Page:Old Westland (1939).pdf/210

186 up the total, I found I was some 35 ozs. short. I said to him, ‘This can never be, we must weigh it over again.’ We did so, but with the same result. I did not know what to do. However, before sending it away, I determined to ride back to the Taramakau and have a look in the safe, thinking I might have left a lot in it—but no such luck. It then struck me the gold must have been taken out of the safe. I told Broham the whole circumstances of the case, and, moreover, whom I suspected. He went to the store and searched but without discovering anything. The gold was gone without a doubt.

“I had no alternative but to report the loss to my inspector in Christchurch, which I did by the first opportunity. My anxiety was now to know how the report of my loss would be received, and I must say I fully expected to be called upon to make it good. I did not hear from the inspector for some considerable time. (In those days letters had to go via Nelson.) Meanwhile I was continually being asked by one or another had I heard from the inspector. At last a letter arrived to the effect that although leaving the key of the safe behind was careless, still, taking everything into consideration, the difficulties I had to contend with, etc., it was decided that the loss should not fall on me. On taking the letter to Jimmie Price, he said it would not have affected me in any case. I replied, ‘Only this much, that I would have been some £140 out of pocket.’ ‘Nothing of