AN OFFICER'S YARNS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3037, 2 January 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN OFFICER'S YARNS.

In- ' Life in tho Royal Navy' ((!. Chamberlain, Portsmouth), " A Ranker/' who has worked his way to tho position of warrant-oiliccr, gives soinn pleasant and graphic sketches of (hn daily round on board mm of Hnr ships, varied by a number of entertaining yarns. A TIT. OF WAR. Krom the lnttor wo take at hazard n story of the risks thn Uritixh seaman will run for tho sn*o of grog : We were moored alongside a small coaling wharf in English harbour, Antigua, which was enclosed by a wall about ton feet high, covered at tho top with pieces of broken bottles, in the ordinary way. "While here, grog was flowing into the ship freely, and our first Luff vowed that a British sailor seemed only to have to strike the rock with a stick, as did Moses, and liquor came flowing forth ; otherwise, said he, where could they possibly obtain spirits here, since the place is surrounded by jungle. That evening I landed for a walk, and when dusk had be.en followed by darkness I entered a "shanty," purchased two quart bottles of " Old Tom/' and found my way along the beach to the end of the wall, and then, as pre-arranged with my chum, gave a long lofr whistle. The signal was answered.

" Shad," I called in a low voice, ]\[y friend's name was Shadrick.

Tho tide was up, and I had to wade out some five or six feet into the water to reach the end of the brickwork. To do this I took e(T my boots and stockings, and, bottle in hand, proceeded into the water.

" Where are you V asked the voice on tliH other sicla.

" Here you an;," said I, as I put a quart bottle against the hand I could just make out, for fortunately it was very dark

" I can't roach it," said he ; " come a little nearer."

I went ; and the hand, after "roping all around the bottle, eventually got hold of my wrist. " That's not it," said I, as he gripped tighter and tighter. " Oh, isn't it '?" said ho. The truth dawned on ran just as the outline of a head stood out against the light of a lantern from the other side. I had been decoyed and betrayed. I instantly turned my head, and pulled with all the vigour that a square, well-set young man was capable of. As 1 pulled, the head was followed by the pair of shoulders and part of tho bust ef our old niaster-at-arms.

'•' Hold on, hold on," said ho, " I've got you ; it's no good. Pull back, corporal, pull mo hack," he added ; " i am falling overboard."

The corporal pulled his legs, I pulled his arms, the lantern on the other side fell into the soa ; and there, in total darkness, was the master-at-arms with his stomach against tha end of the wall, his legs on one side, with the corporal holding on like mini death.iuid shoulders with a good part of his body on my side, and his right hand fast gripping my wrist, from which ho dare not relax or he would inevitably fall into the water. It was " pull devil, pull bakw." Help arrived on their aide of the wall, but the ledge was too tsraall to admit of anyone helping the corporal to hold his chief's legs. On my side there was lots of room, hut no men. It was a tug-of-war between rae and the corporal, with the master-at-arms for a rope. Angry yells arose from the opposite side, " We've got you, we've got you," they said, " you had better come quietly" " Fetch a ladder," said tho commanding voice of the first Luff, who had just arrived. This was enough ; things were getting too hot. I made one final effort; it was no use, the corporal held his own. Then but one thing else remained. I yielded a little, and fixed my teeth into the nmster-at-arm'a wrist. At tho first touch he. relaxed, then let go, and his upper part fell into the water. The corporal stuck loyally to his legs and almost drowned him in consequence ; but eager rescuers, pushing behind the corporal, dislodged him, and saved their chief's life, for tho corporal let go of his legs in falling, and thus allowed his victim to get his head above water for'a breath before the last moment. " Stop him ! stop him !" shouted everyone; but no one scaled the wall or plunged into the water to swim around it. At the first tonch of liberty I regained dry land again, picked up my boots, and bounded into the junslo like a young deer. Through all tho wild luxuriance of a thick tropical jungle I sped, urged on by the shouts of those on thrs other side o!t tho wall. Cactus and prickly pear pierced my hands, arms, and legs; thorns, roots, and stones tore and cut my feet; but still I was compelled to urge forward from those who might at any moment be my pursuers. The road, at last, after that terrible half-hour in the jungle. I instantly sought the shelter of a friendly hut close by, on the side of a hill which overlooked the water, and from there viewed the commotion in the harbour, which was all alive with lights and boats in search of me, while two daughters of Ethiopia rid my hand?, arms, legs, and feet of the thorns and prickles with which they bristled.

The next morning I went on bonrd as usual, to the intouse relief of my old friond Shad, who, as ho explained, had been totally uuablo to give me either warning or assist-

nnco. During the forenoon I heard tho maslor-at-arms assure the first lieutenant that tho identification of tho culprit would bo quite easy when tho mon returned of! tho two days' leave half the ship's company was then enjoying-, as ho (the sergeant-at-arms) had left such marks on him as it would bo impossible to romovo with sonp and water, besides having torn his nether garments nearly olf and ridding , him of a considerable amount of hair and whiskors—my faco u-as then as smooth, as a billiard ball, and ray hair cropped short. ''No, sir," said he, "you will readily tlotoct tho rascal tho moment ho comes over the gangway," Ho repeated this information to an admiring , circle of his friends on the forecastle shortly afterwards, and assurred me, personally and confidentally, he was as certain of the man as if it was his own brother, and, although he would not then tell me his name, he had, as I should eventually see, in spite of being handicapped around the end of the wall" painted that fellow so that his own mother would not know him, and caused the blaskguard to draw his knife, which he saw flash in the darkness. He had no doubt whatever that, had he not relaxed his hold as he did, his hand would have been severed from hia wrist." I, of course, expressed my scorn, as I truly could, for a man who could be such a dastardly coward as to attack an honourable antagonist, like the raconteur, with a knife. The mon eventually e.ime off, but not the identification.