The Shasta courier., 1867-05-18
NUMBER II.

HEROIC CoNDUcr OF CHiLD.-The
Mount Alexander Mail relates deed of
herolsm on the part of a child not often
paralleled: "a horrible catastrophe, illus.
trating the perils of bush life, has just been
reported to US by Mr.. Mills, carpenter,
Castlemaine. 1t appears that shepherd,
by name Patrick Nolan, living at Preston
Vale, near Ravenswood, had left his wife
and four children, as usual, in the hut
together, while he went out on his duty. 1t
was New Years Day, and Mrs. Nolan had
gone some half mile to procure some
necessary things in connection with
the festivities of the season, which her little
ones were to celebrate with their aunt
She had not long been absent when the men
working at Frazer and Semmes' contract.
Preston Vale, were attracted by the ex-
camation of a little girl coming toward
them, Z" We're on fire ~ Looking up they
recognized Nolan's eldest girl, about eight
years old. literally encircled with blaze from
her feet to her waist. Rushing up. thew
were horrifed and wonder-struck to see an
infant in her arms, whom she was shielding
with the most heroic indifference to her own
suffering. The flames by this time had
charred her entire clothing, and when it fell
like so much tinder at the touch of the mems
hands, 1t exposed to their view a roasted
mass from the knees Beyond the hips
Stlll the poor little victim made no signs of
distress, her chief fears being apparently
centered on her charge. younger sister
mean time had been met with, not exactly on
fire, but with her hands reduced to a black
Jelly with the act of tearing the bushes from
the hut, Another child, Younger still, was
not touched. The first thing to be done was
to take the poor little sufferers to the tent
OF Mr.. Nightingale, store. keeper, and
there to apply -four and wrap them in
blankets. Nothing else that human aid
could 90 by way of remedy could be done,
and while spring cart was obtained from q
neighborlng squatter, every exertfon was
gwen to keep within limits the fire, which
by this time had completely consumed the
hut, and was making its way to the bush by
means OF the fence, which acted as conduc.
tor for It. The extraordinary heat of the
day, and the infiammable nature of the sur.
rounding bush, made the work dangerous
and trying one. 1t is not known how the
fire originated, for the poor little victims
could give no exact account. They were
both taken to the Sandhurst Hospital; the
men on the ground with that true British
instinct OF sympathy for suffering, and ad-
mlration for deeds of heroism, having made
up sum between them to assist the unfor.
tunate father, who has just lost all he had,
and probably will have to mourn the death
OF his children. AT any rate, it is impossi-
BILE that the eldest can outlive her cruel suf.
ferlngs, and the mostastounding thing is the
noble way in which she endured them, and
the wonderful presence of mind she showed
in rescuing her infant sister, in spite of her
own terrible condition. Such heroism de-
serves public notice, and though the poor
little sufferer is probably beyond the reach
OF human sympathy, she leaves an unhappy
father and mother to bear the recollections Of
her suferings to the grave.