1938-09-27 — Page 22

10

The Adventures Of

ROBIN

HOOD

THE STORY THUS FAR: King Richard, leaving for the Cruadra is $191, put England under a Negency, mistrusting his Saxon-hating brother, Prince John. During a jout before the latter, Sir Robin of Locksley, a swashbuckling young Saxon, worsta-Sir Guy of Grisbourne, a Norman, thus winning the dislike of Lady Marian Fitzwalter, Sir Guy's sweetheart. King Richard la captured abroad and held for ransoms and Prince John schemes to take the throne for himself. He taxes and otherwise torments the Sarous. Nobin saves a man caught shooting a deer in the Royal forest by claiming the man is his servant, told to slay the deer for Prince John. Robin later takes the deer to John and then denounces him as a traitor. In the fight that ensues Robin is saved from death by the screams of the Lady Marian. Fighting his way to the door of the Castle he paures only to wave a salute to her with his sword and gets through the door hamming it after him,

CHAPTER IV

UICK, MENI QUICK! They've working himself to the verge of an "on traitor inside!"

npoplectic attack," Seize his castle ... everything he own Sir Robin of Locksley, having that and lands

He walked ub

at his moment darted through the castle

the door, Sir Guy

just to

door and yanked it shut after him, toward leaned against it shouting for help, elbow.

er.

33 puy,.

the sooner you

The guards in the courtyard, deceiv- let the people know how the wind ed by his trick, felt to with a will, has changed.. They hurled themselves

elves against

it begin collecting the... th...

and succeeded, for the moment at the ransom, Sire?" suggested Sir lenst. In holding it shut, in spile of

wake.

smoothly.

the superior force on the other side, Guy an

"Yes

straining every muscle to open it.

уся of course! The And don't forget

Swiftly as an arrow from his own ranson! bow Robin sped across the shadowy Locksley!"

Til have bln dangling in a week!“ court, leapt into his saddle, pulled behind

When morning glided the blowing Much-the-Miller's-son LEC him, and clattered merrily awny over greenery of Sherwood Forest and set his the dewdrops sparkling. Robin was the

Will Scarlet, causeway, quire, clattering after him. They striding sturdily along the mossy were scarcely out of sight when the floor, while Will stumbled sleepily door burst open and two spluttering after" A-a-agh!" he yawned, stretch- knights-Sir Ivor and Sir Baldwin Ing himself, "I'm tired!"

"Tired? After such a refreshing entapulted out.

in the merry greenwood! Why,

sleep

They were closely followed by let

ahead

Prince John, purple with fury, and Suddenly Robin stopped and stored

came

THE HONGKONG

TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1938.

Our War Propheteers CANADIAN PACIFIC

COME of us have now. lived in five

SOM

reigns, It sounds dreadfully antediluvian. When a friend men-

tioned the fact rather tactlessly, 1 And Thoughts On

though!--my hand involuntarily stroyed to my head. It was almost n relief to feel that there was still some hair adhering to it. But, na Sir John Falstaff remarked, how these old men are given to bragging!

to a game of shove-halfpenny, and beat him handsomely at ii,

So we see that shove-halfpenny is

really, an important and antique

business, not à trivial affair to be dlamissed from the in-

aummarily The Revival Of

Shove-HalfPenny

By "AN OLD STAGER"

tellectual consideration in face of

European crises. This island had to face some pretty Jough emergencies

SILAMSHIPS →

HOTELS -

- RAILWAYS - EXPRESS

BERTHING PLANS FOR 1939 ARE OPEN MAKE BOOKINGS EARLY to secure, accommodation desired

in those early days of hove TO CANADA, UNITED STATES and EUROPE

halfpenny.

But in the Armada days Britons did not gel the week-end jitters, nt least not to die extent we do now- and lines in the stunt papers. They felt adays, according to the scare head-

themselves worthy of their destiny, and equal to encountering it like inen.

