MAGIC OF A SMILE
THE MAN FROM CUNNAMULLA
(By. Will Lawson.)
The daily recruiting of men was in full swing on a sunny morning at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, in tho early days of this war. _ The recruiting sergeant was addressing a batch or recruits, telling them how to proceed in tho process of enlisting. "Is there any of you here that's under tho military age? If there is, put up your hands." Two youths put up their hands. They were told to take one— —the—front—quick—march I "Now, me lads, have ye got your parents' consont to enlist?" They said they had. "Have ye got it wid ye, in writing?' "Yes, sir." "Let's have a look at it. At this moment the man from Cunnamulla came round the corner of the artillery shed.- Hβ was short and chesty in build. He walked with a seaman's roll, which was explained by tho rusty spurs that jingled on his dusty boots. Seamen, of course, do not wear spurs or come from Cunnamulla, as a rule. But horsemen and seamen both roll, as they walk, and seamen often make excellent horsemen, though unfortunately this compliment cannot be returned. The man from Cunnamulla had a very freckled face, and his hair had escaped being red by only one shade of khaki. Everything about him was solid-looking and prosaic, except his smile. It was one of those raro ones which must come straight from -the gods. The lads in the , ranks before the sergeant-major saw tho smile as soon as it came round the corner, and with that friendly spirit which is found iu most Australians, they smiled bacn, keeping one eye on the sergeant-major. That kindly soldier was engrossed, however, in the task of reading the parents' consents—in writing, moro or loss. ' , . ~ The smile of greeting pleased the man from Ciinnamulla, though,, to be exact; there were murmurmgs in ranks that William from Wagga had enlisted at last. Undeterred Jy such rumours, ho walked up to -the left flank of the rear rank and fell in, not knowing that ho was omitting one of the stages of enlistmont. "I'll take your words for them, the sergeant-major said, handing tlie' letters back to tho' youths. "Squad-'Shunl" His eye ran along the ranks till it encountered the pleasant countenance of the man from Cunnamulla. "Here, lad," said the surprised servant, "where did you come from? "Cunnamulla." was the brief reply./ "Just arrived." . "Away back behind Bourke, is itr . Well, just fall out for a minute and go and stand by , that old tank. Read some of the literature that.is laying on it. 'Twill improve your mind, boy. The man from Cunnamulla, who was standing very stiffly, turned his head in the "direction of the tank, but bo did not move. The n.c.o. walked up to him. ■ . , "Don't you know, lad, that in_tne Army you" must obey orders? Why don't you do as I tell you?" "I want to get through quick- I <rot two horses tied up outside, and they want a feed bad. Wβ came from Par'ramatta this morning. "Did you ride from Cunnamulla? "Yes,"mister," said the smiling lips. "And you want to join the Light Horse?" , „„ • ~ "You bet. What else?" was the emphatic reply. "I sold me teams, all but the two best horses, and brought 'em along., They're pretty well beat now, though." ■ The sergeant softened. "Stay whore ye are, lad. 111 put ya through fast enough. And ye rode all the way from Cunnamulla, eh? "My word," said the smiling re-
emit. . ~ When tho squad was finished with, the sergeant took the traveller who looked like a sailor, and was a .horseman, into the recruiting officer. "There's a lad here that has ridden from Cumiamulla, sir. I sent an orderly to see if his horses were where he said they were, and they are. So he's a truo'bill. Ho wants to go into the Light Horse." "Ones ho want to take his horses with him?" "Yes, mister," said the recruit. "But you only want one." "Well I'll give tho other *o ymi, or acjbock else that's going to the vsr, Raid tho smoiling man. moving restlessly from one fool to 'Hie othc*. 'Ton mean you'll give it to the •'Yes. mister, and you Inklit t<-ll him to keep a tight off-rein when he is gottin' on him. He's apt to bite, but it's only fun." • "There's something about ye, lad, the sergeant-major said to the man From Cunnamulla, as he was leaymg the barracks; "ye've a way wid ye that'll take ye through. I've been thinkin' it was your cheek. But Ira thinkin , now. it's your smile. It softens your dial. But you're not as bashful us ye look, are ye? "Bashful! "What's that?" asked the new soldier.
