drink for the constable). A ricwunns (large, solid, Irish and-—so fer—ge making it quite so small as that, Mr G la7t \ ink out on to the floor.) ‘you doa’t like it. I'l get you another bottle You gimme my drink first, Never mind about the free grog any day. Asie, a They reckon he did shout somebody a drink one time. thai the horrors and didn’t know what be was doing. But a: ‘ashe poured out one free drink it was like pouring a bucket of Stee Himielt. He came to his senses witha jump. Never been (0 the warniato). Come here, coppertop. You pour me one Beecua cn: oor Se tamcain. T don’t answer: to coppertop. ¢. Come on then, copper-top, pour me out one, too. ‘muwoaaso (pouring the drinks). You're fresh, aren't you? Jus off the grass. Bey Gat lfor the wiweain acrols the counter), Give us a “kiss with it, can’t you? Tax Guddenty noticing that mure has been edging along the bar "towards nicinass). Get. back, Brett. Where do you think yoa'r= going? f Ewes just wanting a friendly word with the constable Get back. Al right, 111 stay where T arm. Get back, r Tike it here, — és Get back, ov, or Tl put a bullet through you. (He fas he quay Wh Wis ps) Goon, bck th oe oer ). We don’t want trouble. 1281] pan, Maybe. SEED sanz. Youll be the Bist t se etuast. Now then, Me Bret Te be hetter if you and I had a lite oan. [wouldn't lk to a squater about ee —_— nicitsnts. CL haven't said it would be anyth famous Kelly gang, Itd just be one of those dull, havets ateadig A beat tones tea ng a = concern the Kellys. 1 . tim and happentag to mention 2 few things Uke the murder Of thiee good men that were da Way Ranges, None of that sould Rave 39 Kal, woul i? pan (tensely). Go and and see where Ned is, Steve. Til eee [ds wiser moves towards the door shere ix «loud an ond haa are alarmed] siaxe, Daal Someone— pu (cling serdonicelly), Coming, coming ««« nianr. Don't go, Dan. Who'd knock at a bar door? [The kook i repeced’] snsrr, Mind your ee, Kelly tart (ai bax darts fo the door), You foo. ~ [oss twisgs the door open and. the seamen dione espe ent Br sstonthmcat unetr, Gribble! Good God! aunts (edeancing on wctianos). Realy, coma) ‘drinking? (Looking er paw and stant) All of You the Kellys werg in town. san What i ey ore Gueme. T came to\ieowhat U could do. There might b T dida’t expect to find the police force drinking in a ‘All of us policemen af - x You pass my comprehension. Was it all a” ‘They've gone away? van, We're still here. a vorce (one of the prisoners). These are the K A). Yes, Mr Gribble, the hotel is stuck up. You're in league with them, Plying them wich 1 we've gor one ia lockup Drinking our grog.7] anerr, .Cox’s grog. . paw. CThough they must have ‘The traps out hunting the gang all Climbing the mountains, sweating. 2 Fishing the creeks for bushrangers, Poking their noses warily ino the eaves For fear they were bitten, and Hall and Ms. Ruling the roost in the fds behind their es yoo they were the Katyn: You shouldn't nive poued The whole days while the Gl ae your nose in.7 # 2 seers, They had a pretty good time in Bathurst, ax. You keeping his watch, Steve? came. Teonly encourages this sort of thing, snake want. My oath I am! He can have it back in hell. THE Ee oe seen anything so funny in mrcuanes. Tt wouldn't burt you now, Hart, to let the man have his OFS Seats es thi ‘watch back. It's chicken feed, after all, to what your mates'll be ractsnos, U1) have a taste myself Tes thirsty work) ‘getting for you from the bank | rue msscat, What is? Leaning against the bar? marr. You keep your mouth shut. mictasos. Looking at you makes me thirsty, Ber Why ce et him go? He docs’: mater. ‘rts nana, Pity you didn't go and look at your eobber Garmser. assure you Ido matter. ay. Five of them aid it, five men to stick up Bathurst. PAN, He came out to preach us a sermon. If we let him go he might o-~ Hen Hal's gang siding ot tinea em decide to preach it with fire and brimstoy-—our of 2 gun. ‘Like ‘rots or brumbies or the bush iteeé come im erat To addle the shopkeepers’ wits, break up their shops: eee ch tas, nights the ony language yoo wader To sich the sheokecner! 5 oa ‘stand, For a change from snores and cicadas. There's a it Wiswe. Tl have that, patson. (He takes the watch from ono cas prs crn ee ee E Bureate (protesting as be goes). How dire you, sirl You drunken blaxr, We could make you understand it, too, parson. fictares (Come on, now, Mr Gribble: I'm telling you that the best Snot so much harm thing you can do is to humour the in_them, after all. naw. CListen, parton, H's fair dinkum stick-up. _ * You don’t preach to-d:y; you TBTEM io us; You don’t tell the people when to stand ‘And when to kneel and when to go; we do. You have a drink if you like, it’s friendly here, Nobody wants to dic while there's rum in the bottle ‘And sun outside; you drink, and you wait for orders. J Ia And guns are handy in the sort of game they. ‘There's a jeweller’s shop, and bushrangers’ gi They take what they please, Then all the do So they jump on their horses and gallop like hell th Kidding they're off to the bush; but they stop on the There's a pub there, Cox, there's a pub, They stick ind then they're ready to go; they canter away With their guns and jewels and grog, and the 1oW Hall, Vane, Gilbert, kings of the roadi ‘They did what they liked, those jokers; and now Down on the towns with his gang like’a creek in \ (31) / i ly to “bail up”. Re ernie ton - He dumps both on the bar counter.) Come on, fill up! Leave