QUICKLY CURED.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 125, 24 December 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

QUICKLY CURED.

TELLING OP 41 SCHOOLBOY'S PLAN TO AVOID GETTING UP EARLY. AND HOW IT WORKED.

(Copyright.)

"Come along, Wright—rouse up!" "Ert" yawned a sleepy voice. "Get up, you lazy little slacker; you're ten minutes late already this morning. Hurry up, now—l'm going ilong to my bath." The heavy footsteps died away along the passage, and Waster Wright, a youngster in the fourth Form, began to drag himself reluctantly from between the blankets, jjlrst of all he sat up and rubbed his eyes; then he yawned at great length and lay down again. Remembering just in time that he had been called, and that it would be bad policy to doze, he leapt swiftly out of bed. Still yawning, he huddled himself into a dressing-gown and left the dormitory, muttering grumbles against the person who had called him. Then he went downstairs and along the gloomy passage to the studies. Arriving at one which was labelled "Crofton" in large type, he entered and began to rummage in a capacious box. -It's a miserable shame," he complained as he unearthed a spirit-lamp and a kettle. "If only I was as big as that brute Crofton—ow! The match had burned his fingers, he lit another, placed the kettle ou the lamp, and began to mix a cup of cocoa. His task over, he sat down to wait until the water should be uleased to boil. He certainly had some cause for comolalnt. He was Crofton s fag; Sh means that in return for any help that the senior boy might give KB in his studies, Wright bad to do all sorts of odd jobs Though Wright realised that fagging was an ancient and possibly honourable institution, he felt that it had its limits. Ordinary fagging was a nuisance, of course; but, after all. the cleaning of cups and plates, or the making „f tea on a halfhollday, was not very trying to a robust constitution. Where he felt the line should be drawn was at getting up at halt-past-eix in winter-time to prepare coc « for his lord and ma. or. Hi felt it very strongly as he sat in Crotton s study waiting till the water wai hoi MLfWgtV Crofton was a monitor a person of braina and UHustiy. He »«s going in for a scholarship in a few months' time, and at present was accustomed to get up early each morninK to work, ne didn't particularly mind getting up, but he realised how apt one is to geti hungry between a quarter to seven and halt-part eight; also, it was distinctly chilly about that period. A cup of cocoa and some mixed biscuits were iery cheery things to meet after a cold bath but it was a great nuisance to prepare the banquet—besides, it lost valuable time. What then could be better than that Wright should snatch ten minutes from his bed to get his meal ready? *. ~ After making the cocoa, Wright retired to bed once more, and slept like a top till the bell rang. He dressed quickly, and at breakfast encountered his chosen friend, Wilkes, to whom he confided, for the twentyeighth time, his views on compulsory early rising. „ •'You' know, it's! all nonsense, he began, before he bad finished his first cup of tea; "because Crofton happens to have the right of fagging is no reason why 1 should have to toil downstairs at that unearthly "Jolly hard luck," said Wilkes. "Pass the bread, will you? if l were you, I'd go on strike." "It's jolly easy to say that, Ive thought of B triking several times my. self but 1 don't see how its to be done. It always seemed that most of the striking—lf any—would be on Crofion's side. What I should like to do would be to score off Crofton somehow—and, if possible, ,choke him off getting up early. "Couldn't you excite his pity? "Pity! He does'nt know the meaning of the word. No—l'm afraid I shall have to go on getting up But I wish I could make him lose part of his night's rest, at any "How?" demanded Wright, irritably "I can't make him an applepie bed without receiving a first-class hiding." "No, but there are other ways, said Wilkes mysteriously. "What do you mean?" "Why not walk in your sleep, for instance?" „ TU , . "Walk in my sleep! What good would that do?" "Yes—it's as simple as anything. Do a little talking in your sleep for a few nights to prepare the way. Then begin to walk. Half the fellows will be too sca-td to do anything. I saw young Tonir.nson walk in his sleep once, *ud ll made me tremble. He breathed hard thr< ugh his nose, and kept his hands stretched out like this. Then yoi could stumble over Crofton's bed—he wouldn't dare to say anything because it's jolly dangerous to wake a fellow when he's in that state. Try It, old chap!" "1 say!" said W.ight, breathlessly, "1 will. I'm leading a log's as it is; things couldn t be much worse than they are."

