FOUR SUNNY DAYS AT FUCHSIA HILL FARM, RIWAKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 51

FOUR SUNNY DAYS AT FUCHSIA HILL FARM, RIWAKA.

To begin my story, I must introduce to my readers Fuchsia Hill Farm and its surroundings. My cousin carries on an extensive butchery business there, and keeps a large quantity of pigs, Bheep, oattle, and poultry, and five dogs. About a hundred yards from the house, where the Riwaka River ripples and sparkles Over the stones beneath the willow trees, there is a suspension footbridge erected, and under it salmon trout are often to be seen darting about from bank to thank. All through the valley the little river winds In and out. Here it ripples over a low fall, and there into a deep hole, and flows onward until it meets the sea. One cannot see the beauty of the river from the plain; but from the hill every turn of the silver stream, with the green weeping willows fringing its banks, can be seen ; while the fields, which in reality are mostly banks and hollows* appear to ba quite level. Some are green with the crops, and others are dotted' w'th sheep and oattle ; while near the roadeidee the little cottages ara surrounded by ticca aud shrubs. .Now I think I have described the farm pratty accurately, so I will mention Ihe names that my second cousins ohoae for tbemselv.es, The eldest one I will call Annie ; the next, our little guide, cboae Bertie for his name ; and the your.gast will beLittle Pet. • THE WATERFALLS. The first Sunday was a glorious day, and after dinner Bartie and Little Peb went for a wade .in the river, while Annie and I tied branches together and made swings. Annie was jußt enjoyiDg a lovely swing when the bough, broke, but she esoaped without} Id jury. Bertie and Pet came up then, and we went to look for another swing. Having found a good one that we could sit on and ride like a horse, we sent Bertie home for an axe to chop the boughs off with ; then we all had a ride, and returned home hot and tired. When we reached the house it was only about 3 o'clock, and the children proposed a , visit ta the falls. After refreshing ourselves with a drink from the little brook that flowed down the hill past the house, we started for its origin, which was In a bush a few hundred yards up the hill. Our first adventure was with a boar. We had to pass through his paddock, and on reaching the " gate we found him standing by it. We were j afraid to open it, thinking he might try to get through and notice us, so we climbed over. Bertie and Pet being the bravest, they were over and out of his way without thinking of being frightened. Annie climbed over next, when the pig wasn't looking, and I was left till last. I had just got on top of the gate when the old fellow came a little closer to me. This upset my equanimity ; I stepped backwards, and the gate flew open. With nothing between us 1 thought my time had come, but although I was very much frightened, I had presence of mind enough left to shut the gate again, and I bad to wait a few minutes to regain my oomposure, but it -took my companions loriger to regain theirs ; for not until I had made a dash for eafoty could they get over their amusement. I Oaradventure was veryeoon forgotten when, ! after climbing over a few large boulders, we I came upon a bush of withey and clematis, and further up a fall about 6ft high, dashing itself into a deep bole. When Bertie heard j me exclaim what a lovely fall it was (for I must confess that I had never seen one like it before) he laughed at me, and was more eager to reach the falls about which I am going to write. | After .crossing the stream several times and scrambling over two or three logs, we came upon another hale, and, lifting oar j eyes, what a vision met our gaze. Dashing and spurting over the rocks, and splashing us aa we stood near the basin, came the little stream. Here and there the sun's rays pene- j trated the bush and glittered on the water, ' making it sparkle and dance. The top of the fall being hidden by the tops of the fern trees and birches, we decided to climb up | and see it, but it was hard work, for the hill was almost; perpendicular. ■ After a short struggle We reached a level place, and gazing up we caw still another ! fall even more beautiful than the first. The banks of the little basin at the bottom were green with various kinds of "ferns, and the ground was strewn with lily petals. Feeling too tired to go any fnrtber, Annie and I sat looking at the scene for a while enraptured ; but the Ughfc-hearted children clambered round the basin and further up on the other side. Afterreating for a few minutes we gathered some ferns and wild flowers, and started . down the other side of the stream for home. When we reached the boar's paddock, again be was away from the gate, so we made a rush for it, and scrambling over the gate we ran down the' hill and entered the yard flushed and tired. After tea Bertie and I gathered the eggs, then we had some music, and retired to a much-needed reßt. And thus ended my first Sunday at Fuchsia Hill farm. A THETLLING ADVENTURE. My second cousins are studying for scholarships, and therefore they are busy with their lessons during the week, so we bad to wait for Sunday again to go for another ramble. At 10 o'clock my cousin came home on horseback, and I asked him if I could go for a tide on his horse Larry. He said I could, but added that the horse would run away. Howover, Annie and I put the saddle on, and Bartia helped me^on. When I left the yard I started up the xalley road, but it was uphill and rough Tin" places, so I let Larry walk most of the way. He didn't like cantering up the hill, but he didn't mind how fast he came home ; so whsn we oame to a stretch of good road Larry began to gallop, and though I pulled my hardest at the reins it was all in vain. He went faster and faster, fund when nearing the gate, which was towed toward me. X could flea the danger of

