A Midnight Adventure

Southland Times, Issue 22158, 28 October 1933, Page 19

A Midnight Adventure

—Highly Commended. — It was on a hot November afternoon that six girls sat in a group under an Elm tree in the garden of St. Clare’s boarding school in Melbourne. They were talking in excited undertones and when' anyone passed by they changed the subject so as not to attract suspicion. Their names were, Maureen, Dulcie, Carol, Sylvia, Maud and Grace and all were tall handsome girls. The subject of their conversation was a mid-night revel out in a big shed on the school grounds. Now just at this time, the silver cups which belonged to the school, had been stolen and the mistresses were very worried about them.

According to a previous arrangement the six girls met in the big shed at eleven o’clock p.m. and all were laden with bulky parcels containing food. When the parcels were unwrapped Carol and Grace arranged the feast on a deal table. They then sat down and began to eat the good things, but when they were about half through they heard a rustle and a bump just outside the door! Instantly, they were on their feet, and Maureen thoughtfully blew out the candles, and switched on her torch. They all waited for about ten minutes, but nothing else happened so they decided to go outside and see who was there. As no one would volunteer to go they had to draw lots. The task fell to Maud and Carol, so, armed with torches and sticks they started out on their journey to explore the school grounds. By keeping in the shadows, they reached the school itself and, to their surprise, they saw a light in the office where the money was kept. “Surely none of the teachers could be up so late!” thought the girls as they crept cautiously round to the window. To their joy they discovered that the blind had been left up an inch or two from the bottom. So, crouching down they peeped in and this is what they saw. Standing with his back to them a man was busy trying several keys in a lock, and at last he managed to open the drawer. He then took out all the money which was in it and commenced to open a safe. The first impulse which occured to Carol and Maud was to run and rouse up the sleeping school, which was being burgled, but on second thoughts they decided to catch the burglar themselves. First of all, Maud procured a thick stick, and Carol a ball of string which was in the garden. Carol then went cautiously round to the office door and tied the string across it; when that was done she also armed herself with a thick stick and waited by the door. Meanwhile, Maud began to throw pebbles at the burglar, who, when he saw them, gathered up his belongings and prepared to take his departure. But he should have learnt to “look before he leapt.” When he opened the door and went to step out, he suddenly fell over the string and before you could say “Jack Robinson,” he felt two hard cracks on his head and, in a trice he lay bound tight at the feet of two school girls. By this time, the whole school was awake and the head mistress rang up the police. She then called the six girls into her studio where they told their story and, when it was finished, they were sent to bed. Next day they told the entire school of how they recovered the missing cups which were found on the burglar, and Carol and Maud never forgot their mid-night adventure.

—3 marks to Cousin Iris Tuffery (12) Dacre. A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. —Highly Commended. — It was the night of the school breakup, with the usual concert and all its excitement and fun. For three boys, at anyrate, it had been a great night. It was their last term at the school and all three had passed their exams with flying colours. As a special favour, the headmaster had asked the three boys to stay to supper with him, as they had all some distance to walk home. Wishing the head goodnight at last they set off happily for home about a quarter to twelve.

They talked of their future prospects and intentions, and soon came to the cemetery, where their now short journeys led in different directions. Jacky Mason lived a little further on past the cemetery while his companions. two brothers turned at right angles to their home. Here they had a last talk about the wonderful night they had spent. It was a foggy night and as they talked, one of Jacky’s companions jocularly remarked that it was a good night for spooks. Then, with goodnights all round they each made for home. Now Jacky had never believed in spooks, but somehow, his pal’s words came back to him as he trudged on alone. He remembered that ghosts were nearly always supposed to appear at midnight, and it must be nearly that now. These thoughts made Jacky just a little uneasy although he would never have admitted it. His path was now a narrow track between high tussocks, used because the road was rough. Owing to the fog, Jacky had some difficulty in seeing distinctly. Suddenly the church clock commenced to strike twelve, and. at the same moment an awful apparition appeared not six feet from Jacky’s face. Jack’s heart seemed to stop dead, then race away at top speed. He could neither move nor cry out. The thing was awful! It was all white, and seemed shapeless, although he could dimly discern legs. It stood quite still and made no sound, but just about level with Jacky’s face were two great staring eyes, which seemed to be lit up with an angry yellow gleam. How long Jacky stood staring into those horrible eyes, he never knew, but during all the time he was unable to move a muscle. He was beginning to wonder how long he could live like this, when the apparition suddenly gave a bellow and turned into the tussocks. Jacky’s relief was as great as his fright, for his terrible “ghost” was nothing more than his own pet calf Snowdrop! Snowdrop was probably as scared as Jacky, but all the same Jacky will never forget that midnight adventure.

