Original Stories

Southland Times, Issue 22915, 13 June 1936, Page 23 (Supplement)

Original Stories

VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED. Alan had walked far, and he was very dusty and thirsty. He sank down by the cobbled roadside utterly exhausted and mopped his brow with a scarlet handkerchief. The sun streamed down upon the roadside, and very little shelter from the shrubs could be obtained. A step was heard on the road about a yard away, and looking up with startled eyes, Alan saw the figure of a girl in long blue robes and with a pitcher in her hands. She clasped her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream, then stared in amazement at the dusty figure with the fair tumbled curly head “Oh just a boy,” she said quietly, “Where are you going?” “I’m running away to sea to search for Pirate Treasure,” said Alan sturdily, his defiant blue eyes looking straight into her dark ones. “I’m not going back either. Who wants to be a poky old merchant any way. I don’t. I’m going to be a sailor and hunt down Pirates,” and Alan proudly jingled the rusted sword at his side. The girl listened to ihe speech quietly then said, “You’re like my brother Jeff. Daddy wants him to be a doctor and learn about medicine you know, but Jeff wants to be a sailor just like you He’s running away to-night, and I’m helping him. I don’t want him to go, but he’s going to bring me heaps of gold and we’re going to be rich all our lives,” she ended, her face flushed and excited. Alan though a moment. “Could your brother and I run away together?” he said. The girl’s eyes shone. “Just the idea,” she cried, “you’ll have a friend to go with, then." Alan waited by the road until night. Edith, that was the girl’s name, said they would be ready by midnight. He Waited for ages and very late in the night, he heard midnight strike in the village church. “Won’t be long now,” muttered Alan. He heard a light setp, ‘and along came Edith followed by a sturdy youth of twelve. “Here he is,” said Edith to Alan, “and I have brought you both a bundle, because it is the thing for proper sailors.” A few minutes later Jeff kissed his sister good-bye and Alan not knowing whether to or not, kissed her too. She blushed like a pink rose then hastily added, “Well good-bye. I hope you come back soon.” The boys soon grew aquainted with each other, and were the best of friends. They reached the coast close in on three days, just in time for the sailing of a huge vessel bound for the east. Both boys walked eagerly down to the quay. It was just dawn and a fresh salt breeze blew from the sea flapping the sails, and making the boys skip with eagerness to be off on the blue. The gulls dived and circled, spreading their white wings as they uttered their wierd screeches. . They saw an old sailor coming towards them, and the boys in their .eagerness said to him. “May we sail on this boat sir?” The old sailor looked curiously at the boys then said “Where do such little lads hail from?" “We come from a town many miles from here,” said Alan and soon he had told the sailor their story. “H’m,” he said, “Small lads to be runnin’ away, but at the thought of a doctor or merchant I would myself..

Then he pointed to the ship. “Ask the old skipper, lads, he isa good old fellow, and may let you go.” “Will you come with us?” asked Jeff eagerly. “Yes, I’ll show you the way, he said, and stumped off on his wooden leg, followed by the boys. The skipper was a fine fellow, and said at once that the boys would be welcome. They jumped for joy and the old sea-dog beamed on them. The “Golden Heart” left the harbour five minutes later, and sailed slowly out of the bay to the wide ocean. All went well for the first few days. The skipper told the boys about his life, from when he had run away to when he had chased pirates on the journeys to the east. On the third week, when the ship was well on its way a great storm arose. The good ship clung together for a few days, but one morning there was a roar as the port holes filled with water. The men rushed to the decks, but too late. “The Golden Heart” was sinking

with the gallant crew and kind old skipper. Alan and Jeff were terrified. They clung to a drifting spar with panic-stricken faces, thinking all the time that the roaring waters would swallow them up. After a few days they were washed up on an island Alan was the first to come to his senses, and he sat up wonderingly. _ His unconscious chum lay beside him. They were on a white beach, wnere the blue ocean now peacefully rolled up and back again. The sun shone like a great red fire in the East, and behind him the jungle forest lay in silence. Alan gave a whoop of joy. Beside him a little singing brook babbled over the pebbles on its way to the sea. He ran, and dipping his salt-caked face into its sparkling waters, began to drink. It was the most delicious drink he had ever tasted, and he wondered how he could carry some to his chum. Just then something whizzed past his head. He looked up to see a tiny monkey throwing coconuts at him. He split the coconut and carried the water back to Jeff. Soon he opened his eyes and sat up. “Where are we Alan? he exclaimed. “On a tropical island,” replied his mate calmly. Jeff was soon better, and the two boys wandered around wonder - ing what to do. Gorgeous butterflies flew past, and coloured birds chattered like the monkeys that peered at them and gabbled excitedly. One day they saw a parrot. What amazed the boys, was that it had a ring on its foot, and spoke to them in broken English. “Polly not know you,” it said “You no Pirate, you enemy.” Alan and Jeff turned pale. “Pirates on this island!” gasped Alan. “They will kill us.„ “Come and hunt for their place, whispered Jeff, and the boys, led by Polly, followed a rough path through the jungle. “Pirates gone” chuckled Polly, and the boy heaved a sigh of relief.