the girl setaucie og Jump tt, Cost ly. Certainly. Deinke up! Ml come 2 day Fil tell your grandsons you met the Kellys nee, oth enved in Jere, barring dy ng moved in Jerilderie barring the fies [plloping io from the bush and rob the banl Faby you cinks sd uate your old wown op “if we were taking Wild honey. “Youll be proud some day to say you drank with Ned Kel J pun. You got the money; how'd she pan out? “rep (slapping the sack). We struck a patch of colour. ‘nant. What'd you get? Gran, Te could've been beter, Steve. I'll do to go oa with, We can lweays come back for more. See (with nervous jocularity). You've been running up quite 2 drink Same pours teen aay, Mr Kelly) pret. J like your chances! faz wooncen. U's not 25 if Cox doc like shouting. One time wa Ms bloke was in here dying of heait failure Cox was going (0 Bit him:a y, only the bloke saw the look inh ‘eye and Kieked the bucket. _) Many's the fellow tvs helped, though T say it mysell St Om a battler, noc banker, and a friend of batters De grubsstabed miners, always give swazgies,a handout ‘The shearers Know where they're welcome; drovers core Ot “With the dust of the track and the reek of the shecp in their throats, Five hundred miles from home ‘and stony broke, ‘And Til let them slate it vp. It's ruin, I know, MT can't be bard on aman who's dows and ow) Lf he spills a drop on the counter he licks it vp “fies won't get a taste for it. J tx} cox, It'll be the ruin of me, vean._ Well pay for the drinks by rl come for miles to see wher ‘cox (rubbing his hands). So they might, il. Is been a pleasure to seI¥e YOU, anerr, T've been waiting twenty years smyselé from Cox. Its worth while being swck-up s3y, Tarleton? -ranasvon. (Lever saw anything like this Stuck up the bank, hauled me out of Just as | was—without 2 stitch of dothing. [The vansaro loughs.) ‘At least, I had a towel. THE BARMAID. A orban? TARLETON. 3 Lower. z Rebbed my bank, insulted my staff, y i Wouldn' let me pur my clothes on, offer me drink Cool as a cucumber. « nrnve, So were you. stackns. I'd have gone them; I made a dive for the gun, But Ned was too quick for me. ss. You bet I was. cauote, T say, Mr Kelly— sruorr. Louts and larrikins! ‘nina. Tf you'll let me get 2 word in, Mr Eliot, syne. Good God, a parson, Ned! so, Where'd you catch this one, Dan? pax. He came to preach us 2 sermon. I Kept him to show pvave. What say we take him home for pet? nip, Who are you? What's your name? - ‘cups, My name is Gribble, i arm, Gribble, did you say? The Reverend ‘Gribble? const (icly). Gribble. Mr Kelly, your man sant, Keep your m (33) co “RO excuse for this baiting of defenceless PEtS085; parsons. Parion persons, ‘YOU go again. = is he, Ned? Not a banker, is he? he’s the schoolteacher. He doesn't like us much, so 1 brought eA ‘Gave him the cuts in the bank. It’s the only possible way to eal with refractory shoolmsrer oe ‘3 er. What say we take him down to the school and lam him in front of the bigs? r : © Siow, ‘That's enough of that sort of talk. I won't put up with it Mae, The thing is, old cock, will we put up with you? Pax. We'll let the kids have a go.at him. Let them get a bit of their own back. wa By God, we'll do itl You'll wouch reality, Elliott; you'll tovch ‘your toes! “Extiorr (wildly). No! Brett... Gribble... Richards .. . No! Fitz vouNors. Six of the best! “ED, No; I've gor it, Joc. I know what we'll do with him. Well give the kids a treat. Declare a public holiday. Listen, Elliott, you go dowva to thae school of yours and tall your Lids tha honour of Ned Kelly. itiorr, I couldn't do that. T haven't any authority to declare holidays Tike that. Pd get into trouble. vavmwe, All the better, % Til give you the authority. Why shouldn't the kids have a day 3 holiday in off? Ces bit of paper, Joc? Write it dowa for him. (writing). The Jerifderie school is hereby declared closed for | ‘the day in honour of the visit of the Kelly gang. Sign it, Ned. gr itch wish). There's ‘my hand on it, Elliot. Go 4 Gondiog hin the paper.) Read it out to the kids and {go I'll come down later on and make sure you've done it. i [34] ep (also seizing him). C vane (ix chorus). Oh, [Bich taking one of othe door nynwe (calling after ners. You do sir things up when you xv, The kids'll never forget it err. Nor will Elio, ; cnreste. Perhaps you'll listen to me now, wart. Dry upl neo. Moe gros, Cox: Fl an aan rane. Quiek, or I rob the sil: Nua COR cot (nervously). You will have yoor joke, Me B cians, suppose Mr Eliott will be having a great th lie fe not svng his gn. ven (Beligerendy). You want to sive him! uicitnps. What would T be wanting to save a fellow snore any, Kelly opps we Be Cane ‘what you came for and if T stay here am thinking Pm in the pubs = ‘ tavive. You've done all the harm you could) seaemmeam sense, The’ al ime oll TA ap, Maybe we came for a bit of yarn as wr : ‘And a bit of sport. You woulda't blame us, would ye The government's made us oullaws to please the & And outlaws we are, and glad—to hell with them “Traps and crawlers who hate ui—b He's still a man if he lives in the Focks I Hunted and shot on sight, and. living Not good for a man and just as bad Tra Bam We don't go howling at the moon and tgligi AAs the hatters dos but we have to talle to eat The parrots don’t new in, our hair; but the Go round and round in our heads. We don't But we do see each her's faces ry it yoursely> Hiding in the bush and looking at rock gall g Sia \ «Gr the damned tray the bush or watching