—3 marks to Cousin Connie Jellyman (14) Queen street Otautau. A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. Highly Commended. Twelve o’clock! The muffled notes rang in the old church tower Tha wind was moaning in the tiees, where creaking branches tossed and swung. The air was full of the wind’s eerie music. A sickly moon tossed on. the pitchy skies, lowering clouds at times sweeping across, and plunging the land in darkness. This was the Night of Nights! The time for the Great Adventure was come. It had started with the telling of “true” ghost stories. Sadie had told her chum, Meg, of the ghost of a murdered child that was said to haunt the deserted Studley house at night. The two girls had decided to lay the ghost and now they were quickly walking to the deserted house. The grim gates, undamaged by the ravages of years, guarded the tangled garden, and they loomed up through the gusty night. As the girls looked up the drive a cold misgiving assailed them. The wind sighed and swirled around—the night was full of dark, shifting shadows! Dauntlessly, the two girls stole on. Unkempt branches dragged at them. They seemed to hear mocking voices, to see dim shapes. They felt a Presence

pursuing them with silent footsteps. Darker grew the night. Suddenly the wind sank—not a sound was heard. Dark clouds swept across the moon, then upon the supernatural calm, rose a harsh loud cry. Terrified, the girls fled, then they felt themselves slipping, falling. Down they fell into a clammy slimy stuff that was all around. The wind rose and carried their cries with it. Wildly, the two struggled in the clinging, dragging substance that chilled them to the bone. All around was dark. Then, something, clammy and cold, touched them with slimy dread, and again that wild fiendish cry rose, in their ears. Wild with horror they scrambled up, anywhere out of that dreadful pit. Down the windy drive, on, on, sobbing and terrified they ran, to arrive home, bedraggled and hysterical. Breathlessly they gasped out an incoherent story of slimy pits where cold dead things clutched and writhed. Of jeering voices and fiendish cries ....

In the slush of the dilapidated, sunken garden, a bewildered bull-frog croaked hoarsely, then settled down to his disturbed slumbers in the mire. —3 marks to Cousin Chrissie Ross (14) Maia, Dunedin.

A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. Highly Commended.

A light mist overhung the battlescarred area of No Man’s Land, which separated us from the German trench, This was a night in July 1915, and a number of men, including me, were about to go and scout for a machinegun post which had been playing havoc with our troops during the day. Precisely at twelve o’clock the captain signalled us to start —the midnight adventure had begun! Scrambling over the parapet we crawled over the muddy ground towards the enemy’s territory. When we had progressed some yards, the sky was marked by a streamer of light shooting skywards. Instantly we prostrated ourselves in the mud face downwards. Then the heavens were lit by a brilliant radiance which illuminated the sky for a few seconds and disappeared. Having gone about sixty yards more, we were going to separate and scout about when I caught the unmistakeable glint of a steel bayonet. Telling my comrades to keep quiet, we crept forward and, right in front of us, was a cleverly concealed machinegun post. Creeping forward, we approached within five yards of the post then, as a shot whistled past my ear, we charged. Shots rang out on the still night air, causing the enemy to open fire; but not before we had either bayoneted or pistolled the'entire crew of the gun. Now the air was full, of flying lead, messengers of death, which at any moment might strike us. Some time afterwards the firing lulled, and, seizing the opportunity, we disabled the gun and fled to our trench. A few minutes later, a number of grimy, blood-covered men, tumbled in to the trench amid a hail of bullets. How thankful we were to be back among friends again, and a quarter of an hour later loud snores issued from our dugout. —3 marks to Cousin Mervyn Keane (13) 66 Yarrow street.

A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. Commended.

One night, when I was in bed I heard a noise as if a rat was scratching. I lay awake and was getting frightened. I hid my head under the blankets and cuddled up to my big sister. Then I made up my mind to jump, out of bed and see what it was. I jumped out of bed and went. roaming around the room and my big sister woke up and asked me what the matter was. I said that I heard something scratching at the wall. It seemed to be like a rat or something. She was as frightened as I was. We went round the wall and then my sister screamed: “I touched something! she said, “Oh I don’t know what it is. It is only something very small. I think we had better go back to bed and get it in the morning.” We went back to bed feeling very frightened and cuddled up to each other and soon were fast asleep. In the morning we jumped out of bed and found that it was only a baby rabbit. We went out to breakfast and our brother Harry said, “Did you get a surprise this morning?” He had caught it yesterday when he was out rabbiting and put it in our bed for a joke! —2 marks to Cousin Pattie Smith (10) Glencoe R.D.

A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE. —Commended. — The clock had struck the midnight hour and the moon was in the sky. Owls were peeping from the church towers, when I was awakened by a noise which seemed to come from the lower part of the house. The noise was that of rustling papers. I sat up and gazed around, but still the noise went on! I jumped up,, grabbed my candle and crept downstairs. The stairs creaked as I went, but still the annoying noise continued. As I reached the office a weird shadow, and the flickering of a torch brought me to a standstill. , Suddenly, a ghost-like figure moved towards me. I stood dumbfounded. The still-moving figure dared me to speak. I boldly walked forward, grabbed his upheld gun and a paper which had dropped to the floor. I held tight to the struggling man and called for help but no answer came. Afraid to leave the man, I called again—still I received no answer. Quickly and quietly an excited nian jumped from the office and grabbed me. I screamed again—this time. to hear father’s footsteps on the stairs. The burglars released me, evidently hearing the noise. They ran outside and I ran upstairs. How glad I was! The paper I had saved was a very important one and father rewarded me for my brave deed, —2 marks to Cousin Margaret Jellyman (13) Queen street, Otautau,