ithout being frightened. I succeeded beyond my expectations in
training him, and I was very pleased that he was turning out so well.
After about two months, however, he rapidly developed the worst of
habits. Suddenly, without any apparent reason, he would stop and refuse
to move. He would do this anywhere, on a country road or in the middle of
the street. It was no use plying the whip, or using a powerful spur. He
would not go forward. He would rear, or lash out with his hind legs, but
he would not move on. This happened only very occasionally, but, when it
did, it was most awkward, especially if I was in charge of an escort, or
on a ceremonial parade. It turned out that he was suffering from a sort
of horse-mania produced by having fed when young on a plant known in the
district, where he was bred, as the Darling Pea. Feeding on this plant
had this extraordinary effect upon horses. I was returning one day, after
being on duty at the races at Victoria Park, to the barracks. As I was
passing the Adelaide Hospital he stopped dead. After a few moments of
gentle persuasion I gave him a sharp touch with my spurs. He reared
straight up and fell backwards on the road. Luckily my face escaped
injury, but my chest and back were nearly flattened out. A few days in
hospital put me all right, and I returned to duty. He chose a fit place
to hurt me.

The overland railway to Melbourne was then being constructed, and a very
large railway camp was established in the Mount Lofty ranges, near a
place called Aldgate. In this camp were congregated all classes and
conditions of men, of several nationalities. I was in charge of the
barracks one evening when a report came in from the foot police station
that a girl had been nearly murdered. She had been found in the backyard
of a small house in a disreputable quarter of the city, with her throat
cut and a dagger wound in her breast. The nature of the wound pointed to
the attempted murder being the work of a foreigner, probably an Italian,
of whom there was a considerable number at the railway camp. I at once
ordered all the available troopers out to make the necessary inquiries in
the city and suburbs, and decided to proceed myself direct to the railway
camp at Aldgate.

Having a fair knowledge of the language I thought I might pick up some
valuable information on the way if I met any of the Italians. I started
about 10.30 P.M., dressed as an ordinary bushman, riding an old bay horse
which w