A Lively Piece of Beef. EXCITING CHASE. NARROW ESCAPE OF A WOMAN, TWO MEN AND A HORSE. THROUGH A RABBIT-HOLE. THE CLOSING SCENE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 14, 27 August 1898, Page 4

A Lively Piece of Beef. EXCITING CHASE. NARROW ESCAPE OF A WOMAN, TWO MEN AND A HORSE. THROUGH A RABBIT-HOLE. THE CLOSING SCENE.

A Waimate butcher purchased from a Hook cockatoo two fine fat steers, arid took delivery on Monday. " Charley " and another started out with them, and after a lot of rough work got them to Gunns corner. One was a " demon " for charging, and on arriving here he saw a woman in a cutting. " Charley " roared out to her to get out of the way, but she did not take heed, and the beast charged her like an arrow from a bow. She endeavoured to climb the bank, and fell down, the beast trampling on her as it passed. The woman was carted home in a dray, and the cavalcade moved on. The beasts were a bit tired by this time, and decided to have a spell, and nothing

could shift them. A telephone was improvised along the gorse fence, and " Leather " with several others came out to reinforce the distressed general. A council of war was held, and outposts were placed along the road. Then, the animals showing a predeliction for Greywood, that horse and its rider went ahead, and by this means the beasts were persuaded to charge as far as Painstown. Being again tired they lay down in a swamp. One appeared to be comtemplating suicide, and a rope was sent for to pull him out. Frank here chipped in to show 'em how to do it, and incautiously got off his horse to attach the rope. Two seconds later, he was picking pieces of gorse hedge out of his frame work. Not satisfied with the experiment, he mounted and had a cut in with the stock-whip. This likewise proved a dismal failure, the bullock wiping up the road with horse and rider. As the beasts were now out of the swamp, and by the united efforts of officers and men were brought as far as T. Manchester's, where they were left, presumably in perfect safety, for the night. Next morning an employee of an adjoining farmer went out to feed the pigs and saw the beast lying near a straw stack. He did not disturb it, but the beast was in a frolicsome mood and chased " Jack " round the paddock. " Jack " was glad when the other side of the paddock came into view, and crawled through a rabbit-helc in the bank, in double qviick time. His next move was to get a double-barrelled shot gun. With this he proceeded to town, and persuaded the owners to remove the beast. A knife was selected as the best instrument for removal, and the curtain was run clown ior the last act in the life of this lively piece of beef.