"CHARLEY" BERESFORDS ESCAPADE.

Evening Star, Issue 12982, 19 June 1908, Page 6

"CHARLEY" BERESFORDS ESCAPADE.

I was special correspondent with the Channel squadron of the English fleet two years ago, when the naval manoeuvres were in full swing. I wag one of a party on .board the flagship at dinner, and Lord Charles Bcresford, Commander-in-Chief of the British JSavy.was onr distinguished host. Somebody had been chaffing Lord Charles about nis experience as a midshipman, concerning which many anecdotes had been written, for the great Admiral, when a boy, was what vJv. £?&** People used to call " a ybung i .. ? e was ' wllat °W sea-dogs would call a hard case," always in mischief; always in trouble, and out of it. "Well," said Lord Charles, "I'll tell you a story that never rightly got into print, so tar as I know, and it was the greatest joke I ever had and the only bit of misdhief tor which I was never spanked, I believe, yet most serious of all my early sins of the in.chievous order. I was a middy then, about two years at the game, and we were cruising around Teneriffc. We got leave one dav and went ashore at Santa Cruz. You know what a beautiful old place it is. You will see that old garden there with the date written up over the gateway—ls7s—to this day. Just what Madrid might have been 150 years ago, and not changed at all. The muleteer .IJI drives his- sprmgless cart over the cobbles in the main streets, the lieutenant in. his blue uniform and with tight-hitched sword still struts along the thoroughfares, and the senorita, in her lace mantilla, still looks down at him from out of her brown eyes as he walks under the balcony. Just '.he same as ever. Well, you know how, when you go into the Cathedral—a beautiful ">!d place—the Spanish guides take great .ins to show you the flags they took from us at the' storming of Teneriffe—the only ccasion on which Nelson ever lost a fight, fhey keep the flags in a great wooden chest, like an old grandfather's clock arrangement, attached to the wall in the sacristy, and when visitors go in the guides unlock this chest—at least, they used to. I believe they flon't now, but simply point out the flags (o you and let you see them in the case, vhich has a glass front. Well, there were 'wo or three of us boys together, and these -uides got so cheeky "and put on such airs vhen showing us these flags, and telling us how they 'took them front the English,' hat we got mad, and I remember snatching he flags out of the hands of one of the idiots and making off as fast as I could. We three if us ran for the jolly-boat that was waiting it the steps at the main landing, and before vc could be caught we were off and away o the ship. Of course the officers thought we boys had been up to some of our pranks, .uid had been chased by the police or feomehing. I got the flag 6 aboard without atracting anybody's notice, and hid them next lay in the hold. Well, I had no sooner come ip from below when a deputation from the viand comes aboard the flagship and tells he story about the theft of these flags. Then the bo's'n of our watch told that he had seen me with some flags, and I was hauled up. I was locked in a cabin, and suffered all sorts of things, but for some lotion that I had got in my head I refused 'o tell where the flags were hidden. The boat was searched, but I bad hidden them securely. Well, there was an international ow it; that was what It developed into, ind there came very near being a war—so 1 •vas told afterwards."

"Well, did you give up the flags?"—"Oh, yes; I got a cabl- Tom my "'"Mit. vhn v■■•• n England. She had been cabled to by the Admiral, and she sent nic a message : :»i ny sake, give up the flags.' So I went belo" i'd got them, and took them up to th< skipper, and I never heard another worn bout it.''—Francis Walker, in the 'Nov, i'ork World Sunday Magazine.'