the tracks ‘for scrubbers to come and drink] ho has | advant bit monologue to attempt Belek deter oh mn ep @ you think you're of to? Ea going look at che Sowers and study sate, 7 weacaio). Joe! Came Hang it all, Ned! Phere isnt time for thet, now. forget that one of the minor discomforts of my exixence i the sound of your vac. 1 wan: slnce: pees and te Woice of a barmaid like a jie carolling at dawn, like gn the wood, ling st dawn T wouldn't go out with you, anyhow. You've Kissed It woulda’t be safe. “Dever treated the blatney stone with anything but she utmost jsxmsiaio. So you think I'm a ston:, do you? 7 fT think you're a gampfize in the mountains, and T want to warm my han "Make s date and come back some night, Joe. We'll e that editor 's his same? id pet away. We don't know that ‘ever cow hasn’t gone for help. » is. Who would be so foolish as to do that? | You for oné, if we didn't keep an eye on you. E What do you want Gill for, Kelly? We've got something for him to print in his paper. A bit of stuff B_My own, but « brilliant litele thing.) om. A pocm? lobody answers; the bushrangers look embarrassed.) os [36] if: (= ‘So the police have done me am i jjustice from, any man. You' hear them. When have I ever had a chance to puit sansvox. U should really like to hear how-the ‘ced you wet ay banked po eee day suit to open the safe for you."} tronic. (It would he mos interesting. syne. (So would you be interesting, stuffed in_a glass ‘would pay sixpenee, just to have a look at your) = sucxns. You cop it every time, Living. . coninsts. Mr Kelly, please. Touching .upon this very subj reputation, there is something — ei... ast. Shut upl =) >alcohstic rene. Tf you want some of be 7 Tzht ahead. Bathe in soak SR OMB the brim, and then go and tell the Yestey to go to h cxsste (seriously). You're an amusing fellow, Byrne. J nemxe. God help me. Des't you dare save my soul. Te woulda’e 3 with me. c onmur. Mr Kelly— nro. This poley bullock with his yoke the wrong way round: lave citer Dag Wat Spree iain ae at_ me. Whit is the matter, parson? Bellow. it out. ia Tieamed your Ont to shouk carstx. Mr Kelly, your man there stole my watch. wen, Who did? " pan. Steve, the fool. nant. SoT did, and ll keep it. He got on my nerves. conte. [Lhasa sentimental value. I haye had it a very avaiz. From one of your old Games. the Kellys! ‘arrest their shadows for following them round. vil were you? You'd like to know. ne a ‘or maybe it’s just a jackass, word, 1¢ gang’s 10 Greta, ‘the Kelly stronghold is.” Then eee SGwears himself blue in the face we've holed at Woolshed, SWhere the Byrnes and their friends hang out; and the traps arc psplit for Greta or Woolshed to catch us, hound oon as they get there another 5, "No, they're not at Greta, not at Woolshed, pe cis) AAS Ber there's «oman who sew them at Wangarata. ‘One rainy daybreak, crossing a railway culvert” ‘And the traps ride hellforleather for Wangaratta, ‘And stare at the Warby Ranges and seratch their heals Nobody thought of Euroa.) TARLETON. You fooled them. by Gad! Tuacem. And fooled them again here: Mremaae, ‘Your gumption must fave been in good wou Marae on those silly fellows of policemen Greek, eh? Kennedy and Scanlon and Lonergan wee no matd the clever Kellys.) ‘They weren't. Haw can yoo bear it, Kelly? Riding always Trrink of disaster; one slip and you're gone fio one to stretch a hand to you if you stumble, haw toil is a thal in it, parson; yoo woulda’t ‘understand. like a landslide down 2 mountain, [40] ig order Stringybark: h for wep, Ben Hall di Glanier offteger heavy footsteps) mynin, Ned! Look out! en (indicating the hostages as he seiner vontads the door). Watch these yealings {While oaw covers the prisoners, among mctement, synst—elor] and cynical, Seelam i eis necerny—lea ons behind the bar.) ss, with wanr Jost behind him, crouches near "ready 10 fire. The door is ung open ond ites pascen, @ heavily bail sant a Tecess and a grocers apron; and out, the. € Jou! newspeper. Though none of the three #8 manner is belligerent i ‘As they enter, there it + scene of violence and prooners surge forward and onn, after omental see rnmrs, “Get Back” end sope the edvanee.) nar (shouting). Watch it, Rankinl They'l shot! tava (angrily).__What's going on in here? ‘xo (showing). (Bail up, you dogs! You, come ia Bess ie troubleT'll give you trouble. Bail vp] sinan, By God, Gil, | did't believe yout he Kellys! tren, Yes, the Kellys, What do yoo want to do about ent. Come on, well get out of here! rere. Stay sill, you foolst They wont hut yous [There is a wild scuffle af she tree met 1) crate the bar counter and helps bax fo hold. tamer, trying to get out Of Faae-sieung along fo BYRNE, and ioners, sep rushes through th @ Sous) ‘wan (offstage). Got you! Stand still, you seg! te (a) Nea. : getiag ave prithes through the de ee [rawnin is incapable of speech Wt reap pe E dter to wae, There iw single resolver pee mee dey, Senne ree estes wo, Wher’ the other Bae Tad th 165: (nosning). Who have hey dant [oan drape nana forward.) oo rrr, Leave thes aloe. They didee come wit Bee ere a aw. van (een). Ol you think ys a5 yrestening wawsin). What do you want, ch, you sod? ‘This oath of He jabs bis pun into the merchants | o_o ad ea ‘eeleae) Mase (cunning back). He's zone, Ned. 1 missed him, foie found us. Now what abot ia) away, (Pleading, anon whining wok ce A eee wee pe puters ti mo me cues Nol the bg 2 Mts (Jorcing save opsins the counter). You came i bere locking We came to x. It was Me Gill who bi a for a fight. You'l get it. You think you can fght the Kelys? Wis We thought it our duty to eome> as that lude ruat that got away? wane. As soon as you siw us yo thought it wad youe Err. It was Gill. The newspaper man you wanted, sssrr_ Gill will have gose for help. Get to your horses. Tassevon.