BOYISH COURAGE.

Kumara Times, Issue 799, 23 April 1879, Page 4

BOYISH COURAGE.

The following instance of boyish courage is related by the Wimmera Star : On 4th April a little boy, aged fourteen years, named John Smith, a son of Mr Charles Smith, of the Wimmera brewery, was out rabbit hunting, and when at the old swamp, near the Natimuk road, ne saw a rabbit run into a hollow log. He put his hand into the hole for the purpose of pulling out the rabbit, but he suddenly felt a sharp sting on the top of the first finger of the left hand, and on looking, the boy saw the head of a large snake. He also observed two small dots on the top of his finger, and was then convinced that the bite was a dangerous one.' Without any delay, the boy seized his tomahawk, which was lying some few yards from the log, and commenced the task of chopping off the bitten finger, which he succeeded in doing after striking it seven heavy blows with the tomahawk—a very blunt one. He then tore a piece of linen from one of his under garments and bound it round his wrist, tightening the bandage with a small piece of stick, to prevent the poison from going up the arm. After taking these precautions, he started for town, running the whole distance (over three mile), and called at the residence of Dr Davidson, who gave him some brandy, and also a dose of ammonia, the little fellow not showing the slightest symptoms of snake poisoning, although he was mnch exhausted from the loss of blood and,from hsß long run into town. The amputation of the finger with suoh a blunt instrument had left a very ugly wound, a small piece of the second joint being left hang ing. This it was found necessary to cut off, and the boy stood the operation without even flinching.