Following his friend's advice, Wright prepared the way for future action by talking in his Bleep for two nights running. He found it quite an easy thing to do; the main difficulty lay in restraining his desire for laughter throughout the proceedings. Beginning with incoherent mumblings and moanings, he went on to more definite words and sentences. He only wished he had the pluck to say a few things about Crofton's early rising, but he felt that it was far too risky and might betray his plans. The other members of the dormitory strongly objected to the noise he made, and on the second night one aggrieved sufferer fed him with a soap pill. Luckily for Wright, he had his wits about him, stowed the pill in his cheek, and awoke with » simulated choke that would have made his fortune on the stage. On the third night he decided that th« time was ripe for his more ambitious schemes. Lights were put out at a quarter to ten. Crofton made his appearance at ten, and foou afterwards the whole dormitory was wrapped in slumber—all save one, the conspirator himself. Me waited a good twenty uimutes, to give everyone time to get to •l«ep Tb¥«r *• K an hiß t*"" 08 ,

performance by way of a start. He talked--or rather muttered—for a short space, and was soon rewarded by a grunt from the next bed. "Wright!" whispered the awakened one, angrily.

No answer. "Wright, you chump!" Dead silence. "That chump Wrights talking again." "Well, let him talk. Never mind." "But * ao mind. Come and help give him another pill." The only answer was a snore from Chalmers.

Suddenly Wright sat up and threw the sheets back, still moaning and grumbling Inarticulate things. The owner of the next bed —Horton — cowered down in silence, thinking his threat had been heard. Then Wright got out of bed and began to walk slowly down the room, breathing hard and deep in the approved mam...'.

"1 —l say!" whispered Horton tremulously. "He —he's walking in his Bleep, Chalmers!" Wright laughed inwardly and stood still lor a moment; he knew Horton was not lamed for bravery. "Er-r-r—yh-h!" he whimpered: "oh-h-h-h —cold —cold—I wish- jn-h-h—a knife —Where's my knite—-ok-h-!"

Horton broke Into a perspiration as the sleep-walker pretended to search in his trousers pockets at the foot of the bed.

"Chalmers!" he whispered again. But Chalmers was fast asleep. Horton gazed at his bed enviously; if only he were asleep too! Then he decided on a plan of action; he took his courage in both bands and crept swiftly across the room to Crofton's bed. He couldn't bear alone with a very fair imitation of a ghost. "i say, Crofton!" he whispered, shaking him by the arm. "vVake up!" "Um-m?" said Crofton. "Wake up!"

Crofton obeyed the injunction rather hurriedly; and imagining that he was being made the victim of a prao. tical joke, seized his questioner by the hair. "Ah-h-h!" said Horton, breathlessly, "it's only me." "What on earth are you doing out of bed?" asked Crofton, who was now wide awake. "Get back at once, and come to me for a tanning to-morrow after breakfast." "But, please, Crofton, really " "Well?" "Wright's walking in his sleep, and I—l thought 1 ought to wake you." "Where id he?" "Look! over there by the window!" Crofton sat up and saw the dim figure; it certainly looaed a trifle ghostly, and; he sympathised a little with Horton's fears.

"Well, he can't get out of there," he said, "the windows won't open wide enough." "He might get out through the door." "And fall downstairs? Yes, he might. Go and lock the door and give me the key."' "Sh-shall I wake him?" "No —it's a- bad plan to startle sleep-walkers, I believe. Just go and lead him quietly back to bed." "Oh, please, Crotton," whined the timorous Horton, "I'd much rather not. I wish you'do it." "You little funk! Well,, go and lock the door, and I'll lead him back."

