Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-11-19
A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE.

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A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE.
In the spring of the year 1877. when
tho Rus slams were pushing their vic
torous forces towards the city of their
conquered foe, and England was wait
ing, apprehensive of the result, l had
the fortune to be attached to a depot
battery of garrison artillery in the
Southern District At that time there
was q great scarcity Of subalterns in the
Royal Regiment, and | found myself
the only officer of that rank in q battery
of recruits some two hundred strong.
AS may be imagined, | had quito as
much work on my hands rs | cared for.
Ii was with mingled feelings that i
heard the news that Lord Beaconsfield
Lad determined on calling out the Re-
serves. On the one hand the act seemed
prophetic of imminent war, with all tho
chances of promotion and distinction
that such prospect opens to the sol
der; while on the other there was the
immediate certainty of plenty of addi-
tional hard work, and of ending trouble
with men just transferred from their
civil occupations to the stirring life OF
the army. On the whole, however,
think ] rather enjoyed the excitement
offered by the change.
One morning | was called into the
Colonel's office, informed that q large
detachment Of the reserve was to join
my battery from Wales, and that l was
to proceed thither Immediately with a
trustworthy Sergeant and bring them
to the depot. The Colonel did not
scruple to tell me that he would not
have intrusted so difficult a task to an
officer with rs little experience and
length of service as myself had he had
any other to send; but as there was no
one available, he must make virtue OF
necessity, and hoped | would prove
worthy of the confidence reposed in me.
AT the same time, he gave me to under
stand that, once the men were in my
charge, l should be held responsible for
any who managed to desert or other
wise absent themselves on the Journey.
l always disliked responsibility, and
had, moreover, an idea whether well
or i'll founded shall not pause 10 con-
sider-that the small pay of subaltern
was not intended to cover any duties OF
great importance, but was merely an
Income drawn for the performance OF
certain fixed pieces of routine, such as
visiting guards, going round to inspect
the mons dinners, and so on. / can
not, therefore, say that l at all relished
the order had Just re ,eved, especially
since could very well realize the diff
Guilty of conveying forty rude Welsh
miners SO long distance through O
country unknown to them. only
stipulated, however, that tho Sergeant
who was to be my companion should be
man knew and could trust, and who
could talk Welsh on occasion. Fortu'
nately, Just such one as l needed wa:
available, and we started on our jour
ney determined to make the best of It.
do not intend here to give an &C
count of the manner in Which I carried
out my mission, though, indeed, some
of the incidents were amusing enough
was compelled perforce to stay longer
than l had intended in Wales, gathering
my men together, and on the morning
of our final departure half the popula
ton of tho country seemed to be col
lected together to see us off. Had there
been the least unwillingncss on the par
of tho new recruits to join, should
have been quite unable to muster then
among the crowds that attended; bu
both they and their relatives were only
too willing to serve her Majesty and tC
drink her health. Man after man wa.
carried aloft by his admirng friends
dead drunk, and thrrnt into the car
riages anywhere and anyhow, till my
number was complete, and the amused
engine driver could at length start hi
train. OF the whole party, think tina
myself, my Sergeant and single tota
abstainer, who happened to be the soil
one of my men who could speak wore
of English, were the only persons sober
l kept my charges well supplied will
liquor, in defiance of all precedent, car
ried them from Euston 10 Londoi
Bridge in couple of omnbuses, ono
had them all safely housed in barracks
before they well knew they had started
1 fear some of them must have felt yer,
Ill the day after, but that, OF course,
could not help.
But the adventure am about to re
late had little to do with my reserv'
men. 1t took place on the second nigh
after my arrival in Wales. My Sergean
and had taken up quarters in a littl
out-of. the-way village on the coast, no
far from the Menai Straits. For man,
reasons do not care to give its namo
We had arrived there late in the even
ing, as darkness was drawing on, and
by use of my companions knowledge @
the language, had found out tho posi-
ton of the only place of entertainment
that was available--a little inn situat
ed at some distance from the town.
was struck, on approaching II, by TN
wild and picturesque beauty of the IL
cality. 1t was perched on the top o
o high cliff, which seemed almost {
overhang the sea below; and, betwee
the door and the verge of the perpcr
jicular descent, unguarded by fence G
rail, nothing interviewed but patch {
grass, blackencd and withcrcd by th
spray cast up by the westerly gales {
the equinox, and not more than fou
yards wide. Why the builder shout
have selected such n spot was not cas-
to say. Perhaps he was man VIII
loved the wild moods Of tho ocean, an
found them harmonize with those ,
Ale own soul. IL looked tho very plaC