Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-11-27
"HOU P-LA.'
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
There was very little of bravado gayety
when the good ship Clyde slipped adown the
channel that night. Officers and men alike
were very quiet, and THn Snow crept softly
in and out of the cabin shared by his master
with Lacy and Hartog, and laid out his
mess things with silent and reverent SYM
pathy for the gravity on that masters face,
for Bottles had not, as yet. got over the
agony he felt as he encountered the yearn-
ing misery in his wifes beautiful eyes, and
as Mignon's parting sobs fell upon his ears.
In truth, it was one of the three most bitter
days that ever cast their shadow over the
brightness of his pleasant and sunny life.
For himself, young Tom had no feelings
save those of the widest exultation and de-
light. Until the last moment he had never
dared to think it possible he could accom-
pany his master on the expedition. Night
alta night he had watered his pillow with
tears at the thought of being left behind,
and then-well, OF course he was very sorry
for the cause, and he pulled long face
over the misfortune as anybody, though the
young monkeys heart was beating and
throbbing with joy at the chance it. gave
him. This was how the chance occurred.
leave its quarters, Terry fell upon the stairs
leading to one of the troop rooms, and slip
ped his knee cap.
Going was for him out of the question,
and not to be thought of; in fact, nobody
did tnink of it for a moment. And then
Bottles had to cast about in order to ilSu
somebody suitable to fill Terry's place, for
Terry, although he was in reality groom,
vet was accustomed to do much about his
masters person.
cpl take young Houp-La," he said sud
denly to Mrs. Boobies, after he had gone
over in his mind all the likely men he hae"~.
ttHe knows how to do for me just as well as
Terry does I'll take him."
And so young Tom was rugged out in
haste, and followed his masters fortunes
into the land of the Pharaohs.
Bottles choice proved to be a very wise
selection. The voyage out was the most
miserable time he had ever passed; true, he
had at one period been more unhappy, but
never had he known before what it was to
really miss daily presence out of his life
not one but two-his wife and Mignon
In every respect young Tom suited him;
he knew just what he wanted, and just when
he wanted it; he was great at holding his
tongue, and never bothering his master with
questions about this or that, as a strange
servant must necessarily have done. He
was intensely sympathetic to the sleepless
pain in Capt. Ferrers' eyes; and, after all,
what sympathy is there which is SO sweet as
the sympathy of those who themselves have
known the extremes of pain and miserys
Young Tom, too, was sympathetic in
silence.
Then, moreover, apart from his services
to his master, he proved quite host in him
INV IF the tndiun1 and
weari hess which the voyage was to the men,
to whom every hour seemed the length of a
day, every mile as long as dozen. 1t is
always hard to keep men amused and con-
tent on board ship, particularly on board
a troop ship where, with all ranks, life is
continuous fight for daily bread, to say moth
ing of comfort, from port to port
It is tedious and irksome enough time
TO the officers, who have the best accommo-
dation which the ship affords; but for those
who live between decks, with but few
papers and amusements and but limited
amount of beer and tobacco, matters are
still worse; and it is not easy to find words
to convey anything like an adequate idea o.
what that llfe's WEAKNESS and ennui really is
It was here that young Tom, from being.
only sharp-tongued general favorite, sud-
denly grew, like Capt. Garnet's head, Az
Lacy Ieuldl hSO OlIO WHO'LL uuSy Wel6
steaming past the African coast, into "a
gwreat d-er-shining light" With his
masters permission and some help from the
sailors, be got the tailor to make him up
set of clowns garments, and furnished up
all his old circus tricks with such right good
will that more than once he had the honor
of appearing before the most distinguished
officers on board the Clyde. He pleased
them each and all SO greatly that when he
took his white hat round for contributions
to the fund for the wives and children who
had been left behind, he obtained so good a
sum that Bottles whose heart was tender
to every man who could in any way APP
proach or share his feelings on that subject,
made it up to the even and respectable
amount of e5 out of his own pocket.
And then at last they steamed into the
karbor Of Alexandria, and the voyage was
over. For some of them it was very near
indeed to the close of the voyage of ife
But they never seemed to think of it, action
was the order of the day, and dispirltednsss
and down-heartedness apparently had flown
from their midst. All was energy ans
bustle-tall lancers clanker along the half
ruined eastern looking streets, tramped III
and out of thu bazaars and cafes, laughing
in good-natured British ontempt at nearly
everything they saw, grumbled in true
British style at al discomforts stvora
round1y at the flies and the dust, hob-nobbed
with sunburnei tars from the ships of war in
the harbor, and scattered every where the
energetic signs Of British rule and occupa-
ton.
Il gay, Bill" said one strapping broad
shoullered red jacket to one of group Of
his comrades one night, wasn't the chap
lain preaching about the seven plaques of
Egypt the Sunday afc,e we left 'om.?'
"AyW responded bill, sen ling u great
cloud OF smoke into the midst of a cloul of
flies.
DO you remember what they wasp
why" answered Bill, Eesl tatingly, there
was frogs. fi,s and lica-and darkness, and
blcod-.hat's four. And hail, and blains-
| suppose they're boils, Or wuss-and the
loss of the frstborn."
''By guml" calculated the first, "but old
Pharaoh must have "a some grit in hisl to
stand all that. wonder if they had any
baeoy in them days" and then he, too, took
Q mighty draw at his tig pipe, and let the
flies in his lmmediss, neighborhood have the
full benefit thereof, after which he spat
contemptuously into the midst of the swarm
by way of distinctly adding insult to injury.
The f:es did not particularly seem to ap-
pfeelate the atten. ion, and they forthwith
settled down upon Privae John Wood, No
al, as if they had special mission from
Arab Pasha to determine the exact value