It la true, my own recollections of the Victorian epoch are comparatively infantile. But they are still useful. For instance, I recall how, when Queen Victoria was still on the persons to play shove-groat

and as yet an unexploded drink for hours together.” cal myth, the Jappy, comTM fu Drake's Day fortable, peaceful world of that haleyan age Was periodically de-

So we see that, even in the golden I am loath to believe that the pressed by augur-eyed bewhiskered

axc of England, there

· those stout-bearied an descendants of prophets who foretold, will docuinen- equivalent to our modern

wag

Dora, islanders of the shove-grout epoch tal certainty as to the precise date, Nottingham caught the craze just when the end of the world was reverely. In 1488 the burgesses of or philosophic in outlook,

very are really any less gallant In.spirit Come going to happen.

that charming and ancient place the four corners of the world in arms, I am reminded of these gloomy indulging in nhove-grant.

Were prohibited altogether from but we shall shock them! That's secrs to-day by our

It was the slogan for us in these troublous existing Cassandras, who keep telling ruining archery practice in the very days, and to the horse-trough with when the next Great War is positively citadel of Robin Hood.

the kill-joys and the dismal-jimmies about to begin. It was fixed

Coming down to modern times, originally for August 12th. Now when touring the British Industries Nazis want to play shove-halfpenny What will be, will be. If the has been shifted just a mouth to Fair at Olympia this year, King with Europe, well, that's likely to September 12th.

George challenged the Duke of York be their funeral anyhow.

Awaiting the End

LIB

Many nervous people took these prophets with entire seriousness, and

alike.

even hesitated about concluding nuch STORIES OF SCOTS PATIENTS

business matters as house mortgages, They felt that it would be foolish to enter into commercial arrangements which projected beyond the Trump.

eye

Last

AT

T this time the minds of ex- with the words, "Any complaints?" Servicemen and nurses are filled Sandy caused inuch amusement by We shall see, in a month or two,

with memories of the early days of replying, "Just a wee pain In the the Great War. Some of these re- knee, sir," He conaded to the man how far our present-day jitter collections are grave and some may, in the next bed that it was a strange merchants, the up-to-date peacetime The lighter side does much war-propheteers, are any nearer the ache after 24 years.

the

case practice for an officer to tour a hos bull's than were those Victorians

pital full of sick men asking if there Male and female who

nurses specialized

universal oblivion worked in the great hospitala during

who were any complaints.

When a soldier front Aberdeen' This being the off БСПЅОВ for those

anxious August days have was asked by an English orderly to solemn polities, I propose to leave many treasured the aforesaid

anecdotes which help clean out the hut, he replied, war-propheleers

they never tire of that, and turn for a brief moment to

teve of recounting Here "Ma bonnet's as clean as onybody's," arc ព

Scottish thinking the reference was to n the engrossing subject of shove patients who were nursed in miliary "hat" and not a "hut." hallpenny, Somehow, to my mind, hospitals. it does not seem quite such a non sequitur as it may sound.

more

It is not an easy matter for Eng- Another patient thought that his Hish folk to nurse Scotsmen, the national customs were being reviled language difficulty proving a greater when he was asked by a Cockney barrier at times than people are opt orderly, "Can I get you a piper. to Imagine.

Jock?" It took time to convince him There was the big fellow in the that the obliging orderly wanted to Scots Guards, suffering from an bring him the morning paper. ingrowing loenail, who told the re- Scotsmen In hospital are invariably thing wrang with hid muckie tae." who had lost his feet kept the ward ceiving orderly that there was some- cheerful. The Jock in the corner

it was discovered that the case sheet "bring bore the words, "Two knuckles chum my boots when you come,

Sir Ivor having bawled the words, him into joining us! We'll be needing to enact over again the historie rol The medical officer was puzzled when in a roar by asking the orderly to

of Gisbourne: and a by Sir Guy

of him. They had come to a dozen other knights. Then the High Sherlit of Nottingham, the stream which was bridged by a fallen tree and at the other end of it stood Bishop of the Black Canons, and

a glant of a man, la a worn yellow beautiful Lady Marian who had un- jerkin and hose, and a scarlet cap wittingly caused

the

hullabaloo, with a green feather. He leaned on Men-at-arms, servants and archers

and eyed the arrived next anul the gaunt boar. great quarterstaff

newcomers coldly. hounds barking furiously.

