SPORT AT THE FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 February 1918, Page 6

SPORT AT THE FRONT.

A NOVEL RACE

Even in the midst of war’s alarms the British soldier never fails to take full advantage of the opportunity to •indulge in a little play. The following amusing letter, written by an officer to a well-known member of the London Stock Exchange, aptly illustrates this pleasing trait in Tommy’s character. The letter, referring to various forms of .recreation, introduces a breath of sport which hitherto seems to have been quite unknown.

“My latest fiasco,’’ says the officer, “was an earwig race. We have a plague of them here, and I challenged aonther follow to race me for five francs. The course was the mess table, and we were allowed to guTde them with a card. I got my men to capture a good few, and had a secret trial in which one cove stood out by himself. His pace was terrific and I knew I had the race safe bar accidents. “I put my ‘wig’ in a match-box and fed him on a small piece of Burberry macintosh. The race took place before a record crowd. The betting was 6 to 4 on my ‘wig’ as the news of the trial had leaked out. The finishing post, was between two glasses at the end of the table. At the word both ‘wigs’ went off at a terrific bat, and for a yard there was nothing in it. Then my cove drew out and simply went away clear amidst great cheering and with a yard to go had the race in hand.

“Then an appalling thing happened. Some fellow had, earlier in the day, split a whisky and soda on the cloth, and my beast had to go slap across it. Ho got half way over the spill, then faltered and stopped, and nothing would move him. After a minute he fell over and was evidently most disgustingly drunk. Of course, the other ‘ wig' came up and won anyhow. I was so annoyed at my ‘wig’s’ behaviour that I put him to death. » “It was bad luck, as I stood to win a nice little bet, and would have done it on my head but for the whisky. I have retired from earwig racing, and shall take to bridge again to get my losses back.”