HOW TOM TURTON LOST HIS LEG.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 51

HOW TOM TURTON LOST HIS LEG.

(By Chas. A. Betjford, Auckland.)

Tom Turton was an artificial genius. By this it is not meant that he was artificially constructed either in body or mind. He was simply an enthusiast in mechanics, and might have beoome a great man if his talents bad not been misdirected. At the age of five he constructed wooden boats with a table knife that he had surreptitiously abstracted from the kitchen in the absence of Bridget, or while that lady was attending to her household duties ; and at 15 he had not only made a steamboat out of an old kettle, but he had made a new rat trap of snch complicated and wonderful construction that the rats stood up on their hind legs and admired it from a distance, but never ventured near. Unfortunately this desire to invent grew upon Jbim till it became a mania. He neglected the very alphabet of art — study. His thoughts night and day were of new construction or invention. He neglected, too, the companionship of those of his own sg«, and bis only friends were his chisels and saws * and vices and other dearly beloved tools. He had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and so had no need to trouble about establishing himself in life. His one gr^&t desire was to become an Edison or a S r ephenson or an Arkriglic and confer some lasting benefit on mankind, and in this laudable desire hs was encouraged by a doting and indulgent mother, who had a very ranch exaggerated opinion of her only son's ability. Afc the age of 20 be chanced to come across a picture of a wooden leg in a medical periodical, and immediately h^ set bis brains to work bo improve ib or to invent a better. This spring was wrong, and that catch should be so and so, and before many weeks had elapsed he announced to his mother hia intention of constructing a "self-adjusting wooden leg " that should supersede all wooden legs that had ever been made and prove a blessing to all those who had lost a nether limb. It was a complicated contrivance, snd altogether beyond his mother's power of understanding. He had to make many alterations and trials before it was ready to go fSrth to the world, bub at last it approached completion. His one great misfortune was that he had no acquaintance who could try ifc for him. If he could only see ie in actual use it j would give him confidence', bub be knew no j one wifch the necessary " stump." Ha thought j of applying for permission to try ifc in the local hospital, but on reflection came to the conclusion that be bad better not, as, owing to medical prejudice and jealousy, the leg j might not get fair play. j One day wbila walkisg near the wharf he came across a man of the genus tramp^hobbling along on a wooden leg. In a few minutes be and the man were sitting ia an inn in earnest conversation, and the turn affairs bad taken was satisfactory to both — to Tom because fee could prove the actual j practical utility of the Isg, and to the man ■ because it was the means of his obtaining grog, tha very thing be moat longed for in life. Shortly afterwards Tom called a cab, and took the man home to his workshop. Here the leg was fixed into its place, aad Tom critically examined it as the tramp walked up and down the room. It was unsteady, but so was the man. Tom did not notice this, and came to the conclusion that some of the screws and springs required tightening. Accordingly the man was engaged to corae next day, and, indeed, for tho next fortnight he attended daily, uatil Tom was quite satisfied ifc was as near perfect as it could be mads. He locked it up carefully after the man's last visit, but alas, what was his consLernation to find next morning it was gone. Tbe windo-w had been, forced and an entrance made, and no trace was left that would serve the police, who were at once called in, with a clue. Tom sat down affcar the officers were gone anc; fairly cried. He had no doubt whatever but that the object of the thief was to get possession of the secret of its construction rather than for its own wortb. He had expected to gain not only fame but untold wealth by it, and now ifc was gone. In the afternoon the police officer whom he had called in in the morning called again, and after making- some further inquiries respecting the tramp Tom had engaged said : " I'm afraid, Mr Turton, that you have a small chance of getting the leg back. The man William Brown has ifc, and he started this morning at daylight as cook in the lumber ketch Sarah Ann. His destination is Rio Janiero." " Rio Janiero ! " " Yes. No doubt you could get an extradition warrant and have the man punished, but ifc would cost a heap of money, and then, perhaps, you would not recover the leg." " I'll go myself by tbe first steamer. I'll be there first and wait the. scoundrel's arrival." Fate seemed against him. He caught the yellow fever, and only recovered in time to find that the Sarah Ann had arrived and discharged all bands, and that William Brown had left the ship like the rest. He searched the town, and a week later came across the man in. the market place ; bufc, alas ! he was on crutches and had no .wooden leg at all. Tom rushed across the road and accosted r him : . "Where's my leg, you blackguard 7 " " Your leg, sir 1 " replied William, quickly recovering himself from his Burpriso. " I dunno what yer mean." " Then off. to gaol you go ! Come, Browa ! Look here I 1 don'fc want to put you to -trouble if I get my leg. Where is it 1 I'll pay expenses." "Ay J You want me to cut my foot in it—

