Lorna had an older brother, Colin, older sister, Dori and then a younger sister Jean, brother Alan, and sister Nola. They were a jolly family when away from their Mother and Father. Beth went to school with Lorna and the three younger children. The McAdams owned a large sheep and cattle farm.

The weather had been wet and cold for weeks, with the winter gradually giving way to spring. Straight after breakfast Colin caught his horse, a lively, nervous mare called Lady, and rode off to move some sheep from one paddock to another. The day was cold and wet, with a strong wind, and Colin was clad in oilskins and gumboots. Mr. McAdam was indoors with a severe cold, and watched him ride off. Lunch time came and went, and no sign of Colin. Mr. and Mrs. McAdam were becoming very worried.

The rain had stopped during the morning but it was still cold and very windy. Mr. McAdam left the house, caught his horse and set off to look for Colin. He followed the general direction Colin would have taken, but there was no sign of either him or Lady. The sheep had been moved, so where had he gone next? Mr. McAdam rode on, through another paddock and down towards a flat area that was very wet and had no sheep or cattle running on it. In the distance he could see a horse, that looked like Lady. The worried feeling he had had since lunch now changed to a really sick fear as he galloped nearer. He passed through the gate into the flat paddock and over to Lady. He saw that she was soaking wet, her saddle sodden, and she was very distressed.

Taking her bridle, he lead her across the paddock towards the gate into the next paddock. That gate was at the end of a bridge across a deep, swift flowing river.

The river was the only place where Lady could have got in such a mess, but why? and how?

He had to know the answers, but dreaded looking to find out. Reaching the bridge, Mr. McAdam left the two horses and walked over it, towards the gate. He had often been going to alter the position of the gate but there was always another important job needing attention.

The gate was unfastened, and swinging in the wind, and on the deck of the bridge were marks of Lady’s shoes, and deep scratch and skid marks where she had scrambled and fought for her footing, before falling over the side into the swollen, muddy water.

There was no sign of Colin, but his Father knew he was down in the river, somewhere. Clad as he had been, in oilskins and gumboots, he wouldn’t have stood a chance of getting out. Mr. McAdam also knew that he couldn’t do anything himself, and if he did try, he ran the risk of drowning as well. Mounting his horse, and leading Lady, he set off for home, dreading the moment when he had to tell Mrs. McAdam and the family the terrible news, and was a family tragedy.

The first Beth’s family knew of the tragedy was a phone call, asking if Dad and the boys would go up and help find Colin, in the river. The car was no use, so horses were caught and off they galloped. Mother went up to be with Mrs. McAdam, and try to be of some comfort. Beth and the younger children had all been at school, so Beth went to stay with Shirley until the family returned home.

Hours went by before Dad came for her, and to tell the Frasers all about the dreadful accident.

Beth’s brothers had dived in the river and eventually found Colin, some distance from the bridge. The water was very cold and running very fast, and it was a difficult job looking for him. They eventually lifted him out and gently laid him on the bank. Poor Colin; he hadn’t had a chance. As he and Lady had fallen in, he had managed to get clear of the saddle, but Lady, in her panic, had been kicking and struggling wildly, and a hoof had hit Colin on the forehead, knocking him unconscious. That was the only mark on him.

The explanation of what had happened was fairly clear. Colin had ridden onto the bridge and up to the gate. When he leaned down over Lady’s neck to release the catch, perhaps his coat had flapped and frightened Lady so that she slipped. Once her feet started to slide on the wet timber, she panicked even more, and fought until they both went over the side. She was always a nervous animal and the wind and rain made her more touchy than usual.

It was a very sad time for the whole district as Colin had been a popular young man. Mr. and Mrs. McAdam never really got over the tragedy. Mr. McAdam shot Lady the next day, and the fatal gate on the bridge was altered very shortly after the funeral.