“I’M LOST.”

Taranaki Daily News, 4 May 1922, Page 6

“I’M LOST.”

TWO NIGHTS ON EGMONT. PLUCK AND RESOURCE. The story of Leonard Blanchard’s trying time when he was “bushed” on Mount Egmont from Sunday afternoon unril Tuesday morning, is an epic in resourcefulness and pluck that should be an example to many older heads who are placed in similar circumstances. Leonard is barely eleven years of age, and does not know bush lore, or the first rudiments of the game when one discovers that he is lost to friends and civilisation. Undoubtedly he owes his life to-day to the cool and level-headed manner in which he faced the situation. He was staying with his brother-in-law, Mr. McEwan, and with a party went our. fungus-gathering on Sunday afternoon. Len was sent home, a distance of about threequarters of a mile, to bring in the cows for milking, but on the way he became “bushed,” and it was not until the other members of the party reached home that he was missed. A search party was organised that night. The numbers of the searchers on Monday grew to about 140. The same night fourteen settlers spent the night in the bush, but without meeting with success. On Tuesday morning two search parties from Inglewood and surrounding districts under Constable Longbottom arrived at the top of Durham Road at 6.45. The parties were divided into three. One found the “possie” where the lad had slept on the Sunday night and “cooed” to another party to join them in the search. To the delight of all the boy answered the “cooee,” and was found standing on a log in the bush, with his hand to his head waving a salute.—Stratford Post.