"ATTABOY"

NZ Truth, Issue 1030, 22 August 1925, Page 12

"ATTABOY"

Petone-Orientaf—and America. Out at Petone, where.the "villagers" were billed to meet Oriental, "Tackier" found two American Fleet baseball teams essaying- to pound a cricket, ball into a pulp with a bat that resembled a cartwheel spoke . while the waiting footballers shiveringly . contemplated the driving: southerly from the waiting shed doors, much m the spirit and manner of. the victims of the French revolution viewing the" approach .of the execution cart. - Truly it.was no dayfor football, and Svhen the teams finally took the field a sympathetic Yank sailor had hasty recourse to a flask that- ho had on the hip. In fact, every sailor m sight did the same, and. the • movement, had a "click" about it that bespoke long practice. When the game got-under .way the Yank's obvious glo.om deepened. "Bo," he observed to "Tackier," "I guess this isn't football. Why, when they get those guys down I reckon they should fix 'em proper. That's, what they do m my,, country." Again 'he 'had recourse to his hip pocket. Meanwhile the "Ories" had been striving mightily without result, but- as if resenting ithe jibe they suddenly let up and'with the greatest of good nature allowed Petone to score. Then, the game and the rain and the Yank's ■ elbow-bend movement started again. Pounding, grunting forwards slipped and ' slid m the mud, and the • backs speculated away without interest until suddenly McNicol, the young "Oriental back, nipped in-between a Petone passing rush and off lipfleld with the ball. "Attaboy," yelled the Yank. "Go get 'em, go get 'em." He groaned when McNicol was caught with no one to pass to. "I guess that kid is the goods," he remarked, "and if Ms mates had any darned thing above their eyes except hair they would-have been up with him to get that pellet when he passed it." " When the two tries that Hawkinshad been presented with and th» tries of Thomas and Cameron and sundry other points had ■ been "> totted up it was found that Petone had 17 points and. Cries a clean slate and dirty jerseys. . Just before the final bell the Yank became disgusted.- -He -found that his hip pocket supply wouldn't respond to the call, so before- seeking fresh supplies he shook hands with the scribe and said, "Well, farewell,, Bo. I guess your little old game's all right on a fine day, but for real he-man, go-getter stuff, Td like, you to see,our little game. Believe me, . it's the cat'a pyjamas." •-.,.•