1 km up the Sakhu road, at 1620, half a dozen early arrivals watched apprehensively as J.W.S. returned to his car for yet another load of paper, leaving Fallon to privately practice his ballet acts, and the silent observers to seriously consider going home. (Which they should have done!) As regular readers of this manuscript will know Julian Pagella is always late. This week was no exception, having arrived at 16.35for what he thought to be a 16.30 start. (He then, poor fellow, spent the next 25 minutes kick-himself for arriving early for the 17.00 start.)

At 16.59 59 M.R.G.’s kidney got the better of him and decided it was time to start and led the early arrivals up 200m of sheer face to the first check. (Stupid fellow, if only he’s known!!) For 10 minutes we were kept amused by a total lack of paper, this interlude did however allow the late arrivals (Woods, Thwaites, Binks, Priestley, Roberts, Bransky, & Kedwell) to catch up. Frandsen, for the first time in his life, found paper, albeit bxxxxx miles from the check, and we all fell straight back down the hill we had just climbed. (Thank you hares !!X!!)

From this point on, eyes became blurred with blood, sweat and tears as the trail meandered around Gokarna Forest wall to a check in the middle of nowhere. Bodies were seen crawling in every conceivable direction and muffled shouts, mostly obscene, filled the air. Our Junior H.M. having scaled the heights picked up paper in mid trail and blew upon his instrument which was more musical than Pagella’s song about fundamental orifices.

At the next check our President (everyone stand to attention) was heard to say “If the trail doesn’t go down here I’m going home.” (Which probably expressed the view, of most those worthies who turned up this week in order to avoid painful attachment to Kedwell’s boot thought that may not have been any bad thing after all!!) Keith however did not go home and the trail did not go downhill. (This must show great strength of character which was totally lacking in the hares).

A long, long, very long run ensured, which saw many of the older and younger lags ignoring paper, pressing on into the fast gathering gloom of a dusty dusk. J.W.S. obviously concerned, Ha bxxxxxx Ha, was seen cruising up the main road in search of his erstwhile “friends” who by this time had found the last check and got themselves thoroughly lost. Half the hash arrived back at the chariots more or less on the approved route, while the others, totally bewildered by it all, stumbled around in circles and by pure chance arrived back at the beer, Larence Priestley, the photographer of note, having gone to see the elephants arrived in style by taxi. (A sensible move which should have been adopted by all of us!)

The general consensus of opinion regarding the quality of the trail setting of Hash No. 69 is as follows: — XXugh!!!-XX...?? S.H.XXI.T.??!! which about sums it up!

HASH No. 70 - Woods and Scholey - Squash courts at Batisputali
HASH No. 71 - Young and Russell

HASHIT - still D.J.M.
WALKING STICK - still J.W.S.

HEARD AFTER HASH -Q. “Tell me, what do the hares do for their livings?’
A. - “Between them, they adopt trees!”

HASH NEWS - URGENT - Beer. We ain’t got none! Those of us who are able to buy beer would you please donate some, on a repayable basis, as soon as possible.