The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-03-29
VOLUME 26.l

1
rather stiff starched, precise, taciturn, soured,
and with a somewhat overweening sense OF
his own importance. His host, one OF
those generous natures, slow to take offence,
did not however regard the punctllios Of
bis guest.
Il hope the dispatches of which | am
| the bearer said Martlock to his host, bow
ing stiffly Gas if it hurt him) as he spoke,
| Contained no bad news !"
WELL said the officer he addressed,
neither pleasant nor unpleasant. [ never
stop to think whether duty is agreeable Or
otherwise Perhaps, if | had my choice,
should have not selected this
sAnd NAV | ask in what it consists p
(another stiff bow.
1T is no secret, Captain Martlock. | have
to start the first thing Tomorrow for two
days journey from this Elephant Bay we
are now in;up into the Gorlbah COUNTRY, with
b ads and looking glasses as presents for II.
king of the Loluna tribes, TO induce him 10
withhold his supply of slaves to the Portu
guese cruisers that visit this inlet
Have you seen any slavers, sir !? III
quired Captain Martloek warming over MS
vine
Not a ghost of one, Captain Martlock,
Yes, we have seen the ghost of one, said
the first Lieutenant who was a wit
True, said Captain WiIloughby, our
quartermaster, good sailor, but as full Of
old womans fancies as ever came through
the dock gates, did tell US aweek ago. that
he saw sort of phantom vessel; but no one
believed him.
Take my word for it, captain said lit
tie, stout iovial man, the Spitfre's doctor
"Gasket will be down with the typhus be-
fore three days are over; this sort Of delu-
sion is one of the first symptoms of this in
fernal African fever eEs
81 hope not doctor, l hope not; Gasket is
useful man to us s4sa ttH
There is something about this SLAYER ser
vice, said Captain Martlock as if he were
preaching, that tends | think to excite the
Imagination of the lower order of our
seamen; the mnnotony, the anxiety, the
danger of disease. all perhaps contribute t."
this undesirable result .-Af s.Ere
Oh, sailors are always full of that sort of
nonsense, said Captain Willoughby, steering
away from discussion evidently meditated
by his visitor. Captain Martlock, may
have the pleasure of taking wine with you?
Martlock bowed sthfiIy and muttered,
Pleasure!
Steward, the still champagne to Captain
Martlock.
Off went the wire; up went the large
headed cork, but not noisiIy, aud up rose the
wine in the two glasses. The two captains
raised their glasses simultaneously to their
lips, bowed, and tossed off the contents At
the same moment their faces redeemed
their cheeks dilated, as they spIuttered,
swore, and rose upon their feet.
why, what tho, Abernethy, do
you give US salt water when we ask for
Who the dickens has played
us this internal trick ? BY George, sir, I'll
keel haul him. Yes I'll break him, sir
4 should fog him, said Martlock, swell
mig with rage till he got as red as a turkey
cock. i sh-sh -should put him in irons
. ''l'll stake my life, Captain said the sur
prised and Mortified Scotch steward, that it
was that Mr.. Jekyll Zone of the midship-
mem; for one of the ships boys saw him
with bottle in his hand near my pantry
A strong disposition to laugh was visible
on every face The doctor coughed, the
two first lieutenants blew their noses The
two captains fumed, WilIonghby button
ed his coat angrily together. Nlartlock
looked tiercely at everybody.
Boy, said WiIIoughby, to one of the
assistants, go on deck, ond send
MIR. Jeckyll to me directly. BY George, sir
I'll break him. This was the captains most
tremendous threat Why the deuce does
not MIR. Jekyl come ? he cried, few min
utes after. long before the unfortunate lad
had time to come even down thestairs.
sIf1t was in my ship" said Martlock
scowling at his own officers, by whom he
was regarded with no very special affection,
I'D have had a court-martial on him before
All hour was over ~ t+stt
Captain Wiloughby was about to fire up
and remark that he needed no advice with
regard to the government of Il. NJ. S. Spit
fire, when the steward-boy returned, prece-
ded by Jekyll, and followed at distance by
that incurable Pickle, Fowls, who gave him
such tremendous pinch as he entered the
state cabin, that drew from him sharp and
irrelevant scream.
The little midshipman looked very tum-
bled and dirty, and his blue jacket and cap
were covered with dust and duff. A more
disordered midshipmen never
presented himself to a punctihous irate cap
tain. ea Eaa .a.-aa..r.
Mr., Jebyll,' said his superior, turning
round in his chair 80 as to face him, is this
a state for midshipmen of Her Majesty s
navy? What have you been doing sir I?
IF you please, sir, I've been down III the
hold, catching cockroaches. > ~ta ~~ 1-ss
There was roar of laughter at the sim
plicity ofathe answer. .aassr. @1s res
"A pretty occupation for young gentle
man "a. as esza.s--.y
IF you please, SIR we make pets of them
There was another roar at this.
10 MIR Jekyll, I'm in no humor for fooling.
i want plain answer To plain question.
Was it you who enlptied the wine out of
this champagne bottle and put in salt wa
ter Was 1t you, sir p
The lad colored, looked down, twired his
cap, stammered, and was silent
At that instant Fowls burst forward.
And who sent for you /? reared the cap
tain. How dare you, sir, enter this cabin
without being sent for Sir, if break ev.
cry midshipmen in this ship, l will preserve
proper discipline
Fowls was fine, manly lad of seventeen
and as he stood there, with firm uuhinciling
eye, and cheek flushed he looked very
model of an English youth
If you please, sir, only came to say i
was l who put the silt water in the bottle
and not Jekyll. | did not DO it for the wine
sir, threw that away; it was only for
joke
Only joke! And how dare you. sir
play Jokes on your superior officers Go vi
| to the masthead this moment sir
Yes, sir And up went the lad, as MIN
bic as a cat and as full OF mischief as a kit
ten.
Captain Martlock had left the vessel, wit
bis own private opinions about the disci
pine of the Spitfire; and Captain WilIough
by, the first lieutenant and the doctor, wer
closeted in the captains private cabin owe
their coffee. ~
Only TO think of having to leave a shi
thirty-six guns in the care of such Dor
i Pickle as that lad, >powis = groaned tn
captain, as he meditatively poured out som