Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1827-10-17
JatsrellameomG Departmemt.
ABSENT WITHOUTLEAYE.
Eronl Tie NIiliinru

In many, if not most, of the regiments of our army
there is to be found sort OF officer who priv leged
oddity,-who takes liberties with all his brethren OF the
mess with impuuy, aud who pockets every thing short
OF blow with the best possible huTor. In general the
individuals of this description are designated in the
mess room vocabulary, "Good-tempertd old stngers,
and sold Sticiers meaning thereby that they 'go"
1t the bottle; aud 'sck at the table" till ''a!s blue"
One of these, quartertnasier OF infantry, with
nose of the genuine Bardolph complexion. rosy and
eternal smile, short figure, and big head, having
diued with a party of brother officers at the Three
C9ls, Harwich-,he day on which his regiment
marched into the barracks Of that town-was in tho
best possible umor much So that he gave the bottle
no rest until about eleven o'clock and became "glo-
r:ous' Just the company broke Upright or wrong
he 1couid go along with three OF the youngest suba-
terms 10 rambe By the seaside in the shine, ha-
wing been $50 Tong l. the sun" They permitted him
reluctantly perhaps, indeed, because they could no,
him. but when the party got down the place
where passengers and goods generally embarked
the quaItermascr became totally overpow cred. and
sank senselcss into snore The officers whom he
accompanied could not think of carrying his c0rDus
back 20 the inn; nor were there many persons near
whom they could employ c- the purpose; of them
opened the door of private carriage which stood near
'unsPped from its whecls-ready for and
IN moment the sleeper was bundled into il, where he
was left to his repose with the door fast shut r.'on him.
Next morning at day break (about three O'Clock !
| the coach, with IFS contents, was put on board the
Hamburg packet, and slowed away at the very b.,-
tom OF the hold in hafaa hour after this the vessel put
J to sea.
For the whole Of the day the packet had br,s,
breeze, aud at midnight good hundred miles
way from Harwch; dead calm set in 1t was beau
tiful night in Jnly and the passengers were not all
gone TO bed; some walked upon the deck, and others
sat below at Cards-every thing silent except the
rattlinS OF the ropes as the ship yielded the smooth
and gentle swell of the sleeping North Sea. About
tins time, the quartenasier, is supposed awoke at
least he had not been heard before TO utter his com
paints probably from the hustle consequent on the
managing of the vessel in stiff breeze. However
IT was at this time that his cracked and buried voice
first fell upon the of the crew an, for about twen
{ " minutes the panic il created is ndescibablc F,n
whist company in the cabin at first thought il was one
of the sailors in chest and called the captain wIo
declared he bad been that minute examining into the
cause o. the unearth!y sounds, and had mustred his
crew, all OF whom were on deck, much asonished
as de was-nay, more so, for one of them, Welsh
man, felt convinced that the voice proceeded from the
speaking trumpet or the ghost of David Jones' his for
mer spp mate. 'who had died in i'll will with him.
I Observation-Disclosures now arose
upon all ears, If the at the bottom Of the
sea. The Welshman fell upon his knees and beg
gcd forgiveness of his injured and departed friend Da-
vid jones' tie rest of the caught slight tiDee OF
his fears, and paced about couples to and fro some
declaring that it below the rudder, and others
that 1t was at the mast head. The passengers one and
ALL hurried on deck; in short, board, not even
the captain and the Oldest seamen, free from a.
iaTT for they had searched every hub!!ble place in
The vessel without discovering the of their ter.
rors and the hold, il evident could not have con
tanned an extra rat, il was crammed with luggage
SC. Let me out you id rascas let me out
let out, say:' screamed the With increased
vigour. These EXPLANATIONS the Wes,nan declared
addressed to the devils that were to,mentinr his
deceased enemy David; and lie uttered feryent pray
er for the peace of the wandering and unhappy soui but
different idea awakened in the mind of tie can
tain by the words let me oui' sIhere is somebody
packed up in the hoIi' exclaimed he and pstantly
ordering the to follow him down. all began to re-
move the upper layer OF articles; which being done
, the voice became louder and more distinct
! sWhere your bawled the captain.
. sim here 10 a COACH L-p ycp,' answered the quar-
/ termaser
I The mystery solved. and the Welsb,nau
made easy; but no one could imagine how human be-
ing could have got into the carriage. However.
Siac;ion on this point was not 10 be waited for the
fell 10 work, and after about half hours hard
exertion succeeded in disencumberng the vehicle
They then proceeded to unpack the quartcrmaster,
whose astonsbmen amounted almost to madness when
lac found that he had not only been confined To COACH
but in ship, aud that the said ship then in the
middle Of the German Ocean.
/ TWAS impossible 10 put back to Harwich so no
remedy left the little fat gentleman but TO pro-
coed 10 the end OF the VOYAGE, and take passage
back from Hamburg possible. This was bad
enough; but his h"pes of an early return almost
destroyed by the setting in Of adverse Winds which kept
the vessel beating abou; in most bile brewing and
stomach stirring ocean, for tel days and nights; dur
ing which time, when not sic the quartermaster
was employed in profoundly medtating ho,o he could
have got into the coach and alter having taken
the opinion of tie Captain the crew, and all the passen-
gers, upon the matter he felt himself as much in the
dark The last irg he could recollect of the
land he had left that lie had daed and oind at
the Three Cups;' what followed was chaos.
But the worst OF the afiir, decidedly that the
day which he had been put to sea was on the e2d
of the month, and as il impossible for him 10 make
his appearance with his regiment the 24.t he knew
he must, as matter OF course, be reported Absent
without leave at bead quarters and that he would most
probably be superseded This reflection was even
worse than the weather 10 the quartermaser, though
the rough sea had already almost drought his heart up
However, lie had great hopes of being able join bis
regiment the lob Of The following nonth-tbe next
return day-aDd by due application, he thought be
might contrye 10 prevent supersession Ten Gays of
this time was, however, consumed before he foot
upon the German shore, and then only half of bis ex
curson was over all his hopes rested upon quick pas
sage to iIarwCh.
This, however the Fates denied him. for having
drawn on the agent-got the casi-engaged his pas
sage 10 England-laid i'll sea-scck, and all things ne.
cessaTy-the packet just she leaving Hamburg
was run foul OF ny live hundred ton ship and so
nmCb injured that Size ohired hacL,