A BAD TRIP.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2472, 19 February 1881, Page 2

A BAD TRIP.

Two well-known members of that section of the Dunedin sporting fraternity which devotes its energies to running games of chance on the various racecourses throughout the colony, passed through Timaru yesterday per express, on their way to the Wellington races, in a very disgusted frame of mind. These humble patrons of the turf took with them to the Empire City three canaries and a big monkey, intended to assist on the course with the card tricks, &c., &c. Relating their experiences to an acquaintance on the Timaru platform yesterday, one of the turfites remarked, *‘ Well you see, what with the birds and the monkey, we reckoned to cover something more than ex’s, and so we would, too, if the blooming monkey had not killed two of the birds on the way up. But that wasn’t all. On the second daj the confounded monkey takes it into his head to ‘ peg out ’ (i.e. die), and w'e were obliged to pitch him away. Well, you know, wo couldn’t expect to do much with only one bird left, and so we cleared out from the course early. There’s a barber’s shop handy to the hotel, on our way back wdiat should we see but our dead monkey stuck in the barber’s-win-dow grinning at us. Round his neck the barber (who knows us well) had hung a card with ‘My funeral takes place to-morrow at 3 p.m. The betting fraternity of Wellington is respectfully invited to attend.’ 'Chaffed! Rather think we were. But that wasn’t the worst of it ; we couldn’t raise a note, and wo are going back to Dunedin brokers” (i.e. with empty pockets.) And the “ brokers ” hurried in to get a nip before the train started.