Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-06

uftW inc IuDpS.
Just ut the moment up came our wOr-
thy Scotch engineer, Tuning He was
tuning far too much to talk decent Eng
fish.
"Whaur's the Furst Livteuint y he
cried ; whnur is he?"s
"Why, what's the matter?' we all in
quired.
whats the matter ~ roared Mctireg
or "why, matter eneuch, man, matter
eneuch for court % inquiry ; matter
eneuch tor n court marshal. The ser
vice is goin' to the mischief. I'll report
that young Crook before I'm twa hoors
auldcr, or may never chew cheese again !,
Whaur's the Furst Livtenint, I'm askin
YEP"
but what has Crook done? Tell MS,
McGregor.
"I'll no trust mesel to speak" said the
worthy Scot, "till licht my pipe Now, "
he continued, taking vicious draws at the
clay, "I'll tell yc what he's done, and
think yell every one o We agree wi me
that that Young scoundril Crook deserves
to be- puff "planked" -pufl'-"drum-
headed -'cobbed, and kcel-haul-
ed. went to my cabin Just now to have
a caulk, and found my bed was already
okopied -
"By whom ?" said Watkins ; "this is
interesting
"Why, by Daddy, gentlemen, as drunk
as lord : Daddy i'll my bed, i'll under
the shccts"-puii-"wi his head on the
pillow" pull 'snorin' drunk, with my
meerschaum in the jaws o him"-putl,
lpuff-" with my specs on his nose andmy
night-cap on his ugly head '--pufl, puff,
puff.
We all agreed it was time that some
thing should be done. Reporting him
would be mean, cobbing and kcel-haul-
ing was out of the question. He must
be paid out in his own coin.
81 have it, cried |.
"Out with it, them" cried Mctiregor
ljoyfully. "tiather round the doctor,
gentlemen dinna speak loud, Doctor,
but ont wi it, man.
"Well," | continued, II met old man
Bumboat SULLIVAN yesterday, and he told
me there was going to be black man 4
ball at Bcolooboo tomorrow night. Now,
you know how Crook hates to go on shore
in uniform so if we could only get him
to go on shore in full dress to this mig
gers hop, why, we should have the whip
hand of him for the rest of the cruise
Poor Crook never looked nicer nor
happier than he did that evening, when
he entered the ward room before dinner,
all gold and scarlet and smiles. Wewere
talking about the grand ball to which VT
were invited. We showed Crook the
Invite" gay beribboned piece OF
parchment from "Ab del Raman Sulli.
man." Crook was delighted.
Bother the dress part OF it, though,
he said, adding presently "Nevci
mind. Will there be many nice girls
there ~
"Sure to be, said Watkins
Fortune seemed to favor us. Next day
ut luncheon, we heard Crook giving or.
ders to Brown, his servant to take his
sword and dress. case on shore.
"I'll dress on shore" he explained,
land get a boy to guide me to Booloo.
boo. Shan't come off to dinner ; I'll
have Il snack at Portugee .Joe's, and Join
you aftcrward at the ballroom"
This was enough for us. We let Pri-
vate Brown into the secret and commits
stoned him to bride Portugee Joe not t.
let the cat ont of the bng, and to provide
II guide that couldn't speak II word OF
English.
We anticipated fine fun, can assure
You. Alb del Raman, we had assured
Crook, was the Sultans head chief, and
the ball would, therefore, be simply Il
splendid affair. The boat was called
away at 7 o'clock, and at 1870 o'clock W,
had addressed in mufti of course
landed Mt Boolooboo and there was Sui
liman himself. in his bare, black legs and
long cotton gown, all ready to guide lis
through the Lush to the black-man'
ball
1t was held in a kind of hall, an I'M
mense barn OF IL place, lighted up with
oil-lamps, which gave it the appearance Of
n kind of second-class hippodrome.
But the scene inside beggars descrip
ton. The mere spectators lined tn,
walls three or four deep the dancers
semi-nude savages, every one of them
danced i'll a wide circle round the musi
clans, the men waving aloft torches ant
spears, the women bending up and down
beating horn cymbals, rolling their eye'
and tossing their arms around them, an,
ever and anon shrieking like SO many ma,
curlews, till they silenced even the scream
of the Arab clarionet and roll of the hor
, rid tum-tum.
We hadn't been spectators OF this vii,
scene for over five minutes when il
marched Crook in all the glory of Iii
splendid uniform and laughing out
right.
"By George e. he cried, coming up
"you fellows have fairly sold me Ha
ha, Ia give in, but | really didn'
think there was So much i'll you.
Suddenly, as if by magic, music an,
dancing ceased there was fanfare o
trumpets heard outside, then in rushed ,
dozen gesticulating Arabs.
Z al
the way they cried, and led the way to
raised ,lnis that We had not previousl,
, noticed. 1t had railing in front step!
led up to it, and it was covered with scar
let cloth. Two sedan chairs were borne
toward it, and the occupants descende,
and took their places.
. Evidently some Arab Prince and re
tinue his jewel turban and sword-bel
denoted his rank his long white hal
and beard gave him n patrlarchal look
and his green cloak of camel s-hair show
, ed him to be n scion of the Prophet.
r Not on the wealthy Arab, but on hi
, daughter, were all our eyes riveted.
"Good Heavens what lovely girl :
/ we heard Crook mutter. 'Wonders vii
1 never cease !"
[ 1t seemed not, indeed, for five minute
, had hardly elapsed when we noticed tn
Prince, or chief, who had evidently com
/ to the ball for amusement talking to NJ
Arab attendant, and waving his hand il
+ our direction.
Next moment this attendant stood salaam
) ing before us. Nay, not exactly bcfor
us, but before Crook.
"His Excellency," he said, in goo,
English, "begs the British officer will dc
him the honor to take seat by his side.
You ought to have seen the look o
triumph Crook gave lis, as he marche,
, off with his great sword clanking behint
him, and was beckoned smiling to sea
close to the chief and that beautiful girl
| evidently his daughter