Grumbling at his task, Crofton got up and ied Wright by the arm back U> his bedaide. "Now, get in!" he said gently; and Wright, laughing inwaruly with joy, obeyed. "Don t wake me again, young Horton,' warned the monitor, "or'Jl 1 give you that tanning i p/owised you just now!" "No, I won i, Crefion. Good night!" "G'night," grunted the monitor, and Wright—with a large portion ot the pillow in his mouth —wondered if ho might venture o r a "good night" also. He decided regrettully that he had better not. Next morning, when Crofton came down and found his fag making cocoa as usual, he acquainted him with his performances. "D'you know you walked in your sleep last night, young fellow?" he "Did 1?" said Wright. "Yes, you did; and you quite spoilt my beauty-sleep." "Awfully sorry; did 1 wake you?" "You didn't, but that young donkey Horton did. He got into a funk —thought you were going to murder him or something—and besought my help. 1 had to take you back to bed." "Thanks, awfully, Crofton." "Have you ever done anything of the sort before?" "No," said Wright, bringing out the biscuits. "There must be something wrong with you then, 1 should think. Better see the matron and ask her to give you a dose." "Oh, 1 think I'm all right," remarked the cunning fag, "except that I'm so jolly tired in the mornings. Sometimes 1 fancy I don't get enough sleep.", "Eh?" said Crofton. "Well—l don't know . . . . I've often thought that my getting up at this time) made me feel slack during the day. ... I wonder if it has anything to do with my walking. . . Not that I mind get. ting up early, of course," he added hastily, "but it struck me it might have something to do with it." "Oh," said Crofton, thoughtfully. "Oh . . well, the coca's made

now: you'd better hop back into bed again and not lose any more of that sleep you're so fond of."

"Rather a success, I fancy," said Wilkes, when Wright had given him a full account of his exploits. "No end of a success. Woke up old Crofton once. I'll have him out twice to-night." "1 say, 1 shouldn't overdo it, you know. Crofton may twig it." "Not he! He led me back by the arm like a lamb; quite thought 1 was fast asleep." "1 wish 1 was in your dormitory," said Wilkes, enviously. "Never mind, old chap: I'll tell you all about it when it's over." The end came sooner than Wright expected. lie got up that night without any of the preliminary talking, and stumbled slowly down the room between the rows of beds. Half, way down he groaned and began to mutter. No one was awake: even Horton's fears were lulled in sleep. He groaned again, wishing vaingloriously for an audience —even though it consisted only of a solitary person. Still no response. He made hiß way to Crofton's bedside and groaned more loudly, and the third groan took effect. Crofton sleepily raised himself on one arm —the other being hidden beneath the clothes—aßd*deman_ ded an explanation. Wright considered that he could not improve ou

his last performance; so he muttered, "Knife—knife —I must have it —I—" "You shall have it, you young shammer!" said Crofton, savagely, and his voice—oddly enough—sounded wideawake. Wright stepped back in alarm —too late! The arm hidden beneath the sheets sprang forth —the hand held a long cane! As Wright turned to fly, the cane fang through the air, and — "A-ow!" yelled Wright, who was only w* aring pyjamas. And undoubtedly he would have put his threat into execution had not the door opened suddenly and admit, ted Mr. Ashford. "I thought I heard a noise, Crofton," he began, mildly, "is anything the matter?" »Er —Wright thinks he has been walking in l ! s sleep, sir—and I've Just awakened him." "Walking in your sleep, my boy," said Mr. Ashford. "Dear me! Dear me! Jump back into bed again! It's all right now—all right. Perhaps you'd better see the matron in the morning. Let me know, Crofton, if it happens 1 aga : n." "I shouldn't think it will happen again, sir," said Crofton. "I think my cure for sleep-walking was quick and complete," he added to himself, smiling. And the distressing part of the whole business —from Wright's ,point of view—is that he has to go on making cocoa.

carry the officer ba.' lo the field hospital. The colonel, recognising something familiar m one of the bearers, asked him his name. A few more eager questions followed; and the truth flashed simultaneously on both. The father had at >last met on the battlefield the son wjfo had gone many years before to Canada, and of whom he had lost all trace. Even more remarkable is « story told of a youthful private of Hussars. While enjoying a few days' rest in a village behind our lines after a spell in the trenches, he made the acquaintance of a Canadian sergeant some twenty years his senior. During conversation one day lie discovered that his new acquaintance was a Yorkshireman. "So am I," he said. "What part do you come from?" "From Brad. ford." "That's odd, I come from Bradford too. Do you happen to know John B— —. of Manningham, he's my father." "Know him! I should think so," was the startling answer; "he's my father tool"

Thus by the whirligig of war two brothers, who had never before set eyes on each other, were brought together; for the Canadian had left his Yorkshire home just before the birth of his' brother, whom, until that day, he had never even seen!

In another case two wounded soldiers were lying in adjacent beds in a hospital at Malta. Each had been severely wounded in the Gallipoli peninsula ; one was an Australian, the other an Englishman. When the two men