\Don't shoot Rankia, Kelly. He's a very valuable member wo. Gill was the man I looked to to get us justice: of our community Tes gone for the traps.) * Waar. Pot him on fir kaees, Ned, and 1 finish him. as There's a long side befove him, rp, Dp it, then, vant, Weld beuer go [4s wap end wast appear on the point of shooting nisms, there a, t up, Rankin; get up. 1s a hulbbub omong the prisoners, saute, brushing ow ele Tl let you off today. Vou neatly ger 5 spte of bis levelled revolver, comes forward an? confront You asked for ie hard enough, but youre just w fools xen] sting in here ke that suerr. ‘There'll be no shooting, Kelly. You've had your fue, vane, Next time you want to put the Kells to fight, bring a Stuck up the bank and the own, kept us prisoncsy akin; not just a bellyfal of sel-importange™ A You've come and gone as you pleased, swaggering the sects, resting of the Shire Council. Dasing th biden ier evo whole dpe asx, Shoulda’ we ge? You've lorded it oser Jerildcie xe, Let hich raise the country against um, And no one has stopped you, no one has interfered, CC Les him ide (rhe aapegcear ae No one has raised 3 hand or a gun afainst you ‘They like to crawl in the dark; they shoot from covers You can go again as you came. Rankin’s unarmed. & ‘Banks, newspapers, taps—they're all the same, Don't start the shooting or God knows where it will end: They work in the’ dark against us, Shoot Rankin now, and, by God, you'll shoot us all. >) ‘hod no/move give the Kells aie ee In'c we shoot you all? Ill cost us nothing. eet sae a ee Ey ren Tes aU wl com we nothing Than Richards would lft a hand in defence of Ra Pe eat bom, nares ‘They wait and remember. The Kellys ein do Like dogs, no more than dog) fae The he ‘violently: recovering from abject terror). Go on, them, shoot! naw. CWWheh Morgan saw a policeman’s shadow arnt (violently: . Hy lamers’ Bght on tent, he watched in the mart. Do it, Ned. ‘Till the shadow was still, and then his rife tale DAN, No; why should we kill him? ‘That’ the only sort of justice they understand, [2] \ (431) ‘elp h your guns and a threat of murder. but you stood and broke him, fim). You, to, it : ig, Him). You, te, i you want. jt, Richards, Dé you Faking that. rush fa here hen he remembered i dropped like the wind. 1 “want i, Kelly)” My name is Riches, noc Kennedy, Scarf oy Lave pan, ‘Aman like me or Rankin with ine apa iAsd bis memory good, want nothine nor Kase the five flows So Ret 10 always fight in the open, who lay in the scrut Beet udercd the the polices a weybark cd ‘wep, (They came for trouble, they got it; and so will you. 2 | Oh, let it rest. I'm tired of Suingybarke Crect: | 2 || tbe wits have cleaned the grsss and the traps ae buried Porget it, can't you? J] TUPeget it when Richards docs. ‘The sun won't burn and the rain won't wash and the ants Won't eat away the mark it’s made in his mind, A bullet would cure him, though. J Listen to me You'll leave this town with robbéry on your cosscience, Bus it with another morder, Leave hin slone"f Gey nto. Gribble, you're drank. J conan. Laugh at me if you like, ‘Thats better than broadin; 1. When you laugh at the bar Wehard t those terrible shats in the mountains, ‘The cries, and the blood on the ground, and on your h: Kelly, you gave me my watch. I don't understand you. | tip. Richards does. He knows it's him or me, The traps or the Kellys. nicHAnos. ‘And who's yout sponey on? ‘cima In England even the woods, the fields and rivers, Like the churches the Normans built, ixy and stone, (44) Not horror now; I understand the K oem T sould say you understand the by But thats about all “nusrow, There's more than that to it, Gribble. "You leave a stirrup igon of the barr obs gun GE)” In the san for a while and it burns your hand whet} Beer Herren the people: “That's a bit more like jt. Australas a country, parson Where a man can ride a horse. f mer : Gr lift one, cht rnin nowxcrn, T want a beer ro, Ther’s a blcke who knows something shout Australia. him, Cox a ig tne om eal omer Chivings when was the your mind like 2 gun barrel? suacki, He's burning allright. ree Like a rubbish tip. Slow but sure: ‘ontonte.” You tide this buraing countey then lke wild ‘Apollos driving the horses of the sun. Where seas the horseman’s pride and the herseman's grace In the senseless, ugly violence of Stingybark Cree Or the brutal murder we nearly sw just now? wen. I wouldn't have killed Rankin. I was only joking. {Clapping rasa on the Back] Give him a brandy, Cor. ‘nie sana. He's all to pieces. cumuz, 1 belieye you would have lelled him. You've ‘And youll ill again. You. think its only fan Wie your gang comes down on a tv like a ejelone ‘And whirls us all about, but wind is af Destructive to all that men have: wor) (451 @ . x By ve ae Eianatick picked Oot sick. I'm ‘rap Fitzpatrick bad eal Or to any aL Eon al Lo You wee ely gts none of this ving has tri rcuanos. [esa He, Living bas wied you, rowanas Hs a le condemned you; haven't you, Living? ean Ka “tino, Why do you pick on m = Fitzpatrick wanted) Katey te? Te id nothing, =e ; 5 Mir aaake YER, PVA, the patienee and ll he good of “hat suse ta) is es oe