But Gilbert wakes while the night is dark -- A restless sleeper, aye, He has heard the sound of a sheep-dog's bark, And his horse's warning neigh, And he says to his mate, 'There are hawks abroad, And it's time that we went away.'
Their rifles stood at the stretcher head, Their bridles lay to hand, They wakened the old man out of his bed, When they heard the sharp command: 'In the name of the Queen lay down your arms, Now, Dunn and Gilbert, stand!'
Then Gilbert reached for his rifle true That close at his hand he kept, He pointed it straight at the voice and drew, But never a flash outleapt, For the water ran from the rifle breech -- It was drenched while the outlaws slept.
Then he dropped the piece with a bitter oath, And he turned to his comrade Dunn: 'We are sold,' he said, 'we are dead men both, But there may be a chance for one; I'll stop and I'll fight with the pistol here, You take to your heels and run.'
So Dunn crept out on his hands and knees In the dim, half-dawning light, And he made his way to a patch of trees, And vanished among the night, And the trackers hunted his tracks all day, But they never could trace his flight.
But Gilbert walked from the open door In a confident style and rash; He heard at his side the rifles roar, And he heard the bullets crash. But he laughed as he lifted his pistol-hand, And he fired at the rifle flash.
Then out of the shadows the troopers aimed At his voice and the pistol sound, With the rifle flashes the darkness flamed, He staggered and spun around, And they riddled his body with rifle balls As it lay on the blood-soaked ground.
There's never a stone at the sleeper's head, There's never a fence beside, And the wandering stock on the grave may tread Unnoticed and undenied, But the smallest child on the Watershed Can tell you how Gilbert died.
I served my time, in the days gone by, In the railway's clash and clang, And I worked my way to the end, and I Was the head of the 'Flying Gang'. 'Twas a chosen band that was kept at hand In case of an urgent need, Was it south or north we were started forth, And away at our utmost speed. If word reached town that a bridge was down, The imperious summons rang -- 'Come out with the pilot engine sharp, And away with the flying gang.'