LOST IN THE BUSH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 173, 14 August 1909, Page 2

LOST IN THE BUSH.

A PATHETIC STORY. Auckland, Wednesday. _ A pathetic &tory of backblocks life is contained in a letter written by a Settler near Opotiki, He says:— "I suppose you have heard by this time about the man being lost up here, ft is the saddest thing I have ever had ; anything to do with. Last Saturday , fortnight he went out pig-hunting across , the river, and got one pig. It was get- . ting late then, so he left, his pig and , 1 Hie and tried to get home before dark, , but could not, so spent the night in the , bush, and when it got light he went back to get the pig and rille, but couldn't find iliem. He came on home on the Monday morning, and after breakfast wept out again to try to get his rille and pig, and nothing has been heard or seen of him since. On Monday afternoon it came up very misty and commenced raining, and jained all night and all day on Tuesday, and Tuesday night was one of the worst nights I have known, with heavy rain and wind. Of course, we had no idea that anyone was out in all that till Wednesday morning. I had just got out of bed and got the fire going when I heard a gentle kiiock at the (lour, and there was Mrs. Ci'osswell standing shivering at the door and unable to speak. I knew

that something pretty serious had happened, so I asked her inside, and she managed to get out that her husband had gene out on the Monday and had not returned. She had tried to get up to our wharc on the Tuesday to tell us about it, but could not manage the children. She started carrying the baby, and tried to get her second eldest one ■ to walk alongside her, but t!# poor little thing got s'o wet that she had to cam' ■ them both home again. Her husband - rode across the river when he went away. ! and left his horse tied up to a tree on 1 the other side, and she told me that she could sec the water rising over the . poo r brute's back on Tuesday night,,and t when she went down to the bank it would keep on neighing. I went up the road to give the news to the natives and settlers further up, and Mrs. Cromwell " went back to look after the children. ' She said she could get back all right. When we got across the bridge, further up the river we could not get across the f big creek. It was bank to bank, so the ' roadmen started to make a rope bridge r across it. I went up to see how Mrs. s Crossvcll wa*'. She was in a terrible 0 state, crying, and all the children were ' crying too. I did not like to leave her s in case she might go out of her mind, 3 as she did not know what she was doing. e Then she took me down to the river to d show me where the horse was tied. The e horse was alive, but looking very much •'• knocked about. In the meantime they ■''■ had got over the big creek, and called a out to me to show them where George v had gone into the bush. I put them on 0 the marks', and said I would bring them ~ over some food, as thov knew they would ' 0 ■not get out till next day." ]j After referring to his own experience ,[ in the bush, the writer concludes by say- .. ing: "I do hope they will find him, but j. there is a very small chance." ir '