A CURIOUS HORSE STORY.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 121, 13 June 1868, Page 6

A CURIOUS HORSE STORY.

Shoexly before the last elections a couple of diggers left the neighbourhood of a goldfield, situated in the Crowlands district, under rather curious circumstances. The event which enabled them to quit this colony for another country occurred some three years ago, and is as follows :—The two men referred to were sitting in their bark hut, one night in the May of 1865, rather disheartened at the prospects which mining pursuits offered them, and especially discouraged at the loss of a valuable horse which they had used for the conveying of their swags from one diggings to another. Search had been made for the horse in every direction, but without avail, and the mates had resigned themselves to their ill-fortune, and were discussing the advisability of trying some carelessly worked ground in the vicinity of their hut, when the sound of horses’ feet at a quiet trot, making towards their place, caused them to open the door and look out. After waiting patiently to catch sight of the horseman whose business brought him to such an out-of-the-way place, they found that the approaching horse was riderless, and laden with swags, as their own lost steed was wont to be when accompanying them from place to place; strange to say, a further examination showed that the animal was indeed their own, a cut tether rope tied about his neck, and a Sair of filed lock hobbles, proving beyond a oubt he had been stolen. The animal had evidently suffered hard usage, for beyond showing a considerable falling-off in flesh, his fetlocks were raw and sore with the iron links about his feet, which showed he had travelled far. The burdens were removed, and the horse as carefully attended to, as the resources of the men would permit, and then the contents of the “ traps” were examined. What was contained in them, the two men never made public, but it is now shrewdly surmised there was a quantity of gold, for, from the period of the horse’s return the mates announced their intention of leaving the colony in a year or so. To their credit be it said, that they waited three years before they stirred from the place, although they seemed to meet with persistent bad fortune during their stay. About two months ago, they sold their horse to a man who was living near them, and made such preparations for departure as only men with money could make. They told the purchaser of their horse, that he had brought home, with him a pretty long purse; that they had buried it under the threshold of their tent for nearly three years, till the matter would thoroughly blow over, and seeing no likelihood of their succeeding in this colony, they raised the treasure, and by its means were enabled to search for “fresh fields and pastures new.” .;\ /iA somewhat similar circumstance occur/jid at the Black Protectorate Station, at Mount Franklin, when the diggings were first opened. Mr. Joseph Parker, ( brother of a well-known firm in-Blenheim,) eldest son of the late Mr. E. S. Parker,, owned a horse called ‘ inveterate habit of “bucking off” strangers. The Mare was stolen, and at the expiration of three or four days, it returned, carrying back a hew, saddle and bridle to its master, and some ounces of gold in the valise-which was strapped on in. front—lt is needless to add that the lost effects were never asked after. .'"7., J