The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-04-18
A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE.

A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE.
In the spring of the year 1877, when
the Russians were pushing their VIC
torious forces towards the city of their
conquered foe, and England was wait
ing, apprehensive of the result, had
the fortune to be attached to depot
battery of garrison artillery in the
Southern District. At that time there
was a great scarcity of subalterns in the
Royal Regiment, and | found myself
the only officer of that rank in a battery
of recruits some two hundred strong.
AS may be imagined, [ had quite as
much work on my hands as cared for.
1t was with mingled feelings that I
heard the news that Lord Beaconsfeld
had determined on calling out the Re-
serves. On the one hand the act seemed
prophetic Of imminent war, with all the
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 l was called into the
Colonel's office, informed that 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 task to an
officer with as 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, / 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 to 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 at all relished
the order had Just received, especially
since could very well realize the diff
Guilty of conveying forty rude Welsh
miners so long distance through a
country unknown to them. / only
stipulated, however, that the Sergeant
who was to be my companion should be
n man | knew and could trust, and who
could talk Welsh on occasion. Fortu-
nately, just such one as l needed was
available, and we started on our jour
ney determined to make the best Of it.
l do not intend here to give an ac-
count of the manner in which l carried
out my mission, though, indeed, some
OF the incidents were amusing enough.
] was compelled perforce to stay longer
than | had intended in Wales, gathering
my men together, and on the morning
OF our final departure half the popula-
ton of the country seemed to be col
lected together to see us of. Had there
been the least unwillingness on the part
OF the new recruits to join, should
have been quite unable to muster them
among the crowds that attended; but
both they and their relatives were only
too willing to serve her Majesty and to
drink her health. Man after man was
carried aloft by his admiring friends,
dead drunk, and thrust into the car
riages anywhere and anyhow, till my
number was complete, and the amused
englne-driver could at length start his
train. Of the whole party, think that
myself, my Sergeant and single total
abstainer, who happened to be the sole
one of my men who could speak word
OF English, were the only persons sober.
l kept my charges well supplied with
liquor in defiance of all precedent, car
ried them from Euston to London
Bridge in . couple Of omnibuses, and
had them all safely housed in barracks
before they well knew they had started.
fear some of them must have felt very
i'll the day after, but that, of course,
could not help.
But the adventure I am about to re-
late had little to do with my reserve
men. 1t took place on the second night
after my arrival in Wales. My Sergeant
and had taken up quarters in a little
out-of the-way village on the coast, not
far from the Menai Straits. For many
reasons do not care to give its name.
We had arrived there late in the even
ing, as darkness was drawing on, and,
by use of my companions knowledge OF
the language, had found out the 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 it, by the
wild and picturesque beauty of the To-
calty. twas perched on the top OF
high cliff, which seemed almost to
overhang the sea below; and, between
the door and the erge of the perpen-
dicular descent, unguarded by fence OF
rail, nothing interviewed but patch oil
grass, blackened and withcred by the
spray cast up by the westerly gales OF
the equinox, and not more than -four
yards wide. Why the builder should
have selected such spot was not easy
to say. Perhaps he was a man who
loved the wild moods of the ocean, and
found them harmonic with those OF
bis own soul. It looked the very place