A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 32, 8 February 1928, Page 13

A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.

buil molests bathers.

ADVENTURE OF MOTORISTS.

vFrom Oar Own Correspondent.)

MORRINSVILLE, Tuesday,

A party of motorists, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Ford and their two children, and Mrs. L. Browning and two children, had a terrifying experience when returning from a trip to Kawhia on Sunday.

At a point on the road about 18J miles from Otorolianga a pleasant stream, spanned by a bridge, invited the travellers toi stop and refresh themselves. The car was pulled into an adjacent cart-way and the party was soon splashing in the cool waters. Suddenly there was a frightful bellow, and the startled bathers beheld the terrifying spectacle of an enraged bu.ll madly pawing the ground on the opposite bank at a distance of about twelve yards away. Seeing, however, that there, was no place for the animal to cross the bathers quietened their fears. They were quickly revived when it was found that there was no fence to the paddock, and the bull had crossed the bridge on the road and was heading in their direction with tail lip, head down and a nasty look in his eye. There was a hasty scramble for the bank, clothes were snatched up in passing, and without waiting for the formality of dressing the party covered the hundred yards to the car in ten seconds dead.

There was no room to turn the car to reach the road, and there was nothing for it but to continue along the cart track. Certainly it was not healthy to remain in the particular locality, as the bull showed every indication of attempting to reduce the car to'scrap iron. The track was bumpy and up hill, but it was continued for a distance of a quarter of a mile. Thinking that a safe distance, Mr. Ford stopped the car and retired to drees, as a dripping bathing suit was not conducive to comfortable motoring.. He others, however, preferred the cold comfort of the car to the doubtful safety of the road.

Mr. Ford had only half finished his toilet when a yell recalled him to "the car to see the ball ambling along the track about 100 yards away. The animal was evidently short-sighted, for it failed to see its quarry and headed off on a side track. Wasting no more time the driver reversed the car down the hill, which was in itself a dangerous undertaking, as there Were numerous bends and the surface was rough. When only a short distance from the road a scream drew Mr. Ford's attention to the bridge, and there he saw the maddened bull, like Horatius of old, holding the bridge against all comers. A desperate burst of speed enabled him to reach the main road, although he ripped the top from the hood in so doing, by coming into violent contact with an overhanging branch. With the car head-on, Mr. Ford determined to break a lanoe with Horatius, and he charged the bridge. A flick of the wheel and the car just grazed past I the bull, and the party heaved a sigh of relief.

It is said that the lady members of the party would not allow Mr. Ford to decrease speed for four miles. Fortunately they did not meet another vehicle, as the spectacle of a car-load of tourists in bathing suits might prove disconcerting.