There's a lusty Infant!" murmered "Which way did he go, you fools?" Robin. "D'ye suppose I can reason

a staggering blow to a lot like him scont" and delivered the guard who pointed toward the "By the look of him," replied Will

and bowls! scuttled across to his Scarlet norosely, his quarterstaff Causeway, horse, mounted, and followed by Sir doos his reasoning for him!" Baldwin, galloped off in pursuit of "Well, let's see what he's made the culprit, a straggling company of

off" inen-at-arms running behind.

"Go if you want," said Will with Robin, hearing the hurrying hoofs a shrug, "I'm glad it's your skull behind him, halted and Will Scarlet and not mine that suffer!" handed him his bow

Without comment Robin and the and quiver. He corefully chose an arrow, fitted giant advanced toward each other, almed and walted. The bow meeting in the middle of the log, string

twangled and Sir Ivor

Jay where there was no room to pass. dead with an arrow through

"Give way, little man!" said Robin. heart. Sir Baldwin reared his horse "Only to a better than myself” for a moment then spurred it on. said the

glant. Again the deadly bowstring hummed "Let him pass

." called Will and he, too, lay feless. The men- from the bank where he lay at case, nt-arms ran to his side, but when "It's too warm to brawl with such a one of their number crumpled to the windling ground, they fled in panic.

the

50

"When I've brushed off this fly, As Robin wheeled his steed toward "scoffed the giant, "I'll give you a

wooded heights,

body of dusting off, young fellow for good mounted men galloped by. When measure!" they were out of hearing Robin "This fly's got a mighty sting, little Will's horse on the Banks on," retorted Robin, Stting an ar- stapped und sent it toping along the road that row to his bow, "What?" roared the ted away from the town. He then lant, "Me with only a quarterstaff Have the diminutive Much a lift to and threaten me with a long bow!

his Aren't you man enough to the saddle and grimly issued

"Give me ordera: "Find Crippen the Arrow-

time to get a staff?" The maker and his friends. Tell them to ginnt nodded,

Having uprooted a sapling ook, pass the word to every man who's been beaten or robbed or tortured and trimmed it hastily, Robin ad- . The Gallows Osk here in vanced across the log. Quick as a Sherwood

to-morrow night, flash the glant's great stuff winged They'll understand!" Much vanished down. It was wham, whish, whack, as it by magic.

thump, smash, bang! Long and "Energetic soul, aren't you." sald

give in. Finally, na Will with suppose we sleep to-night amid the felt himself teetering the glant's staff licked forth, cracked him on the beastly fauna and floral"

"It's healthy, my lad!" retorted skull. Into with a mighty splash. Robin with a provoking grin.

down BOW his quarterstaff Robin grasped it and let himself be "And being taken and hanged?" pulled shore. His first words as he "Better death than discomfort!" shook the water from himself were sald Will and the two plunged sputtering, but agreeable. "What's further into the dark forest, where your name, friend?"

and yours?" an owl was hooting crazily.

whimsical disgust,antly they fought but neither

Robin

"I prefer iny warm bed at Locks- thrust "ng with laughter the giant

ley!"

"John Little "Mine's Robin!"

and

At the moment in a stone-walled "Not Robin of Locksley?" cried the room In Nottingham Cagle the giant, his eyes widening with ad- bodies of Sir Ivor and Sir Baldwin iniration. "I've heard of you... in state-men-at-arms on guard and I want to join your company?"

cundies

burning at -rush-wick

"If you can hold a breach like you hends and feet and a black-robbed can hold a bridge, you're one of us friar mumbling prayers.

and welcome At the far end of the room by a

"Breach or bridge

It's all the Prince John, in a same to me flickering tapo

ribbled with a quail on

"The young knave yonder is my mage. crackling parchment. Having signed squire, Will of Gomwall-Will Scar-

document

with the

flourish, he let, I've dubbed him! I've a fancy for arose and handed it to Sir Guy of renaming my men! Take yourself,

"There" Gisbourne.

