A MODERN HERCULES. BING THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF CORPORAL GROMMET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2244, 4 March 1897, Page 45

A MODERN HERCULES. BING THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF CORPORAL GROMMET.

Bx Gut H. Scholbfield.

QConcluded.') VI.— HOW THE CORPORAL GAINED HIS PROMOTION. The expedition of Sir John Dackwcrth to Constantinople in 1807 was as rash a pieoe of devilment as oar navy was ever guilty of. Firstly, the fleet was not strong enough to awe the Grand Turk into complying with oar demands; secondly, there was no reserve; and thirdly, there was nothing to be gained by success. I had repeatedly deprecated the policy of Lord Ooliingwood, the admiral on the Mediterranean station, in culminating this step ; bat, as yon know, the advice of one of my rank — though of my reputation — is never heeded. ■ Yon will recollect, my friends, that the Ajax, 74, was burnt off Tenedos and drifted on to the rocks, with great loss of life. I, Corporal Grommet, was serving aboard her, and Providence willed that I should be one of the 20 who were oast ashore on that accursed isle. It was the thick of night, and as we toiled up from the shore it happened that we came upon a company of Greek fishermen, who bad come ashore for the night and were carousing in a cave. Now, we had no cause against the poor Greeks at that time, and I confess many a man of our ship's company — those that were drowned at Tenedos — had apoken a etrong word against the Turks for them. Yet that was nob our argument-, and in times of war our best friends who fall into drink had often proved Bubtle enemies. So, grudging not the poor fishermen their carouse or their craft", we hastened to the shore, where we saw her lights, palled aboard her, and took possession. Then as a senior officer I took command, and we put to sea towards Gallipoli, with intent to fall in with the fleet on the voyage or join company in the straits. We soon fell into the manner of working the zebec, and on the fair breeze that was blowing we mada the~ Hellespont in a few hoars, having passed a French brig and a corvette off the Cape, that my men' had a great inclination to capture. But as we were too poorly manned to navigate two more vessels we left them to the fleet to bring along, and stood on towards the forts. Undtr easy sail we approached, cautiously feeling our passage, and at length brought the convenient little zebec close to under the Turkish battlements without challenge. You will think this was an imprudent step in the , pitchy dark, my friends. Indeed, for 20 ! ordinary sailors— even British — it was risky, .even brave. Bat Corporal Grommet was one. Having made her fast, I kept the men below, lest any unknown flash from the lubberly. Turks on the fort should discover as to the Faynims. I busied them searching the craft and rigging themselves oat in the fashion of the country, as they found garments to clothe thorn ; so that, thus employed, they would leave me unmolested to mature my plan of action. It was dark, but I distinctly saw the masonry walls, the wavelets toying at their base and phosphorescing stars of light far away into the night, the daik embrasures, the darker muzzles of tha long brass mortars that lay on the esplanade, the white tompions of the heavy guns mounted on the forts, and above all the outline of the battlements, cold, blue, bard. I sat on the tiller of that craft and meditated — how that I had remonstrated and argued against, raved ai, denounced and deprecated the folly of such an expedition, gach a falling into a cul-desac from which exit was barely possible, sach a waste of life, an abandonment of honour, a shattering of reputation merely to pleaee a few figureheads at the Admiralty, and edify those who seek to magnify oar glory on our discomfiture. My friends, I rebelled ; my heart bled for those poor Beamen — mere machines — thrust to the ports as ruthlessly as bricks to fill a breach. For myself I cared not ; but my honour revolted against gaining glory on the blood of my countrymen. In a few minutes my meditation- was over. I had conjured a plan that alone could save the British fleet from annihilation or capture by those Moslems. Though fully aware that I would risk tbe moat . precious life in the fleet, I bowed to the dictates of honour and obeyed. " -' * I sprang from the tiller, dashed aside a pair of Turkish burnooces I held in my hand, and went to lower a light caique from the vessel's waist. It was the work of a moment to get it into the water and push off to the forts jast ahead of the zebec. Groping along the wall, I soon found a ring just below an embrasure, cast the skiff adrift, and mounted. With great difficulty I clambered up the slippery stones and peered in. Someone moving before me had just become visible, when " Bang 1 " a tremendous roar from the alternate guns along the sea-front fairly shook the solid masonry, and knocked me, scorched and dezsd, against the carriage. My limbs bruised and head racked with pain, and I could find neither strength nor courage to rise. In the flash I saw the gunners moving: about the guns, the sentries crouching by their arms, and the pileß of granite balls which these gnat guns propelled against our ships. But t had seen more — the British fleet at the b:;rbour mouth 1 I had a mind to raise mysell and cheer, but it was well that I did not, for even as I thought a lubberly gnnner cast a cleaning-rod down beside the eon dealing me a fresh and not icconsiderIble' wound. He tramped off to his friends, and I was beginning to breathe freely, when another man approached and cried : « Inshallah ! Who goes there 1 " 1 made no reply, but crouched close into the darkness. * . « Who goes there ? " ~was repeated in a voice that "called for no child's answer. "Ul Islam ! " I replied with ready resource, md had the intense satisfaction of not again hearing bis voice. The footsteps receded,

