THE MAJOR AND THE TARGETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14103, 3 July 1909, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE MAJOR AND THE TARGETS.

It was at Caterham—Caterham is, in Surrey, come seven miles south of ' Croydon —that a certain volunteer major, who was musketry instructor to his regiment, distinguished himself ; rather unfavourably, as it "happened, somewhere about the time when the last Boer war broke out. He was very keen on certain matters connected with soldiering, rifle-shooting (by others), transport matters, ■ and —— whisky "'. At least, so it is said.' He had invented a new range-finder, which he was endeavouring to get adopted, and, for some reason or other connected with this, was present at range practice. He had' been talking to the officer in charge about his range-tinder, when the latter, whose attention had been drawn elsewhere for a short time, suddenly missed his companion. No one had seen him walk-off, nor indeed did his departure arouse any interest, until a sergeant in charge of one of the squads observed a peculiar excrescence ,on the butt, between the targets at which his own and another section were engaged in volley practice. A glass was brought to bear on the suspicious-looking.lump,, and the cease fire" ; being sounded, a party went out to reconnoitre. •. This discovered the volunteer major calmly seated between the / targets, ■ smoking a cigarette. An explanation being demanded, he explained that he was anxious to, go to the front, and in anticipation of his "application being accepted, he wished to experience the sensation of being under fire. He had actually crawled in front of one of the targets while a " full section were blazing away at it, so that his miraculous escape from death practically '■■. passes r belief. ' - -.-... The .matter, was hushed up, but the authorities ; did ; not i; see ; their way to accept his volunteered serviced Even > his own regiment suggested that he ;: had served - his country long enough, and - accepted ■• his resignation, on the grounds that an undue curiosity is out of place where military affairs are concerned. Under three wills which have just been • proved in England, - £15,000 is left •to servants, and £19,000 to charities.