ar dis is bux murder? You could work, yoo could side, fom Ireland for killin Fes or fold ile the bus nd ts moun Re ee ne ae He ic desert beyond, discover some gicen ina Oe ea Red wast ag Cou aula eel Useful mch in this barren oad ree Because old Red we oe eG) Fie Gets say way of thousnd to exe your bal Th a Ne ee cee: Vora wat denies you ae ‘ou turned on our mother. You swine! re is Tote you pn an sp ese heen ma fetmeremee oa a er 1 1 t0, Kell mcuanps. Long before that, ten good years before Noe ts cpl Ure ie rte, vidlent TEP ou a hw Pony al our i, gett pe ") ‘ou've lifted horses and cattle, police. Wide emus necking devil, Byme, this weakling a. WEAK PeXsoiy ¥ ale Rs aaa ae cae With bis aren round a barmaid and his foot cm the pat to the ve Ov 1 still defy you. BYANE. True, brother, true. I wonder if a pure woman could relorm . Cue Get aa eee Tansvon. Wou'd probably reform hz) ae ee ee “_ ‘me, or would I reform you? They were hunting us in the bush, gun against gun, BE aivoutn, Youd wlk the leg off an ion px. nao lh dn % ‘And we: were the har Gone ees onl peace tan ton MAIO Ls Ga pa ze Nep. You see, Gribble? Gertle as doves, we are Net for your sx Who did ever murder? T shot three wraps 0, [hey eidn't ere un did There's your warning. Others have had to do it, Tm not ashamed ofthat. was them or trey Maybe I shot thice gingoes. Others have done it) B the Clashes killed the poly 1s we dic Behe You con's cet caret i, Kely. Say tar Fou lke To wats then to Keay, Tier ee ‘There's three dead men who'll stand and give-saut the lic: And protect the maa that like to live in the eitiess 7 Kennedy, Scanlon, Lonergen. The bush can fook after itself, “Its true, Kelly axe My oath it ean, OS \S yous ; ” ‘You laugh and joke with us here, but before you came Tanteror. Not when in bath, wy You killed, and alter you've gone, you'll kill again. ‘nerr. * ‘d.always thought Ce K dam, No man in the world has a thing to fear from the Kellys You'd copied the ai ia that business at Sai fA @ ‘micitanns. They wor't do that. Dax. The 146) @ \ (a7) If he leaves us alone. The traps won't leave us alone,—]) Rather a pity you did, = @ larkes were men, rotting in the one a lesson; what you ° wile holds ia the quiet of the np f love, the Galies Cuca ‘stream merges in the calm of a lake, that wrestle with the world for her childre's breed, Se Gtr «86S fhe “traps, 25 you call them, are men? ‘They're not. They're traps. Petre tswen us; youkep on Pes extegh; tie peice can deal withthe Kells MWe ko. ts s05% aadhey, on Wah la Syoutl have to find us fist car. We might do thi Gansste, Richards, you spur them on; you do goad thet “his is not some tribal feud to be settled between you, Police and bushrangers, a private war: ‘The Kellys are men who have tuned against ther fellows, ‘And you are the will of the people inecting their challenge. Even if the nation commands you to hunt down For punishment and revenge, it is still You are not involved yourself; you're az instrumént. ‘peranns. ‘They killed my mates. ust. Even Tn merey and understanding. ‘Oh, don’t ulk, rot! ma us as they did from the Clarkes, larkees—at the end of a rope, J Bo persist! They've got to catch us, ie Clarkes. And hanged them. And that was ihe end of the fine gesture of defying the whole comminty and et the simple men who Gl the community's énstruments yy don't you give it up, Kel . ‘ avant. (Too late, for one thin Arai de" ttep, Trying to pur the wind ume? to feulth qninmz. I'd like to put Kelly, did you ever read what sentenced ‘Clarkes? 1 people, you should meet th wep. Theyil get as much mercy fron ‘And. well get as much as the Cl: feusanis. You know it, and yet you we, cuusx. They caught th a bit of sense in that conceited bead of yours 148) oueg o« yn” Gilbert shot dead Ben. Shot dead; How and Fordyce ‘O'Maally shot dead; Burke shot For Gordon aad Dunn; Dualeavy Lowey hot ded yea of prison for Vane Yea of pon for Faby that sadly Morgany/srbue evil inflaence smoulders in Flarty ‘And your brother, too, shot dead like the dog he Flether shot dead; ove of the Connells shot dead Bill Scot, the friend of the Clarkes, murdered by the Cl ‘And then the Clarkes themselves, brothers like you, Hanged side by side in that bitter golden prison, Monee i Seoncenge te cone Faced ‘At Datlinghorst of stone like the fame of the sum ‘To speak forever of the rites of blood and sweat ‘And ihe Frat harch gods of Australia, the fash and the gallows wero, Say what you likel I don’t care who was hanged. "You oaly prove that we're right to fight the traps. cunt. You're not right! I's time there was peace in this cout ‘So much misery, so much degradation, So much horror in the clear Australian sunlight! ‘SSimuck-dhoughiles folly, then wilful erime, “And death for innocent men as well as the guilty Bath for policemen daring these beasts in their ‘And geief and despair for mothers and wives ‘And all for what? For nothing, Kelly, for nothing. ‘What do you get fo it alf De you ie ike princes? You live lke « hunted beast &@ Do # look like onc? Guunue. ‘That's cron and gull ia t. = i (Ob, shut him upl irr. You keep your sermons for thore who want to Heart You'll have me signing the pledge: ipning nc Se “tivoue, As sure as oxe blazing svump will start 3 ‘Your crimes will lad you to the © Your cigs Wile Se eres a ores wen. “That's faster than any bushire, coxmptt, Exch time you: mount J "You ride to the gallows, poot Val po aN ef | is guns till the end ‘Woman as ever walked God's earth, ol