Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a hasty exit, thus make /take a brush, to run off.

1749		Fielding Tom Jones (1959) 281: I reminded him, not without blushing, of my having no money. He answered, ‘That signifies nothing, score it behind the door, or make a bold brush, and take no notice.’.
1811		Caledonian Mercury 10 Aug. 3/3: La\trelty the enemy have appeared several times in the outer bay [...] and seemed as if they intended to make brush to get out.
1827		Commercial Advertiser (N.Y.) 1 Feb. 2/3: The ken cove, [...] being a Queer buffer [...] a regular brush was kicked up, and the Charlies being called, before they could burn the ken, [...] they were nabbed and carried to the nask.
1845		Northern Standard (Monaghan, Ireland) 17 May 2/5: May fear ed the old Fox of ‘de Hall’ would break cover, and make a brush for Derrynane.
1905		F. Hutchison Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 53: He ribbed that football game up, an’ then took to the high brush when he seen the finish.
1926		K.S. Prichard Working Bullocks 199: At Red’s movement and brush away, he screamed: ‘Y’re not going to clear off, Red Burke?’.
1929		E. Booth Stealing Through Life 177: He had tried to escape [...] and exhibited a withered arm as a tribute to the guard’s marksmanship and his own failure to ‘Make the brush’.

2. one who rushes off.

1748

Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict. (5th edn).

3. (US) a race, a contest of speed.

1849

N.Y. Daily Trib. 14 Nov. 1/5: The Races. – Lady Suffolk and the pacing horse Dan Miller had a brush at Centreville course yesterday, in which the former lost one and won two heats.

4. (Aus.) a fight.

1895

Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 12: Brush, [...] a scrimmage.