TENTS AND HORSES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 82, 1 September 1914, Page 6

TENTS AND HORSES

NEW ZK.U.AXDKKS L\ TKAIXIXt!

(15y one of them). Tent on tent, horse line on horse line, khaki uniforms of everv descriptions, and men of all soils ami conditions—young Xeiv Zealand in training to take its shure in the struggle in which the Empire is involved. .Such i ; - the big concentration camp at Awapuni where the men of the Wellington mounted and infantry brigades are now eagerly awaiting tin- duy of sailing to take a more active part in the war against the maiU-d list which has too long been the Jing-bear of Kuropc. The life in such a camp is rich in humor, refreshing in its virility and bears the stamp o? an earnest determination. It is a great leveller, this uniform which we "have donned. One may "cut a lot of ice in tins iity" or the liumlet from which ono hails, one may have been a "nut'' of i-.o nuttiest flavor on one's native Iheath, but in Awapuni camp one submits one self lowly and reverently to all one's betters, and the man wiio shaved once every day in town may be an -V.C.O. in Jus own right, and as such is a personage to he obe-.ed without .[notion. JlVi nw.st awfully good for a lot of fellows though, and' they soon learn that discipline is the alpha and omega of military life. There is always something doing at the camp, and manv

things novel occur every (Jay. Then- is a friendly rivalry between iufantiy.. hut. and mounted men. The horsemen call the footmen "toe footry" and smile I'pitingly as t'hey pass them on the road, I while tile man with a pack on his hack /and a rifle on his shoulder calls his mounted friend, the "frowsy groom." and reminds him of "stable calls" and "horse pickets" and other things which vex the soul of the man who rides a horse. After ]«U'ade. they are. the hest of friends. Of course, tile mounted man | scores heavily on the route march. There I are a whole lot of young artillery and other stamps of horses in camp and there are two or three runaways every i day. One hears a warning yell, and sees a horse and rider (sometimes a riderless Jior.se) go hurtling round the course to the encouragement of to the accompaniment of encouraging and ironical shouts from the "toe footry."

Few Taranaki fond parents would re I'ognise to-day the young hopeful who left for the wars a fortnight ago. Young Taranaki is very brawn, and ho has quite, a distinguished-looking white chin strap mark, hut more changeful still lie has received a real "prison crop" and is moreover assiduous!■,• cultivating ;•. military moustache, and the results are in some <as<*s startling.

doing to bed is quite a business here. There are iu each (cni, eight men. eight kits, eight rilles, and eight sets of equipment, and woe betid.' the last man »o go to bed. As the writer knows frmn bitter experience, that unfortunate individual gits the least, room, the last straw- and he has to put out the light. you have been in a tent yourself, you don't know what that last means. Odds are even, however, as in whether it is worse to go to bed lil"t or Ui.it, If yon go first, every next man piles up his gear on top of you while he makes up his bed, and it is most uncomfortable.

To-morrow (Saturday) will lie ii day of new experiences. The order-, are tint a "font inspection' will lie held in the moniin;.'. T)mt means sitting round in a modest.lv bootless circle wuitiiv.' for tin' medical olliccr to look for blisters. In tin. afternoon, clothinj,' is to be washed, and one cap stretch one's ininiriinli"ii .0 Hi" soap suds and confusion i:,;,.(, will nssurcdlv result, snllicient in<o the. dav as the 'evil thereof, and prnvid. d >'.•• f-'et lo the front all rjelit no ■ ■i:". nends what, happens. The direst

-.•',. winch could overtake any camper ■M.i.ld lie to be turned out of the oxpe'Hionary force. That is the sword of Dimoclcs which hangs on the silver thread of discipline.