THE NIGHT HIDEOUS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1074, 13 March 1911, Page 6

THE NIGHT HIDEOUS.

WOOING SLEEP AT TKENTHAM. The miscellaneous noises which go to make up tho night sounds of a camp of some GOU or 700 men are not readily forgotten, and the medley of sound and consequent broken rest attendant on a week in the rifle camp at Trcntham will'kccp green in at least ono memory for many days. Tho continuous pop pop of tho rifles from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. was followed by a soothing evening calm, the first note of discord which smote tho evening air being tho raucous voice of tho "spruikcr," who bawled from an elevated perch of tho wonders of 's buckjumpers, which were- established on tho «lgo of tho camp lines. "Five quid to the man who can rido tho world-famous bucking broncho, etc., etc.," howled the "spruiker," who extolled the wonders of his shown with glib tongue. This bid for patronago awakened the business instincts of ono of the managers of another Canvastown variety show—tho moving pictures. "Come and see the famous pictures," he drawled. "See the special co-mic singin' com-no-titions. Fun for the crack shots." "We ain't got no pictures," was the scornful rejoinder from the buckjumpers. "Hcvcry move is a picture Viver 'ere," he added with point. By 8 o'clock both the pictures and buck-jumpers would be in full swing, and lusty voices would be raised in applause irom the rival tents. Imagine the above conditions and add the skirling of a bagpipe, the jangling of a piano, a horse-throated phonograph, half a dozen deep bass voices in one tent murdering "The Holy City," and still another lentful hurling out tho air of "Harrigan," and some idea may be gained of one still evening in Canvastown. By midnight the only tent which belched forth sound was that occupied by tho assassins of "The Holy City," who were still engaged in a deadly encounter with classical "music." The music triumphed in the end, and its. murderers and tho camp in general were quiet for a time. At about 2 a.m. one "day the elements raged furiously, a species of tornado sweeping over the plain. Loose tents (lapped and boomed" like distant thunder. Suddenly one rudely-awakened sleeper pounced on his mallet and was soon' tapping his lent pegs in a little (inner. This was a signal for the next door neighbour, and so the warring went round until half tho pyjama-clad camp was shivering in _ the blast, mallet in hand, and potiuding at loosening tent pegs. The gale lasted at its worst for about half an hour, and (hen slackened off, comparative peace again reigning over Tentland. At about five o'clock each morning the hubbub would be;riii again on the arrival from town of the morning paper motor-ears, and the all-too-little rested sleepers would turn dieamily in their camp beds, and with one accord agree with the philosopher who said that life was "just one blwuiin' thiug after anothor,"-