CLERGYMAN'S RIDE FOR LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 10

CLERGYMAN'S RIDE FOR LIFE.

'."■■ ':■-':, - '•'--'■' . ■ .'■ fr ~ ' ■■• •. /'■ ■ ■ ;; ! '*r ; -;i;; K/- v at:PONgaroa; - v. ■'" : .Mr. J.' llattray, Presbyterian minister-' of Pongaroa,; had: a thrilling experience, and a vory , ' narrow■' .escape from .a;serious accident on Sunday, last.v.Whilo: passing'.through thb gorged where the Pongaroa : iioaU intersects the .llangu. Eoad at right, angles.'tho rider's attention was attracted, to a- commotion in tho rear.-: A glance, back revealed the ugly spectacle of a runaway horsei attached to a: spring dray,: galloping "eyes out" down hill into the narrow gorge, which here has. 'precipitous , sides and a clear drop of twenty feet into thecreek. Tho driver,' having lost control, ; had either been thrown .oat,'or ■ had jumped clear,, as the ■frightened: , horse plunged into the gorge. . ■■''.'Ho -uglier place for such, an afleir could be .imagined.; Mr. .llattray 'at ■once:, applied whip and spurs to his horse, and with a.barb length of. a load bounded into a gallop, and rider and runaway' raced through the gorge. As tho road.intersects tho Eange Boad at right angles at the mooth of the.gorge;the turninu is dangerous at any paco other than: a'walk', more 60, as the exit from' the . gorge on the right is across a bridge, which is also at right angles to the gorge road. "Which turn to tako was a problem. attempt the bridge at a right anglo turn at the gallop' was risky, gad- so. tho galloping pair swung .to tho left, both _horsoman and runaway, safoly • negotiating the turn, Onco out of the gorgothoconditions are no; better, as there-is still no room to pass, v the rbad.. being extremely -narrow, and, to jnako a dangerous, position, worso, Mr. llattra'y'found' his progress blocked..by a gig, loisurely jogging; alr/ag, and' effectually blocking tho narrow.', gangwayl The situation was critical, and the horeenian, ', blocked, in front, . realised, -second by second; that 'the race was' the runaway's now. Side by side the horses raced and swayed, till tho lumbering wheel, catching the rider's horse, drove both headlong- into- the; rocky face., Though' cut.about a good deal, the horso kept his..foot, and ,tho rider his .seat. - Mr/ Eattray came, out'of. tho impact unhurt, except, for having his leg jammed ngainst the bank by the weight of the dray on tho horse. - . ...rho runaway: continued ' his. career, and it seamed as if nothing could savo the gig, when' the - bolter, and the dray turned , a somersault with, such. a .timber,; chains,' harness and. horse'.hoofs, as: made the. driver of tho gig -sbme . very'; electric '• movements. LV&UinE_haads_Eoon_ had' matters righted the and,^excopt;'to.;Mr.'llaWay?Tn^n^° !:^2; - the : of. ttjiU,..Md: the ofi-oscapes,v..Mr' ( always/-TDmomberv.; hie Sunday ,wffntag;r&co-.sitb. a -xsaivta.' - ■~..- •■^