the clamour of gunners and noise of working guns died away, and soon that of the snoring 'sentries had taken its place. Then my time for action had arrived. Painfully I arose, and stealthily reconnoitred along the whole line of guns. - Two slumbering sentries there were, one away from the gans altogether, the other lying against a carriage. I had provided myself with a great quantity of old nails from the zebec, and with these I commenced to spike the guns, starting- with that farthest from the sentry. The wind had freshened, and the sea rose in fury, so in the friendly sound of the elements my work was not discovered, and I lay on right heartily until I reached tbe Turk lying against the gun. It was a bitter work of fate, my friends, for even as I approached h« opened* bis eyes. His first move on seeing me, an Englishman, before him was towards the tinder and fanes, but it was bis last. Quick as lightning I brought the iron hammer down on his head and bore him to the ground senseless. I finished spiking the guns in peace, and than, my friends, I had left the forts in their impotence and returned to the zebec ; bat my skiff bad sailed out to sea. So there was nothing for it bat to difguise myself and re* main with the Turks. I consoled myself, however, that I might perhaps have farther opportunities of adding to the safety of our fleet and the glory of England, which is ■always the first thought of a brave and loyal man. That I might pass with the more safety among these strange people and work for England without fear of detection, I robbed tbo sentry of his uniform and donned it over my own, throwing the wretched Moslem through ihe embrasure into the Hellespont. But my work had jast began Padded and impeded with the thickness of two uniforms, and unaccustomed to the loose, clumsy drees of tha Turks, I commenced to cast the piles of granite balls into the sea. It was a task for a man, my friends, and through that long dark night, the wind howling about the forts and the rain beating in my face, I persevered. As I wearily lugged a particularly heavily ball towards the wall I was conscious of something moving In an embrasure. I came to a bait and looked. " Corporal Grommet," cams an English voice from the wall. " Ay, ay, sir," I replied huskily. •' Ajax, sir. I'm Jackson. Aren't you coming aboard again, sir 1 " " Corporal Grommet is on duty," I whispered. " Silence, blackguard 1 " I continued, as he made to remonstrate. He took no heed, but went on prattling, ; until, fearful that he would raise the forts on us,- 1 could bear with him no longer, and hurled the huge ball through the embrasure into the darkness beyond. There was a groan, a wild clutch, and then two splashes in the water below. A minute later, when I cast a bail down, it struck something with a sound as of wood, and I bad no doubt that several more of that class of Englishman who come behind to dull one man's glory by attempting to build up their own upon it had gone to a fitting end. ■ Until daylight broke across the Asiatic hills I laboured at my tack of heaving the balls, and continued to deprive the Turks of the greater part of their destructive power ■< in the forts, and it came as a disappointment to find that I had still a pile of nine balls to dispose of when daylight made it too dangerous to persist. I cast a curse at tbem, and cautiously peeped over the wali at the zebec. She had dropped down stream a little., and I was coming round to a great foresail. There was a large hole in her deck, from which a huge rent ran fore and aft. I had no doubt ; that she bad swung to her anchor and come • under my destructive hand during the night. There was no time to waste. Every moment was now hazardous ; so I went to a gun — the same that the Turk bad sought the shelter of — and Boon dropped off to sleep. When I awoke — I know not whether the clumsy Turks or ths mid-day sun beating full upon my face had broken my sleep — the parapet was covered with soldiers of all arms and nationalities, as it appeared. Here were a few raw infantry recruits from Bulgaria ; there a sergeant* guard of spruce Greek artillery; there again a posse of eluegish zaptiehe, called in from tbe streets? of Gallipoli; again a detachment of smart-kilted Albanians ; and finally a few frowning and indolent Circassian cavalrymen sauntered about, scowling sullenly at the British fleet passing up the straits. As I rubbed my eyes and looked about, the governor of-the fort — a bearded, cricked, and crimped pasba — ascended the stairs from the courtyard and stepped on to the battlements, followed by his staff, as I surmised. They walked along the sea front examining the guns with grave faces and cautious gesture?. I felt that it was htzardous to await their approach where I lay, so I rose and ensconced myself among the throng . of loungers. At length the governor reached the last gnn and the truncated pile of granite projectiles. For a long time they stood and gazsd. Then the governor stepped forward and looked curiously over the wall, and then gave way to his passion. He swore " BismiUahl " " Insballah I " and " Maßhallah ! " He dashed his spurs on the stones, beat his scabbard on the guns, tore off his fez, and rent his garments. I felt that I had barely come off with my life ; but fortune favours the brave. The uncouth soldiers of all arms now scrambled below, and I among them. We took a ha6ty meal, from which W8 were called by the confused and promiscuous peal of bugles. J. knew that I was safe from detection. No acquaintances were ecgendered in those motley brigades at that time, constantly being re-formed and reorganised as they were from raw and rough drafts from every quarter of the Osmanli dominions. I fell in with those who wore a like uniform to that I had appropriated, seized a rifle, and we marched out of the fort; alo»g the beach. There was no order. We just went in a square crowd and tramped as we pleased towards Gallipoli. There some of us were drafted to sail to Constantinople, and Corporal John Grommet was picked to serve against the British. Well, my friends, I did it, and I felled more than one of my own messmates who,

