An Adventure at Eltham.

Manawatu Herald, 17 June 1893, Page 3

An Adventure at Eltham.

On Saturday, two lads, aged respectively 12 and 14, sons of Mr T. Jenkins, of Eltham, went shooting, and, having got far into the bush, and the darkness coming on more rapidly than was expected, they lost themselves. As they did not return home when expected, their father and their uncle, Mr W. Jenkins, went in search, sixteen of the neighbours turning out at once to assist. After some hours repeated " co-ee "- ings were rewarded by an answer, though faint, and led on by the replies the party discovered the poor boys on a few feet of dry land in the middle of a swamp. They were almost perished with the cold, having taken off some of the clothes that had become saturated while making for the dry land through the swamp, and were huddled together in an endeavour to keep themselves warm, but they suffered intensely, as it will be remembered that Saturday night was one of the most severe that has been experienced in the district for years. They were taken off into a more sheltered place, a fire lit, and a camp set up for the night, where they were ' made as comfortable as possible, and on Sunday they were taken home. There is not the least doubt that had the search party failed to find them when it did the adventure would have terminated in a very sad tragedy, for the lads could nev«r have stood the terrible severity of Saturday night. — Star.