A Queer Law.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 53

A Queer Law.

The Waterman's Story.

We had (o cro^s the ferry; vo we walked down the little stone slip ond stepped into the boat. The ferryman looked at us in a deprecatory way — v/c were but. two, and it w?s a long pull to the other side. Ho scanned the bank in the hope of seeing other wayfaiers approaching, but there were none. Presently, with a grunt of discontent, he pushed off from the shore.

Tho waterman was middle-r-ged, woatherboaton, and toil stained. As he grasped the oars one could not but notice his hands, hard and rugged, with Iho nails split, broken, and worn away. One nail, indeed, was cntirolj' gone, and in compensation the whole finger end appeared to ha\e become a horny protuberance. "The tide seems rather strong to-day," ync of us remarked diffidently. " Yes, it runs very strong." " liupiness good" "Tolerable well. I Icrst 'alf a day this morning, though." " Indeed, how was that?"

" Waved a man last week."

This answer was mysterious. We asked him to explain. He was nothing loth, lor ho had a grievance to ventilate.

" 'E had some beer in 'im at the time, I believe ; anyhow, he tried to drown hteself, but 1 shoved eft' the boat and fished him out. 'E was 'most gone, though. I brought 'iin oshore an' rubbed lmn do-.rn, an' that ; so at last he come to. Then the copper takes him in tow, and I 'as to go with him to the p'lico f-tation. Next clay he was charged, and I 'ad to bo there; then he was remanded for a week, and in ooorse I 'ad to bo there again— that was to-diy. And what do I p,et for it all? (Disgustedly) : Why, nuffin'."

We looked sympathetic. " That was rather roush on you." "It's a queer law, nin't it? If he'd been dead, I should ha' got five shillin' on 'im."

We vveio tickled by this anomaly, but not So the ferryman; he had become contemplative. Perhaps he was thinking of tho many glasses of becv that 5s would purchase. Tiescntly, however, he resumed his disconnected talc. " Yoii sgg, jhe Royal 'Oomane Society don't give nothing for sooicides." "No, really?" " If a man jumps in on purpose, you can't claim. They say as how if they paid on sieh, fellen. would go jumping in to go shares in tho reward. How, last year a boat uppets jest 'ere, and four of 'em were in the water at oi.-ie. I saved one and got a pound from the society, lint if it had been a sooicide I couldn't have claimed. Mind you,' 1 he continued impressively, "if you was to jump in the water und I didn't go for to save you, I should get into trouble; and if I did' fish you out 1 get nuffin'. It's a hard law."

E\idenlly our ferryman sees nothing romantic in saving a life. He had saved so many. "Well, 'c said 'c had some beer on board, fo they let 'im orf with a caution to-day, on account of his wife and family. 'Then I gets nuMin',' T pays lo the magistrate. 'No,' 'c says ; 'we hd,vo no authority to give you anything.' 'It's a queer law, your worship,' I says. ' Well,' 'c pays, ' that's how it is, you can only look lo the prisoner.' And the prisoner, 'c soys, 'I've a wife an' family, an' no money.' So there it was." "Certainly in such a case you ought to be reimbursed for your lost time."

" That's what I says. T lost altogether mcre'n a day. Now what I think is this: if they want to punish attempted suicides, why not put on a small fine pnd pay the amount to the man what did the saving? The court can see they gets the money from the other man artevwards. 'Pears to me I were the only one what lost by the business ; why, tho prisoner got a week's free living!" — St. James's Gazette.