to turn Queen's evidence against meself — and j then you'll " "No, I won't. I'll give you a hundred pounds if you pub it into my hands tonight." " Can't be did, Bir 1 But I'll try and get it by to-morrow for the money — mind, it's a hundred and a full parding." •' Certainly I And a bottle of whisky thrown in." 11 Better still I I always thought you was a gentleman, sir ! But it ain't in my keeping now. I'll have to buy it back." It was a week before Tom again heard of the leg. It had been sold again, and he was informed that it was in the possession of a wealthy lady who resided in one of the suburbs. Knocking at the door he inquired for Miss Inez de Braganza, and was ushered into a room where the lady sat. His excitement was intense, and he vehemently asked : " Miss de Braganza, have you a leg 1 " ••Sir!" Inez sprang to her feefc, and her dark Spanish eyes flashed like living fire as she indignantly faced her visitor. At the same time a loud whirr-whirr sounded through the room, and she began to oscillate in an extraordinary manner. Tom recognised the sound, and it was the sweetest he had ever heard in his life, for he knew that one of the springs of his wooden leg had given way and caused it. To the oscillatory movement^of Inez he paid but little heed, as he knew the spring would run down in two minutes and aquarter — he had timed it often— and he patiently waibed. After a few convulsive swings she came to a dead stop. He explained that he inquired after a wooden leg. "Then," said Inez, "if it was the wooden leg you referred to, there was no harm done, but if you meant the other" Tom assured her it was not so, and esplained how he had made the leg himself, how he had lost it, how it had been sfcolev, i and how he had followed it across the ocean, and he asked her pardon for bis abruptness in his great anxiety to recover it. At this moment her brother came into the room, and the matter was explained to him. He had heard of this wooden leg from a sailor, and had bought ib for his sister. Now he did not care to part with it if it suited her. " Indeed, Alonzo,"she said, turning to him, " I think you might let this gentleman have it. Think how awkward it would be for me if, when in company, a spring broke and started that horrid noise and I began swinging about. No I I can sever wear is again." " There are 207 springs m it," interrupted Tom enthusiastically, "and 164 give it a vertical motior?, so you see that the chance is ' that if a spring breaks you would either move up and down or rotate like the earth I on its axis." l In the end it was decided that Tom should I have tbe leg:, and after a time he went home |to dy- a am of Inez. i Ifrorn this time his attention was about equally divided between Intz and the leg. He called for.it the next day, anfrof ten called afterwards, and he seemed in no hurry to start for home. Ab last he asked the all- important question, and was accepted. Trae! she- bad a wooden leg, bub the rest of her quite cornpanoated for this. Her raven locks, her olive complexion, her ruby lips, her pearly teeth, her soft musical voice, her bewitching smile, and, above all, her brilliant pieicing bazel eyes were attractions too great to be withstood, \ and be was hopelessly in love. The interval between the time of. his becoming engaged acd his marriPAge was brief. If it was a case of " another good man gone wrong," he never knew ib, for Inez was a good woman and made an excellent as well as a beautiful wife. A fortnight after his wedding he went on board the s.s. Paris with Inez on one arm. and ] tho leg wrapped, up in white calico to protec', ifc from damp on the other, and started tor home. *The leg was doomed never to leave " footprints on the sands of time," for when "two days out all hands were appalled by a terrific crash in the middle of the night. Bushing on deck Tom saw that a large sailing ship had run into the Paris, which was sinking fast. He rushed downstairs to save Inez and the leg, and presently came up with both — one on each arm. " Look sharp I " shouted the captain to him,, "and give that babj^to one of the men." " IC isn'fc a baby," replied Tom ; " it's an automatic, self-adjustable wooden leg." " A self -ad j ustable wooden grandmother I Didrt'c I say there was no room in the boats for any luggage 1 Throw ib over, Bob." A sailor s^izad it, and Tom saw it fly into the air and then fall into the sea with a great splash. The agony of that moment was awful. He scarcely felt himself lifted into a boat and then on to the other ship, for he was in a state of stupor. And floating about in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was that which he had thought wag to bring him in a colossal fortnne and make bis name famous as long as men worshipped great benefactors of the human race ! Now ifc was gone for ever. Without Inez he would have gone mad, bufc with her he slowly recovered. He gave up experimenting in mechanic?!, and now there is not a, happier couple in the land than he and she. He still believes, however, that he lost a fortune, and it may be he did.