A LUCKY FIND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20538, 12 April 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

A LUCKY FIND.

By NEIL ROBINSON, 4. Lew in Rd.. Auckland (ngc 13).

■' Coming into (lio bush to-day ? " nuked Jim Oswald of liis chum, Dick Hamilton*. V A herd of wild pigs lias been making a lerriblo- mess of our maize lately, and 1 wish to kill as many as possible." " Yes, I'll tomo all right," replied Dirk. " Have you got your gun '! " They set out early the sair.o morning, and soon were in the midst of the beautiful untouched native bush which clothed (he surrounding hills. '.I hey penetrated further and further into <lie range, but still no sign of the pigs could bo found. Great cliffs rose ori all sides; small and numerous streams rushed past on their tortuous courses, and the boys found it very hard to proceed. Suddenly Dick's sharp eyes noticed »i small form in a thicket, He walked toward it in order to see what it was, when a confused squealing arose, and the animal rushed away, accompanied by several of its brethren. They were the wild pigs. The boys threw (heir guns to their shoulders, firing rapidly. Several fell dead, but the majority escaped, dim and Dick forced their way through the dense undergrowth and managed to fire a few more shots, though without much success. However, as the day was still young, (hey kept on, determined to exterminate the herd.

The undergrowth became even denser, and soon the only way by which tho boys could travel was tho broad bed of a swift flowing stream. In winter the rivulet swelled to tho proportions of a large river, thus wearing a much larger bed than was needed at the present season. The banks were deeply undermined, and, as they walked along, the boys broke pieces off to throw into tho stream. Suddenly Jim uttered an exclamation. Dick looked at him and saw there in a piece of dirt in his hand a small nugget of yellow metal that glittered brightly in the rays of the sun. " Isn't this gold ? " cried Jim. " I hope so," was the reply, " for there seems to bo plenty of it." A reef of gold went into the bank: the boys were soon busy with their knives digging out nuggets slightly smaller than a pea. In their excitement the boys had not noticed that the sun was nearly down, and so, marking the bank, they set off on the homeward trail. They reached their destination shortly after dark, just when Mr. Oswald was becoming anxious about their long absence. At their momentous news, however, all anxiety quickly disappeared and preparations were eagerly made for a party to set out on the morrow. The news "was kept secret, for there were many unscrupulous robbers who made a living out of claim-jumping and gold-stealing. Mr. Hamilton set out at dawn to tho nearest town, where tho claim was registered. The party of- men under Mr. Oswald worked feverishly all day, many small nuggets being unearthed, and, owing to an idea of Dick's, much gold-dust was panned out from the gravel in tho stream. Already they had earned a small fortune. A claim was staked for each member of the party, but before the day was out, the river-bed was alive with men, who, having noticed that a claim was being registered, had followed Sir. Hamilton back, and were now eagerly employed in staking out claims on the side of the stream.

It could easily bo seen that great quantities of the precious metal were being found, for every now and then a loud shout would arise, when a good panning was obtained. The Hamiltons and Oswalds all made considerable fortunes before their claims were sold, and now, in the lulls of Otago there is a prosperous town called Oswaldville in honour «.f the boy who had discovered gold in that locality*.