Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-12-29
THE CENTURY FISH.
A Legend of Fort Fury as Told by
the Bandmaster.
RY J. H. YoXALL.

RY J. H. YoXALL.
copyright ls93 by the Author.l
Where the Atlantic rollers fret the
head of Ballyfoil, Fort Fury has stood
three hundred years or more, its tur.
rets browning the foreland, it's bas-
tions Drawing the perpetual onset of
the sea. Again and again the waves OF
Irish hatred have dashed against the
fortress with an onset as fierce and as
vain.
Time only has been strong enough
to sap the freestone; but time, in rec
ompense, has given the place history,
and the cobwebs of tradition are
gathered dustily upon the walls
Years, and the quick imagination of
the western Celt, have made the fort
museum of the unearthly. OF all that
is eerie and fesh-creepy, of all that can
touch the fancy into morbid action, the
legends of the Ballyfoil peasantry are
full
There, of course, banshee walls;
they know the very spot; you must
shun at night the southern glacis,
where the last McDiarmid fell, in the
great revolt of O'Neill.
There, too, the Red Hound ravens on
the phantom bones of martyred kernes;
aud fay and leprechaun, and merely
human apparitions, beset the place
by scores.
But the prime tradition of Fort Fury,
the tale the cottiers most shudderingly
delight to tell, is the tale of the Cen
tury-Fish-a huge, flame belching mon
ster, a local sea-serpent, part shark
part snake, all dragon.
Once in century of slumber in sub
marine caverns it wakes, to rage along
the shore at winter midnight, destroy
ing every living thing within its reach!
Woe, then, to the Sassenach sentries on
the shoreward rampant; for the fish is
political fish, scaly Fenian, delight
ing most to harry the foreign oppressor
and all his works.
At the first building of the fort, so
long ago as 1886, did the dragon sweep
the headland clear of Saxons, grinding
alike the Ulster masons and their handi-
work between its jaws? History may
not record it, but from sire to son and
grandson's son to son the cottiers have
chronicled the deed.
Tor century the monster slept, and
the fortress rose again, the lonesome
outpost of an alien heartless rule, in
face of human enemies only.
But when the hundredth year came
round, 70" six successive nights the
shorewarG sentries vanished; perishing
who can doubt lin those sharky
jaws.
1t was then the local sibyls first fore
told that once century, so long as
Fort Fury should shelter Saxon red
coat, the terrible fish would return.
Again the hundred years went by
and in 1876 the prophecy fell true
Were not the coast guard ON his beat
the men on sentry-go and the gay
subalterns fishing in the offing, all foot
for the beast-a dragon which Sill
George himself, or even his brother
champion the Holy Patrick, slayer o
reptiles, must in vain have ridden ou
to kill?
Such is the legend" said the band
master. Such was the legend heart
in the year 1885, when my father, tn,
company sergeant major was quar-
tered at Fort Fury, and | hob
bledehoy of fifteen or So lived il
barracks with him there With tina
year the fsh's century was to close
and all the Ballyfoil peasantry-an,
most of the garrison, too-waited il
fearful expectation for Christmas an,
the fish to come, From Christina
night to New Years Eve was the mon
ster's appointed time of appearance
but he was uupunctual that same year
and March had begun before we saw
the beast.
Saw it? We surely did Mine is
queer beginning to story, but, talk
the word of an old musician for il
there is not scrap of lie in the res
OF the yarn.
1t was in the previous autumn tina
the drums and flies had marched u:
the Onety- Oneth first battalion, int
Fort Fury, the dampest, dismallest
most out-of-the-way billet in the Brit
ish Isles Col Owen was then our CON
manding officer, and it was as teache
of music TO his little daughter that
became part of the story have I
tell -Four times week went to tn
coloners quarters to play, and teac
upon spinet-lilSe old pianoforte b,
longing 20 the coloneIs half-sistel
Lady Emily Dunbar
Let me describe her ladyship, fc
hers Is a principal part in the dram;
At ::yenty-scven-her maid said thirt
Lady Emily was still a most beaut
full woman, though beautiful with tina
exotic flower of comeliness which bio
soms fast and early, and quickly COO