A PARTY GAME

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21280, 25 February 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

A PARTY GAME

This game causes quite a lot of amusement and will help your party along to success very quickly. Buy enough balloons to go round and blow them up before the guests arrive. Give one balloon to each person and get them to tie it to their right ankle. They now walk around in a circle, and each person tries to burst the, balloon of the person in front of him. To the last person to have his balloon burst I would suggest you should give him a little prize, because I think he {really deserves it. Don’t you?

A STORM

The lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, And we said to ourselves ’twas going to be cold. We pulled down the blinds, And thought in our minds That the weather was going to be • rough. I sat down dumbfounded! The weather just sounded ' Like ugly old witches In long-legged breeches, Dashing around on their brooms! (3 Marks to Betty Andrew, Temuka)

stead,” said Nance—and perhaps Bob has reached home by now,” she added.

Sam was very quiet. That something unforeseen had happened to prevent Bob reaching the cave, he was quite certain. Something was amiss.

He led Nance quietly to the top of a ridge when they could peer down into Sunny Vale. “You see, Nance,” he said, quietly, “it’s quite impossible to get to the homestead yet. See there—and there —and there.” Nance gazed in the direction indicated and gave a little shudder. Small groups of men were posted at every vantage point. “Let’s stay in the cave all day, Nance. I’ll try and make it, to-night.” “Oh, Sam, I couldn’t stay in the cave all day. I must do something. I must know about Bob.”

Sam looked at the drawn face, and his sympathy for the girl’s anxiety over-rode his better judgment. “All right,” he said, smiling suddenly. “Let’s do something. Let’s go, while it is still early, and investigate the gold seam for ourselves.” Nance’s eyes danced with excitement. “Oh, .-am, could we, could we really? Perhaps we’ll find a really truly nugget and take it home to Dad. That would convince him that we’re telling no fairy tale.” Quietly Sam led the way to Silver Creek, threading his way upstream, until he came to a place where the flood had altered the course of the water. Eagerly the children searched the creek-bed, looking for signs of shining metal. At last Nance gave it up in disgust and sat down on a large, flat stone. “This can’t be the place, Sam.

Let’s try a little higher up.” But, doggedly Sam kept on. “This must be the place,” said he. “The washout in Silver Creek; that’s what James said.”

“Well, you can keep on looking,” said Nance. “I’m going round the corner to have a good-morning wash.”

“Don’t be long, Nance,” answered Sam. Somehow, he felt uneasy this morning. He did not like Nance out of his sight. Bissett apd his gang were still on the watch, and Bob was missing. Sam sighed uneasily. He should never have given way to Nance. The safest plan would have been to say in the cave till evening. Then he could have made his way to the police. It would be dif' It, of course, to make them believe his story, now that Bob was missing. But suppose he could find a nugget and display it! That would lend colour to his tale! He would lead them to the spot where the gold seam showed up, and Mr Morten would never need to ! -,ve his farm. He, himself, would be the only one to leave Sunny Vale. Ah, well! What did it matter! After all, he was only an outcast—a poacher. Slippery Sam would never be missed—except by Grey Boy. He kicked the creek-bed restlessly. No one else would care. Nance and Bob might be a little sorry! Again he kicked the creekbed; then suddenly his attention was attracted by something bright. Stooping down, he picked it up, his hand shaking with excitement. He turned it over and over, and held it up to the light. Sure enough, there it was, a large nugget of shining gold! He held it up to the sun again, gazing at it, almost in awe.

Then suddenly a shot rang out. The nugget dropped from his hand, and the boy fell heavily on the stones.

(To be continued)