When You Were Absent

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The moonlight was bright enough to show colours, so there was no doubt about it. The cat scurried to cover, but a few minutes later, the tiger reappeared up the bank, head on. It sniffed about on the lawn and then leisurely loped away. I raised the alarm then as we were sleeping with our doors wide open.

The men took turns in going on guard.

A few days before, the Japanese had shot a tiger down at the neck of the peninsula. These tigers must have escaped from a traveling zoo which had been engaged in a carnival in Hong Kong before the war started. For the next few days I was greeted by "Have you seen any more tigers, Mrs. Cook?" from unbelieving smarties. My senses were perfectly keen and the moonlight was brilliant. There was no doubt whatsoever. Fortunately for my integrity the Japanese published in the local press a picture of the tiger they shot-"Have you seen any more tigers" indeed! On Sundays there were many services: Roman Catholic, Church of England, Free Church and outdoor evening Evangelical. Some of the missionaries who were brought in late to camp, were able to bring more things and some brought a baby organ. We were asked if we would care to keep it. There was room for it by the folding door between our rooms. This organ was taken to the bungalow verandah for hymn singing on Sunday evenings. Quite a number of the men from nearby groups came to sing. Mrs. Binks of our bungalow had a soaring soprano-a beautiful voice. Most of the services were held in St. Stephen's Hall. There were no seats, and the congregation stood in rows or brought mats to sit on. I remember looking at a man for a little while in a service, and wondering what it was that was unusual in his appearance. After a while it dawned on me that it was unusual to come to a service in a bathrobe! He was wearing it as a coat, and probably had no coat, but it went quite unnoticed.

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