A MAN HUNT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4967, 5 March 1895, Page 3

A MAN HUNT.

THE P.lliE BRIGADE ASSIST,

THE DESPERADO STILL AT LAHIiE.

Last evening the news reached ilasterton that a dangerous desperado—no other than the man who snatched Mrs Reynolds, hand-bag, and whose subseqnent Higlit we chronicled yesterday—was lying in ambush in the clump of bush near the Waipouu Nursery. Naturally great excitement prevailed, and the more timorous at once went inside their houses, bolted ami locked their windows and doors, and placed the poker and other weapons in due readiness, in case of an attack, for when a bold bad man ison the rampage one cannot be too careful. The Sergeant of Police was absent in Wellington, it therefore devolved upon his second in command to decide promptly what should bo done to save the town and capture the criminal.

A happy thought! Why not enlist the sympathies of the Mustertou Fire Brigades; organise a torchlight procession, and hunt the robber in his lair! The brilliant idea was at once communicated, and the gallant tire-boys were—in less than two hours—ready and willing to proceed to death or victory. As the fine body of stalwart men marched towards the scene of the operations, their ranks were reinforced by small-boys and nondesciipts of all descriptions till the gang numbered about 100 strong, although residents at Knripuui declare from the noise they made that there must have been at least it thousand, but we are in a position to state positively that the company mm less than 1,000 strong.

As the men marched along the road with set faces, " Thinking of Home and the dear Ones there," they felt the edges of their rusty swords and battleaxes, and worked the triggers of their long-unused blunderbusses backwards and forwards, for many of the brave bund were armed to the teeth. Naturally the thought occurred to every-1 one" Will it be my lot to find him 'i Nay let the honor and glory pass to another." Some Job's comforters related tales of baited robbers who, when driven to despair had knifed men, and a shudder ran along the line. But the bridge is crossed; the bush is reached, and the men scatter themselves cautiously round, fully half of them bearing lighted torches, while the crowd now assembled on the bridge to watch the pretty glimmer of the lamps in the trees, and the shadowy forms creeping about like spirits or wood-elves, are occasionally shocked as a deeply muttered cuss-word is borne to tliem on the breeze, caused through some overanxious fossicker falling over a log and barking his shins. It is hoped on this occasion to make a. record and catch the weasel sleeping, But fortune is against them and the robber is not discovered.

Perhaps he was not in llie bush at all; someone has suggested that be is a funny beggar and loves a joke, so joined in the chase himself. But no matter; we have proved that the men of Masterton are not backward in coming forward, when a minstrel show, a dog fight, or a man hunt is about,