The Bushrangers by Roger Pocock
This account traces the Kelly gang's conflict with the police from flight and robbery to its violent conclusion. The narrator distinguishes sharply among the outlaws' characters while describing the local knowledge and support that help them evade capture. Informing and revenge lead into a plan to wreck a police train, followed by a siege in which armor offers only partial protection. Hostages, rescuers, and wounded men share the danger of the final confrontation. The telling rejects a romantic view of the gang, using condemnatory judgments and grim irony to frame its account of bushranging.
By Roger Pocock · First published 1904 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Western · 1,782 words
First lines
A. D. 1879
It is a merit to love dumb animals, but to steal them is an excess of virtue that is sure to cause trouble with the police. All Australians have a passion for horses, but thirty years ago, the Australian bushmen developed such a mania for horse-stealing, that the mounted police were fairly run off their legs. The feeling between bushmen and police became so exceedingly bitter that in 1878 a constable, attempting to make arrests, was beset and wounded. The fight took place in the house of a Mrs. Kelly, who got penal servitude, whereas her sons, Ned and Dan, who did the actual shooting, escaped to the hills. A hundred pounds were offered for their arrest.
Similar titles
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- Michael Howe The Last And Worst Of The Bush Rangers Of Van Diemans Land by Thomas E. Wells
- Highwaymen In The Border by John Lang
- Desert Gold by Zane Grey
- The Gold Stealers by Edward Dyson
- Tombstone by Walter Noble Burns
Genres
- Historical Fiction — The narrative is explicitly dated to 1879 and chronicles real historical events involving the Kelly Gang in Australia, blending factual historical events with narrative storytelling techniques.
- Crime Fiction — The work centers on criminal activities including horse-stealing, bank robbery, and murder, focusing on the methods and psychology of outlaws engaged in organized crime.
- Western — The story features bushrangers (Australian outlaws analogous to American outlaws), frontier settings, mounted police pursuits, gunfights, and themes of lawlessness in remote territories.
- Adventure — The narrative emphasizes thrilling pursuits, dangerous confrontations, escape attempts, and daring exploits that drive the plot forward with high stakes and action.
Tags
Australian history · Outlaws · Colonial era · Crime and criminals · Adventure · Historical narrative · 19th century · Australian frontier · Lawlessness · Bushland · Folk heroes · Violence
What this Textopian page supports
The Bushrangers is listed on Textopian as a short story by Roger Pocock, dated 1904 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Roger Pocock
- Date: 1904 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Western, Adventure, Biography
- Length: 1,782 words
- Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Bushrangers by Roger Pocock
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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