Apologia pro sua vita

Sir,—I must apologise for this late reply to the letter of T. Cecil Rauparaha concerning his demise. I have been snowed under with matters relating to the sale of Sale's latest and greatest publication "Down the Garden Path."

The information on which our tribute to that great warrior was based was a cable sent by Chic Sale from the lower reaches of the Limpopo basin which read:

"T. Cecil Rauparaha passed away last night stop a surfeit of proof alcohol.

Chic Sale."

It was too late to check the authenticity of the wire before publication, but a later communication from Chic Sale made it clear that the insertion of the word "Stop" was a telegraphist's error.