getting my leg, broken, and regardless of anything else save stopping tha horse, I pressed my foot into the stirrups, leaned back in the saddle, and pulled my hardest. I hardly hoped to Btop him and avoid the acoi.dent, and was not prepared for him to spring from onß side of the road to the other and oome to a full stop. The suddenness of Larry's action lifted me out of the saddle, but I grasped the pommel just in time to save myself, and met Annie in the yard wondering what I aang out " Woa 1 " for. We took the saddle off the horße, and had just finished washing him when Bertie came and asked me to play oricket with him, and my adveature was soon forgotten in an exciting game of cricket. At 2 o'clock Bertie went for a walk, while Annie, Little Pet, and myself went to the river for a bathe. After spending half an hour at the river, Annie and I took a basket each, and with B9rtie for guide went to look for some pretty ferns and flowers. We followed a little brock a short distance into the bnsb, and then climbed an almost perpendicular hill with the aid of supplejacks. We filled our baskets with ferns and descended the hill again. Emerging from the bush, we found ourselves upon a grasay flat with only a few bushes on it. Bertie rolled two or three boulders down tha hill, and then we returned home laden with ferns, brambles, and other wild flowers. When we arrived at the house Annie and I sawed some wood, and ■ both being green hands at the business we couldn't saw it very straight, but we blamed the saw for that, and managed to get a few pieces off • After tea I went to upend the nigbt with another cousin, and thus ended another pleasant holiday in the valley. DICK TURPIN. ! Sunday came again jwst as bright as ever, and my companions and I went into the yard to see the workmen break a young horse in. ■They called him Dick Tarpio, and he made a pretty picture when ha was kicking and bucking, with his long mane flowing from his gracefully-curved neck. After dinner Aunia and I took the history book and, with Bertie for guide as usual, started on a long walk up the valley road towards the saw mill. We bad travelled about a mile and a-balf when we came upon a stream running across the road. To cross this we had to go off the track a short distance. When we got back to the road again, Bertie drew our attention to a mob of strange cattle on the road before us, and .though he tried to parEuade us that they were tame, it was all in vain— we were afraid to risk it, and turned back. When we had got about half way acros» the stream we turned again, and with a stick each, determined to face them. Advancing boldly with our sticks uplifted, we went nearer and nearer, and still the cattle stood their ground. At last Bertie began to get desperate, and ran toward them waving his stick. Annie and I followed, and the cattle had to beat a retreat. We followed them fora long way, and then drove them off the track. The rest of the journey was uneventful. We crossed Lewis's Creek and struggled across a large slip, surrounded with beautiful scenery, with the river rushing beneath us. On the return journey we sat down under a green tres and learned our history ; then we went home, gathered the eggs as usual, and finished the day up with some music. .

During the week the workmen put the saddle on Dick Turpin, a proceeding which he couldn't understand at all, showing his disgust by kicking and bucking not a little and euding with jumping over the gate. No time was lost in bringing Dick back, aud he soon got used to the saddle. Tbe next Sunday one of the workmen went for a ride on him, and he has neper attempted to buck or kick since.

THE " SUDDEN JERK " BAND.

The " Suddeu Jerk " is a band which has just sprung into existence with a sudden jerk. The members consist of Frankie and Dowsie with the violins, Colonel and Sambo with the drums, the captain with his cornet, and Bogul with a triangle, while Daddie keeps them in order. My last Sunday in the valley was spent with my ■ cousin Mabel. In the afternoon we went to hear the Sudden Jark Bind give their firat performance, and when I gob home at night Annie, Beitie, and Little Pet all in one breath told me of the fun they had just been having catching woodbens in the tall grass. They showed me one which they had kept in a cage. Then we let it go. We went to bed that night tired out as usual, and here ends the experience of Annie, Bertie, Little Pet, and A Wild Floweb.