A BOY HERO.

Kumara Times, Issue 2950, 14 April 1886, Page 3

A BOY HERO.

The Waimate correspondent of the Chi'istchurch Press, telegrapher] on the Bth inat. the following : An act of braveiy, and one that deserves some recognition, w.is performed at the Waimate firo by a boy named Evan Fox, eleven years of age. A man named Sullivan and his family occupied one of four cottages, and though the fire missed the three fitst cottages it somehow caught that occupied by Sullivan. Sullivan was busy at the lime trying to remove an entire horse to a place of safety, when little Fox rushed up and told Sullivan that his house had caught fire, and that his children, seven in all, were in bed. Sullivan rushed to the house, and found that his wife and two of the children were safely outside, but that fiveo!hois were in bed, and that the flames had already reached the bed clothes. Sullivan caught up three of his children and rushed to the back door with them, but before he could get out, little Fox, who had fearlessly entered the burning building, took up one of the two remaining children, and in a remarkably short space of time conveyed his burden to a neighbouring paddock. Fox darted back to the house again, and saw Sullivan make a fruitless attempt to get out of the back door, which was surrounded with flames. Quick as thought young Fox was through the burning door and away past Sullivan, and was seen to pick up another child that had been conveyed to the front part of the house. A moment afterwards Fox was seen trotting towards his own home, carrying one naked child in his arms, and with another running at his heels. Following the example of young Fox, Sullivan escaped by the front door. Sullivan expresses himself in terms of the deepest gratitude towards Fox, and attributes the saving of the five children's lives entirely to the timely warning of Fox and the little fellow's truly noble and brave action. I have made careful inquiries and talked with several eyewitnesses of the courageous conduct of Fox, and give the above particulars as actual facts. While a number of people wera standing looking on at the building being consumed, and while they seemed helpless as soon as it was known the five children were in the greatest danger of being burnt in their beds, the little lad Fox had presence of mind and courage enough to enter and

emerge from the burning building twice, and after lie had rescued the children, his first thought and action was to convey them to his own home. Such conduct on the part of a hoy eleven years of a«e is not only worthy of being placed.on record, hut worthy of some substantial recognition.