The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-12-10

II,
fear the state of my attire might be sus
pected, though would have given a week s
| pay to have escaped for only five minutes.
a non-commissioncd officer was ready with
Il lantern, and we started on tour of
inspection.
The tield-otficer asked several questions
connected with the position and duties of
the sentries, to which gave answers as
well as the chattering of my teeth would
permit me. The most nervous work, how
ever, was passing the gas-lamps, which
were placed at intervals of one or two hun
dred yards. The wind was blowing so
fresh that it was with difficulty could hold
my cloak around me, and conceal the
absence Of my undergarments. Every now
and then an extra gust of wind would
come round corner, and quite defeat all
the precautions which l had adopted to
encounter the steady gale. l managed to
dodge in the shade as much as possible, and
more than once ran the risk of being kicked
by the field officers horse, as | SUNK behind
him when the gas-light might have revealed
too much.
1t was terribly cold, to be sure, the wind
and snow almost numbing my limbs. I
had kind of faint hope that the field
officer might think that l belonged to a
Highland regiment, and if he did observe
the scantiness of my attire, might believe
that the kilt would explain it. l struggled
and shivered on, knowing that all things
must have an end, and that my rounds
must come to an end before long. But l
feared that should not again get warm
during the night.
We had nearly completed our tour, and
were within a few hundred yards of the
guard-room, when we passed the field
officers quarters. l fondly hoped that he
would not pass them, and that he would
dismiss me at the door, but was rather
surprised to see blaze of light come from
the windows, and to hear the sound of
music. 1t was evident that there was
chop going on inside, and l already
began to tremble, from a sort of instinct
than even worse misfortunes were yet to
attend me.
My premonitions were true, for upon
reaching his door, my prosecutor, in quite
cheerful tone, said, "Well, we've had a
cold tour; you must now come in, and
take glass of wine, and perhaps waltz
will warm you.''
"Tm really much obliged I hastily
answered, "but | should not like to leave
my guard
"Nonsense nonsense, man; the guard
will be all right; you must come in. - This
'must' he said in quite determined
tone.
l felt desperate, and again declared that
thought l should be wrong to leave my
guard.
"Tll take the responsibility, said the
demon; $50 come along;'' saying which,
he graspcd my arm, and almost dragged
me into the porch of his quarters.
When we entered the house, and were
exposed to the light of the hall-lamps,
fancicd | saw Il slight twinkle in the eye
of the officer, and began to wonder whether
he really knew of my predicament and
wished to have his joke. He, however,
quickly took oil his cloak, and said that
had better 10 tie same. Seeing me hest
tate, he said, Come, look alive !; off with
it,
Further remoastrance, found, would be
useless, so that there was no help for me
but full confession. Summoning my
courage, and fearing to hesitate, | blurted
out, "Coloncl, | have no trowSers on
1.-The deuce you haven't! he said
Well, you'd better go and put them on,
and then come here as soon as possible, and
have glass of something warm"
| rushed out of his quarters, half deter
mined not to return. l was fully awake
now, and shivered like a half drowned dog !;
but no sooner had dressed myself than
the colonefs servant came over to say that
a quadrille was waiting for me.
l determined to put bold face on
the matter, and entered the drawing
room, where a party of about fifty had
assembled. 1t was evident by the filters
of the young ladies, the grins of the men,
and the subducd smiles of the dowagers,
that my story was known.
The colonel had told it as good joke to
the major who had whispered it to his
wife she had breathed it into the ear of
two of her friends, and in about ten min
utes every person in the room knew that
young subaltern had unwillingly gone his
rounds in his night-shrt.
AS long as stayed in that garrison was
4 standing joke. When the girls saw
me they always looked away and smiled,
and it seemed as impossible for me to obtain
a serious answer from any of them as for a
clown to preach q sermon. They even
seemed afraid to dance with me, fearing,
as | afterwards heard, to look at my legs,
lest | might be deficient in some article of
raiment. l soon exchanged and went into
another regiment and years afterwards
heard my own adventure related in a
crowded room, all the details of the story
being true except the name of the per-
former,-my misfortune having been attrib-
uted to an unfortunate fellow who died in |
India.
l never went to bed on guard after that
night.