FOURSQUARE SAGA or PALS TRUE BLUE.

Serial Waves, 14 September 1940, Page 7

FOURSQUARE SAGA or PALS TRUE BLUE.

A Story Which Concerns Two Men, a Pig •. 'and a Dog. ■ , This is a tale of Final Leave. • Two pals—■ the one a Serjeant Major, the other a Serjeant went a hunting. The local farmers were complaining of the presence of a bull pig, whose night time, excursions wrecked many a vegetable garden. ’ • These i worthy members of the. 'N. Z. Exhibitionary Force set out like St. George of old to slay the monster. Armed only with a gun and twenty quarts —-the latter tied on the dog’s back (shades of St. Bernard) they set. out into the wilderness of Wangamomona. “ Thirsty work, Serg ” —■ crack went one quart. “ We’re getting hot ” —crack went two quarts. . . Then suddenly the dog struck the scent. With bottles rattling it galloped down the gully. Up hill, down dale—Tally ho went the beer—up and down the motley rout until the beer fell off. ,At last the army arrived. Seeing the beer as through a glass darkly, they, drank it. Meanwhile, like a . wolf on the fold, the faithful hound hunted the pig. Like the mountie of story, the hound eventually got his man. The pig died. Plodding their weary way, the hunters staggered up to the scene of the primeval combat. “ Theresh the pig ” —crack went the gunthe dog • fell dead. . “ Shay, musht take the ol ’ boar home.” “ Wash \. you mean, pushing me on your shoulder ” —■ “ Osh, take your hat off the pig, you’re shikker.”

As the full moon rose over the .range, and the farmhouse snuggled in the long shadows of the pines, an incongruous scene smote the peaceful •• countryside. Just imagine two shikker soldiers carrying each other alternatelyeach thinking the other was the pig, and each alternately implying that it was not really funny •to put a hat onto a pig. • - ’ ‘ ■ - It might happen to youit ' happened to them! rdvin vn i onob