The second section of this true story was told mo bv an officer of tho hew Zealand.Dental Corps. The New Zealand field dressing station at Dibabis, sweltering in the Egyptian sunlight, was less than a mile from the fighting. In a bed near the'tent door lay a New Zealand trooper. He had just been brought in, and after having had his wound dressed'he would be sent down to the base. Under tho circumstances he felt fairly comfortable and pleased at tho prospect! of a change from the desert life. Suddenly tho tent flap was flung open by a brown, grimy hand. An uncouth and warlike figure pushed into the opening—a man who looked as though he had not washed or shaved for days. He wore the wide, looped-up felt hat of the Australian Forces. Apart from the hat there was nothing uniform about his dress. His tunic was missing, his shirt torn, his trousers were stuffed into his boots, and he had no equipment whatever. But no had a beautiful smile. , . He stood for ,a space of time and beamed at the medical and dental officers who were in the tent. "Day!" he said. "Those sons of sin pretty near got me. Yes, Johnny the Turk nearly had my number up this time. Had to drop all my gear and go for my life. They got old Timber lips, mv horse, the cows." 'An officer said, "Did you stop one.'' Do you want a dressing?" "Not me, thanks," was the cool reply. Ho turned his smiling face to tho wounded man. "You're pretty right, oh? Got a nice holiday one, eh?" "Yes, I'm all right," replied tlioAew Zealander, stirred by the genial inqU"rWon't be fightin' and needin , your gear any more for a bit, eh? "No, '1 won't." . "I say old man," the Australian smiled as ho spoke, ''what about mo havin' your rifle? A bloke's lost without a rifle when there's a scrap on y '"Yes. you can have her. That's mine insido the doorway." , "Thanks, brother." Ho picked up the rifle and fondled the lock. A dinkum rifle, too. How does she shoot, cobber ?' ! , . , .. The NewfZonlander explained tho riflo's wavs, 'the other listening attentively. Then ho asked, "Any ammunition, mate?" "Yes, Micro's a few rounds in ray bandolier."
The Australian got the bandolier. "Good ink," ho commented. "Now I'll give the wooden-eyed, leatherlegged cadbury soldiers a bit of repartee when I see them."
Again tho smile beamed on theprostrato trooper. "Got any more, old man ?" he asked. Tho trooper grinned with a wider grin, the effrontery was so natural. "Well, there's sixty rounds on my horse's neck. He's still outside." "Sixty, eh? Good. That means that I'll never be taken alive. I'll go back and settle the argument when I get that lot. Just hang on while Igo and collect." Ho walked towards the horse. In the glaring sunlight he made a queer figure. His chest was prominent and high, and ho walked with a peculiar strutting roll. The horse, awakening from dreams, was nonplussed at the direct approach of this unusual heing with the hairy face. It pulled back and snorted.
"Way, boy, way!" said the Australian. "Way, Sixty." ! Back to tho tent strutted the wildlooking, smiling man, carrying the ammunition. Again he thrust himself into tho doorway and spoke cheerfully. "I'm well armed, now, brother, ind you're comfortable, eh? I say, will you want your water bottle? What about me taking caro of it? Thanss, old sou. Would you like mo to write a letter to your girl? Give us her address and I'll do it. Ah, well. There's going to be a Moody battle round about the corpse of my dead horse. And they won't get me this time. So long and good luck, brother. So long, ypue." The last farewell was to the officers. But he had not gone yet. The flap aiwiiod again in two seconds' time, and tho cheorful voice of him inquired, | "Who owns Sixty—the horse,, I mean?" ; ■ "The New Zealand Government. Why?" an officer said. "Oh, nothin'. Well, it wouldn'tdo to have any international complications, but I'll have to borrow him for a hit." , And with that he mounted Sixty sva wont on his way, bent on revengo against tho Turks. Whether he was the man from Cunnanrulla or not there is no real proof. But I like to think that he was, and the rare and beautiful smile that he wore proclaimed him to he at least the foster brother of that rider who walked like a sailor.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 81, 29 December 1917, Page 8
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1,554MAGIC OF A SMILE Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 81, 29 December 1917, Page 8
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