The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-10-29
LOST IN THE BUSH.

ing. "nat an old child am!
LOST IN THE BUSH.
A Young Girls Terrible Experience IN
Australia.
A special correspondent gives the
following graphic account of the find
ing OF young girl, Clara Crosbie, who
had been lost in the bush for three
weeks: 1T was on the twentieth day
after the girl left Mrs. Haines' house
that couple of friends started out to
look for horse which had strayed in
the ranges. J. G. Curwan, a farmer
and contractor of Warburton, who has
been fourteen years in the district and
knows his way about, was accompanied
in this quest by William Smith, piano.
forte tuner of Kew, who was on tour
through the district. They struck the
Cockatoo creek, and as they watched
the turbid stream flowing through the
oozy bed of large morass, Mr.. Corwan
began to expatlate upon the advantages
OF canals for drainage purposes with as
much fervor as the late Hugh McCon
used to praise canals for irrigation par
poses. The friends grew so interested in
the subject that they got off their horses
to discuss it, and they were soon deep in
the history of the Suez canal and that of
its engineer, DeLesseps. Then remount-
ing and skirting the swamp. they were
riding rapidly away, when Mr.. Smith
found the head Of . starved domestic cat,
Whlc ad vaii,ly sought succor in a
hole in tree. Mr.. Curwan obliged his
'town chem, as he calls him, by wait
ing till Mr.. Smith once more left his sad
die, and with a stick fully disentombed
the feline victim of misplaced conf
dence in the nutritivc resources of the
Lilydale bush.
"He was just mounting again when
low sound like young blackbird's
whistle caught the acute ear of the ex-
perienced bushman by his side. Hist
SAID Mr.. Curwan. what's that?' Again
the wailing, plaintive note was borne
softly on the breeze. 1t was enough
this time. Mr.. Curwan was sure it was
a coo-e-e. L never he says, hear a
coo-e-e twice in the bush without an
swering it. answered it and the soft,
weak voice came to us again, yet little
louder. l was sure something was
wrong. but could not say where the
sound came from because Of the echo of
the hills. I galloped up the rise in
front of us and coo-e-ei now and again.
Every time we coo-e-ed-indeed, often
er-we got the response of that low yet
piercing note of distress. When we got
on to the hill Twas sure the voice came
from the swamp we had left. As fast
as logs, bogs and ravines would let us
we advanced toward the spot where we
had been talking about canals. l heard
some one speaking, but could not make
out the words, and the scrub was so
thick could not see anyone.
At last l caught sight of little girl,
and it went to my heart to see her so
thin and woe-be-gone, but I could not
believe it was Clara Crosbie, or that sh e
could have lived so long. The little
creature was lettering toward us in her
ulster, without shoes or stockings on
but quite sensible. She said. Il want
to 60 home to my mother. have been
lost three weeks She was so weak
that she could scarcely stand. dumped
off my horse, put my coat around her.
and took her up in my arms. She said
she wanted drink, but Wished to hast
en- back to the camp with her, as l was
afraid she might go off: 1t would have
been terrible for her to have died in my
arms after all she had suffered and had
found her. She said she had lived IN q
tree, and used to 60 for water, but that
she had been to weak too go for any for
two days, and Icould believe it. She
said her clothes were in the tree, but we
did not stay to look for them, but started
home at once.
''Mr. Smith went on to bring some tea,
and, although he can't ride. Incver saw
man 90 across country in better style,
as It there was such thing as breaking
his neck in such tangle. He met me
half way, but had given the little thing
drink out of my hat before that.
Didn't she lap it up eagerly, and then
talked all the more about how she
wandered away and crossed the creek
and found the hollow tree, and got too
frightened and too tired to travel any
more. egave her some tea and toast,
and when we got to the camp the cook
said he saw Il man who was lost in New
Zealand, and the doctor gave him some
oatmeal with some brandy in it. But
Clara smelt some pork and potatoes and
she did beg hard for some of that dinner.
l believe she thinks me hard to this day.
"After she had eaten little and now
that she felt quite safe and the excite
ment was over, she began to look worse
than when we first found her. We
could see the ravages which hunger and
exposure had made, but, considering
what she had gone through, she was
wonderfully chirpy. She kept asking
to be taken to her mother. She was
taken there in the blankets of six of the
boys, for every man wanted to have a
share in wrapping her up, and then she
was washed and put to bed by Mrs. Clax-
ton at the hotel which was nearer than
her mothers house. She has been i'm
proving ever since, but you will see her
for yourself bye and bye, and get her to
talk to you. In week she will be all
right as ever, but it was close shave.
I don't think she would have lasted
another night, as the next night a stiff
frost was on and she had got too weak
to 60 to the creek for the water upon
which she had lived. How she lived,
God knows. l have seen men used to
hardship knock under in fourth of the
time. And then think of the loneliness
and the wildness of the place where
she was found. 1t was enough to drive
child like her mad. She's living
wonder"
DR.. Curran writes to the Lancet con-
corning the advantages of using cleo
tricity in killing criminals. 1T is q
pity" he says, 1.-THE thing is not tried,
if only by way of experiment, on some
of our lower congeners, whence it
might be transported in time to the
higher regions of Newgate and the
provinces" This man writes with con-
siderable nerve. THE apparatus" he
a.. a