over-eager to storm the entrenchments at Prota, would have fallen into the hands of the Turks. So their friends carried them off safe. Then we returned to Gallipoli. The zebec was there Btill, my men unable to navigate her, and I stole aboard in the dark. When the fleet returned we joined again, picked up off the straits. The fire from the forts did no damage. I had robbed tbem of their venom. They robbed me of my glory, aB you shall see. When the court-martial was held I answered all like a man, and here is the finding:— " The sentence of this court this day sitting under the Articles of War of his Britannic Ma j«Bty King George 111 is that you, John Diomedes Grommet, for distinguished services rendered to your King and country, and conspicuous bravery at Gallipoli in tbe face of the enemy, be promoted to tbe rank of sergeant of mariner, or boatswain, at your own pleasure." Tha officers then rose and congratulated me in turn, and my cutlass was returned to me, to be still worn in the honourable service of my King and country. And then, my friend* — ah I such are men I—then1 — then I was staggered ; for Sir John again arose and thus delivered himself : « " And further, the sentence of this court is that you, Sergeant John Diomedes Grommtt, for the murder of Jonas Jackaon, A.8., at Lestos Castle, be degraded from the rank of sergeant this day conferred upon you to that of A.B. or private, and be deprived of your uniform before the whole fleet under this command." My friends, it was preposterous. I—l,I — I, Sergeant Grommet; I who had saved the fleet ; I who, but for the jealousy and pervicacity of a set of worthless upßtarts, had saved the repntation of England ; I who had given life and limb to the guns of the enemy to bo thus requited 1 It was cowardly ; it was dishonourable ;it was disgraceful, and I said so. With a look of disdain I left the cabin — for ever. My own marines threw me into the cockpit, a And then the degradation, my friends I It had broken anyone ; but I was a man. I believed in my bravery that it would some day lead to promotion, and it had done it. I am not an admiral of the white, the red, or the blue. I left the Bervice after Gallipoli.