While awaiting slaughter with other cattle in the paddock, it attacked a passing resident, who sought safety by getting to the top of a convenient rock.
Then things began to happen in quick sequence.
A lady with a milk-pail on her arm came tripping down the track, and the bull charged again from the ambush of a gorse-bush.
The lady screamed, and, throwing the bucket in the bull's face, also gained the sanctuary of the rock, scrambled up, and sat herself beside the man.
The next scene opened with the arrival of six butchers from the works, armed with cleavers and axes, bent on slaying the bull where it stood.
The bull scattered its adversaries, and succeeded in forcing three units to seek refuge on the rock with its first two prisoners.
The animal then mounted guard over them.
It had acquired by this time an aspect of monstrous comicality, by reason of the bucket.
The utensil had become impaled on one long horn, and sat on the creature's head like a disreputable bad hat.
One eye was obscured, but the other optic still glared truculent hatred.
However, a rifle was obtained, after an interval, and a well-aimed shot enabled the rock-dwellers to descend.
• The sailing ship sailor may not be as dead as the dodo, but he is, at all events, not easy to find in these days of steam.
As evidencing this fact, a case occurred some time ago in which a sailerwas delayed for some weeks in the Thames before a full complement of men could be secured.
As men were secured they were sent to the ship, and engaged in mending sail and getting her ready for sea.
It is only by beating around, finding a man here and another there, that a crew can be got together for a wind-jammer, and then it will be found that most of the men are Scandinavians, and are either middle-aged or well advanced in years.
Norway and Sweden stuck to sail for a good long time, and thanks to this it is still just possible to scrape together a crew.
And the rate of pay will probably be about £6 10s a month - which means not a bad pay-day if the men complete, say, a nine months' voyage.
• At a large and representative meeting of the retailers' section of the Otago Employers' Association yesterday morning, it was decided to observe the following holidays: - January 1 and January 2, Cup Day (February races) from 12 o'clock noon, Retailers' Picnic Day (second Saturday in February), Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Anniversary Day (March 23), King's Birthday (June 3), Labour Day (October), People's Show Day (November) from 12 noon, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
It was also resolved that the members of the retail section do not subscribe to any bazaar, sports, picnic, or prize funds, nor advertise on programmes, tickets, our publications connected with the above, theatres and entertainments included.
• According to the Waikaka correspondent of the Southland Times the dredging industry in that locality is on the wane, another dredge or two having closed down of late.
It is not, says the correspondent, that the gold is not in the ground, but the expense of getting it out is on the increase, and very little is left for the shareholders. - ODT, 24.2.1916.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
