THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER
3, 1955.
་
DID
HAPPEN
T
HIS is the story of u
ally broke, in the
THE HORSE WITH
HEELS...
There is only one sure thing about luck...some day it will turn.' But
young man, chronic did this story really happen? Is it Jast days of Roman- FACT or FICTION? The answer
will be published on Monday,
off Russin.
I
as it was Jack owned the rope works one: and which made the rigging for the knowledge British Navy in Nelson's day, hardest-up
No one could bluff him. This tumorous Hotel
common
"I CAN'T bear to look-you tell me how that horse wins."
Now here, I thought. Is the end of the road-and remem- bering that old silver miner's saying: "There is only one sure
will turn," 1 decided to take my
20 roubics and go cut to the horse races-1, who only hav to bet on a horse to watch it immediately break a leg
Of a horse with about Jalf a mile between its front
and its hind feet.
Of an
that
was the hotel which had a wondrous
foreigner 14
the way of life all of its own, as
Astoria, any every for hotel should have; was winter and I did win some love I had had to be free. Which thing about luck: some day, it
Finn" who emulated
money from him shooting live made it all the more exciting, SUS- pigecs on Sundays out at the Mahomet's coffin and
It was at a party in my rooms But himself between club on Krestovski-island. pended
all back. then he won
one night, where the door never And
the heaven and earth (he had by the long days of mid-stunner
except to admit bringing
more bottles. whiter a singularly supple person when
never cam- ality); and of the unwisdom pletely sets, I was so broke that that Jack Holl just vanished, and after a frantic search was to say nothing of the un- I could not every tip a waiter.
Joutul
above
th suspendel likelihood of holding a Pull
I ate "brunch" la House with Aces up, against room, where the floor waiter now four Jacks at 3'am., in the knew as much about me and my New English Club, on the affairs as I did. I could afford to give him a small tip. now Morskaya, in wartime Petro-
and then, to keep him sweet, grad.
The
I went Way dramatically bust, For, as
the
ELY
my own
This was in the Hotel Astoria. which "had a truly Russian soul any hopeful who has ever and ran iteelf in a truly Russian tried to pick up the discards way." A way which allowed them will tell you, you do not to let me go eight months with lose much money al Poker out even showing me my bili, managed to holl Folding poor curds: you lose which is how your shirt when you hold out until I met this herse good ones-and
holds better.
someone
Bad luck
It was thy winter of bad luck. The Finn ho tried to follow the Proph was Jack Hoth Well-known to all British and Americans who saw the fall of Petre, rad. As necomplished god kindly make as ever graced end of a regime" or kept bis ex-mistresses in the style to which he had accustomed "them,
the
He we
the man who held the four Jacks. When all the others bad dropped out and he and I were left with, it seemed, ahout all the meaty there had ever been in the game lysg the table between us. I said: don't want to begla owing mancy right here at the start
1 was a mere musilios sales- man
of us AS KOMIS
werd errontously called. But we had at the Astoria, aside from the medalled staff officers of all the Allie:! armies, shaven-skulled Cosnek atmads with no heels 10 their soft boots and swords 300
old, mari Locker- Lampion with his armoured car chups en route for the Carpaths, a coterie ut Slay cocoils as guy and bouncing na the chorus of the Chauve, Souris, who were force i to compete professionally with some young ladies
Warsaw, recupied Wa'e kus in cribryo.
all
[ron Marin
No supplies
f 13' salesman and women of the so-called
I
the.c bulf-
Negley
Farson
NEGLEY FARSON
on
author more adventurous than most. He witnessed the Russian, Revolution and was on RAF pilot in Egypt. He also
five
the Ipent
years lorests of British Columbia- and solled a small boot from the North to the Black Sea.
He was born in New Jersey 65 years ago and educated at Andover and Pennsylvania Uni- versity. He is married, has one son, and lives in North Devon.
himself
strzel, three storeys up, having managed to squeeze
the through
double-windows sealed against the bitter Russian winter.
And it was in this room, one world had one common denomi- summer's noon, as the bells of water it was that, unlike the St Isa oes began their crazy
that home, cm't you see the reason in my argument?-inust be a genius! Otherwise, he couldn't have got here,"
Strange silence
anne
the this."
was
notes.
A pioneer nation in the field of human welfare bends its will and its energies to cope with one of the saddest problems affecting the world today.