tow. yy blood from that voyage from Trelan iron for thee chai, sone from hr pre c’$ nothing you could weaken or change with your bleating. think I'm hunted man, One day I'l hunt— ‘The Kellys will hunt the traps, you waic and see fersrrox, Is that your only hope? I'll back the pace. Why don'e you Borsa tick from tha fellow Gardiner And hibernate in some safe and sleepy place Way up in Queensland where exen the "taps Grow grass instead of whiskers? baw, They tracked him down, Captured him by a trick. What's the good of that? van. (Gardiner got a paidon in the end; ie shoulda’t they pardon the Kellys? | 2 nuctanos. ‘Three good reasons— Keanedy, Scanlon, Lonergan, 2 you call them To hell with their pardons I TET wanted ene, I could get it, I'l tell the story { fil Have it printed and the wraps won't like w Se Til show them up. I could get a pardon casy, \ They can give it or net, it suits me either way, |) Buc Tit print whar I know about the traps and their justice ] To show them up, y MacKn, That why you wanted Gill? {I wanted him to print it in his newspaper, the full story of the lys and the traps. Irll make a big diference. We've got plenty fon our side now, but this'll get us a whole lot more, They'll learn why my mother’s in Melbourne gaol, for one thing. Joc’s got it all written down’ in black and whit aanteToN. So Byrne's your advocate, is he? Don't you think he'd be inclined to be a bit biased? macKiN, They reckon he plans out these raids for you; writes them all down beforehand, works the whole thing out on paper beiore you start. Is that how you always manage to get away with i? i [0] aly way a racecourse goes Miybel couldn't stand the bit and ‘hod the disty dwarf in sille you Keeping you up with the bunch, in vino. You've done a lot of good for you wove, At least I'm not an Inkpot. ‘The commit suicide, But for the grace of God here stands an ‘might have been cleck in a bank, right h cae eke lacs fs gee) ee Tight have spent my fe adding up figures ‘And never known the answer; I might have: ‘A wife and a house and a job around my And drowned at the boitom of life. By God, I might have been you! Even, with great J might have been that dull, dumb engine, Elio Hamiering lessons through schoolboys’ surly bic For God knows what good purpose, except my vr veo, I wonder if he did declare the holiday. aN. Hell never live it down. sur. He'll never forgive you. taatetos, I'd have given 2 Gver—if you bli to haye heard him telling the kids Ned save. You sce, Inkpot, I might have been you ¢ Or even Gribble- yearly beloved brethren"™— {can manage the bleat. I could have been a4 Bleating around the parish for tea and bt I could have been the wether at the Bleating to ewe and ram; I could have Baa a: the wicked Kellys, But I didn't do, Tchove-to wallow in sin, It suits me betters 1 wallow in nasty grog—Cox’s grog-— T wallow with Bouncing barmaide> THE aRDIAID, Got hea (st) TH say that for ‘the high tide of loye, ahd you scrabble 7 ae A Peeewe int. Go away. Talk ‘no one. You can't call it persecution to fo make sure that people who licak the law at's only justice, ‘hunting the Kellys at Stringybark Creck, or were ‘My oath they were! oe saying they weren't loking for you, Inthe interests and your justice! Justice is blind, they sy is. Blind as @ wallcyed marc, a5 2 Toony bullock butting his head posts and stamps, blundering and shying. sway | From anything solid or truc in his empty dareness, “You'd hunt us down because we killed three taps, | Kennedy, Scanlon, Lonergan; you wouldn't look Six months before and sce that we had to Kill them. We had to fight the traps whenever we met them Because that rat Fitzpatrick got shot in the wrist Wad Blamed it on the Kellys, He sat at ous ve, He drank our tea, we fed him; it was'open howse For the trap as it was for drovers or passing swaggies, We were at at home together, Dan and myself, The girls, my mother—the woman you've takea away rom the hearth where she boiled the kettle for Fitzpauiick Fo scrub the stones or rot in Melbourne gal. Many a night Fitzpatrick used to drop in, “Pap as he was, and yarn to Dan and me; we mads him welcome, He had his eye on the girls, and it wasn't the cold “Blind stare of justice, the way he looked at Kate; ‘She'd tell you a thing or two about the trapst cok back a bit to the days when weilived at home: spatrick fooled us; one night the rat comes in tries to arrest Dan, some trumped-up charge Featlesiccling, blackmail to get at Kate! is saan we'd fad in hove; the diy Jes Who'd sell bis friends, break a mother's heart jatripe on his arm, or to get a girl who despised hin. o {sz} 1 pretty story; vas. Why did't we shoot him, Easy as killing a snake, We let ‘Wedida’t want to go to war with We wanted to live as we were. We didn’t kill Welet him go, so he shows how grateful he fs By swearing warrants out agsinst ws ally ‘And he gets my mother, too, she goes to gaol, Bur Dan and I are ly and take to the bush- ‘There's where your jusice starts steven T done beliewe it tasueroy, Dammit, give them chance. wo, A trap coulda’ Tes always been the sarse. Fourteen | was, No more than a kid of fourteen, and they'ran me in For riding a joker’s horse. Justice would say A kid would know no betier it was only 2 lark, But the court said soincthing different; three months they Have Mes Whit kid with a bie of spunk, mad of beret, Wouldn't pinch a ride if he could? You'd only laugh. Bur they dida' laugh for me. 1 was a Kelly. ‘They were