With our leader absent, Up and Down Dick became acting Grand Master and after the traditional welcome for visitors, virgins and the regular bunch of vagrants, he introduced the hare for today’s run, Sheik Mee Mee.
The dubious reputation of this particular Aussie hare had discouraged any volunteers for co-hare and his fellow countrymen noticeably winced when he admitted he could not estimate how long the run would be!
A later confession that he’d spent almost a full day laying the trail surprised no one.
The only salvation might be that Sheik Mee Mee had thoughtfully laid a walkers trail, although the omens were not good with the pack heading off along the in-trail until called back by the walkers. The hare had wisely decided to chaperone the pack until the trail separated and by skirting the lake from the A-site it seemed odds-on an anticlockwise run would ensue.
Nevertheless, plenty of twists and turns through tapioca fields, hidden creeks and bamboo thickets turned the pack around several times and gave everyone a chance to get to the front. Even Dizzy and Sir Lance were seen up front having deserted their respective families. The checks were long and difficult and having been well thought out, most took more than a few minutes to solve. After 30 minutes the first knee deep and unavoidable shiggy made a few wimp out but mostly the pack and walkers got through, only to be faced with another difficult check, which again ensured the pack remained together.
Tapioca fields and good running along sandy tracks led us to another long check, which turned out to be the run battlefield.
Our visitors from Korea were overheard complaining that their checks were generally only 20 meters. Sounds like racing to me, so Sheik Mee Mee with his 2-300 metre checks certainly showed them the true spirit of Hashing.
With FRB’s all over the place and after ten minutes checking, the walkers trail was discovered by several SCB’s, no doubt tipped off by the hare, who was looking increasingly concerned! Instantly fresh paper was found and finally On On called only further back along the trail. Elapsed time almost an hour, with the FRB’s now behind the main pack. The hare advised that they were on the walking trail and to stay on it or, ”We’ll never see you again. You’re only half way!” he cried in vain.
This was the incentive for a few intrepids or idiots as the case may be to backtrack and find the long trail. Initially, being mindful of the need the record as much of the run as possible, this included your scribe. After a further ten minutes and another mystery check, I had lost the four harriers and one harriette remaining.
So it was the smart ones who heeded the hare’s advice and reached home at a steady walking/running pace along an excellent in-trail, ready to consume all the sausages.
After checking up to Highway 331, sanity prevailed and I returned to the same point 20 minutes after departing with the FRB’s to enjoy a solitary run back to the beer in 1hr 35min.
We waited, and waited and waited for the intrepid ones. With skies darkening, beer diminishing and natives getting restless, Lord Lucan and Sheik Mee Mee went to search for the stragglers. Two hours and counting, still no sign of the FRB’s. Two and half hours, ”Start the raffle” screamed the mob starting to get ugly. Under pressure, the Grand Master accedes and just after completion of the raffle, the horn carried by GI Joe is finally heard and the brainless ones are back in 2hrs 40mins apparently having lost paper shortly after losing your scribe.
Surprisingly few recriminations and all agreed it had been a good trail, outstanding checks and a great effort by Sheik Mee Mee. Just get a co-hare next time!
Hobbit.
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