Robbery Under Arms · Chapter
XXXVIII explained
Dick Marston reflects on the bushrangers' tactics of confusing the public by appearing in multiple places at once, the varying responses of settlers and gentlemen to the outlaws, and the escalating violence of Dan Moran.
What happens
Dick Marston reflects on the bushrangers' tactics of confusing the public by appearing in multiple places at once, the varying responses of settlers and gentlemen to the outlaws, and the escalating violence of Dan Moran. The chapter also touches on the legal declaration of outlawry and the precarious life of the gang.
Themes in this chapter
The Bush and Outlaw Life
The chapter details the bushrangers' mobility, use of the landscape, and the constant threat of betrayal or capture.
Honor and Morality
Contrasts between cowardly settlers who appease outlaws and gentlemen like Mr. Falkland who uphold duty, as well as Starlight's disdain for those who save themselves at the expense of others.
Crime and Punishment
The discussion of outlawry and the reward system highlights the legal and social consequences of bushranging.
Characters to notice
- Dick Marston
Narrator and participant in the gang's exploits; reflects on the strategies and dangers of their outlaw life.
- Captain Starlight
Leader of the gang; comments on the cowardice of some settlers and the legal implications of outlawry.
- Dan Moran
Described as a vengeful and brutal member of the gang; plans to attack Mr. Whitman's house.
- Dad Marston
Dismissive of the legal concept of outlawry, though secretly troubled by it.
- Mr. Falkland
Mentioned as a country gentleman who actively helps the police, unlike others who appease the bushrangers.
- Mr. Whitman
A native-born settler who relentlessly pursues the bushrangers; targeted by Moran for revenge.
Key passages
“day, and then be at some place a hundred miles off the next. Ever so many times they came off, and they’d call one another Starlight and Marston, and so on, till the people got regularly dumbfoundered, and couldn’t tell which of the gang it was that seemed to be all over the country, and in two places at the same time.”
The gang used aliases and rapid movement to confuse people, making it seem like they were everywhere at once.
Illustrates the gang's clever tactics to evade capture and sow confusion.
“It was pretty well known who had used them, but nothing was said; the best policy, some think, is to hold a candle to the devil, especially when the devil’s camped close handy to your paddock”
Many settlers quietly tolerated the bushrangers' use of their horses rather than risk retaliation.
Highlights the pragmatic fear that led some to cooperate with outlaws.
“Moran never forgave him for this, and one day when they had all been drinking pretty heavy he managed to persuade Wall, Hulbert, Burke, and Daly to come with him and stick up Whitman’s house.”
Moran, nursing a grudge, convinced the others to rob Whitman's house while he was away.
Shows Moran's vengeful nature and the gang's vulnerability to alcohol-fueled violence.