An Old Soldier's Reminiscences. THE "SENTRY" AND THE "SERGEANT'S GHOST."

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue LXVII, 30 January 1904, Page 13

An Old Soldier's Reminiscences. THE "SENTRY" AND THE "SERGEANT'S GHOST."

(By K. Bkzab.) In -was in 1855 I was stationed )n Malta with tlio "Second Divisional B.ittnlion," whicli was quartered in Vcrdella Barracks. I must explain that- term "divisional battalion" : In tlio Crimea, an is well known, tJio army was in divisions, therefore in Malta men were quartered togothcr belonging to every lcgiment in each division, and were drafted to their repetitive regiments as required. Ono day our battalion icreived twddon orders to pack up and move into camp, as tlio 51s>t Regiment had just amved and was to occupy our banaek.y. We soon made room for them, and ti ten minutes' march brought us to our new quarters. Our tent's wero pitched in a &quaro surrounded paitly by a low of wry ancient one-story building.*-, which must hn\o been erected about the timo St. Paul was wieeked on thu island. Speaking of St. Paul calls to my mind a joke a friend and myself pulled otf at tho expense of a dozen or so of our company somn timo later. Wo were in camp at St. George's Bay /or our annual mu.ikeiry training. One Sunday, being freo fiom noon to night, we suggested a visit to the old capital, Cittn Veeohia, and to get there wo had to go t>omo distance nlong a rocky coast and past St. Paul's .Bay, where the Apostle- was wrecked. Wo procured some paitly-decayed wood, and on our return said it was part of tho hull of St. Paul's ship, uhiuli was still hanging on the rocks. The next Sunday quite- a largo squad started off to view tlio remains of this ancient ship. They spent many hours fooling round for tho wreck, and then returned — not in tho best of temper. Wo (friend and self) saw them coining towards camp, so wo made tracks in an opposite direction. On reaching the touts they made anxious onquiriea for u.h, out we had nothing to dread, seeing that each of ( us possessed a badge of authority. The buildings round part of tlio camp were used as kitchens, etc., but -we slept in tlio touts. The ennip was very near the great and ancient "Polverstor Magazine," the largest on the Vtland. Judging by tho shot-holes, nnd even, somo shot still embedded in the Avails, it must have received somo attention at the hist or somo former sioge. Wo had not been in camp many days when ono afternoon, just as many were enjoying, their usual nap, tho report of a rifle rang through tho camp, which was, .of course, an unusual occurrence, and soon niauy were on the gui vive. The report came from it room used by a pay-fcergeant of tho "Buffs." lie hod put the muzz'.e of his rifle- in his mouth, and with a piece of string attached to tlio trigger and his foot had made a very cltectual job of it, his head being, blown nearly off. It was a, ghastly eight. Far better for him to havo met a. soldier's death at the- front, where ho would shortly have gone. Am it was a caso of* felo do so his renuins were buried in a rocky wasto not far from a road and just opposite a ft"ntry'."» post. Fronting this ro'id wero three magazines, about 150 yards apart, j sentries for which wero furnished from tho "Zebia Gate Guard." The remains i of the Rcrgcaut had been buried opposite j tho mast distant magazine. ]t must be j well known that in garrisons sentries ! have to cull ou! the number of their poxt nnd "AU'» well" about every half-hour. It, was about midnight — tho usual time for ghosts, ji it not? Tho sentry at tho outer magazine did not take up the call from tho one next to him. Word to this effect was passed on to the euardroom, nnd tho sergeant at onco puid v vit.it to the post. As ho drew near and was not challenged, vnrlouw were tho idea» 'that rapidly passed through his mind. Had tho man been murdcrrd, or had ho deserted? His mind was not long in doubt. The man was there-, but istrotched on the ground in front of his box. It took some timo. to gain any tidings of what bad happened. Then" tlio sentry, with much effort, said tho sergeant (meaning the one buried in front) came up to him is ho wa« standing at ease, called him to attention, and told him to "Shoulder inns." He said tho sergeant had no liond, but in every other respect ho was liko he had seen him alive. The sentry was sent to tho hospital, and died thrco lay* later. This event, as may bo supposed, ere itcd quite a flutter among us young sol,iiers. Tho locality was a most drear} ano at night, and there was a grnveyaid juito near. Future sergeants of that ?uard so arranged their men as to place | ho most experienced on that post; yell hat did not seem to pet over the- difli:ulty, for only a Meek or two passed ivhen another saw tho "ghost." lie. also »vent to honpital, but recovered after v three weeks' stay there. , Somo pDKts nro very Irying^to young noldiero, especially in foreign parts. I havo heard many refer to the feeling they had when, for instance, they had to go and kick the dooi of t» dfcadhouso at Tioapilals about every quarter of an hour to scare the rats aWay. Then, too, rhero havo been in years past many sontries murdered. ]n India it was onco a very common occurrence, /This is not a matter for surprise, considering the fact that many cantonments are unprotected by walls or fenco. We had an instance of this in Aden. Ono night, when nothing could bo heard but tho sentry's "All's well," the waves of tho bay just out hide, and the howl of tho jackal and the hyena— i ought perhaps to add, tho snoring of a few of tho men who were experts in that kind of doleful nrusic — a big black fellow utolo into the bungalow. It was supposed he had evaded tho sentry by coming round tho rocks from the mainland. All doors and windows woro usually open in this delightful spot, but fortunately tho centre lamp was nlwnya left burning during tho night. Tho man was seen turning, down tho bedclothes of a man and placing somo green leaves to his bare body. Another man a few beds away happenod to turn in his bod, ntid in d'oini; .<« opened his eyes. Tho darky gnl Fame pretty rough handling, and win taken and locked up in a cell at the prunrdroom. In tho morning there was r> great hubbub. The darky had tho amu'.lpnx. Then nil who had touched Timi ar been near had to interview tho doctor, and the cell was tabooed foi some time. It was supposed ho had been sent, to spread tho foul duk>a»e nmantr us. Mr. Rarssnm (who was one of tho four detained by King Theodore which resulted in tho Abysninum War in 1867), tho native at»pnt and interpreter, made enquiries, and it turned out tlio man wan insane, and ho wos packed off back to the mainland. Fortunately no ovil efforts arose from tho darky's nocturnal visit.

" Why don't you do something to impress youihclf R3 ono of the notable men of your time?" "Thai's a good icleu," answered Kcunlnr Rorglnun. "I'll writo to some miimirauluior this afternoon, anil find out what it will cost to havo a brand of ciguvs nuined after me, 1 ' There has always been a little friendly oninity betA\eon \V. S. Gilbert and a rival luimnriKt, H\r FrnnciK IJiuiifuul, the prrsont editor of Punch. Unco nt h dinner table some ono said : "I imppoio you often got good thing-s sent in by outsiders." "Occasionally," answered Buintmd. "Then why don't you print them?" baid Qilber'