LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4537, 8 November 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THAT VKTEBAN. (Concluded.) "That running of dead men is a queer thing. Perhaps your eddioation may help 70a to understand it, but it beats me. I've leen it, though, many a time. I remember the dootor of our regiment say in e it was ♦ommonor among men hit through the heart. What do you think about it, sir ? " " Your doctor was quite right," I onswerod. "In loveral murder cases people who have been stabbed or shot through the heart hnvo Jono Burprißing distances afterwards. I never card of suoh a case occurring in a battle, but I don't see why it shouldn't. 0 " ' It happened onoe,' resumed my companion, 'when Codrington's diviaion were going up the Alma, and were close on the great redoubt. To their surprise, a single Bussian oamo running down tha hill against them, with his firelock in his hand. One or two fired at him, and seemed to miss him, for on ho camo till he got right up to the line, when a sergeant, as had seen a deal of service, gives a laugh, and throws his gun down in front of him. Down roob the Bosßian, and lies thore si one dead. Hod been shot through tha heitrt at tho top of the hill, and was dead before over he began that charge. At bast, tjhat.'* what the sergeant eaid, and we all belie vod him '"Ihero wo* another quocr incident of the flame sort which happened later on in the war. Perhaps you may have hoard of it, for it got into print at the time. One night a body, fearfully mang'ed and crushed, came stashing in among tho tents of the light division. Nobody could tr.ake baud •r tail of it, until Borne doaerters let it, out long afterwards. It seems that they had one old-fashioned sort of gun with a big bore in a Bussian battery. Now the night Was cold, and the poor dovil of a sontry thought he'd atow hitneolf away where he'd never bs teen, so he oreeps inside the big gun, and goes to Bleep there. In tho middle of the night there was a sudden alarm of an attaok, and an artilleryman runs up to the gun and touches it off, and the sentry wbb flying through the air at twenty miles a minute. It didn't muoh matter," added the veteran philosophically, "for he was bound to be Bhot any way, for sleeping at his poat, so it saved a dual of useless delay." "To a man who has seen co muoh of the world," I remarked, " this humdrum life in a Welsh village must be very slow." "If; is that, sir. It is that, sir. You'vo hit it there. Lord bless you, sir, if I had a gentleman like yourself to talk to every night I'd be a different man. I'll tell you one roaaon now for my coming to this place," here ho leaned forward impressively. " I'vo got a wife in London, sir, but I came here to break myself of the drink. And I'm doing it slow, but Bure. Why, three woekß ago, I oonld never sleep unleßß I had my five glaasos under my belt, and now I can manage it on three." "Waiter, another glass of brandy-and-Water," said I. "Thank you, bit; thank you. As you said jnat now, I have had a stirring life, and this quiet business is too muoh for mo. Did I ever tell you how I got my stripes I Why it; was by hanging three men —three men with these very hands." " How was that ?" I asked sleepily. "It was like thiß, sir. We were in Corfu,. three batterieo of up, in '50. Well, one of our offioprs— a lieutenant ho was— went off into tho rnonntuiuo to shoot one day, and he never oamo back. His dog trottod into the messroom, however, and began to howl for all the world like a human being. A party was made up, and followed the dog, who led them right up among the hills to a place where there was a ditch. There, with a lot of ferns and suohlike heaped over him, the poo? young felJow was lying with his throat out from ear to ear. Ho was a groat favourite in the regiment, and more particularly with tha officer in command, and he Bwore that he'd have ravenge. There wob a deal of discontent; among the Greeks on the island at tha time, and this had been encouraged by the priests— 'pappaB 1 they call them. Well, when we got back to town the captain calls all these poppas before him, and there were three of them Who could give no sort of account of themselves, but turned pale and stammered, and were terribly pat oat. A cour" martial was held, and the three of them wore condemned to be hanged. Now came tho difficulty, however, for it was well known that if anyone laid hands on a priest his life wasn't worth an hoar's purchase. They are very strict about that are the Greeks, and uncommon handy with their knives. The captain called for a volunteer, and out I stepped, for I thought it was my duty, sir, seeing that I had