REAL HEROISM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12879, 27 September 1912, Page 2

REAL HEROISM.

MAIMED 'COMRADE AND WILD ' NIGHT. The. Waverley correspondent of the Wanganui Herald tells a striking story of the heroism and fortitude with which the annals of life m the busli abound. On Thursday last a. young man named Jerry Payne was bushfelling on .Mr James Elmslie's property beyond Mataimoana, some distance. inland from Waverley, when the tree he was at work on kicked back, breaking his thigh m two places, and also a couple of ribs, besides inflicting internal injuries. He lay unconscious for a time, but as soon as he came to the pluck fellow crawled tip -the- faoev. of -,tho hill -to -where -. Mr, Elmslie was working. The latter immediately started, off for help; and, af ter despatching ( maii toy Wayerley for medical' wehtnbacfcv toi Payne, accompanied .by. Hugh, ; Elmslie *'and Joseph Oroshinskii- V. ; •-..•• Relieving each other m turn, -^ these three got the injured man. to their whare^ though it took them eight both** to do it. The 'weather- at the< time-was awful, but,, undeterred by the difficulties,, they ...improvised a stretcher, and again set out through, inky darkness, a howling wind, and.-' torrents, of heavy rain,., through ravines and over almost undiscernible ..bridle -trapka. At one stage they took three hours- to do three miles, but at. last, at 5 o'clppk m the morning, the brave iellows reached the house of Mr 'Ross, a ; settler, and, half an hour later, . Dv. Harvey, •of Waverley, Ayho had set out through the awful night, immediately on being summoned, arrived, and rendered medical aid. The ambulance was then procured from Waverley, and the sufferer reached the Patea hospitals late* on Friday night. During the whole 30 hours, from the time of the accident till, the arrival at thV-iiospitai-,- Payne never- flinched, bearing his sufferings with ..heroic fortitude, and his- .cheerful- bravery, -under agonising pain, is now a general theme of admiration. • No less than that also is felt for 'his mates and for the doctor.