DREAMS THAT CAME TRUE.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 945, 14 September 1901, Page 3

DREAMS THAT CAME TRUE.

A SERGEANT'S TALE. My regiment (2nd Battalion Black Watch) when stationed at the South Camp, AiderBhot, writes a competitor in the " Newcastle Weekly Chronicle," under the name of " Black Watch," received »rders to procoed t» the Curragh Camp, in Ireland, the route being by rail tc Portsmouth, thence per transport to Dublin, and rail to Ni wbridge. When the time drew near for the move, I superintended the packing of the regimental stores; and for mat purpose I procured a handy note-book, wherein I re. corded the contents of each package, labelled and numbered the same. After the stores had been all disposed of, Ihc whole of our annual supply of tartuu arrived from I'iinlico. The bales were labelled uud the numbers recorded, together with the contents of each bale; the whole were then despatched to the railway statiun. When the baggage arrived at the Curragh, it was deposited nn the Square near a hut which was occupied by the master tailor As the packages were brought to the stuios 1 marked each package oil my book as it was housed. When it wan i eported as all in ihe stores, I examined my hook aud found that there wa-s a bale of tartan (225 yard*) m.suing. 1 had the whole Knck brought outside again and reehecked; but it was not tin re; so I reported the loss to th. ipiaitci"master, who in turn reported to the Colonel. A messenger was sent to Newb idgc, telegrams to I'uitsmoiilh, A'.lcisliui, L)ublin, aud Malta, but no trace could be found of it. Three mouths had elapsed, when one morning, 1 had a diearn, in which I distinctly saw the baggage lying about the master tailor's hut. I saw 1n... come out of the hut and roll a bale of tartan inside, fiw-trn the door, take the wrapper olf, burn it, and then cover the tartan up with a blanket. Just at this point, I routed up, leaped out of bad, and jotted down on paper what 1 had dreamt. After 1 finished issuing nil ions, I made my way to the tailor's shop to ascertain if there was any l null in the dream. When 1 entered, lo and behold ! the shop was full of kilts. I then enquired of the master tailor how he came to have Mich a number of kilts, considering be was not making any for the regimeu jat the tune. He was completely taken aback, thinking we wouid never miss a bale out of such a liwgc number. 1 merely ordered him to take every kilt off the pegs aud march them all lo the regimental stores. Ou the way to the store huts. I met the Quartermaster, who iniiuircd what 1 had got there. 1 pointed to the kilts and replied, " That is the lost bale of tartan, and that is the man that took it" He was completely llabbeigasltd and retraced his steps to the stores. 1 then repeated my dream to him; this he reported to the Colonel.

I ordered the master tailor to bring the wrapper to the stores; he said that he could uot do so. as he had bin ned it. He deserted shortly after. So it was tluough my dream that we recovered 225 yards of tartan. This dream was known by everyone iu the regiment at the timo.

A SEAMAN'S EXPERIENCE. Another correspondent wiitcs:—ln the year 1671 1 was a seaman on boaid the barque •'CioMfiudcr," of Glasgow,bound irmn London lo Siugaporu. One line moonlight morning about 3 a, in., iu L.at, 15K., Lone. 'M K., with a light wind on the stai board quarter, I was asleep on tlia main hatch alongside u sailor nuiueii Koddl when all at onee lie sprang lo his feet exclaiming: •' My God, Jo you sec that V pointing to the starboard bow. 1 sprang up and locked iu tile dsrsctiou indicated, and replied: " I see nothing." " Oh, 1 have beeu dimming." he said. " I dreamt I saw a barque about two points on the starboard bow sieerlng the same course as us, 411:1 she was a muss of Haines; all her sails were set. and the flames were just reaching the topgallant sail."

We lay down and again went ta sleep, and when ivc got up he said: "I have had another dream. I dreamt that we picked up a boat nn our port bow with Iwelve nun in it. I saw their faces plainly, and it wan at. eight o'clock in the morning when 1 espied her'' The dream so impicssul him that it eight o'clock every morning he went to look for I he boat.

The captain, hearing of his dream, vailed him aft anil asked linn about it. He told him of both dioaius, and he said it looked like a sailing vessel's long boat with twelve men, a little grey-haired old man steering. On the eleventh morning he espied a boat, as he thought, about three points on the port bow ; ho went aft to the master, who looked through his glass. " Yes," said he.

" assuredly a boat, and trying to cioss our course." We boro down on lier, anil when near enough to see. there were twelve men and a grey-hircd and beardi d man strei ng He was the captain of the Uutch barque Amsterdam, from lti-tterdam for lialana. w'th a general cargo, partly spirits. We were told that she took liro eleven days leforeabout3 a.m. (the time of the dream), and, so sudden was the outbreak, that the erew had only just time to launch and pr - vision the boat and just get cd board. 'J he weather being very fine, they took in no Bail, and when last they saw the Amsterdam she appeared a mass of Hanie, the lower sails all on fire, and jnst reaching the top-gallant sail.