Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-12

ot my attire might be suspected, though
l would have given weeks pay to
nave escaped for only five minutes. A
non-commissloned officer was ready
with lantern, and we started on our
tour of inspection.
The field officer asked several aues-
tiOns connected with the position and
! duties of the sentries, 10 which gave
answers rs well as tho chatterinp of
my teeth would permit me. The most
nervous work, however, was passipp
/ the gas lamps, which were placed at
! intervals OF one or two hundred Yards.
/ The wind was blowing so fresh that it |.
was with difficulty 1 could hold my
cloak around me. Every now and then
an extra gust of wind would come
around q corner, and quite defeat all
tie precautions which [ had adopted
TO encounter the heavy gale. L man
aged to dodge IN the shade as much as
possible, and more than once ran the
risk OF being kicked by the field Off
GERS horse, As / skunk behind him
when the gas might reveal too much.
1t was terribly cold, to be sure, the
wind and snow almost numbing nv
hAAll''s's l. ilslt4 hluIl oI lulQC RODE
that the field officer might think that
belonged 10 = Highland regiment.
and If he did observe the scantiness
of my attire, might believe that the
! kilt would explain it. L struggled and
shlvcred on, knowing that all things
must have an end, and that nv
rounds must come to all end before
long. But feared that L could not
again get warm during the night.
We had nearly completed our tour.
and We're within u hundred Yards of 4
the guard-room, when we passed the
lield-otficer's quarters. I fondly hoped
that lie would not pass them, and that
he would dismiss me ut the door. but
/ was rather surprised to see blaze of
light como from the windows, and to
hcat the sound of music. 1t was evi-
dent that there was chop" going on
inside, and ! already began to tremble
from sort of instinct that even worse
misfortune was yet to attend me.
Myrremonitions were true, for upon
reaching his door my prosecutor, in
cheerful tone, said:
"Well, we've had q cold tour; YOU
must come in and have glass of wine.
ard, perhaps Il waltz Will warm you."
81 III really much obliged" hastily
tit1sN tIt't, bttJ / SHcitiu not Ike to
leave my guard.
Nonsense, nonsense. man-the
guard Will be all right; you must
come m
This ''must,' he said, in quite a de-
termincd tone.
/ felt desperate, and again declared
that [ Thought [ should be wrong to
leave my guard.
I'll take the responsibility" said
the demon; $50, come along" saving
which he %rasped my arm, and almost
dragged nae into the porch OF his
quarters.
Wnen we entered the house and
were exposed to the light of the hall
lamps, fancied L saw slight twinkle
III the eye OF tho officer, and l began
20 wonder whether he really knew of
my predlcament, and wished to have
his Joke. He gave no other in
timation, however, that L saw,
but quickly took off his cloak
and SAID that [ had better do the
same. Seeing me hesitate, he said,
Come, off with it,
Further TCmOnStrance | found would
be useless, SO that there was no help
for me but 4 full confession. Sum-
moning my courage, and fearing to
hesitate, | blurfcd out, Colonel, I've
no trousers on.
The deusc you hayen'ti" l,e said
w ell, you'd better go and put them
on, and them come here as soon as
possible and have "a glass of something
warm.
] rushed ont of the quarters, half
determined not to return. J was fully
awake now. and shivered like a half
u pTyp4.pl ,iArr- l,Tt ho1
dressed myself than the Colonel came
over to say that 4 quadrillo was wait
ing for me.
| determined 10 put :: bold face on
Tie matter, aud entered the drawing
room, wh"r" n party of about fifty had
assembled. 1t WIS evident by the tit
tcTS OF the ZJiirg ladies, the Grills of
III" IulH, Gud thc anbdued smiles of 1,
the dDWaCec@ that my tory was known
Ihc Colonel had told il rs good
Joke 10 the Major, who had whispered
1t 10 ms wife; she had breathed It into
the car Of two OF her friends, and in
about ten minutcs every person in the
room knew young subaltern had
very Euwiilingly gone his rounds liz
his night shirt
~ ioug as 1 stayed IN ilat garrison
was "a siandiuG Joke. When the
girls saw me they always looked away
and smiled, and it seemed as isnpossi-
bic for me 10 obtain serious answer
from one Il them as for clown to
preach u sermon. They even seemed
to he afraid to dance with me, fearing.
as l heard afterward, to look at my
legs, lest / mia}ti BIZ deficient in some
article "a. E.stnlrui-
soon exchanged aiid went into an
o.her regiment; and wears afterward :
heard my own adventure related in
crowded drawing room, ali OF the de-
t,uis ot the story beine.trne except the
name 81 the pilsJner-my misfortune
having been attributed TO another ur-
Fortunate fellow.