There were Dad and her brothers, already dressed, and starting to eat the breakfast that Mother was putting in front of them.

“What is the matter? Why is everyone up so early, it’s not morning yet?”, asked Beth.

“Dad and the boys have to go out and help all the other men to look for Mary Bell”, replied Mother. “Please go off back to bed just for now. We are in a hurry, but I’ll come in and explain it all to you as soon as the men have gone”.

She gave Beth a slice of toast, and Beth went back and snuggled down into her warm bed. She realised how very cold it was, just in her pyjamas.

While she ate her toast and waited for Mother, Beth thought about Mary Bell.

Mary was a small, thin girl, about 16 years old, with long, bushy, bright red hair, very white skin and pale blue eyes. She had come from the city, just a few days ago, to help Mrs. McKay, who had been rather sickly since the birth of her last baby. Mary seemed a nice girl, but never having been in the country before, she was very nervous of all the animals and the wide open space.

Beth heard the men leave the house and then Mother came in, carrying her cup of tea. Sitting down beside Beth’s bed she told her all that they knew so far:

Mary shared a room with Helen McKay and Helen had woken during the night to go to the toilet. When she put the light on she saw that Mary was not in her bed. Helen had woken her Mother and Father and they had all searched the house and then outside all round the garden looking for Mary. When there was no sign of her they had telephoned the neighbours, but they hadn’t seen her either. At last they decided that a proper search was necessary, and had rung all the farms for the men to meet at McKay’s at daylight, to begin a search of the whole farm. Mother was very worried as it was so cold and Mary would probably be in her pyjamas and might be lying injured as well. Mother explained how some folk walked in their sleep, especially if they were worried or upset about something, and they could open doors and wander off and no-one would know where they had gone.

Beth felt very upset and wished there was something she could do to help find her.

Mother set to work cooking, for all the ladies were to take food up to McKay’s, to feed the men, who would be very tired and hungry after tramping over the paddocks, through bush, and up and down hills, while hunting for Mary.

A little before lunch one of the boys came and picked Mother and Beth up, and took them up to McKay’s. The men were starting to come in to the house, where they would discuss the search and where they should look next. They had covered all the nearer parts of the farm and after a hurried meal they all set off for the wilder, rougher areas. It was a large farm, and a lot of the back acres were bush covered, with steep gullies and fast flowing rivers. A very difficult place to search, and very dangerous for anyone to be lost in. If the lost person was injured, and lying down, the searchers could pass them by and never even see them.

Poor Mrs. McKay was dreadfully upset and wept most of the time, feeling she shouldn’t have kept Mary at the farm when she was so nervous. Mrs. McKay thought she would soon get used to it, and had seemed fond of the family, and the children had all liked her very much.

The long day wore on and it was nearly evening when the waiting women saw the weary men coming up the home paddock. To their great relief, they saw that Mr. McKay was carrying Mary, well wrapped up in coats, but unhurt. No questions were asked at this stage, and Mary was whisked away for a hot bath and then tucked up warmly in bed with hot water bottles. She was very cold and suffering from shock and exposure but was hungry, and soon had a bowl of soup to warm her up inside. Then she was left to sleep quietly. Mrs. McKay stayed with her, sitting by the bed and holding tightly to Mary’s hand.

Over another well-earned meal, the men told of finding Mary. The day was nearly gone and they were feeling rather desperate, as they were afraid that she wouldn’t survive another night out in the cold, when there was a sound of a shot, fired a long way off, in some of the most rugged part of the farm. One of the men had found Mary, huddled up and shaking with the cold, sitting on a log, right on the edge of a steep, straight drop into one of the rivers.

Mary told them that she had woken up when it was still dark and had been terrified. She had never sleep-walked before but had enough sense to stay still and wait for daylight. When morning came, she was horrified to find where she was and to realise that she was lost and had no idea which way to go. Frozen, and shocked with the cold, terrified over where she was and very hungry, she huddled up by the log, trying to keep out of the wind, and hoping that someone would find her before too long. As the day wore on she was afraid that no one would find her before dark, but by then she was too frightened to leave, in case in the dark she fell over a cliff.

Fortunately her terrifying experience had a happy ending and Mary soon recovered. Everyone expected her to pack her things and return to the city but Mary was made of strong stuff, and decided to stay. She felt that after all the effort people had made to find her, she should stay and like the country. After a few weeks she had quite got over her fears, never sleep-walked again and remained in the district for many years, a very popular young lady.