HOW TO CARE FOR THE AGED
By D. P. HENDERSON
Christchurch, and surgical care. FAVING taken the lead materials from which
Hthroughout
2. Resources of inboar and these
the needs may be met, and the re- civilised world on industrial lative urgency of the needs,
3. Whether existing resources legislation earlier in the
and to the fullest extent, sand,
century, and more recently are being used in the best way initiated social security and it not, what improvements family benefit legislation, should be made,
4. The financial reeds of cl New. Zenlund is again people as individuals.
improvement So it had, I got a small order coming to the fore with her. Whether any
write home attempts to solve one of the should be made in the present later, nothing to about, but it did permit me to world's most serious social provisions of financial assistance remain in Petrograi until after problems-the care of the those needs should be met.
and the resources from which the Kerensky Revolution. Ter-
rier had vanished. Then one aged, day years Inter, going down
Here in this otherwi: well-
a train through France, trying endowed Dominion, hospitals are
ກ
of 500-roubling him mine?"
A poor man...
Short Of Houses
One of the worst headaches
shortage
of
adequate
that about
pro- building
Terrier sagely nodded his old to get the waiter of the Wagon- full to overflowing with partial- is the
Lit, in my French, to get me a 1y crippled old men and wom housing. Figures quoted at the reprobate head. "You know...
only sin is that they conference showed I think you have
reasen package of Gold Flakes, the whose
to look after half of one percent of New man who had been sitting op- haven't anyone Old Loul
whatever that Alphonse--for Terrier,
out his gold, them or anywhere else to sleep. Zealand's total unbelievable Frenchman' whọm
"Mr Farso11 →→→→ of that nephew)-take posite me held
Institutions and homes run by gramme was being provided for And he handed him a cigarette care. the Russians had put in to run
may I ask you to have one of churches and other bodies are an estimated 20 percent of the ndult population. This half_per- the Asteria-whỏ was Just
ulso packed.
cent compares I said,
with the figure this," piling up milions as
who Many thousands more, cull my 10-rouble one. You make it Ecquence was in his box, and
of 10 percent recommended by rre insisting on keeping their the famous Nuffleld Foundation quick to the pari-mutuel." Then weved me to come up.
independence, are living in any in Great Britain. A New Zea- I turned my back to the course:
thing from rat-infested hovels
land committee placed the gure "Terrier, I can't bear to look at
but at five percent,
sald it its You tell me how that horse "Terrier!" He slowly took a do huge, empty manstona, with
would take at least five year torn ten rouble note from his enly their memories wins this race."
to reach this darget. I heard the roar from the wallet and held it up: "All Ipany, and are cking out a pro-
Chrious living.
of hes- crowd as the barrier went up have left of all my millions,
Sequel to the filling and Terrier's hand suddenly left am a poor man now. But pitals with these cld folk my shoulder. He was using the hope little one, nothing lik genuine hospital cases.
Here is my eard, my that there is no Toam for Unless glasses, then I heard him say Eadly: "No luck." The crowd the grand Astorla-but do conte you are an accident case or re- WAS also
silent. some
stay with me, day and strangely
quire urgent medical or surgical "Why," I asked, "what is hap- Maybe--perhaps you and I will stienture, you just have to wait
until someone. dles before pening? "Our horse is already go to the races again?" 10 lengths out in front," said
bed is avaliable, Terrier. "No horse can do that."
A winner
"Mr Farson-let ale pick you a winner," he said, twisting his white waxed moustäele. Ilc named one, uf.cr 11 careful survey is they walked pest; and I put ten roubles on it, having used part of the other ten get on to the course,
נו!
It came last. "Well, that's finished my day.” I said. "I cun rest easy now."
But then-** think of the for an omen-his nephow to whom we had give the money to place at the pari-mutuel erme back with our money. He had not been able to reach the wicket.
"Now," said, cimboldened, ict me pick the horse." "But do you know anything about horses?" asked old Terrier. "Not a thing. But my pick
can't be any worse than your last one. I have a hunch."
Bag of bones
The horses for the next race were walked past. Colours, jockey, what? 1 was in this dilemma when locking
I saw
myself at a nag, this horse with half
a mile between its front and hind feel, which, now that I saw it, alse had a hogged I had just received a cable from back: and I seized Terrier's New York informing me that arm-"There! Look at that one: the man I had left in London, Look at that black horse. Put every damn rouble you've got with the power to draw my salary and pay my share of the on I He just red at me:
pariment we shared together, "Are you mad?” had cleared out for parts unknown with the lot. And os
bland diplomats who saw lite Lingle-bongling, that, counting in Petrograd, signe LOU.S. only through the Embassy win up my exchequer, I found I had I've got you licked but, if you dow and did not know what was only 20 roubles left In all the will reept what I offer, raise going on down in the street, we wide world., you whatever I've got left in were in the street-we knew my packet"
that the
the Russian armies, light- ing with ruch desperate bravery He nodded. I sild all
#! the front, ere losing the wa mail shange into the pile, and, in Petrograd: no supplies. no putting dewa my hand, renched ammunitlus could be got for the pot. "Just a micute," through to the hard-pressed
ย
yזון
smiled Jask the had the expres Ruslan Faldian until General sive face and beautiful hands Hake-off had got his tip. OF
Jean-Louis Barratti). "Please look at these." And,
We were talking about the by
be jaid down Revolution as early as the sum- the four Jacks, And so he broke mer of 1915. That gave us a me the first right I met him. bond, even though a melancholy
ona
I
Incredible
closed my eyes.... "Tell me, tell me. Terrier-where is he now?" "Twenty lengths." "In this some race?" I joked. "This is incredible!" Terrier was shuttering. "I-1, never saw anything like it." "And where now where now?" 1 asked. "Last turn-losing a little-but still a good ten lengths out in front! My God! My God- he's won!"
I still did not move. I felt that the last thing that could happen to me in my year of dis- igantent would be for that damn- able nephew to return and tell us that he had not been able to reach the wicket. I waited a long time-"18 to 1" shouted Terrier "I've made thousands! Thousands.
1
"Mr Farson-what a judge of horses you are! What a man!. What horse! Tonight I give a party for us at the Villa Rode with champagne for all the cipsies.....
"Walt
for Alphonse," cautioned. But he came back, bearing bundles of roubles like "Listen," I ordered. "Look at hay. I had shown, no signs whatever that animal closely. Did you thousand laughed old Terrier of ever being able to do iny
ever sce such a bone-shaker? "And I," I said, "hove won 180 business with the Russian War Now
it stonds to reason that roubles,
But Give me tha1. Department, I had better return that bag, of bones simply must now I
know my Juck has forthwith.
have something, up his sleeve- turned."
"I've won thousands,
WORLD COPYRIGHT RESERVED
DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?
YES
NO
Put your tick in the space above and keep this panal by you until Monday, when the answer will be given with another story រឥ thig series by...
Donald Wilson
Did Yesterday's story-The First
Adrian Casualty, by
happen? Alington actually The newer la: YEB.
i
for com-
Solution Not Easy
This problem of the aged has boen exercising the minds of all branches of the community.
The solution is not easy be cause many of the old folk do not want to be rescued their unhygienic existence.
Recognising that only desper
from
"The problem can be licked- inside five years." declares Dr R. G. McElroy, of Auckland, "if welfare councils old people's are given the powers and the for subsidies to provides homes the aged."
un-
Meanwhile, these people go on living in their hovels sur- rounded by dust and diri, nade beds, unwashed dishes. Their urgent needs are for do- mestic help. some supervision and a lttle medical attention, The conference decided to take steps to solve this difficulty.
ja Another problem that young
of mothers with small children compelled by force of
circumstances to care for aged
ate and urgent messures would relatives. It was decided that rectity the position. Prime .some sort of domestic helps Minister Holland called together should be provided these
the top brains of the Dominion to see what could be done. The these was given conference pointers to report upon:,
nceded by 1. Accommcdution old people who can lead an in- dependent life, and old people but who are frail and Infirm,
these who need medical Not
cases.
in
With life expectancy goes up year after year, this problem of what to do for the aged is a continuing one. One'iset re- mains certain and beyond all
13 dirpule-action
absolutely necessary, and at one, (COPYRIGHT)
Quality
need not be expensive
TOM STACEY, Old Etonian-explorer, who reported last winter on his trip deep into the jungles of Africa, is in Canada, and writes of a different type of forest IT'S HOT IN
IN THE
THE BURNING NORTH
often
1
Enamel bowls. You felt like fighting a fire after that.
UT here in the The re could be reached by 'The camp was 20 low conden You first noticed how the We had a lumberjack's break- Canadian bush they a 100-mile trip up a bush road, tents, supported by Indian-style birds stopped twittering. Then fast of 4-inch thick bacon, it you get waves of heat, and potatoes, three eggs, pancakes impressively following the Black River. I crossed poles at each end.
with a courtcous seemed odd that the camp was smoke whills. Then spurte of and maple syrup and coffee in confide in you that there's picked a lif one thing that scares
the young French-Canadian called not sited on the safe side of the red light through the trees.
river, but they put me right: Gaston, driving a lorry full of "The fire could jump this river life out of them-a forest provision for the firelighters.
Closer, the roar of flames anywhere,"
sounded more like thunder than The strong morning dew had fire.
anything else.
sloved the fire down. But it In the back of the lorry wry A shift of lumberjacks
had advanced 500 yards in the Believe me, as sure as I a complete family of half-breed sawyers
The heat up front slapped you night, and the day dawned clear the Indians. It consisted of cae fami- fighters-had just como back to formidably. It was like stand-endy for a roaste
વા They were mixed ing in shallow sea-water in the speaking face of a huge oncerning wave, Quebec, sons and a daughter aged be French, English, German, Polish, But the
the alteltton iween 10 and six. All wore Foquols.
night team were standing within Frand new, black
am wet through with
now oll
waters of picturesque Lake Esteze), plus one aunt, and three group Cinsdians
ly chief with squaw (baptised sleep.
and Are-
men in
Cahill, · Eastern there's truth in that
A the had been burning up in headwear, Atled with clastio Their foreman was a fellow 30 feet with their hoses.
the endies timberiends north of chinbands.
a spot called Fort Coulonge for the best part of a week. A bush
10-gallon.
"Limiy" (Canadian term for Englishmen e Canada)--Trevor Jepps born in Gateshead in plot attached to N northern
1933, emigrated. with parents prospecting outfit spotted it. pulsory for all summoned, una during the lean days in 1929.
Was
The Indian men had been conscripted to
fire-Bght (com-
a doctor).
told
The Boss
MY Job was paying out the hests, or pulling the back. The fire, jumping about the undergrowth, skeetering up the Most of the streams had dried, had to get water from dry-bark birch trees, lepping we fron plow to spruce which Lake Cahfil, 5,000 feet away. We fizzed up like fireworks, struck pulled two cences along the en ugly contrast with the men. trail and staggered them. Then we pumped water from the lake capricious, fret into one canoe, then Into The
the next, thence to the front. powerful.
did not run much The Ais solid,
But it the earlier in the morning.
broke away in the alternoon, At the boat of the day, men came back down the hoso tunning trail with the fire after them Be a wild animal We only just got the chnoce out,
fre wo.s
alarmingly
and
wu are exempled by a We got used to hearing how the women were volunteers, but 16 Hours A Day the team which had gone up their high spirits showed they 10 light it.
the full 3s. getting on tended gatherinter's waze. A THE men drew their hot meal erratic, Fires come, fires go.
Lightning 6d. an hour had started it and it only slab of white smoke across the from the trestle-table out' The tiny men Gaston now
eeded another storm to put it horizon
them were us which of the But that storm never oth
hosing red-rimmed, chins stubbled. They systematically Canada's forest turned pldering dust tracks to take the mosquitoes. Eyes were among
fre forest. "hrough the
Gaston had been at it 10 hours a day grond
reireir continental-sized tinder-
drove
nlowly because of the for a weck.
pathetically weak wi eges in his congo. But the road
ingering jets of water from the Tiroir highly coloured shirts two-inch thick hesta. was not specielly reliable and ow bridge gave way.
and cotton trousers were torn. thundering fire made a grotesque- Few had washed since the fire frontler between living things While 'we'
I felt I had fallen out and the dead.. were getting the began. THEN, last week-end, the sun truck out and the eggs back on of a shop window.
the Indiatur happily Jupps wore a straw hat. set clouds northwards looked board
out. came,
into a box.
Conscripts
The
I was leaving when Jeppe was detailing mon to move the comp We turned our backs on the back. I came up, to ask him Jepps told me the what the chances were of as If a rival, pair of TV cooks calculated they were losing 21s, Jepps had lost his volee from heat, and
had another background. It had taken two killing the fire. He did not had gone berserk with egg by the delay. The truck's ratie the smoke, and had broken too.
He days to cut a trail to the fire, recognise me at first-my onion- Gaston said: man to about his orders. whisks,
At Usually like to know every whispered, that the fire was now Then it was 12 miles off. nylon newded a bit of a press. THEN....whoosh-the. wind thing in the
news-wars, approaching at two miles a day, one point, this 02-man comp had With the front just a mile off, their section under control. Then,
Then by wild: "When are we camo, down from the north, politics, the U.S."
the camp would be all right for sige my eyebrows the fire going to put it out?.... You'r After aix hours of wind and sun-
didn't "creep" bentain the better ask the bota. shine the blaze increased its frondage to 60 miles.
THEN up went Stacey' to have
b look, but so fast that be forgot to ahango out of his orion-nylon white-wiripa : £10 sulling,
Claston,
One yards off.
As we neared the fix-fighters one more might, they are to undergrowth and restart 100 camp we were directed by the We went up-to vast red glow against the night 'gether,""), with sky. If you listened, you could of the man, too tied to go on, distinguish a deep rear from the was taking the truck back. We Next morning, orion or no Simony had to get out sound of the Black River. The Te the Indiane, golloping their nylon, rour belonged to the fire, tit, food, F
there and
Shucoy:. "Whos the boss???
2d; the rod-cyed Gateshead
"The "fire"
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