St Johns Ravenscourt School - Eagle Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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THE FIRE Once on a tranquil summer day, As I sat ’neath a tree watching squirrels at play, An unseen enemy struck my nose. I heard a crackling — then I froze. Fire! In an instant all was ablaze. The woods were filled with a smokey haze And, as I dodged between the crashing trees, I noticed a hive of terrorized Bees, Flying out of the flames. — Forever! The bigger and stronger animals followed, But those who were weak were already swallowed, By the all-consuming fire, And little by little, bit by bit, a crash And all was lifeless — With no desire! All that remains are burnt cinders of wood, A dry creek here, a dead branch there, And if the animals had later returned, They’d have found no trace of living — As all was burned! JIM SHORE - GRADE 6 THE SECRET TUNNEL While hiking through the woods one day, we dis¬ covered a tunnel hidden by a clump of bushes. We all agreed that we should explore it. As we went through the tunnel, its dampness and frigid air seemed to chill our entire bodies. The tunnel was very narrow and its roof was low in places. The tunnel must have been nearly a mile and a half long with frequent turns. It was very rocky for I cut my knee three or four times. Suddenly the tunnel came to an abrupt end. We tried in vain to get through the barrier of rocks and were just about to give up when Jack dislodged a key stone and the rocks came tumbling down. Beyond the tunnel lay an immense cavern. We heard a man just around the corner from us saying: Joe, what are you going to use the money for when we get it from the boss?” Well, I think I’ll buy a brand new car with a radio and a television set in it, replied Joe. Before we had realized it we had rounded the corner and we were taken prisoner and locked in a small adjacent cave which had been changed into a room. Since the men had tied us up they did not bother to lock the door. In the room we saw stacks of counter¬ feit bills. Michael managed to free himself from his bonds. He then swiftly untied our ropes. We slipped past the sentry whom the criminals had posted. In about half an hour we arrived at the entrance to the tunnel. It took us another hour to reach the police station. The sergeant said that he would send several men with us to the entrance of the tunnel. He warned us that if we were wrong we would be in seri¬ ous trouble. We then drove to the entrance of the tunnel, but the policeman said that we could not enter because there might be shooting. The policeman told us afterwards that they had easily taken the criminals by surprise and they had made no effort to escape. The next day a parcel arrived at Mike’s house. Mike phoned and told us to come over. The parcel turned out to be a miniature crime detection set. STUART GUEST - GRADE 5 A SUMMER MORNING Tis a wonderful thing To be up with the sun, When the dew is still hanging On grasses. What fun! The beautiful birds Fly up to the sky While the squirrel sits, wondering Why he cannot fly. The brook ripples by With a wonderful sound As my dog jumps across With a leap and a bound. Why not try it just once When the sun is just up? To get out of bed With your comrade, the pup. STEPHAN KRUEGAR - GRADE 6

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THE FIGHT The arena was filled with a thick, heavy smoke that made you want to cough. The fighters had not yet put in an appearance, and the officials were going through the formalities of welcoming the audience. Suddenly a roar filled the hot dusty air as the fighters entered the ring. After being introduced, they went to their respective corners and silence prevailed. The train¬ ers were giving last minute instructions while the only noise was the cry of a boy going up and down the aisles selling refreshments. The bell sounded; the fight was under way. The champion was a sturdy type about six feet tall, while the challenger was a good three inches smaller and many pounds lighter. The first three rounds were gruelling tests of the endurance and neither fighter gave way. People began thinking it would go the whole ten rounds. The fourth, however, was different. In no time the champ had found the challenger’s weakness, had drawn blood from his opponent’s mouth and nose, and had opened up a gash over his left eye so that he could hardly see. The challenger wildly cut through the smoke in the air, hoping one would land, but the champ easily eluded his weak attempts and repeatedly fired crushing blows, working on the gash over the challenger’s eye. With twenty-two seconds left in the fourth round, the challenger slowly slumped to the ground after an ex¬ cessive beating at the hands of the champ. However, he struggled to his feet and lasted the round. The fifth, sixth and seventh rounds were pitiful. The champ knocked the challenger down at will and by the eighth round the challenger’s face was a sea of blood, cuts and sweat. Between the fifth and sixth rounds, they put tape over his left eye, to keep the eye¬ lid closed and to prevent blood from pouring in. Then came the eighth round. Even his manager had given up hope for the challenger. His eyes were blurred with sweat and blood, and they stung which tortured him unmercifully. Still he went on, practically standing still, and being pounded with an unjust barrage of punches to the head. People started urging him on, praying that somehow he could fight back. Some others yelled to the referee to stop the fight. Again he slumped to the ropes and limply fell to the canvas, but once more he struggled to his feet and hung on for another round. Then it happened. I wondered how he kept going. In the ninth round the champ strolled up to him ready to beat him, when the challenger lashed out with a terrific right to the head. The champ was caught com¬ pletely by surprise and was stunned for a moment. A A large roar went through the crowd. Again the chal¬ lenger lashed out with another blow to the head. Blood poured out of the champ’s nose and mouth. He stag¬ gered against the ropes. Another blow lashed into the mid-section and he was down on the canvas completely stunned. You couldn’t hear the referee’s count above the uproar and confusion, and the crowd pounding its feet. Six, seven, eight went the count. He was up again. The crowd quietened down when the champ let loose