Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-19
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 Tom 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 wife's 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
after 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 as long a 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.
The very day before the regiment was to
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 think of it for q moment. And then
BOTTLES had to cast about in order to find
somebody suitable to fill Terry's plaza, for
Terry, although he was in reality a groom,
vat was accustomed to do much about his
masters person. b,
'rll take young Houp-La," he said sud
dsnly to Mrs. BOTTLES, after he had gone
Sver in his mind all the likely men he knew.
HE 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.
Bootles' 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 q 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
ne wanted 1t; he was great at holding his
4 tongue, and never bothering his master with
questions about this or that, as q 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 miseryl
Young Tom, too, was sympathetic in
silenc9.
Then, moreover, apart from his services
to bis ma3ter, he proved quite a host in him
self by way Of relieving the tedium and
WEAKNESS which the voyage was to the men,
to whom every hour seemed the length Of a
day, every mile as long as a dozen. 1t is
always hard to keep men amused and con-
tent on board ship, particularly on board
atroop ship, whore, with all ranks, life is q
continuous fight for daily bread, to say moth
ing of comfort, from port to port.
It is a 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 a 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 OF
what thatlife's WEAKNESS and ennut really is.
It was here that young Tom, from being
, only q sharp-tongued general f~avorite, sud-
denly grew, like Capt. Garnet's head, as
Lacy remarked one night when they were
steaming past the African coast, into "a
gwreat and-er-shining light With his
masters permission and some help from the
sailors, he got the tailor to make him up O
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 be
took bis white hat round for contributions
to the fund for the wives and children who
had been left behind, he obtained SO good
sum that BOTTLES, whose heart was tender
to every man who could in n way ap
proach or share his feelings on that subject
made 1t up to the even and respectable
amount Of R5 out of his own pocket.
And then at last they steamed into th'
harbor Ok Alexandria, and the voyage wa
over. For some Of them it was very neal
indeed to the close Of the voyage OF life
But they never seemed to think Of il, action
vas the order Of the day, and dispiritednss
and down-heartsdness apparently had howl
tom their midst All ives energy au'