LOST IN THE BUSH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 584, 12 August 1909, Page 4

LOST IN THE BUSH.

A PATHETIO STORY. , (By Telegraph.—Special OotTwpondenU AUoklantl, August 11„ . A pathetic' story of back-blocks life , .a contained in a letter written by a lettlcr near Opotiki, He says:— "I suppose you havo hoard by this timo about the man being lost up hero.' It .s the saddest thing I havo ever had anything to do with. Last Saturday • fortnight bo wont out pig-hunting across the river, and got . one pig. It was getting late then,'• so ■lie left his pig and rifle and tried to get homo before dark,.'but could not. so ho spent tho night in the bush, and when it, got light ho went back to get the pig and rifle, but couldn't find them. He oanio on homo on tho Monday ' morning, and after , breakfast' went out again .to try to get hi< riflo and pig, and nothing has been heard oi seen of liiiu sinco. On Monday afternoon it came: up very. misty and commenced raining, and rained all night and all day on Tuesday, and Tuesday night was ono of tho worst nights I havo 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 tlio fire going when I hoard a gentlo knock at tho door, and tlioro was Mrs. Crosswell, standing shivering at tho door and unable to speak. I knew that something pretty sorious had happened, so I asked hor insido. and she managed to get out that her husband' had gone out 011 tho Monday and had not returned. Sho had tried to got up to our whare on the Tuesday to tell us about it, but could not manage the children.. She started carrying tho baby, and tried to got her second eldest ono to walk alongside her, but tho poor little thing' got so wot fiat sho had to carry thorn both homo again. For husband rodo across tho river when ho wont away, and left his liorso tied lip to a tree on tho other sido, and sho told mo that sho could see tho water rising ovor tho poor brijto's back on Tuesday night, and when she wont down to tho bank it would keep on neighing. I went up the road to give the news to tho Natives and settlers further up, and Mrs. Crosswoll went back to look, after the children. She said she could get back all right. When- wo'got across the bridge further up tho river wo could not cot across the big crook. It was bank to batik, sotha roadmon started to make a. rope bridge across it. I went up to &e© how Mrs. Crosswell was. Sho was in a torribio state, crying, and all tho children were crying too. I dud' not like to leavo hor in caso sue might ga jut of Jior wind, as sho did not know what sho was doing. Then she took mo down to the. river to show mo whore the torso was tied. The horse m alive, but looking very muoh knocked auout. In the meantime, they had got over the big crook, and oalled out to mo to show them whero George had go no into tho bush. I put them on the marks, and said'l would bring them over some food, as they knew they would not got out till next day." ' , , After referring to his own oxrxuwnoo in tho bush, tho writer concludes b,v saying) "I do hope they will find ham, but there u a very small chanco."