A False Alarm.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XIII, Issue 1083, 1 April 1903, Page 3

A False Alarm.

Aii amusing story is going the round of the goldn'elds, says the Otago Daily, Times, regarding an; experience of a Dunedin resident, who happens to have a controlling interest) in a. certain dredge. It appears that the gentleman in question some days ago Visited the dredge in company with his wife on the day that the wash up took place. Subsequently it was suggested by the dredgemaster that as he was driving back to the town where the bank was situated he fnight take the gold in the trap, to gave pn& of the dredge hands making the journey. This was agreed to, and, the 'week's return, consisting of some 50ozs, entrusted to the care of the gentleman referred to Apparently the possession of so much valuable treasure made the cropd wife apprehensive ? { $ to the gepera] safety; and the conversation on the way chiefly centred round highway robbery and dark deeds of violence, amongst which the recent assault at the back of the railway station had a prominent place, Reaching a lonely part of the road, where the rugged hillside towered hundreds of feet above, and the sullen Molyneux growled among the rocks in the gorge below, the good lady east a fright-

mod glance over her sliju! ler, and to her anxiety, saw a couple of roi)£>'h-looking men, .with Mack.ened [faces, coining along os bicycles, apparently trying to .overtake t!i-'-. ! trap. A hasty ..consuit.il ion h lier-and her husband to the coi elusion that the men li'id designs on the gold, and the. latt-T deter mined to drive for his life and Ms company's dividends. Tbc- h">rs« was lashed into a gall v : and the vehicle rattled along, afc a» perilous speed, but the pursuers "Mined on the pursued. At last tit i i.mal could hold out no longer, iy.) I the occupants of the trap we-" ;it the mercy of the supposed hi-wiv iien. Instead of the latter -iiaving revolvers and crying "] )j.\ i up!" they merely explained to t-i ired dredge owner that they 1 linrl !>een sent from a neighbourin r m dge to borrow some pieces of macuiuery and had-..been referred v fche owner by the dredgemastt-r.