SAVED THEIR MASTER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 11 April 1927, Page 10

SAVED THEIR MASTER.

FROM DEATH BY EXPOSE3?I

FOUR, CANTERBURY SHEEP DOGS Poignant in its interest, the story of how four faithful sheep dogs curled around the injured body of their master, and saved him from death by exposure, comes from the snows of the high back country of mid-Canterbury. In the solitary Tife of the m its terms in the back country (says the “Sun’’), theie are enacted incidents by man and dog which reveal superb fortitude, faithfulness and sacrifice. This is one of them.

At the beginning of this week four musterers with their packs land dogs treked into the high hark country of the Alt. Potts estate.

The musterers separated with the intention of meeting at a certain point subsequently. Three kept the rendezvous. hut Leslie Thompson, aged 32. failed to put in an appearance. Anxiety was felt by the other musterers. who instituted a search which ended in the discovery of Thompson, badly hurt, on the lonely countryside. Thompson worked his dogs to the snowline, when. with a roar. the snowline started to move down the steep hillside. Ho at first was able t.> keep his balance going feet first, but the -shingle gained in momentum, and Thompson was precipitated head first

lie fell s!’.ft. breaking liis left- log above the knee. His face and hands were badly cut by the sharp shingle, and he was severely bruised, in the si i tie. 'this occurred on Tuesday evening, and Thompson, unable to move, and vith Ills four sleep Jogs looking on. was iu pain and facing float 1 1 from ex- - uic mi 1 lie snow and u iml.

lint the fa ’tillulnests and intelligence if the dogs became paramount in a lesneralo sitmition.

Curling their warm, .-haggv bodies •'.round Thompson, t lie four dogs sue comet the injure 1 man. They not leave his side Ihmughoul ihc whole of Tuesday night, and were there harking a welcome to the party which found Thompson yesterday. 16 hours after the accident had happened.

The place where Thompson lav was. 15 miles from lilt' Ail. i’.itts home stead, but lie was carried in in three hours. A mattress wits placed in a spring cart. and Thompson was convoyed aci os.s the I’ol is Rivet, which is a

tributary of the 11 a ngi tita la , to tin smith side. Dr. G. J. S. Fisher was summoned from Ashburton. The doctor travelled to Thompson i.n stormy weather, and rooehed the injured musterer at 3 o’e'nek in the morning.