Baki His for instance! You're no

longer Jobn Highness

"A death Little! You're Little John!" triumphantly.

your friend Sir Robin sentence for

"Little John be it" bellowed the of Locksley!... Huve it proclaimed glant, taking Robin's hand in a in every village that he's an outlaw steely grip: "And what work, master, and hang anybody that gives may I do this day, to prove to you him shelter or aldi"

my feally?" "Work a-plenty, Little "Yes

Sire!" said Sir John!" Guy, a trifle prematurely.

"The master is an energentic soul" "His possessions are forfeit to the yawned Will complacently..

(Continued to-morrow)

Crown..

cr

." went on Prince Jonn

$1 TIFFINS

at

Jimmy's

Also Ala

China Bldg., Hongkong.

Carte

Hankow Rd., Kowloon.

fractured."

+

via Shanghai, Kobe & Yokohama KNIPRESS OF ASIA EMPRESS OF CANADA via Honolulu EMPRESS OF RUSSIA'. EMPRESS OF JAPAN via Honolulu

...6.00 am Fri, Sept. 20. ......Noon, Fri, Ocf, 14. .Noon, Thurs., Oct. 27. .Noon, Fri., Nov. 11.

C.P.R. Trans-Continental Trains, Air-conditioned equipment Frequent Canadian Pacifo Allanilo sailings to European Port

TO MANILA

EMPRESS OF CANADA

Union

Building

Canadian Pacific

.Fri., Oct. 7.

Telephone

20752

BARBER-WILHELMSEN LINE

Monthly Service to BOSTON AND NEW YORK

via LOS ANGELES & PANAMA CANAL PORTS

also taking cargo on through Bills of Lading for West Indios ports, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Rio Grande do Sol Buenos Aires, South America.

NEXT SAILING:-

M.S. "TAI PING"

23rd October

DODWELL & CO., LTD.

Agents,

Hongkong Bank Bldg. the

I am certain that the international pessimists would be far profitably and happily employed playing shove-halfpenny than enset- Ing the Fat Boy in Pickwick. Be- sides, if their apprehensions should by some odd chance prove correct of Drake, with a shove-halfpenny board substituted for Plymouth Hoc

A further illustration of cheerful- Shove-halfpenny has suddenly be-

ness was given by the burly Scot come a fashionable pastime In Asked what was wrong a private who had been so badly wounded London. Unless I am much mis- in the Black Watch suffering from that he gave grave concern to his taken we owe this to the ennui that | lumbago stated that he wanted his attendants. Once during the night beset an Oxford crew a year or so back, "gorted." The English orderly he beckoned to his nurse, who hur- ago during the long period of train- went to the M.O. in a panie. "Please, ried across prepared for the worst. ing for the Boat Race. They tried sir, there's a fellow with a

twisted Judge her

surprise when shove-halfpenny ng A relaxation; air, there's a fellow with with a cheerful Scot from Glasgow inquired something to distruot their minds twisted spine. Serious case." If she thought he would be fit in from the appalling rowing prowess When a Shetlander declared that time to play football for the regiment, of a place called Cambridge.

he was "annoyed" with the food the They arc scattered throughout orderly officer came to investigate Scotland and the world to-day In the Best Circles

the complaint. It turned out that he those who survived. It is pleasing remeniber those August days Since then it has steadily gained was not discontented with the hos to footing in polite saelety, and to pital rations, but that he was suffer- twenty-four years ago, despite the day in Mayfair is seriously threaten-nurse in charge did not know that a

ing from indigestion. The English darker side. ing the vogue of darts. Nobody is Shetlander "annoyed" is a Shetlander popping her head into the ward be As the English sister used to say, more astonished than the erstwhile "worried" or "uncomfortable." plebelan practitioners of the love-

fore going off duty, vainly attempt- Sometimes,

Ver. Scottish ing to be Scottish, "Cheerio the noo, halfpenny board by this sudden social apotheosis of their favourite idioms. A lad from a remote Island

patients were as

by English Jock."

game.

