The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-27
Curious Gases Of sIeop- Walking.

One bright moonlight night ! was on
deck, US was frequently my won't, chatting
with the lieutenant of the middle watch Il
was nearly calm, the ship making little
way through the water, and the moons
light nearly rs bright rs day. We were
together leaning over the capslan, chatting
away, when W-suddenly exclaimed:
"Look! H, at that SENTRY" and point
| ing to the quarterback marine who was
pacing slowly backward and forward on
the lce-side Of the deck.
"Well, replied, after watching him
somewhat inattentively as he passed once
or twice on his regular beat, 'what Of
him2"
why, don't you see lie is fast asleep 2
Take good look at him when hc next
passes"
did so, and found W-was right.
The man, although pacing and turning
regularly, at the usual distance, was fast
asleep, with his eyes closed.
When next tho man passed, W-stcpped
quickly and noiscly to his side, aud pacing
with hlm, gently disengaged the bunch OF
keys which was his special charge-being
tho keys Of the spirit room, shell rooms,
store rooms etc.-from the fingers OF his
left hand, to which they were suspended
bayonet from his other hand, and laid il
and the keys on the capstan head. After
letting hlm take another turn or two, W
suddenly called
''Scntry!"
.''Sir5" replied the man, instantly stop
ping and facing around as he came to tho
attention"
"Why, you were fast asleep, sentry"
''No, Sit. ,
'But Ii say you were"
"No, sir; assure you was not"
"You were not, eh3 We'll, where arc
the keys7"
The man instantly brought up his hand
to show them, rs hc supposed, but to his
great confusion his hand was empty.
"Whcre is your bayonct2" continued
W.
The poor fellow brought forward his
other hand, but that was empty also. But
the puzzled look of astonishment he put on
was moro than we could stand; both burst
out laughing, and when the keys and
bayonet was pointed oat TO him, lying on
the capstan. the poor fellow was perfectly
dumbfoundcd. W-was too merry over
the joke. however, to punish the man, and
hc escaped with warning not to fall asleep
again.
Sentries and lool1outs must be very La
bic to fall asleep from the very nature of
their monotonous pacing, and this may in
some degree account for the facility with
which sentrics have ut times been SUI prised
and secured before they could give an
alarm. In this instance, the most curious
fact, think, wus the regularity with
which the man continues to pace his dis
tanccs and turn at the right moment. l
have known other instances of sentrics and
Others walking in their sleep, though the
end has not always been 80 pleasant TO the
victims. In one case, Gthe quarter deck
sentry, in the middle OF the night crashed
| down the wardroom hatchway with mus
kct and fixed bayonct, with rattling that
started lib all out Of our cabins. The fe-
low fell on his back upon top of the mess
| table, but not much the worse for his ca
plot On another occasion messenger
boy paid us visit in the night; lie fell
| upon chair, which he smashed to pieces,
Dut lhc sleeper escaped unhurt.
These can hardly be considered true
cases OF somnumbuhsm, but show how men
| may Continue their occupations when over
! come by sleep. Nothing but seeing this
bayonel and the keys lying on the capstan
| could have ever convinced the marine that
| he had been sleeping; no mere assertion
! TO that effect would ever had convinced
him,