Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-05-27
A TIMELY SHOT.
BY ROGER sTARBUCK.

IIS OuSSSSoluiiJ
vessels of the French, lay an
chored off Calcutta.
Soon after the anchor was
down, a fine young sailor, named
I, Henry Melton, a man of refine
ment and education, who, how
ever, had shipped as a .foremast
hand, made application to the
captain for permission to go a.
shore to visit his old mother.
who, anticipating the vessels
arrival at her port, had sailed in
trading-vessel all the way
from England to Calcutta fol
the sake Of seeing her son.
Too i'll to go aboard the sloop,
she had sent word to Henry of
her arrival, begging him to
come to her.
Old Captain Knowles, of the
vessel, was a strict. discipline
rian. Although his beautiful
daughter SylvCen, a girl Of eigh-
teen who had Joined her father
at a Spanish port, where she had
been staying with her brother,
besought her stern parent to
grant the sailors request, yet it
was decidedly refused.
The consequence was that
Henry Melton, who had finally
learned that his mother was not
expected to live, deserted on a
certain dark night, in a boat in
which he went ashore from the
war vessel, as one Of the crew
for provisions.
The young man was just in
time to receive his mothers last
blessing, and to close her eyes
in death. He had with him a
sum Of money; a part of this
he took to an English merchant
of whom his mother had hired
her lodgings, and from whom he
obtained a promise that the re-
mains of his parent should be
decently buried.
IE gWith the cash he had left, he
purchased small pistol, which
he loaded with powder and ball,
and concealed in a secret pock-
ct Of his jacket.
The instrument was one of
the best Of its kind. Herbert,
in his prosperous days, had ta-
ken lessons Of a celebrated
professor of pistol practice, who
had not only taught him how to
aLaCays hit has mark, but also
how to choose a good weapon.
He knew that he would be ar
rested, and be condemned either
to a fiogging with the fearful
"cat-o'nine-tails" or to death,
for his desertion.
Should the sentence against
him prove to be punishment
with the lash, he now had with
him the means of avoiding it.
Sooner than suffer the dis
grace of a flogging, he would
shoot himself through the head
with his pistol.
He resolved to endeavor to a.
void capture until his mother
was buried, that he might at
least have the satisfaction of
seeing that cold form deposited
in its final resting-place.
He therefore struck far out in
the country, and finally con-
cealed himself in a cavern.
Toward night of the next
day, who should pass his retreat
but the captain and his daugh-
ter, who had been out all day,
accompanied by the guide for
stroll?
Unfortunately for Henry, there
was with the party small dog,
which soon discovering the
young man, set up loud bark
ing.
The captain with his Hindoo
guides, attracted to the cave by
the noise, saw the sailor.
"Ha" exclaimed the old COM
mander. $50 here we are! Ar.
rest him, guides! He is one of
my men-a deserter?"
Melton was soon a prisoner.
"How far are we from the
city?" inquired Captain Knowles
of one of the guides.
"Six miles," was the response,
"Then we will pitch our tents
in that plain yonder,a and encamp
for the night. Keep a good
watch on the prisoner, guides"
"Oh, papa" pleaded Sylveen,
with tears in her beautiful blue
eyes, 'let him 60"
"Humph!" growled the cap
tain. "a pretty navy we'd have
of it if we took the advice OF