UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 9, 10 May 1939, Page 5

UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE

NIGHT IN SWAMP

MATATA SPORTSMAN'S ORDEAL

The sporting season has its drawbacks. The truth of this was borne home in very forceable manner to a Matata sportsman, who last weekend spent a night in the swamp completely lost and almost frozen. The sportsman who is well-known entered the swamp earlier in the day taking up his position by a lagoon in the waste area held by the old ilax company. As night approached he decided to shift camp as ithe wily • Jr'ucks seemed to scent danger and give him an extremely wide berth. However when he tried to retrace his footsteps he found himself completely lost in a forest of flax und his blundering only appeared to •carry him deeper into the unknown. There appeared nothing for it but to wait till dawn. Meanwhile at his home anxiety increased as the hours ticked by. As he is a badly shell-shocked ex-.soldier his wife not unduly began to worry and at 1 a.m. decided to invite neighbours to form a search party. This w r as done and by coo.ees, shouts and whistles the searchers combed the, swamps and kept contact witheach other. It was not until three 'hours later that the hapless huntsman was discovered and escorted back to his home in the grey dawn. Apart from being thoroughly chilled he Appeared none the worse for his night in the swamp, but it is understood that he has undertaken, a vow one of the terms of which means the easy disposal of his gun, cartridges •and thigh boots.