been the dead man's servant. Well, the troops formed square round the scaffold, and I hung them ao high as Hamaa. When the }*ob was over, the oaptain says, " Now, my ad, I'll eavo your life," and with that he forma the troopß up into olose order, puts me in the middle, and marches me down to tho quay. Thore wbb a steamer there jußt casting off her warps for England, and I was shoved aboard, the crowd surging all round, and trying to get at me. You never heard such a howl as when they saw the ship stoam out of the bay, and knew that I was gone. I have been a lonely man all my life, sir, and I may •ay that was the only time I have been honoitly regretted when llt ft. We searched the ship when we got oat to sen, and blessed if there weren't three Greek stowaways aboard, each with his knife in his belt. We kovo them over the side, and Bince I have ■ever hoard from them sinoe I fear they nay possibly have been drownad"; and the artilleryman grinned in high delight. " They mado me a corporal for that job, sir." " By the way, what is your name ?" I asked, getting more and more drowty, partly from the heat of the fire, and partly from a ourioua feeling whioh was stealing over me and the like of whioh I had never experienced before "Sergeant Turnbull, air; Turnbull of B battery, Boyal Horse Artillery. Major OampbtU, who was over us in the Crimea, or Oaptain Onslow, or any of the old corps, would be glad to hear that you have seen me. You'll not forget the name, will you, eir ?" I was too sleepy to answer. " I could tell you a yarn about a Zouave that would amuse you. He was mortal drunk, and mistook the Bussian lines for ours. Thay was having their supper in the llamelon when he passes the sentry as cool as may be — prisoner — j umps — colonel — free — -" When I came to mysolf I found that I was lying in front of the smouldering fire, and that the candle was burning low. I was alone in tho room. I staggered to my feet with a laugh, but my brain seemed to spin round, and I came down into my forjner position. Something was evidently amiss. I put my kand into my pooket to find out the time. It was empty. I gave a g»Bp of astonish' mont. My purge was gone too. I had been thoroughly rifled. " Who's in there ?" cried a voice, and a small dapper man, rather past tho prime of life, came into the room with a candle. " Blobs mj soul, sir, my wifo told me a traveller had come, but I thought you were in b«d long ago. I'm the landlord, but I've been away all day at Llanmorria fair." " I've been robbed," Baid I. " Eobbod !" oriod tho landlord, nearly dropping the oandlo in his consternation. " Watch, monoy— everything gone," I said despondontly. " What time is it ?" " Nearly ono," said ho. " Are you suro there is no mistake ?" " No, there's no mistake. I fell asleep about eleven, so he's got two hours' start." " There was a train loft about an hour and a half ago. He's clear away, whoever he is," observed the landlord. " You soem weak, sir. Ah !" he added, sniffing at my ghee ; " laudanum, I soo. You'vo been drugged, sir." "Tho villain! "I oried. "I know his name and history, that's one blessing." j "What was it? " asked the landlord eagerly. "I'll make every police station in tho kingdom ring with it till I teaoh him. It is Sergeant Tarnbull, formerly of B Battery." " Why, blocs my soul ! " oriod my companion. " Why, I am Sergeant Turnbull ol B BaUery, with medalo for tho Crimea and ! Mutiny, sir." " Then who the deuoe ia ho ? :> A light eeomed to bronk upon tho landlord j " Wos he a tall man with a scar on his fore- 1 head ? " ho asked. j " That's him ! " I cried. " 'Ihon I'.o'a tho greatest villain unhung. Sergeant, indood ! Be never woro a uniform excopt 1 convict's ia his lifo. Teat's Joe Kelcey." "And do you mean to say he nover was in tho Crimea?" 1 "Nut he, sir. Ho's cover been out of

jßnglaod, except onoe to Gibraltar, where he esoaped very oleverly." "He told me— be told me," I groaned; " and the officer with the stick, and the sporting colonel, and the running corpses, and the Greek priests— were they all lies ?" " All true as gospel, sir, but they happened to me, and not to him. He's heard me tell the stories many a time in the bar, so he reeled them off to you, bo as to get a chance of hooussing the liquor. He's been reformed, and living here quiet enough, but being left alone with you, and seeing your watch, has been too much for him. Come up to bed, tir, and I'll send round and let the police know all about it." And bo, reader, I present yoa with a Btring of military anecdotes. I don'c know how you will value them. They cost me a good watoh and chain, and £I<J> 7s 4d, and I thought them dear at tho price.