HUMOURS OF WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16098, 11 December 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

HUMOURS OF WAR.

SNIPER AND PINK PYJAMAS. - hV€kY JOCKEY. Hktie are two true stories of the humours of war straight from Gallipoli. Th'ey were told by a wounded officer juet discharged from hospital in Alexandria. "We grew very fond of a certain Turco sniper—Abdul, we called him—who persisted in excellent practice against us. One day an officer went down to bathe. He deposited his pink pyjamas on the beach and began his swim. Now Abdul, we presume, seeing the pink pyjamas, thought that here was an officer in very high command. So when the officer was in the water he started sniping. He put bullet after bullet into the pink pyjamas and quite neglected the swimming officer. There we all were, watching his shots and laughing, and the officer went on swimming as long as he could. But it is extraordinarily cold in that sea after a little time, so he had to come out. Ho made a dash for his pyjamas, but just as he got to them, plop went a bullet right through them. "By this time they were fairly riddled, and their owner thought he would give them another rest, and so went back into the sea. Finally he came out, tore like a madman up the beach, seized his pink pyjamas, made a dash for cover, and there fell in a heap on the cause of all the mischief, his pyjamas, feigning dead. Sporting of Abdul, wasn't it, to spend hie bullets on such a harmless emblem of dignity and not on the officer so dignified by pink." Enver and Jockey. The second story comes from a hospital in Alexandria, and was told by a jockey. This jockey was in Constantinople, where allied subjects are not interned, but go free in some fear of what may happen to them any day. One morning Enver Pasha sent for this jockey, and he went before him in considerable trepidation. "Now I have done something," he thought, "'which is to bring trouble." However, when he was brought into the presence of Enver, the Pasha said to him, "You are a jockey, I believe? Well, I am particularly anxious to win a certain race. You shall train and ride my horse, and if you win, I will give you a passport.'' "And if I don't?" said the jockey. "Ah, if you don't," said Enver Pasha, '"'I will not be responsible for the future." So the jockey determined to have a good attempt at winning; he did win, and he arrived cafe with Enver's pass in Alexandria.