THE HAUNTED CASK.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 389, 10 November 1874, Page 2

THE HAUNTED CASK.

The day which followed that of Bill Sawyer's memorable vow was marked by something which the methodical Judge TJppinlaw chronicled in his diary as follows: ' Wednesday, the 14th, at 10.30 a.m. precisely, an event occurred.' The ' event' in question was the appearance of a dark floating object, standing apparently right across the bows of the steamer. The passengers clustered along the side to watch it, and conjectures flew from mouth to mouth: 'A porpoise!' 'A shark!' ' A whale!' 'Apiece of wreck !' But none of these guesses proved to be correct — it was only an empty cask. 'Where can that have come from?, asked Mr Chutney, staring at it as if he expected it to enter into a verbal explanation. ' Don't you know V answered Ensign O'Naughtie, in an awe-stricken whisper. ' It's followed us all the way from Bombay, to demand the release of its twin-brother, unlawfully detained by Mrs Errington.' This explanation so tickled the fancy of the sailors (several of whom were standing within ear-shot), that it speedily flew through the whole ship's company ; and, for some time after, whenever anything was seen floating towards them, the tars would call to each other : ' Look out, Jack — here's another o' them brothers a-comin' ! ' But this marvel was eclipsed two days later, by one far more considerable. About noon on the ensuing Friday, one of tho ' look-outs' gave notice of something on the starboard bow, which looked like the hull of a small vessel. A nearer approach shewed the stranger to be a complete wreck ; and the captain, more to clear his conscience than with any hope of doing goodj sent a boat off to her, in case any living thing should still be on board. The literary M.P. fired with the brilliant idea of drawing an historical parallel between this wreck and the Indian Army, obtained permission to accompany the exploring party, and took his place in the stern-sheets with an air of austere dignity, turning a deaf ear to Ensign O'Naughtie's offer of a piece brown paper to wrap up the wreck and bring it back with him. All eyes eagerly watched the course of the boat ; and when she was at length seen to run alongside the wreck, the spectators let their imagination riot in speculations as to the contents of the stranger, and the history of her mishap. One enthusiast, just in The Count of Monte Crisio, hinted at cases of priceless jewels and plethoric bags of doubloons ; anothei , of a gloomier turn, pictured a deck heaped with corpses, and crimson with blood. The young engineer suggested that the crew must have eaten one> another, and that, the last man had probably died of indigestion. The ladies brushed up their recollections of the Flying Dutchman, and comforted themselves by recalling the testimony of the best authorities, that he is only to be met with off the Cape.* At length the boat returned, and the adventurous M.P. made his appearance visibly chop-fallen. 'It's a flagrant swindle, sir!' he exclaimed, in his favourite ' denunciation of the Army Estimates ' tone and manner. 'There is nothing on board worth seemg — nothing at all, in fact, except a number of empty casks.' 'What! more casks V cried Judge Uppinlaw, startled out of his dignity by this fresh recurrence of the universal bugbear. ' Just as I feared,' said Ensign O'Naughtie, in a tone of calm despair. ' All is over with us. That one we saw floating the other day must have gone and told all the rest, and now they're all coming at once. 1 ' Sir, this is no laughing matter!' broke in Mr Chutney indignantly. 'Itis a palpable infringement of the liberty of the subject ; it is persecution, sir — persecution in the worst sense of the term ! Good Heavens, gentlemen ! are we, a body of respectable men and British subjects, to be actually haunted by a swarm of casks, as if one of us had murdered a wine-merchant, or (what would be even more reprehensible) omitted to pay his bill? I cannot stand it. It's positively wearing- my life out. If I were to die at this moment, I should solemnly aver that I died of ' A determination of casks to the head,' put in the young engineer slily ; and the company, who. were well acquainted with Mr Chutney's convivial habits, laughed with such hearty good-will that the insulted potentate was fain to retire in high dudgeon. But it was fated — though he knew it not — that he should be speedily and surely avenged. At the Cape they picked up two or three roystering sportsmen, whose coming (gave fresh life to the flagging diversions of the ' cabin society.' Various amusements had by this time come into fashion ; and the new arrivals, actively assisted by Ensign O'Naughtie and the young engineer, set themselves manfully to the promotion of these, and the devising of fresh ones. Quoits were popular with the young subs, many of whom had not yet worn off the skill acquired at Eton or Kugby. The Indian sportsmen and their African confreres held daily target-practice at floating bottles ; while the ladies, with their usual thoroughgoing partisanship, lost and won countless, pah's of gloves upon the competition. Whisfc, ecarte, and chess found favour among the civilians ; but all alike bore part in the waltzing, which took place on the after-deck every night, with decorations contrived by the hundred-handed steward, and a profusion of coloured lamps, 'to assist the moon/ as Ensign O'Naughtie patronisingly remarked. There was even some talk of private theatricals (there always is on these long voyages, and it never comes to anything), but tho scheme broke down at the first rehearsal, nobody appealing to do much except the prompter, whose duty seemed to consist in reciting the whole play at the top of his voice. Meanwhile, Mrs Errington's flirtation with the major appeared to most observers to have died a natural death ; just as when the guns cease firing to let the assaulting column rush on, men unveiled in war might think the seige abandoned. For several days she had sedulously avoided him ; and he, singularly enough, appeared not a whit cast down thereby. Love is not always blind ; and what he saw might well give him courage. Mrs Errington's short-lived confidence in her power over this strong will and daring nature had vanished as suddenly as it came. She could not forget the stern emphasis of the words which rang in her ears night and day : ' In your presence I must tell the truth, come what will V His tone and manner had told it only too clearly already ; and she felt that, when he came to utter that truth in actual words, she must perforce answer him plainly, without artifice or evasion. And what answer was she to give \ The time had been when she could have laughed him into silence, or abashed him with a look ; but now, she dared not even attempt it. For it must always be, that, sooner or later, however caprice or passion may for a time reverse their positions, the strongest nature will assert itself, and the weaker give way. Every woman feels instinctively, that, in making a man bow down to her, she is not in hey right place \ that her nature is to worship, rather than to bo worshipped ; and that this temporary ascendency must one day be atoned by utter surrender. Well