another ferocious attack. Suddenly the bell sounded and the crowd stood up to cheer on the challenger. Finally the tenth round. The fighters met in the centre. Crushing blows landed agains and again until finally the challenger spotted a hole and plunged with his fist. Another blow, the taller opponent wavered, caught another blow on the chin and that was it. He immediately fell to the canvas. The crowd roared while the count went to ten. The champ remained still. The referee threw the new champ’s arm up in the air. He almost collapsed from exhaustion. The crowd went hysterical. Some made it to the ring as the fighters went to their dressing rooms. I could breath a little easier after I left. That was the greatest fight I had ever seen. JOHN BARNES - GRADE 7EW A CRIPPLED AIRCRAFT One afternoon I was resting in the luxury of a T.C.A. plane from Winnipeg to Prestwick. Suddenly there was a bang, someone screamed and everyone started running hither and thither trying in vain to find parachutes and the like. Stewardesses were going about trying to calm everybody, but all control was lost. The plane lurched and swayed, and I hoped it was just a nightmare. Then somehow, somebody got out the words: Fire in the cockpit!” This sent a chill running down my back. I was not only sick with the movement of the craft, but also with fear, for a mighty tongue ripped out of the cockpit. The plane plummeted vertiginously down. This is the end,” I thought, and began regretting all the bad things I had ever done. However, I then remembered that I was high in the air. I tore the life-jacket from under the seat. Finding the automatic pump out of order, I filled it from the air tank in the empty seat beside me. After doing this, I proceded to get out my own supply, and clap it to my nose and mouth. This was just in time, for at the moment, a great gash appeared in the side of the craft and I was sucked out before I fully understood the situation, but, as I hurtled down, I could not think of anything but the bottom of my fall. Suddenly I felt the mixture of a cold pang and a stinging pain. I floundered about until I was numbed, for I had fallen into the sea. I took one look at the fiery plane and turned away. Very luckily a ship had spotted the aircraft and had come to pick up survivors. When on board I was horrified to see that five others and I were the only ones saved. Afterwards, whenever I was in danger, I thought of that afternoon. PATRICK TRUELOVE - GRADE REMOVE

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A DAY IN THE TROPICS The rising sun cast long grey shadows on the jungle. Gradually the sun rose over the horizon, the shadows diminished and the jungle prepared for the day. The night made its last effort to keep the day out, but the light burst through. The sun now cast its radiant rays on the broad leafed plants, bathing them with energy and life. The silence of the morning had now ceased. The day had begun. The wildlife stirred and rustled about the trees; something jumped and in a flash again disappeared. The chattering of the monkeys filled the jungle with noise. Suddenly I saw a glimpse of colour, and real¬ ized, when it had disappeared, that it had been a bird. Mother nature demonstrated her overwhelming power for beauty and grace. It was obvious who was ruling here. Within the hour the storm ceased, and the afternoon sun shone brightly on the jungle. Slowly the sun sank into the west. Again the darkness challenged the light and this time emerged the victor. Once more it was night. MICHAEL HAMMOND - GRADE 7 EW THE DISCOVERY OF SPANISH GOLD The story lived, In the village square, That a cargo of gold, Had sunk somewhere. From early youth, A boy had thought, That he might find The very spot. With logs and rope He built a raft, And started his search For the sunken craft. Among the islands With steady hands He sailed his raft To a beach of sand. There in the shadows Still bright and gleaming He saw the old treasure And thought he was dreaming. But the gold was real, So he loaded his raft And while he sailed for home He laughed and laughed. ROYDEN RICHARDSON - GRADE REMOVED OUR TOWN Our town is a forgotten hamlet Grand Junction. The name is completely misleading as it is neither grand or a junction, except for two dried up creeks. These creeks flow only in spring and at this time it seems to enjoy leaping out of its bed to soak the livestock and dis¬ gruntled farmer, and to drown the newly planted crops. Just to sum up, Grand Junction is a town in the middle of nowhere. The people of this town are notorious for their inability to work. It must be hereditary for every child seems to inherit the lazy habits of his parents. There is Alfred, the barber, an insipid individual, tasteless and dull. There’s Mike the keeper of the general store who, when not working, hasn’t the faintest idea of how to behave. There’s Ray, the sheriff, who is concise as he can possibly be, and this sets an aura of humour about him. I remember that one time Ray arrested a man, who was later revealed as the mayor of the big city ten miles away, for parking overtime on a parking meter. The ghastly look on his face as he fainted was the most comical spectacle I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. There is Miss Jones, an elderly spinster, who is as noisy as a blue jay in mating season. Then there is Mrs. Gilford; as genteel as anyone could possibly be. The people are usually observed staggering down the street with the most comical gait, quite like a horse with a broken leg, and they hang out by the barber’s shop in a fashion that leaves much to be desired. The men are seen in faded blue jeans and plain cotton shirts, often unshaven and dirty, smelling of tobacco, fresh earth, vegetables and tractor oil. The women are seen also in blue jeans and extremely masculine blouses although they are frequently scented with cheap per¬ fumes applied lavishly to cover up the less dignified scents after a hard day in the fields or in the kitchen. The children are their parent’s pride and joy and follow their parents wherever they go. The town is not prosperous, mainly through the fact that most of the people lose what little drive they have towards the age of twenty-one. However the natives of the town seem content to carry on in their own lazy way, barely able to live off the dry soil that surrounds the town. MARK MILNE - GRADE REMOVE