Robbery Under Arms · Chapter
XII explained
After the sale of the stolen cattle in Adelaide, the gang divides the proceeds—four thousand pounds split eight ways, five hundred pounds each.
What happens
After the sale of the stolen cattle in Adelaide, the gang divides the proceeds—four thousand pounds split eight ways, five hundred pounds each. Jim and Dick Marston experience the city for the first time, marveling at the sea and the German farms. Starlight, posing as a gentleman squatter, orchestrates a successful auction, even selling the stolen imported bull 'Duke of Brunswick' at a high price. The chapter ends with the brothers preparing to leave for Melbourne by steamer, while Starlight's risky double life continues.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Punishment
The gang's successful sale of stolen cattle and Starlight's double life as a gentleman squatter underscore the constant risk of exposure and the consequences of their criminal activities.
Class and Social Mobility
Starlight's ability to pass as a wealthy squatter and dine at Government House illustrates the fluidity of social class in colonial Australia, where money and performance could mask a criminal past.
The Bush and Outlaw Life
The contrast between the freedom of the bush and the dangers of the city is evident as the brothers enjoy Adelaide's novelties while feeling trapped by the threat of arrest.
Characters to notice
- Jim Marston
Experiences the sea for the first time and expresses wonder and apprehension about leaving the bush.
- Dick Marston
Narrates the chapter; enjoys the city sights and feels anxious about the constant risk of arrest.
- Captain Starlight
Orchestrates the cattle sale with a lavish lunch and auction, maintaining his gentlemanly disguise despite the danger.
- Dad Marston
Warns the brothers to leave Adelaide quickly; shows concern about Starlight's reckless spending and socializing.
- Warrigal
His horse Bilbah is taken by Dad Marston; Warrigal is displayed by Starlight as an 'intelligent lad' during the auction.
Key passages
““So we’ve got to the big waterhole at last,” he said. “Don’t it make a man feel queer and small to think of its going away right from here where we stand to the other side of the world? It’s a long way across.””
Jim marvels at the vastness of the sea, feeling small and awestruck by its endless expanse stretching to the other side of the world.
Jim's first sight of the ocean highlights the brothers' isolation in the bush and their wonder at the wider world.
““When he gets in with men like his old pals he loses his head, I believe,” father says, “and fancies he’s what he used to be. He’ll get fitted quite simple some day if he doesn’t keep a better lookout.””
Dad Marston worries that Starlight's mingling with high society makes him careless, believing he might be caught if he doesn't stay vigilant.
Dad's warning reflects the tension between Starlight's former gentlemanly life and his current outlaw existence.
“He had good call to know him, as well as the rest of us, for a most expensive animal, before all was said and done. What he cost us all round it would be hard indeed to cipher up.”
Dick reflects that the stolen bull, sold at a high price, had actually cost them dearly in terms of risk and trouble, though the exact cost is hard to calculate.
This ironic comment underscores the hidden costs of their criminal enterprise.