* Considering that we call the Dutch a prosnic people, it is rntiier odd that t ho finest su permit urn 1 legend extant should bo fatbereil upon them. Tbo Noree tuiditiong, howerew contain a Eumewhat similar story.

may she entveat tor time to consider such an alternative ; but time is precisely what her antagonist ■will seldom if ever allow her. (To be continued.)

Mr Barton, in recently defending a charge of cattle stealing in Dunedin, remarked that our aquatters (mentioning Lord A and Lord B) could allow their cattle to stray for several months, and not exert themselves to find them. They could recline upon their , magnificent couches and read " Ouida," or listen to some charming music. All they had to do, if any cattle were lost, was to put the motion against some suspected cockatoo, and say, "It's all right; the Supreme Court is my Chief Shepherd ! " The learned counsel also spoke of the cattle alluded to in his case as " spiritualistic cattle," because they were said to be in several places at the same time. Ho suggested that a certain lawyer, who was a prominent member of the Society of Investigating Spiritualism, should have, conducted that case for the Crown. The remarks naturally oaused much amusement. — Times. A smart thing has occurred in Wanganui over the serving of a summons. A well-known parson not having settled up accounts with his servant on her leaving, she took out a summons against him for wages. The parson-* expected it, and seeing the bailiff coming towards him in the street, he mounted his horse, which had been standing at a post, and applying the spurs, went off with the velocity and somewhat of the grace of John Gilpin. The bailiff being also mounted went in pursuit, and the chase though a stern one was not a long one. The bailiff's horse was the faster nag, and overhauling the parson, the ingenious limb of the law dropped the summons into the clergyman's pocket, crying out triumphantly " served." Both drew rein and the feelings of the clericus can be better imagined than described-