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 manner to that described in the book. The factual events
that contributed to the story took place in the late 1860's and
other periods; but Boldrewood set his story in the 1850's. The name
“Starlight” is also used in Adam Lindsay Gordon's famous poem, “The Sick
Stockrider”.
“Warrigal”, the name of the half-caste character, is also an Australian
term for the Dingo, or native dog.
A couple other famous highwaymen are alluded to in the story.
Dick Turpin, who is mentioned twice, was an English
highwayman, 1706-39. There is apparently a legendary ride
from London to York that is popularly attributed to him, the
idea being that he established an alibi by covering the
distance so swiftly after a robbery.
Claude Duval was famous for being gallant to women. Born in
France, he came to England with the Duke of Richmond about
1660 (the Restoration), and turned out shortly afterwards.
Terms:
——-
There are a number of Australian terms in the text, which may not be
listed in non-Australian dictionaries—even unabridged ones. Here are a
few:
bail up: To stick up. According to Boldrewood, from the term used with
cows, where “bail up” means to secure a cow's head in a bail, a type of
frame, before milking.
bunyip: (pronounced bun-yup) A large mythological creature, said by the
Aborigines to inhabit watery places. There may be some relation to an
actual creature that is now extinct.
dinkum: Now means honest or genuine, but used by Boldrewood in its
obsolete sense, work, or an amount of work. (In fact, one major
Australian dictionary quotes this very book for an example of this
obsolete sense.)
forester: The eastern gray kangaroo.
gin: An Aboriginal woman—from an aboriginal word for “woman” or “wife”.
(Considered derogatory in current usage.)
jerran: Afraid. From an aboriginal language. Now obsolete.
mallee scrubber: “Mallee”, a variety of Eucalyptus, or a remote, wild
area (like “bush”); “Scrubber”, a farm animal that has gone wild; hence,
“mallee scrubber”, a wild farm animal in this environment.
shout: To buy drinks for a group, or the act of buying drinks.
store cattle: Cattle that are not ready for market, but need to be
fattened first. Hence, they are “in store” for future use, or for use as
stock.
skillion: A lean-to or outbuilding.
turkey: Probably Eupodotis (Otis) australis, the Australian Bustard.
(Also “native turkey”, “wild turkey”.)
Corrections:
—————-
The following errors were corrected from the original text:
Chapter 8:
“I flung down my note, and Jim did his, and told them that we owed to to
take” changed to
“owed to take”.
Chapter 19:
“and the look of a free man gone out of his face for over—” changed to
“out of his face for ever—“.
Chapter 28: (1st paragraph)
“But that's neither here not there.” changed to
“But that's neither here nor there.”
Chapter 52:
“'right away', as old Arizona Bill would have said when I was first
taken.” changed to
“'right away', as old Arizona Bill would have said, when I was first
taken.”
Technical:
————-
Chapter headings have been changed from Roman to Arabic numerals, for
ease of use.
Due to the limitations of ASCII, the British “Pounds” symbol, a crossed
L, where it comes before a figure, has been replaced by “Pound(s)” after
the figure(s). When this substitution has been made, the word “Pound” is
always capitalised. Examples: “L1” is “1 Pound”; “L6 or L8” is “6 or 8 Pounds”.
This text was transcribed from the Second Edition, which was first
printed in June of 1889.
A few foreign words had accents in the original edition. The most common
was “depo^t”, which has since become standardized in English as “depot”.
The others are “ame damnee” for “ame damne\e”; “cause celebre”
for “cause ce/le\bre”; and “vis-a-vis” for “vis-a\-vis”. In the
advertisements listed below, “Athenaeum” was originally “Athen(ae)um”.