The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-08
AUSTRALIAN BUSH TRAGEDY.
Remarkable sagacity of ''NHon-
grelp Dog.

kfeI DOG.
From the Melbourne Argus.
Another instance has been added to the
long list of painful tragedies which have
taken place in the heart of the silent
bush bringing eXcruciating agony to a
human being rendered incapable of even
crawling away for the assistance of his
feilow-creatures. The victim in this case
is the 15-year-old son of Mr.. w. Morkham
accountant at the general postoff1ce whose
private residence is at Riversdaae Road
CamberWell, but who has a holding far
PACK III the ranges twelve miles from Var
ra glen 1t was few miles from this place
IhaC the gunshot accident happened which
IesnusTed tne lad incapable OF moving, and
IGIt MIN lying IN the bush with his thigh
shot through in two places for more than
lWenty-tour hours before he was found
Dy q ,dos belonging to the family, who
guided the distracted father to the spot
sIalSht across country, with a sagacity
Whlch IS rarely noted outside of collec-
tlQhs OF canine anecdotes. The sufferer,
VINO ndd Deen lying out without a drop
OF water during two Of the hottest days
llat nave occurred this summer, was TAX
en- PACK to his fathers house yesterday
dIternoon, and was brought down to Cam
DerWeH by the evening train. Mr. Charles
Ryan was summoned by telegraph and at
once went out to Camberwel where he
round the lad in a fearful condition, with
huge ragged wound right through the
upper portion of his thigh
Accordlng TO the account which the med
I
from the disjointed phrases of their I'M
fortunate patient it seems that young
workman went out at midday on Sunday
win double-barreled gun for the pur-
pose OF shooting rabbits. He went away
from the homestead in the bush without
iettlng any one know of his intention, and
ms Iather was not even aware when night
ran came that the lad was not in the
mouse. Mr., Morkham. Sr., went 10 bed
ignorant OF the fact that his son was at
tnat moment lying a couple of miles away
from home in the middle of dense scrub
ana suffering agonies of thirst and physi-
Gdl PAIN which are ineonceivable. The
| boy sallled out at midday on his solitary
shooting excursion. The weather was
most oppressive, for hot north wind was
proving. but young Morkham was speedi-
| ~ IN the shadow of the big timber in the
ranges intent only on his sport and Civ
ing no thought to any living creature more
formidable than rabbit He had forgot
ten that snakes are numerous in the
ranges back from Yarra glen. and that a
not day. like Sunday, was just the day to
Drlng them out of their holes with every
instinct of attack developed to the ;tcutest
| point. Shouldering his heavy double-bar-
| relied gun, he was tramping on through
| the thick scrub, when he happened to look
! down and saw, to his horror, a large tiger
! snake, active and menacing, right between
| his legs. Recognizing with the speed of
| thought, that II was moment for instant
| action. Young Morkham sid his hand from
! the stock of the gun, grasped it firmly by
| the barrels, and dashed the heavy stock,
! with all his force, upon the body OF the
| tiStr snake. AS the STOCK OF the gun
| struck the ground, while the barrels point
| ed upwards at an agile towards the boy,
| both triggers fell, and double charge of
/ heavy shot struck the unfortunate boy on
! the inside of the thigh. So close was the
| range that both charges passed clean
| through the thigh SCATTERING the bone
| and cutting a passage from the inside to
| the outside Of the leg. Young Morkham
! sank down, and never moved again for
! tWenty-six hours. 1t is a we'll known
phenomenon in gunshot wounds that tie
/ sudden Of
| body by great loss of blood produces an in
Simultaneous and intolerable thirst. Yet
! no hand was near to hold a cup of water
/ to the lads lips as he lay alone in the
! trackless solitude of the bush. And the
! thermometer at the time was 50 in the
| shade.
The terrible day dragged on. and the
/ night, more terrible still. came in with no
trace of coming GOODNESS, and the dread
/ ful thirst always increasing as hour sue
| ceeded hour. Young Morkham never lost
consciousness; he was never for a mo-
| ment liberated from torture by welcome
| insensibility. When the sun rose yester-
! day it found him lying in the same po-
sition. consumed with the flames of rag
ing thirst. The sun climbed up in the
| heavens, and at high noon the boy was
! still there.
| Al about 2 o'clock dog that belonged
| to the family arrived at the house after
P prolonged search in the bush. The ami
! NAL went up to Mr. Morkham Sr., whin-
| ed, fawned at his feet. and pulled at his
! trousers Mr., Morkham, of course was
| aware of the absence of his son long be-
| fore this, but suspected no harm The
| dog ran on a little toward the bush. then
| ran back again to MP. Morkham, beseech-
| ing him with the mute language of canine
sagacity to follow where it led. Mr. Mork-
ham followed and the dog, looking back
| every now and then to see that the quest
was not forsaken, took the father straight
| across the country togthe patch of scrub
where the son lay agohlzing
The rest is soon told Young Morkham
was lifted up carefully, carried to the
homestead. thence n Gt
| ton. where he was brought down by train
70 Camberwell last night BY this time
the wounds were in a fearful condition
and Mr.. Ryan considers that the survival
of the boy for so long under such horri-
BILE suffering is little short of marvellous.
The surgeon does not hold out much hope
or the lads recovery. The dog that ef-
fected the rescue was not a highly bred
expensive animal. He would probably be
refused admission to any dog show in the
colony. In fact, he is described briefly as
"A mOngral ~