THE THIRD TOWER.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13826, 22 July 1915, Page 2

THE THIRD TOWER.

On the Suez road (writes Mr Malcolm Ross, the New Zealand official correspondent) there are at certain intervals swno old! watch-towers built hundreds oh years ago. One of the most usual marches was out to the third watch-tower and hack. The m-3n got to hate that tower with-an unforgetable hate. They used to se© it in their dreams. One night, as the New Zealsnders wore inarching back, they were met by som© Australians going out on a bivouac. They asked where the New Z-ealanders had been. They replied: "To the third tower." "Where are you going?" asked a New Zealander. "To tho third tower," was the reply. "But it won't be so bad next week ; we're going to push it six miles.nearer camp to-night!"

When the troops were leaving Zeitoun for Lemnos, at the Dardanelles, everybody thought, and said: "Well, thank God, ther© will bo no more third tower!" But a wag in the Mounteds came up and asked: "Have you seen what tine Brigadier has got in the guard's van?" , "No," answered a ''"'beetle-crusher," "what is it?" "It's the old third tower; he's taken It* to pieces and packed it up," was the reply. ■ Once aboard th© troopships the men knew they were really done' with the old tower. But at >Lemno§ they landed for a route march, and they had not gone far before they camo upon an exactly similar tower! They all seemed to se© it at once; but it was left to a man in the ranks to neatly sum up th© situation. "Geod Lord," he cried, "There's the old third tower; it's beaten us here!"