WHEN OTHERS SLEEP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 16, 20 October 1942, Page 5

WHEN OTHERS SLEEP

ROUNDS OF THE NIGHTWATCHMAN WHAKATANE'S NOCTURNAL PROWLER

Recent arrests and fire alarms in the wee sma 1 ' hours have focussted attention on the nightwatchman who has been responsible for the discoveries leading up to the calling of the Police or the Brigade. This individual who can be met at any time 011 the Strand between the hours of midnight and dawn, has many a quiet adventure, which is not entirely devoid of humour and a recent interview with the local 'night prowler' evoked a typical night's experience which went something like this: "It was a nice clear night, a bit cold, but that didn't matter, as I was well wrapped up. A large crowd had gathered in town to attend the pictures and when these were- over I watched, the rush of departure. Cars backing, torches flickering on and off. A shout or two and a scurry of push-bikes in all directions. I'n ten minutes all was peaceful and I knew that I had another lonely night's work ahead. As you know my -job takes me into all sorts of places, nooks and corners where somebody might get up to mischief. However I'm not allowed to give away any secrets as that would, be making it too easy for the tough guys. Well I walk until I get tired of walking and then use my bi'ke. Altogether the time passes very quickly. Well on this night I decided to go up to the wharf where there is often a lot of things that require watching. Ah, sure enough as I approached, I saw a faint spark in the distance.' What was that? When I got closer *it» flamed larger. Hot on the trail. With a- flash of the powerful torch I carry, I suddenly found that the light came from the interior of a parked car, in which two lovers were quietly' smoking cigarettes. They were well within their legal rights so mj T expected capture went west. Next I visited the rear of the Winter Show Building and in the long grass trampled on something round and elastic. Putting my hand down to investigate I found to my surprise that I was perched on the top of a hedgehog, who must have put 'in all -winter sharpening those darn spines of his. Well I decided to do the same as I had done to the loving couple and marched off. A little later on II -hopped aboard the bike and headed for 'Texaco.' On the road shone the faint glow of two reflected coins. Eureka, money lor the asking. But on dismounting they turned out to be a couple of bottle tops embedded, in the bitumen.- So I decided to do the same with them as with the hedgehog., Proceeding along I noticed, what looked, to be a ladies neck .fur on the roadway. Too bad to leave a tiling like that to be run over so down I got again only to find it. was a dead. cat. So I! did the same about it as I: did with the shillings and pushed on again. I proceeded along to the end of my beat and returned along the footpath—er pardon, It mean roadway. When as I approached the Rock, I thought I could smell tobacco. I put the machine aside and crept up, expecting to way-lav another (though .less official) niglitprowler, li ! ke myself. Carefully 1 approached with one hand 011 the torch and the other 011 my baiLion which I always carry. Well, you might'nt believe it, but at 4 a.jn. there sat another loving couple smoking cigarettes and quietly surveying the -dawn. I expect that they too were well within their legal rights so I did the same as H had done with the cat—walked ofi; and then made for home, satisfied that everything was in order for yet another night.