from the Kuala Lumpur Hash House Harriers 1500th Run Pamphlet

Kuala Lumpur, September 14th 1951

A bandit patrol of 12 men was surprised and attacked on the outskirts of the city early this week by men of the Suffolk Regiment, who had followed a paper trail laid by Harriers. Two bandits were killed and the troops are now tracking the survivors.

The paper trail was laid by two "Hares" of the local harriers, who have always refused to allow the presence of bandits to interfere with their evening exercise. On Monday evening they were scattering paper at the edge of the jungle for the following "hounds" when they saw a small shack in the jungle. This they thought rather ominous. They turned down a track and came across three bandits armed with rifles standing in the undergrowth.

The bandits appeared to be as surprised as they were, but the "Hares" looked the other way and ran to the nearest police station, after warning the "hounds" to give up the trail. It was followed next morning by troops with profitable results: substantial money awards for the harriers are expected.

The Times, September 1951

"We settled into our ambush positions in the jungle," the major told me, wiping the beer from his bristle, "automatic weapons trained on the path, and waited for the Communists to come. Suddenly we heard quick light steps up the track and" - he paused, banging his pewter tankard down on his knee with restrained violence - "hang it if fifteen chaps in vests and running shorts from the local harriers club didn't come trotting past as if they were on Hampstead Heath."

Dennis Bloodworth - An Eye for the Dragon