this wise.

One night as I was coming into Sydney, about a mile from the town I
heard a sharp, sudden cry from the side of the road.

The cry came from a little "black fellow," who had been a sort of
retainer of mine in the bush, and on the plains a bright active lad, as
supple as a snake, and, as he used to say, the son of a chief. He was
called Jacky Fishook, and was a very useful fellow out there, for he
could follow a trail like a hound, could climb trees, kill game, and in
fact had a good many of the savage accomplishments, and few, if any, of
the vices of civilization--rather a rare thing among the natives. On my
return to Sydney we had parted company, and Fishook had passed some of
his time among his own people, and had also come into town now and then
to work as a light porter, or do other odd jobs. The wants of the
natives are few; and Jacky, unlike some of his people, did not drink rum
or other spirits, so if he earned sixpence he was able to keep it. He it
was who had given a shrill shout, and as I ran across a piece of waste
ground to see what was the matter, I saw him crouching on the ground,
while over him stood a big bully, whom I had before seen at the door of
a low grog-shop; making a vicious cut at the "nigger" with a heavy
stock-whip. He was a burly, powerful fellow, and, as Jacky was unarmed
and only half clad, the cut of a thong like that was bad punishment. As
soon as I appeared the Maori gave a yell of satisfaction. "You know
Fishook, black-fellow, sar?" he screamed. "You know, sar, Jacky not take
stink-water (the native word for rum), but he give no sixpence, sar; he
make for carry big thing, sar." Jacky pointed to a huge bale of hides,
or something of the kind, that had been pitched on the ground. Evidently
the bully had insisted on the poor fellow carrying the burden for
payment to be made in the shape of a glass of rum; and, discovering
this, Jacky had refused to go further.

Again the whip was raised to strike, but I caught the uplifted arm, and
with an oath the fellow turned on me, wrenched away his wrist, and came
at me like a bull. There was nothing for it but to let him have it,
and--excuse me, Bess; you know how you used to stand by when Willie and
I had a set-to--I put in my left, and followed it up with a staggerer.
He was not easily vanquished, however, though the blow drove him back
three or four paces; and, before I could get within reach, he had
snatched a pistol from his pocket