They came to an opening. A few huts stood bv ’oeord®.. The

boys peeped in one. Nothing save a stone slab in the corner was in the hut. “Come and lift the stone,” wispered Alan and they went forward. Beneath the stone was a flight of steps, which the boys descended after taking a lantern. Dull bars of gold stacked the walls, and bags of diamonds, pearls, rubies and emeralds, silk and spices were packed in bundles. “The Pirates Treasures,” said Alan. “We’ll never be able to get it,” groaned Jeff. Polly flapped her wings. “Pirates come home. Strange ship chases.” Alan and Jeff rushed up the steps into the bright sunlight. Out on the sea a red ship with the skull and cross-bones on it came racing towards the island Another ship followed. “Hurray,” shouted Alan, “That’s an English clipper following the Pirates.” A fierce fight took place, on the beach and the English men gained the advantage. The few pirates left were bound and weren’t the sailors surprised to see Alan and Jeff. They told the sailors about the treasure. and the next day they all set of for England with the Pirate’s Treasure on board. —3 marks to Cousin Ray McLeay (13), Otahu-Blackmount R.D., Otautau. HIGHLY COMMENDED. I was waiting for my first flight. I am a beautifully built aeroplane, painted silver, with red, white and blue rings under my huge wings. I was hung in a big shed, along with six other planes, and I waited for a week before I was ever taken up. A young pilot drove me, one fine Sunday over the Southland lakes with five passengers. Imagine how proud I felt, when I saw many people standing at the doors of their homes gazing at me. The time came, when, a few months later, I was to go on a great journey from New Zealand to South America. My engine was looked at, because everything had to be in perfect order for the long flight. On the morning, March 30, 1936, I left the landing ground outside the aerodrome, and slowly winged my way up into the blue heavens. I was about four thousand feet up; when my pilot steered me to westward. I landed in South America in about two and a half days, and next week left for New Zealand again. 1 , . , The first day was fine, but in the

i afternoon of the second, huge clouds . banked up in the west, and a few hours I later I felt heavy drops of rain on my metalled body. The sea beneath me : was dark and tossing, but I could not • see it for long, as a heavy fog arose and shut out everything from my view. , Suddenly, I knew that I was dropping. ; I fell for about four hundred feet before ! my pilot found out what was wrong ■ with me. He pulled something in my engine which made me soon rise again. It was two days later before I saw land again, and when I saw the snow- > clad tops of the Southern Alps my joy knew no bounds. • lam back in my cosy shed again, i answering the questions of my comi panions, and waiting for another flight, but not like my last one. —2 marks to Cousin Ray McLeay (13), Otahu-Blackmount R.D., Otautau. ! HIGHLY COMMENDED. , I am an aeroplane made in Sydney. I am a single winger and am coloured white, and I also have'three engines. : My body is coloured blue, while my ; name is the Bluebird. The number of passengers I will carry is sixteen. I have a pilot who is called Pilot H. E. Smith. One day my pilot began to get .me ready for a flight. How I wondered where I was going. The next morning my pilot came and started me up for ■ my unknown journey. We were leav- ■ ing Sydney, and this was my first long f flight. I ascended into the air, and my pilot 1 steered me out to sea. I was flying 1 over the Tasman Sea on my way to New Zealand. How horrible it was 1 looking at the sharks and whales swim--1 ming about below me. Anyway I arI rived safely in New Zealand at New I Plymouth. • After staying in New Zealand for a few days, flying about the towns, here 1 and there, I was again steered on the same journey back - to Australia, not ■ going to Sydney this time, but to Mel- ! bourne. * From Melbourne, I went to London calling in at the following places, Darwin, Philippine Islands and Delhi. From Delhi I made a non-stop ' flight to London. In London I have been very highly ■ recommended. I have flown all over ; the British Isles and France. Now I am back in London again preparing for my homeward flight back to Sydney. —2 marks to Cousin Frank White ■ (12), 101 Fox street.