Kampf gegen den Stier
Besieged in Hut
The death of Albert Hersche, at Bagotville, recalls to 'W.E.B.' in the Ballina 'Beacon' a story that has its tragic as well as its humorous side. Hersche, a well educated man, had left his home in Switzerland in the late 70's because of a disagreement with his father over cutting down some trees. Ho came to tha Richmond, and in 1884 selected a small area at Bagotville and set about beefarming, also planting a small vineyard for the late C. T. Bagot. He was a veritable recluse, and could only be induced to talk by anyone interested in astronomy, and in order to study the stars the self-exiled settler had constructed a large telescope by his own skill. He lived in a hut built of galvanised iron to resist the fires which were frequent in the early days, and it is in this connection 'W.E.B.' tells his story.
One day I went to sec him and noticed the ground torn up around the house. I asked him, in a humorous manner, if he had started to farm
again. 'Oh, no,' he said, 'that was the bull. If I could only have got my axe I would have lopped him.' It appears the bull came, pawing up the dirt in front of his place in a very pugnacious manner. Hersche shouted out to him in Swiss. He wanted to get to work among the bees. To use his own words: 'Ven I goes to the front door there vas ze bull, and ven I goes to the back door there was ze bull, and there vas I in ze hut and the bees a svarming. Then tinks I to meself, I will boil up ze kerosene tin of vater. Ven it vas on ze boil, I
takes ze tin of water and goes to ze front door. Up comes ze bull and I shucks it all in his face and shuts ze door, quickly. Donner un blitzen I thought ze Russians had come. See dose holes in ze wall, that vos his horns. If I could only have got my axe I vood have lopped him. And dare vas I in ez hut, vile he tore up ze ground, and I dares not open ze door, and. ze thermometer went up to 100 degrees, 110 degrees, 120 degrees, 130 degrees, and not a drop of vater to drink. I'd shucked it all at ze bull. 'My tongue begins to swell in my mouth. I thought I vas going to die of thirst. I vas so varm, so varm. But towards sundown ze bull leaves and I runs down to my veil and drinks nearly von bucket of vater. But as ze bull goes down to McMahon and horns up his boy through the lung, Mr. Law gets his gun and shoots ze bull; ze boy has gone to ze hospital.'
Quelle: Scone Advocate (NSW : 1887 - 1954), Friday 2 August 1935, page 4
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