A RIDE AT SINAI.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1917, Page 3

A RIDE AT SINAI.

“Yesterday morning,*’ writes from Sinai a New Zealand officer, in July, we had one ct the most exciting rides possible, and a meet of the "Pakurange Hunt Club would have been a drawing room affair compared with it. We had a good twomale gallop over very rought shingly country into new positions, and ‘Jaeuo peppered my troop all the way. Imagine the Great Northern Steeplechase run at Ellerslie with three or four guns spraying '*hc icontesiian ts from Mrs. Cotter’s and you have some idea of what it is like. ' Even the grandstand is there, fur it is hilly country, with Jacko on one srae and our own chaps on the other. Ido not want you to imagine the usual thing you see in the illustrated, papers, of a crowd of fellows waving swords and shouting and hats flying off. Some hats do fly, and a few horses with hard mouths get a little in front, but we make it a go-as-you-please across an open space. Then when it looks like shelter we go slower. Whale we were moving up yesterday morning a high explosive shell landet just in front of us, and simultaneously a shrapnel burst overhead and eaugn the front of my troops. My horse wa hit in the jaw and neck, my sergeant horse alongside was hit. in the back <.>•< jnv groom oil ihe other side had hi Horse hit j n three places, and bis aniin al died of wounds. Two men in th leading section were bit. » It ds wonderful how close you ca get to the shells and yet not be touel l ed. As a rule my horse takes absoli r tely no notice of the shells, button th l occasion he hesitated and gave a grui j and then settled into his stride agaii i We sent the wounded horses to ho r pital just the same as the men. T 1 !, animals will get a spell and he ba< ’ * again shortly.” tiA. ■