But shove-halfpenny was an in the West of Scotland.. did not those

Cheerio! After twenty-four years Scottish patients are...not aristocratic pastime "three ́ ́centuries

understand the practice of and more ago.

the forgotten. orderly officer making his rounds.

A. T. R.

it.

It

P & O-BRITISH INDIA (APCAR) AND

EASTERN & AUSTRALIAN LINES

(Companies Incorporated in England.)

was in Shakespeare's time, though at the moment I recall no reference to it by the bard, played by quite the best people. The earliest records of the game of shove- halfpenny, which was then known either as shove-groat or slip-groat, occur in the fifteenth century, though it is more than probable that even the ancient Greeks had a name for Taking Cargo on through Bins of Lading for STRAITS, JAVA & BURMA, CEYLON INDIA, IRANIAN GULF, MAURITIUS, 2. & 8. AFRICA, AUSTRALASIA, INCLUD King Henry VIII

A great ING NEW ZEALAND AND QUEENSLAND FORTS, RED SEA, EGYPT, EUROFE, ETC devotee

He of shove-halfpenny. seems to have found it an agreeable PENINSULAR & ORIENTAL-FORTNIGHTLY DIRECT ROYAL MAR STEAMERS diversion from matrimony. There

(Under Confuet with ILM. Government.) Is a record that in 1532 there was paid out of the King's Privy Purse to My Lord of Wiltshire a sum due for His Majesty's losats at shove halfpenny-which suggests that there was then at least one peer of the who could shove a pretty halfpenny,

At any rate, he was able to beat RAJPUTANA

RANCHI bluff King Hal, even with the pro- bable handicap on his form that one

**BURDWAN never quite knew, such was the un- Royal loser might take it. certain Tudor temper, how

that

King Edward VII-when a Life Guard subaltern, called attention to CANTON the fact that His Majesty's partner CORFU nt whisi, famous elderly

19

and temperamental Duchess, hnd revoked observed that he had often awarded

All vessels may call at any ports on or off the route, and the route and all sallinge are subject to change or deviation with or without notice.

was

Steamers

CARTHAGE **SOUDAN

RANPURA RAWALPINDI **SOMALI

| Tons [From H'Kong about i

114,500, 1st Oct. Noon

6,000 8th Oct.

17,000) 15th Oct. 17,000 29th Oct. 6.000 5th Nov.

17,000 12th Nov, 17,000 26th Nov. 6,000 3rd Dec.

15,500 10th Dec. 14,500 24th Dec.

Cargo only ↑ Calls Casablanca

n D.S.O. for less. To take on Henry VIII at shove-halfpenny, and beat TALMA him to the considerable depletion of

the Royal Privy Purse, must have SIRDHANA been very nearly in the V.C. category SHIRALA of simple valour.

Game of Skil

| TILAWA

SANTHIA

Destination

Marseilles & London.

B'bay, M'seilles, Havre, L'don, Hull, H'burg, R'dan & A'werp. Marseilles & London. Marseilles & London. B'bay, M'scilics, Havre, L'don, Hull,

F'dam Hbg.

A'werp. 'bay, M'E seilles & London. Marseilles & Lo

& London, B'bay, M'seilles, llavie, L'don. Hull, H'bg, R'dam & A'werp. Bombay, Mscilles & London. Bombay, M'scilles & London. All vessels may call at Malta

BIUTIBII INDIA APCAR BAILINGS (BOUTIL)

10,000 8th Oct.

8,000 22nd Oct.

8,000 5th Nov,

10,000 10th Nov,

0,000 3rd Dec.

S'pore, Port Swettenlism. Penang, Rangoon & Calcutta DO.

DO.

DO.

B.I. Aptar Line Steamers have excellent accommodatioŭ for 1st & 2nd clais passengers EASTERN & AUSTRALIAN BAILINGS (SOUTH.)