always st un A squatter los bs “The Kellys rook is” Amare lights out fer the bush When she scents a brumby stallion: “The Kellys have got hes.” “The calves are shote when they muster, a cow wanders: The eattledufiag Kelys!” We do i all ‘We've got the evil eye and the hens stop laying, [Ani the “hoppers eat the crops wherever we go. riciaene Te would he the "hoppers, now, that shot the police, ‘Keanedy, Seanlon and Lonergan on Stringybark Creek? ap, We'd never have stot them. They were the fist to ire ‘Lonergan dived for cover and tried to shoot me. ‘We were only going to warn them. symm ie And that’s the truth. ‘We never meant to shoot them: But then we had oa cance, You had to, You'll always have to. You Because You sleep in the bush, but you're bound in You've made your law for yourself a law so harsh Ttmakes your freedom the crullest sort of mockefy2= You're dedicated to murder. [33] i You woulda’ do in PRT The parsons talking sense, Leave him alone. He means to war you, Kelly-ive been nny — Do you know ‘what'll bring you down? a A banana skin, NED. 10's got me down today? Richards tankin | Look at them, manf mn cl mers. ‘Gritbte will being you down, Not Gribble himsdli, but the thing the pason sands The men behind him with all his fear of the bush And none of his paderstanding; hundreds of Gribbles, Thousands ‘of little men who fear or hate you Or simply don't understand you, and take the right To condema you out of their moral indignation Vike you, Kelly; you've dore ny harm te mee You could stick up my station, lie a horse or my cate And I'd take a shot at you s6'1 would at a havk, But you wouldi:’t make me angry. You'd only amuse me. What's a horse to me? What's Stringybark Creek to me, Tit comes to that? I can see you've got to fight You and the traps can settle your own aff anne, I expect sve will. ner. Bur it won't be left to the traps: Its the lite men behind them, pushiag them on, Who'll get you down in the end—Gribiles and Livings. Livins. Leave me out of this. ‘THE LoUNcER. Cut his head off! Auer. Leave them alonc—and because they envy sour freedom, This lashing about on horscback, Byrne and his girls, They'll hate you for what you are and bring you down. ‘Aud you can't leave thin alone: That makes i'worse, Wherever you go you mect them and make them angi You, or Byme with his tongue, or Hart wit! his boots. You whip them up beesuse yeu know they hate you. Living will bring you down; you watch the Livings. A mild little man, sec? A dull little man, ~ A man who minds his business, bas a job and a home, Looks after both, and_won't be interfered with. (54] for, You tech his Fo Hes given bis bie to petit ride away to the n ‘od ele hes wall 20d team ‘He'll dig his garden and wait. ie But we've aot tanuzror. ‘That's just the wouble, Tiare, Me you eat offend: Tarleton yoo esate ‘He's a man of the world and only plays at Gribble himself would never bear malice either Because he lives in a dream here light cas 4 ay Chee eeen eet ie int Litogs 2 ton wo be bert and ene aa Ello 0. You made spat of an ia public bar, a goat infront of his pupil Hettaee you as long as he bed ‘And a there's Rankia's man of position in the torn ‘ And he came t read you a lenue: you threatened Bl ‘You made Riss coal, you weds Kim clase na How do you think a normally brave man feels ‘When you catch him napping and break his nerve in’ pi nant, How do you feel, Rankin? avn Leave me alone. cox, He's had a shock ‘NED, Give him some more brandy. Inasoun waves dt oway,) snert. Yes, leave him. Leave ondinary people alone, ‘They hunt in packs and they'll hive their teeth in your Because you dive to be diffrent and standalone. Leave Living and Rankin and Blin; leane Gox alone, He'll poison your grog if you make him shoue again cox. Mel Poison them! It’s been a real treat to have ther ‘Abit of life in the place. 2 rnin iovxeen. You'd poison a baby if you aught # ap, Fill em up again, brother. One more all round! Tus touNcea. Hooray! suo (taking banknotes from his pocket). Til sho "es te lar randy wee bead ace fre drinks; (Handing money t0 cot) Hlere you thatthe Kellys dido' ueat you fai and aquatel cox. Ah, thank you, Mr Kelly, There was no Suill, it's very ‘eadi and gentlemanly of {ss} . \ can make a ey Up fot thee whole days doing that. er doabe you wit ‘Richards— {you se any supiciouslooking characters, atest ‘em, too careful about bushrangers : oe fon thea, Joe. You never know when he might suspect 7 © igs in this room T hate leaving. One's the usp; one is Constable Richards; one is my old frend Living, the talking Inkpot; and the last is the red moon of love behind the bar [ri aannatp. Come back some time when you've tured respectable, ‘suse, Pity I didn't know you when 1 was two years old. 1 was a ‘ery. sespectable child. ‘yo, I nearly lefe the blooming sack bebind, with three thousand quid in itl Come on, you jokers, or I'l go aud pur it back in the bank. “DN. Righto, Ned. Shake a leg, Steve mart. Keep your hair on. was only finishing my dink ‘simve. So long, sweetheart. uae. Tl come and sce you of “Wa, Stay where you are. All of you stay where you a1e Richards, if I see your nose outside the door Til shoot it off and take it ome and bottle i. You, too, Living. I don't want any snoop=2 Watching the way we go, or any herors Taking a crack at our backs. Stay where you are Till you can't hear our horses any longer And the dust’s settled. Then you can do what you like. Good-bye, Me Gribble. ' une. Good-bye to