ATTACKED BY A STAG

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3051, 12 April 1917, Page 6

ATTACKED BY A STAG

'AN EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT.

'A'correspondent of the "Poverty Bay v Herald". • relates- an extraordinary 4 iffair. A Finn named Jack Matson, who works at Messrs."Coop Bros.' station on the Mahia Peninsula, was attacked by a stag within 300 yards of the homestead. He was driving a pack ■ horse in front of him, he being on jfoot, and looking around he. saw the ' 6tag walking behind him. He had never seen deer before, and called out to his mate, who was working on some cattle 'yards about 100 yards away, to look at the devil following him. When,he stopped the stag bayed at him, and the boy tried to get; behind a stump, but the stag was too quick for him, and \ drove one of his tines in between two -of his ribs, piercing his lung. ' The hoy ; pluokily caught hold of the antlers and ,-called out for his mate, who came na fast as ha could with an axe. By that : time the stag had Matson down, and i.-was doing his best to kill him, tearing his clothes and inflicting another nasty •...wound in his thigh. . When his mate -got there'the stag drew off about 12ft..' -and stood, and with his'mate's assist- ! ance Matson was enabled to get on to a high log. Anderson then ran to the homestead for a rifle, and the manager ■went with him. The stag in the meantime tried to get at Matson, but could not reach him, and when he heard \ voices, he went to meet Anderson and .the manager. Five or six-shots made him groggy, and he went into a small gully, and the manager followed him, and .the next shot killed him. It Is more like a tale from Deadwood Dick, "and one can hardly credit such a thing, ;■;. hut these are facts. A doctor was sent , for from Wairoa. The patient is still in a dangerous condition. He had a ...had shock, and except for, his mate being near would, have been killed. ' --.The manager has the stag's head (10 ( points) and skin., • The: stag was un- ;• douhtedly looking for trouble, for when .no heard the others coming, he left Matson and came to meet them, as bv that tune he wanted more blood, and in one got; it, from the result or a .44 bullet, - •.. ■ v