Believe it or not, shove-halfpenny is an extremely skilful game, re- quiring intense delicacy and judg- ment, and, above all, is even more exasperating than contract bridge, NANKIN At Court in those days no doubt they NELLORE played with gold coins, not half- TANDA pennies or

in Elizabeth's groats, reign It was usual in society circles, Regular monthly to piny with n silver shilling. That,

at that date, was worli in currency about 10s ot least:

our

So popular as well as fashionable SIRDHANA

FLANCHI did ahove-halfpenny become in the Middle Ages that it was deemed BURDWAN

NELLORE desirable by the authorities, kill-Joys

SHIRALA then as now, to prohibit the pastime. RANPURA It was threntening to oust the for

RAWALPINDI more unly and useful sport ofSOMALI archery.

In 1831 a Westminster Innkeeper was fined 10s, a formidable Impost at contemporary currency rates, for permitting the game to be played on his premises. About the same date a barber, who was at that time a much

7,000 1st Oct 11 am. Manila, Rabaul, Brisbane,

7,000

4th Nov,

7,000 2nd Dec.

Bydney, Melbourne & Hobar

sailings from 'kong to Shanghai & Tepan & Khong to Australia

Hong Kong to Bydnep-19 dayi, BAILINGS TO SHANGHAI & JAPAN. 8,000 20th Sept., 7 a.m., Japan. 17,000 29th Sept, Noon. Shanghal & Japan. Shanghal & Japan. Shanghal & Japan. Japani. Shanghat & Japan. Shanghal & Japan. Shanghal & Japan.

0,000 1st Oct.

7,000 7th Oct.

8,000 12th Oct.

17.000: 14th Oct.

17,000 28th Oct,

8,000 28th Oct.

Cargo only.

All datas (are · approximate and subject to alteration without notice, perpel meanuring not more than 8 oft will be rectired at the Company's Offos up to noor on the day previous, to sailing,

more important person professionally than now, was fined for allowing Connaught 2.0.

For Passage Nales, Handbooks, Freight, etc., apply

MACKINNON, MACKENZIE & CO.

Phone Tru

Telephone 28021.

OUR BRITISH CROSSWORDS

1 Docs

ACROSS

this regiment go in for polishing? (5).

4.Maker's sign not a special Ger-

inan currency (B),

8 Look over the journey, it is all

on the level (7).

By which and why about, the beer that has been upset (7). 10 This Engilsh river sounds like

something

river (4).

found on many

A

11 Foreign wine that is commonly accepted as right in Scottish water (5),

12 Sweet herbs may be taken to the Assizes but this weed is there too (4),

15 A change of vessels in which

the sailors appear (13). This

aplly makes a "strafer" silent (13).

17

20 Leather but not from the horse

or cow (4).

21 This ally is taken individually

(5).

22 Prima Donna (4),

23 Oxford College (7).

20 In this one might buy this (7), 27 After this the criminal is lucky if he doesn't have the heart changed to n (0),

20 German old master (5),

DOWN

I Forest hinterland perhaps, or proful shots: If someone carries the jack in a game of bowls (0).

2 Sweet stuff made by a foollah

Insect (7).

à A place to locate (4).

Wrong French river and outer case combine to form a decora= tive substance (13).

5 Part of 21 across (4).

This is found among Britiahı Fauna and Flora (7)

7 An Eskimo vessel (5),

D Epithat for the old country postman, though in another way he seldom is (13),

13 The man to ravage (6).

14 Did this garden pest come from

a ship? (5),

10 Upper salls that suggest part of the preparations for a big plc- nie (0)

18 "Left alo" (anag.) Was it a tract on Temperance?) (?).

19 There in former days (7).

20 The offer of the Gunners was

almost mad (5).

23 Metal (4),

E

24 This little town of Kent was

once on the coast (4).

YESTERDAY'S SOLUTION, GORDIAN KNOT W SONENBOROURAREM OATTLERANGE

■INE_LAUFAUL HEARD FLINT

O P

AT BLUE UN SHAH LEV DEPTH TA DRONE 0E1ON ATCBIDGE VED

NAIL_NWEEROE DA BNIPE LINED FARALIB BNY ASIMOUTOFTHEWAY STOUTONANBEDI

N HALFBROTHEE

: