COMFORT AND LUXURY 



and Roberts' cubicle, the main feature of which was a 

 ponderous shelf, on which rested mostly socks and other 

 light articles, the only thing of weight being our gramo- 

 phone and records. The bunks were somewhat feeble 

 imitations of those belonging to No. 1 Park Lane, and 

 the troubles that the owners went through before finally 

 getting them into working order afforded the rest of the 

 community a good deal of amusement. I can see before 

 me now the triumphant face of Mackay, as he called all 

 hands round to see his design. The inhabitants of No. 1 

 Park Lane pointed out that the bamboo was not a rigid 

 piece of wood, and that when M ackay 's weight came on it 

 the middle would bend and the ends would jump off the 

 supports unless secured. Mackay undressed before a 

 critical audience, and he got into his bag and expatiated on 

 the comfort and luxury he was experiencing, so different 

 to the hard boards he had been lying on for months. 

 Roberts was anxious to try his couch, which was con- 

 structed on the same principle, and the audience were 

 turning away disappointed at not witnessing a catas- 

 trophe, when suddenly a crash was heard, followed by a 

 strong expletive. Mackay's bed was half on the ground, 

 one end of it resting at a most uncomfortable angle. 

 Laughter and pointed remarks as to his capacity for 

 making a bed were nothing to him; he tried three times 

 that night to fix it up, but at last had to give it up for a 

 bad job. In due time he arranged fastenings, and after 

 that he slept in comfort. 



Between this cubicle and the next there was no divi- 

 sion, neither part)^ troubling about the matter. The 

 result was that the four men were constantly at war 

 regarding alleged encroachments on their ground. 

 Priestley, who was long-suffering, and who occupied the 

 cubicle with Murray, said he did not mind a chair or a 

 volume of the " Encyclopaedia Britannica " being occa- 



143 



