River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-01

exploded, and l was hurled, not into
chaos, but into the water Of tho estuary
Of the Thames
thoroughly awakened, as the reader
May suppose, rose to the surface, gulp-
ing down mouthful of water swallowed
In the surprise. As clutched the frame.
work beside me, l was conscious of
dazzling red flash like sheet-liphtninc.
followed by Tremendous report and a
rafting all about me. as though a shower
OF hail were falling. / had seen too
much of aisillery not to know what this
astonishing meteor was-a shrapnel shell.
Perhaps there msy be some of nv
readers ignorant of what such missile
is: for, indeed, it is of somewhat late
invention Let them imagine, then, a
cylindrical shell of iron, ogival- headed,
and containing as many bullets as it will
conveniently hold, comfortably set in
bed of rcsin. At the bottom thereof is
small charge OF powder, ignited by a
tlme-fuze bored to burn any required
time. On this delightful machine ex
plodiDg out fly the bullets, and, by the
inexcrable: laws of dynamIcs, partaking
of the original motion of the shell. cover
the ground before them for hundreds of
wards with fsW d'atfer, as of a whole
regiment firing volleys.
Such an implement of obstruction is
very we'll to talk about; but when its
violence ID directed against ones self,
ther. is less pleasure in the contempla-
ton. Clearly had slept so long that
tn ordinary afternoon practice had be-
gun, and from two guns evidently, or
the one shot could not have followed the
other so rapidly. Only few seconds
had for these thoughts ere | saw a red
sash leap out from tho fag-crowned
battery ON shore. Instantly dived deep
as | could. and heard, deadened by
the water above me, the sharp report of
the she'll. As rose to the surface again,
saw white spinters on the woodwork OF
the target that showed how true the aim
had been. Scarcely had | time to take
breath when the red fash leaped again
and agaiu i dived, They were good gun
deachmeuts- none better anywhere; and
The guns; were light ones sixteen
poun ers Often had / competed myself
IN race with time, running The gun up
again ain;cst before the recoil bad ceased,
aud ramr:ug home shot ard cartridge
ere it had reached its former pcsiho9
again. Now no doubtmy comrades were
bard at word, wondering, perhaps, what
had BECOME Of me.
Eigh. separate times had Owed, and
my strength was failing f1,t. Even now
there was 4 ringing noise IN my head
which almost stupetied me, and was
growing more painful every instant. II
stood up ON the framework and tried
to signal 70 the shore, l must stand at
least one shot. and that was almost GER
tain death;
Even IN that desperate moment an alb
surd idea come into my head, as such
things will come sometimes. had read
some of an ingenious recipe for finding a
safe place on shipboard in action 10y pnt
ting ones head out at hole where s6o-
had come il, relying on the improbable
ity of another entering at the same oritico
There was one corner Of the framework
splintered by several bullets; to 1t | crept
and held On despairingly.
Another fash from the battery. This
time cousG see the she'll coming like
black spGck in the sky. Anxiously
watched fhr the burst 70 come; but this
time il caMe not, and the shell plunged
into the son fifty yards short, throwing
up mighty pillar OF water, and ricochet-
ing away Far over my head. Was the
fuse blipds | asked myself. No; there
was another flash and another rush
through tho Miranda sullen p.Gnge IN the
sea bcroul the target. The shraonet
practice was over, and they were firing
plugged shell,
Now ~ aever was my time. climbed
on to tire woodwork, sprang 20 my feet
and waved my hands. From the shore
I must heve looked very like picture
Of Andromeda chained to her rock.
was too lete, however, to escape shot.
Once more the red flash spouted forth,
and beard the omlnous rush coming
nearer and nearer TIL with roar rs OF
an exAess train il rushed past my head,
carrying away with it the j f hand top
corner If The target, and hur ing 1t far
into the sea beyond The conclusion
seemed 80 tear my feet 'iom under me,
and fcl, striking NY head against the
framework, had iust s nse enough
left to prevent myself rolling into tho
sea. My last glance at the shore showed
the fag boosted ha asst high; and
then must have tainted away, for re-
member no more till found myself ly
ing in my' bed, With the surgeon-major
applying strong amonia to my nostrils
with marvellous effect. have little
more TO tell. Watching the effect ofathe
shot from the battery, they had seen me
standing there, just too late to
stop the gun being frcd, bad ceased the
practice, aud got boat out without de-
lay. thoNGh with very faint hope OF
finding nl9Alive. Ofcourse the story was
made standing joke AGAINST me for ever
after, and must own that deserved it.
Nevertheless. have a: least Tho satistac-
ton OF considering that when we 90 forth
again to fight the ]; lssians " the Ger
mans, or whatever other nation may elect
to try IS with a game of wsr on large
scale, am: never likely to be much near
er.
The straight aud Dire tdfui pass Of death
than | was that nav on the sands OF
ShoebUry ness -Lond0R Socicty.