you, Ned Kelly. [The Kellys go out.) cor [56] Sic the tad ow eaaee aa for its hide-cus is crudely dirt Fifles and revolvers are conspicuous. Abi from sooty chains over the open freplace lei tunenthusiasically cleaning wp eer the plats, one by one, tothe fie, wipes them fucks them on the able The door right opens end wxnss, cerryiag, @n) ermal Invotily, onpig lop ea ie aa al vont (tte ond ara). Ba ys, el Do on Bae ike that YYoo made me jump. pane. For Pe’ sake keep you hair on. Pick up that log. HART. ‘You gave me a hell of a scare. prac. When the tmps do come, they’ take ws for “We're all so jumpy. We'll bound awry through the vag, We sonal iB oss ae woth ae ha Two thousand quid a pel. Wont heating, by ‘With the black dogs of trackers. - (He sts by the fre, gloomy.) anna (pacing the recy impo) ie cae I'm sick of it, Steve. Supposing after Jeriderie ‘The reward goes up as thas, two thousand a head, Why’ i mater os? ‘hey ean bid as gh as they ke We'te uo more up for sale than we were histrs e's Jot of money. Fight thoutand quid for the ayer. Tt may be more than that before we're finished. if the stunt Ned's always talking about comes off ‘And we set them all by the ears, startle Australia, ‘They'll double the money. Let them damn well dou Weill say as safe as we are, and ie nice to be aunt, It'va lot of money. Plenty would like to earn it, ayant. ‘They're welcome to ty. The Kellys have “And tke traps won't root us out, and nor will the With their snouts in our tracks like pigs: — (s7] Chim hear you talking like that; ‘ouhy, lately ast Where did he go? ling about the jungle looking for ti crs eo Peeicans coceak § morpork's sulking him. A dangesoss bird ot ea, Maing? ‘The owl is absent minded. ‘And so am I. I'm absent-minded to-night I may go out and boot for a while on branch UE 1d never thought at all, I might be happy Sitting as a stone on a ridge for a thousand yeu Not noviciog even the weather; if I thought ike Ned, Td be out in the besh beside him, cocking my gun At nothing at all and making it put its hande 9p; But Pim not a stone, and my mind is not on the wraps; There are higher things. Miles away through the bushy, Bot not so far that a man couldn't ride there tonight, ‘There's « beautiful barmaid, Steve, with a rose in her baie And hardly 2 tooth missing. seaxt, You'te a lucky cow! You going our? How lony since 1 saw a woman! Sek in this bole like a bullock stuck in s bos, Waiting for the crows to drop You get out, Dan's been away all dav, Ned's got his little Roo to come and sce him, But when do I get a chance? Dan's out scouting, Not skirting, Steve. You get out otten enough: As much as we do, mux. Yes, but I don't get a sheila, ‘avin, I'm not going to shout you my bannaid to drown your sorrows => Ask Ned for a loan of the Roo, He docsn't want her, ‘wax. I wouldn't mind your siser, now Sherritt’ dropped her. “Brave. She'd appreciate your natural manly courtesy. ‘Why don’t you ask her? [58] hat. No? He nlked to your barmaid gene, T didn't ay that. [only said she’ ‘We were plansing somethiag Who reckoned she'd heard it from er aron's the only “telegraph” we Tae ying, All over the State they're talking about Wondering where we've gone, what we are Where we'll break out next. If she hears a ru Why say that Aaron blabbed? I’s common nant. He drinks at that shanty, BYRNE. Oh, Ged, so do the magpics! ‘What if he did spill i@ What harm has it done? I suppose he wanted to skize how well he knows us: les 3 cheap revard for all the work he does, Spying on the traps and bringing us information, Me risks his neck, you know. san There's a better reward Than skiting to barmaids for anyone willing as he is ‘To blab abou the Kellys. Eight thousand quid! vine. You're too suspicious Mane. You're tco simple, you mean, ‘To know 2 sat when you see one. ie $534) is ‘Aaron's my cobber, Ve went to school together, we've worked ‘together, He'd join us now if Ned hadn't turned him dowa, ‘ight thousand quid’s a better mate than an And safer, too. ENE, If Aaron lets me down, 3 There's no more trust in the world, If he betrayed 1d wust in my own hand and my own gun To make a hole in my head; that’s all Teould do,- And I'd be glad to doit; it’s a dirty lifes | 18H You're mad, Joc! What's Aaron Sherine to urnve.| The raven, pethaps, who feeds me in the He brings « bread and reminds me of ph v oN ~ ye we Is in your mouth like a make in hole. Jee. dida't mean it lke that. at itall right. You meant that Td betray you ‘A man ought to shoot you, Har) 7 J. I said I didnt mean it. You talk shout shootin ‘be sorry. Two can play at that. ee) B)._ I'm sorry, Steve, I suppose you didn’ mean i ‘your way. Ie will never'do to quarrel. i Dicker, bicker—that’s all we do, hat we've done—the lot of us—siace Jecilderic, ee eae cage, fis with ourselves alone I'm sick of i Sick of bickering, sick ofthis hut and the mouatains, ff the whale china show. My Ged, i's empry, and barren and stony, all our If Were four dead tees in a sins F night after While you were cleaning up, climber the ridge ‘And sat on the rock at the look-out, having a snoke, While Ned went off with his rifle down the track, Booking for nothing—they'll never find ws here— ‘But just too restless under this damned susperse, ‘This nagging of distant danger edging closer Like the hush before it rains, to sit and be still You know how Neds been lately. T sot there snoki “And, God, how lonely it was! Miles of

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