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[Page 15]
All day & night. About 10am on Xmas day our financial resources were exhausted. An opportune arrival of a mate replenished it to the extent of a Quid. This soon went & I suggested returning to camp. No fear Said the Dubbo man "Lets go & have a feast first. Whose going to pay for it I asked. "Never mind he replied. Come along with me" I thought "his tick was good" Somewhere & went along. Our party was five strong. We arrived at quite a pretentious looking hotel. Soon the Dago waiters were hobnobbing around us & we were seated at a table. Dubbo was master of ceremonies& directed things in grand style. About half a dozen glasses of lager beer was punished by Each of us in a very smart and soldierlike manner. Then we switched on to Sherry & bitters to get ready for dinner. Nothing but chicken would appeal to our delicate appetites & this we had roasted, boiled & Curried. In the meantime I was beginning to wonder who was going to pay for it & was almost inclined to believe the Dubbo Giant was a millionaire in disguise. Dinner was washed down with copious draughts of lager & towards the End of it the Secret leaked out. The small man who sat opposite Dubbo was at a given signal to call him anything but a gentleman & throw about half a spoon of beer in his face. Both were then to set to & punch the air in the vicinity of Each others heads. The Lilliputian was to retreat hastily towards the door with the Dubbo after him & we after Dubbo. Of course the waiters made themselves scarce & our passage to the street was unobstructed. I could not run for laughing & could not stop laughing either for about an hour. You people might think our conduct Shabby but if you Knew how they rooked us right & left in Egypt you would congratulate us on getting some of our own back.