The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-01-30
ONLY JONES.

The officers Of her AIajesty's Twen
ty-fOurth and Eighty-fOurth Infantry
were sitting around their mess-table
in CastletOWn, the capital of the Isle
of Man, alone evening more than thirty
years SgO-that is, all of them, except
one. but then, that was only Jones
Nobody minded Jones. Even his pc
culiarities had begun TO be an old sub
ject for chatting" and, indeed he had
paid such small attention to their
-chaffing' they had come to find it lit
tie pleasure, and, after some weeks of
discomfort, Lieutenant Jones had been
allowed to choose his own pleasures
without much interference.
These were not extraYagant. A IA
Yorite book, a long walk in all kinds OF
weather, and a sail when the weather
was favorable. lie would not drink
he said it would hurt his health; he
would not shOOt-he said it hurt his
feelings; he would not gamble-he said
it hurt his conscience; and he did not
care to fiirt OF visit the bellies Of the
capitalize said il hurt his affections.
Once Captain DeRenZy lispingly wOn-
dered whether il was possible to hurt
his honor" and Jones calmly answered
llldl IL " dS lOl lbuSStDlt LOT dIidlI
DeRenZy to do So"
Indeed Jones constantly violated all
these gentlemen's ideas OF proper be-
haYiOr, but for some reason or other,
no one brought him to account for il.
1t was easier for them 10 shrug their
shoulders and call him queer" or to
say it was "Only Jones" or even 10
quietly assert his cOwardice.
One evening Colonel Underwood
was discussing hunting party for the
next day. Jones walked into the room
and was Immediately accOsted:
something new, Lieutenant. ] find
there are plenty of hares on this
Island, and we mean to give puss arun
tomorrow. have heard you are Il
good driver. VIII YOU join usl"
~You must excuse Inc, Colonel; such
thing is neither in the way Of duty
nor my pleasure. l thank YOU, Colo
mel, for your courtesy, bat | see no
good reason for accepting it. l am
sure my horse viii not approve of it;
and / am sure the hare will not like il; !;
and am not good rider; therefore !
should not enjoy it,"
you need not he afraid said the
Colonel, rather sneeringly. The
country is quite open, and those low
AianX walls are easily taken"
Excuse Inc, Colonel. L am afraid.
IL should be hurt it.would cause my
mother and sisters very great alarm
and anxiety. am very much afraid
of doing this"
What was to be done with a man so
Obtuse regarding cOnyentionalities,
and who boldly asserted his cOwardice?
The Colonel turned away half con-
temptuously, and Ensign Powell took
Jones place.
The morning proved to be 4 very
bad one, with the prospect of rising
storm; and as the party gathered in
the baTrack yard, Jones said earnestly
to his Colonel:
Il am afraid, sir, you will meet with
a storm"
Il think SO, Lieutenant; but We
promised TO dine at Gwynne Hall, and
we shall get that far at any rate"
So they drove rather glOOmily away
in the rain. Jones attended to the
military duties assigned him, and then
about noon walked Seaward. 1t was
hard work by this time to keep his
footing on the narrow quay; but amid
the binding spray and mist he saw
quite crowd of men going rapidly
toward the great shelving scarlet
rocks, a mile beyond the town. He
stopped an old sailor and asked:
"Is anything WrOng?"
"a little steamer, sir, off the Calf of
Man; she is drifting this way, an, in
deed, fear she viii be on the rocks
afOre tonight"
Jones stood still a moment, and then
followed the crowd as fast rs the
storm would let him. When he Joined
them they were gathered on the sum-
NIT of a huge rock watching the
doomed craft. She was now within
sight. and it was evident that her sea
men had almost lost control of her.
She must, ere long, be flung by the
waves upon the Jagged and frightful
rocks toward which She was drifting.
In the lull OF the wind, not only the
booming of the minute gun, but also
the shouts of the imperilled crew could
be heard.
What can be done :" said Jones 10
an old man, whose face betrayed the
strongest emotion.
Nothing, sir, am afraut. If the'd
managed to round the rocks she would
have gone to pieces on the sand, and
there are plenty of men who would
have risked life to save life. But how
are We 10 reach them from this
heightl"
How far are we above waterY
This rock goes down like a wall,
forty fathOms, sir"
What depth of water at the foot :"
Thirty feet or more"
Good. Have YOU plenty of light,
strong rOpe?"
Much as you want; but let me tell
YOU, sir. You can't live three minutes
down there. The first wave Will dash
YOU on the rocks, and dash YOU to
pieces. Plenty of us would put YOU
down. sir; but you can't swim if YOU
go down"
do YOU know, old man. what SURF
swimming is? have dived through
the surf at Nuknheva
God bless you, sir. ! thought no
white man could do that same"
While this conversation was going on.
Jones was diyesting himself of all his
superfluOus clothing. and cutting out
the sleeves of his heavy peajacket with
his pOcket-knIfe. This done, he pass
ed some rope through them.
The men watched him with eager in
terest, and seeing their inquisitive
looks, he said:
The thick sleeves will prevent the
rope cutting INV body, YOU see"
'Ay, ay. sir; ! see now what YOU are
doing"
Now, men, have only one request.
Give me plenty of rope rs fast as l
draw on you. When / get on board
YOU know how TO make a cradle. | sup
pOse:"
-Ay, ay, sir; but how are YOU going
to reach the watery"
Il am going 10 plunge down. have
dived from the main yard of the AiaV
before this. Ii was high leap"
He passed double coil of the rope
round his waist, examined it thorough
IL to see that there was plenty to start