Robbery Under Arms · Chapter
XXXIV explained
Starlight and Dick Marston reunite at the Hollow after narrowly escaping capture on the Turon goldfields.
What happens
Starlight and Dick Marston reunite at the Hollow after narrowly escaping capture on the Turon goldfields. Starlight recounts how Warrigal warned him of the police raid, orchestrated by a jealous Kate Mullockson who betrayed their location to Sir Ferdinand Morringer. Dick reads a newspaper article detailing the gang's exposure and Jim Marston's arrest and subsequent escape. Starlight reflects on his parting from his gentlemanly tent-mates Clifford and Hastings, who were shocked to learn his true identity.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Punishment
The chapter details the police pursuit of the bushrangers, the betrayal leading to near-capture, and the newspaper's moralizing tone about criminality and reform.
Love and Sacrifice
Kate Mullockson's jealous betrayal of Dick Marston to the police illustrates the destructive power of unrequited or possessive love.
Class and Social Mobility
Starlight's ability to pass as a gentleman miner among the upper-class Clifford and Hastings highlights the fluidity of social identity on the goldfields.
Characters to notice
- Captain Starlight
Returns to the Hollow after escaping the police raid; recounts his departure from the diggings and his farewell to Clifford and Hastings.
- Dick Marston
Narrates the chapter; reunites with Starlight at the Hollow and learns of Kate Mullockson's betrayal.
- Warrigal
Warns Starlight of the police raid by observing Kate Mullockson's visit to Sir Ferdinand; procures a horse for Starlight's escape.
- Jim Marston
Mentioned as having been captured at his cottage but later escaped during a police escort; his marriage and mining life are noted in the newspaper article.
- Kate Mullockson
Betrays the gang's location to Sir Ferdinand Morringer out of jealousy, leading to the police raid.
- Sir Ferdinand Morringer
Leads the police raid on the goldfields; receives information from Kate Mullockson and confronts Clifford about Starlight's identity.
Key passages
“I shouldn’t wonder if they’d make you a beak if you’d stayed there long enough. I’m afraid Dick’s dropping the policeman won’t add to our popularity, though.”
Jim jokes that Dick might have become a magistrate if he'd stayed longer, but worries that Dick's assault on a policeman will make them less liked.
Dick reads a newspaper article aloud to Jim, commenting on the consequences of his actions.
“The faithful Warrigal, as usual, gave me timely warning, and brought a horse, of course. He will appear on the Judgment Day leading Rainbow, I firmly believe.”
Starlight says that Warrigal, as always, warned him just in time and brought a horse; he jokes that Warrigal will lead his horse Rainbow on Judgment Day.
Starlight explains to Dick how he escaped the police raid thanks to Warrigal's loyalty.
“I must say, Dick, that if you are so extremely fond of—well—studying the female character, you should carry on the pursuit more discreetly. Just see what this miscalculation has cost your friends!”
Starlight chides Dick for his indiscreet romantic entanglements, pointing out that his affair with Kate Mullockson led to the police raid.
Starlight blames Dick's relationship with Kate for the gang's exposure.