CAMP INCIDENTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 10, 27 January 1937, Page 9

CAMP INCIDENTS

Then came oue of the best storms that we have had for some time and we had to take cover for the rest of the morning. As the gang were haVing dinner the river started to rise and we decided that we would have to hoist the bridge up out of the way if it got any higher. Well, the river did get higher, and that right suddenly. So much so, in facfc, that even while one chap was rush'ing to throw off the bridge approach and while the resjb of us were rushingj for the rope that lifts the end up like a drawbridge we saw the trestle at the end start to heel over. That meant that we h.ad a matter of a split second in which to get the bridge up (and it is a mighty heavy one, too. I can t©U you) or else we would los* it and a good few pounds would "go west".- It speaks well "for the Scout training that ' during the lew momentous seconds all the boys used their heads and obeyed orders without a single "Why?" or other f oolish fuss. Even as.it was the bridge hau started to swing round and to pul! out xts pivot posts before we got it up enough to be safe. We could not get it right up, as we had not enough mau-power, but the affair was safe and that was the main part of the proceedings. Then someone lasooed the end of the oridge and we got it round to somewhere about where it was before. We then knocked off and tried to hook some of the drift-wood that was going down the river, which was then running from bank to bank. It looked as d there had been a minor cloud-burst up-couutry. Anyhow, none of us had ever secn the river with so much water

in it. It went down fairly quickly, but ' not quick enough to save two members who had arrived on bikes from having to hike up from Rissington over the hills to come in the back way to tho lamp. There was some more excitement during our stay . there and next week I will tell the rest of the funny events. "BIG SMOKE."