FOUR-FOOTED "GUNGA DIN”

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 February 1940, Page 10

FOUR-FOOTED "GUNGA DIN”

1 r INJURED MAN’S LIFE SAVED. 1 SYDNEY, January 31. 1 The story of a four-footed “Gunga Din” comes from Winton, Central Queensland. Water soaked up in a . flannel shirt, carried by a dog from a f. waterhole, saved the life of James 5 Donald, aged 56, an injured kangaroo t shooter, near Winton. ? After crawling half a mile with his 5 right leg fractured, Donald lay for ; several hours 400 yards away from the waterhole, with the temperature at 114 degrees in the shade. He had been thrown from his horse, which galloped •; away, leaving him on the road., i Donald’s dog went to the waterhole, K . lay .down in it, and then returned to’ him. Taking off his flannel shirt,! , Donald tied it around the dog and sent I: ■ him to the When the dog ■ ; returned, Donald squeezed the soaked : shirt and obtained enough water to ’ ease his parched throat. i Donald then decided to improve on 1 the idea. He tied his boots around 1 the d°S’s neck in the hope that when f he agiiin went to the .waterhole he r

would return with the boots filled with water. The dog apparently considered this an outrage to his dignity. He lay down and would not go back to the water. Threats and petting failed to move the dog.

Donald was found several hours later, deliriously calling for water. He said that he owed his life to the dbg and the flannel shirt, as he was sure he would have died of thirst without the moisture the, dog brought.