A Lively Bit of the Front

the

the possibility of the convoy sailing; but now, when the supposition merg

e, and were actually deserters, from a military point of view. It was just possible that they might be sent back u

arlit night. "We'll make for the transport office and report ourselves. If we hadn't taken that fell

said Malcolm. "Now I come to think over the matter it looks rat

un across him, I'll bash h

e. "Selwyn, you take an oar and relieve

s the boat turned towards the shore

ve minutes had elapsed. "I've been watching those two l

thrusting his oar vertically into the water he sou

mistake. Now, Selwyn, put your back into it. I've never had

ing an inch," r

river, most likely,"

rtescue los

ou think this is a Bath-bun shop? We are a crowd

en the mooring-buoy had been thrown overboard, the rope had caught between the bobstay and the stem, with the result that for the l

ope was this time properly cast adrift, while the mercu

aughing. "Swotting for an hour or more and fancy

No good purpose is served by jogging into Cape Town at this hour of

mit that they were u

Fortescue. "We've been feeding like turkey-

et off towards the town. When the transport office opened the three absentees reported

m.," remarked Fortescue. "We are

you say, he might have made things hot for us. So we have to

ternoon. The vessel was a Union Castle liner commandeered by the Government. Capable of doing twenty-two knots, compared with the Pintail's seventeen, it was

h troops of various nationalities. The bulk consisted of South Africans, mostly veterans of middle age, with a sprinkling of youths; detachments transferred from Mesopotamia

on officer, the New Zealand

u chaps. Now our mess is quite filled up. By Gum, I don't quite cotton on to those Dutchmen

his cheek. During his stay at Cape Town he had been forced into a squabble with a crowd of disloyal Cape Dutch. Words led to blows, with the result that three of his opponents were pick

were much in the same sort of hole, only Buck-up Miller here knows the rop

dapted themselves to present conditions, and before the Pomfret Castle cl

n spite of the utmost endurance on the part of the Imperial officers, petty squabbles were frequent. The Boers, for instance, were prone to treat the Maoris in a similar manner to the Kaffir "boys". They could not understand how a white man could treat a Maori as an equal, being ignorant of the

ce of supplies. Already they were well advanced in the ways of the old campaigner. If they kept rigidly to the codes of civil life they would soon have found themselves very much out

e was brought up sharply by a huge fist tapping him on the centre of his chest. Coming out of the brilliant sunshine to t

s grinning broadly, yet he

med Malcolm in asto

had come to the conclusion that he had seen the last of his Maori friend for many a long day. And now, by one of the vagaries

he car? Selwyn told you, then? I've cleared out. Sold every acre of land that I could legally dispose of. The rest the paternal Government prevents me getting rid of; but it's let, s

ir shoulder-straps, Malcolm knew that they belonged to the South African Heavy

g something in Taal which, fortunately for h

Malcolm, seething with indignation

oquized. "Where have I

k no notice o

impshie pretty sharp if I'd been

ugged his bro

teach him a lesson. There's a boxing-match fixed up, and I hear that this fe

while Malcolm made his way to his quarters, where he

about it, I have an idea that the blighter who le

fficer?" enqui

-an Afrikander

e whistl

?" he

aught sight of him as he passed. The blighter look

e'll keep a look-out for him. Wonder if he'l

to give your Maori chum a buck up. I'll pass the word to some of the T

The contests were to take place on the promenade deck, a space having been roped off and seats provided for the officers. Every other available part of the deck which would command a v

and received indiscriminate praise and rebuffs from their r

upon a ten-round contest with any non-commissio

fullest advantage. Across his chest and back the muscles stood out like knots on a gnarled oak. His arms were as thick as the thigh of an ordinary man, while his seconds had considera

ad just emerged. From the other side of the ring the lad scanned the faces of the Afrikander's comrades, but Without the desire

" decided the lad, whereupon he devoted

ent, but he had forgotten that a protracted sojourn in the reputed site of the Garden of Eden--where a boundless expanse of glaring sand, a total absence of verdure, millio

the gigantic Jan, disdaining the services of his seconds, grimly ey

of Te Paheka. In wonderment, for, with few exceptions, none of the other troops had heard the chant-like chorus before,

st, but their easy, rhythmic undulations contrasted favourably with the jerky, bombastic movements of the Afrikander's muscles and sinews. In height van Eindhovengen exceeded him by two

nd with a silk red ensign emblazoned with the New Zealand stars round his waist, Te Paheka grinned amicably at the Afrikander.

en's supporters. "He is not nearly so big as

er!" said another. "He

ge, if only ten or fifteen years, together with inferior reach and weight, must assuredly handicap Te Paheka considerably.

ur corne

ith a tremendous blow with his left. Had the glove hit its mark Te Paheka would have been shot over the ropes l

he Maori take advantage of it? The Dutchy nearly

he was tumbling to Te Paheka's tactics. The Maori was fighting a rear-guard action hopi

l the South Africans yelled to their man to hur

e of the Afrikander. Outwardly it had littl

Te Paheka, incautiously attempting to follow up his advantage, laid himself open to a terrif

seconds silenced all other sounds of approbation or encouragement to the fallen man. In the intervals between the numbers one could have heard a pin drop. For

-eight

an agility so rapid that the spectators had not time to grasp its significance, the Maori regained his fee

could engage aga

not scorn the attentions of his second. A dull mark on the upper pa

ing blind and ineffectual rushes at his nimble opponent. His supporters no longer yelled to him to "hurry up and knock the

orts, adopted semi-defensive tactics, in the hope that the Maori would close. It was not until the clos

the men faced each other for the fourth round. "You're s

ue, as Te Paheka, stepping back to avoid a

balancing. This time Te Paheka followed up the advantage. An upper cut caught van Eindhovengen full on the point

iferous cheer from Afrikanders, Anzacs, and Maoris alike greeted the victor. For that instant the sporting instincts of the men

UM, THAT'S A MIGHTY