a
long way from where we were born and brought up; but all the better for
that. Of course they'll know about me; but in any part of Australia,
once a chap shows that he's given up cross doings and means to go
straight for the future, the people of the country will always lend him
a helping hand, particularly if he's married to such a wife as Gracey.
I'm not afraid of any of my troubles in the old days being cast up to
me; and men are so scarce and hard to get west of the Barcoo that no one
that once had Dick Marston's help at a muster is likely to remind him of
such an old story as that of 'Robbery Under Arms'.

THE END

Notes on the text:

General:

The original serial of this story had roughly 29,000 more words than
the version given here, but it should be noted that this version is the
standard text that has been widely available since then.

The combination of this story being a serial, with cuts from the
original which may not have been perfectly executed, has led to a few
discrepancies. Thus, in Chapter 2 it is mentioned that Patsey Daly
was hanged, but in Chapter 44 the same character is shot to death. In
Chapter 42, Starlight (as Mr. Lascelles) dances with Maddie Barnes one
night, and the next day (in the same disguise) she does not recognise
him. And then there are some gaps: In Chapter 24, the story line
suddenly jumps from a scene where the characters are riding to the
Hollow, to a discussion about selling horses. In Chapter 31, Dick
Marston says "I did live to do her [Maddie Barnes] a good turn back..."
but there seems to be nothing later in the story worth mentioning in
this line. In Chapter 35, a reference is made to "old Mr. Devereux's
box", which was apparently discovered in Chapter 22 or 23, but cut out
from this edition.

The story is still quite readable and enjoyable despite these things,
but they are mentioned so that the interested reader may look further
(if they desire) into obtaining an edition which includes the complete
text in the original Newspaper serial; and to give a general idea what
sort of things might have been cut.

"Captain Starlight" was the name used by a real bushranger, Frank
Pearson (1837-99), but Boldrewood claimed that his "Starlight" was a
composite based in part on "Captain Midnight" and Harry Redford (ca.
1842 to 1901), the latter of which stole a herd of cattle in a
similar