The record-union., 1895-08-17
GENTLEMAN JERRY.
Or. How the KraaI Was Saved.

the greasy p2vements and filling the gut
sers, in each of which ran q drumly rlvu-
let, swift and froth-topped. The few
pessers-by looked damp and miserable
as they hurried on their way, and TOOK
no notice of the tall, spare figure mut1ed
in military greatcoat. who was march
ing up and down the pavement at the
regulation pace. The knot Of colored
ribbons falling soaked and limp from his
forage cap proclaimed him TO be a Ke-
oruiting Sergeant; but there seemed moth
ing for him to recruit beyond hall
starved, wholly bedraggled mongrei,
which was carrying on InYestlgatlons
round an empty ash bucket. Old Ser
geant Dreadnought had been deserted by
his companions, who had sought refuge
in a neighboring public, where many
Queens shilling had been converted,
like many an ordinary one, into the
glass that both cheers and inebrlates.
The Sergeant was used to being deserted,
however, for he was an observant man.
and had often noticed that his largest
hauis-and he was famed for large hauIs
had been made on wet and dismal days.
and he made point OF being at his post
in all kinds Of weather.
For once, however. the Sergeant seemed
10 be wrong. 1t was growing dusk. and
not a single aspirant for military glory
had be interviewed that liYelong damp
and dirty day. He had even made up
his mind to desert the cold pavement and
cheer his inner man by glass OF grog,
when, as he turned to put his resolution
into effect, he saw something which
caused him to stop short and resume his
measured tramp. This something was
the figure of man who had appeared at
a corner on the opposite side Of the street;
and the well-practiced eye OF old Dread
nought had recognized in him likely
prey. The man was young, tall and
broad but evidently much thinner than
he once had been, or else his clothes
and sorry clothes they Were-wOuld not
have hung so loosely on his great frame.
They were soaked with rain, and the
man shiyered a gust OF east wind
caught him at the corner and nipped and
buffeled him, seemingly IN wild delight
at having at length found being IN this
quarter who was susceptible to its attack.
tor it had done its best all day with the
gaunt, ,gray-coated individual on the other
side of the street, but apparently without
the least effect.
The man glanced across the road, and
evidently caught sight Of the Sergeant
and his ribbons, for he hesitated mo-
ment, then, as the old soldier watched
him out of corner of his eye. he pro-
duced from somewhere in his ragged
trousers a halfpenny, and that only after
a careful search. Balancing it on his
thumbnail he tossed it upwards and let it
fall on the pavement; then picking It up
he began rapidly to cross the road.
The Sergeant, who had been an inter-
ssted spectator of this performance,
straighteued himself, or rather went
through the motions to produce such
result, for he was already AS straight as it
is possible for a man with an ordinary
built spine to be, cleared his throat and
put an extra twist on his moustache, then
turned to meet the stranger.
Old Dreadnought had in his time en-
listed many a queer customer, but as he
said afterwards, Never III all my life
'ad | seed sich sad look on a mans face.
He seemed as if he 'ad swallowed his grog
without a-tasting of it,"
The young man came straight up to the
Sergeant, and without any preliminary
quietly said: II wish to enlist, if you
please"
You do, my lad; then come along VII
me-"
They adjourned to the public, and many
were the remarks the old Sergeant had
passed upon him by his fellow-recruit
ers for stealing march upon them; but
he WAS well used to their banter, and pro-
latest capture a stiff glass of whisky and
water. The new recruit turned out TO be
a very silent fellow, for he answered all
questions as shortly as possible, and was
seemed disinclined for company. He
gave his name as Jeremy Tobln; his age
as four-end-twenty, but looked nearer
30; beyond that, there was little informa-
ton to be got out of him; and he was
finally left TO himself, as "a surly sort of
cuss," though the men pitied him, his face
was so careWorn and sad.
The "surly cuss'' was placed in the
company OF recruits which l had the
honor and misfortune to lick into shape,
and sorry lot they were.
Jeremy Tobin was by long way the best
of them both as regarded physique and
Intelligence; and partly on this account
and partly because Of his strange. set
tied melancholy, | took an interest IN
him and watched him closely. He was a
fine-looking man when shaved and de-
Gently dressed; and under the com bined
influence of warm clothes aud good food,
he showed up as a very powerfully built
fellow, well over six feet and with the
chest and limbs of a Hercules. But
though he thus improved as regarded his
outer man, his demeanCr never altered.
| had seen many gloomy and miserable
recruit, but they always cheered up or
deserted IN the course of q mouth or two;
not so Gentleman jerry, as he had been
dubbed.
Polite at all times and eager for his
work, he seldom spoke unless spoken to,
and was never known 10 smile. Indeed,
''as glum as Gentleman Jerry" came 10
be quite proverb in the regiment; and
though at first his comrades rallied him
on the subject, they soon wearied of il,
and he was allowed TO gang his ain
gait" l did my best to win his conf
dence; but beyond a THANK you, sir,
you are very kind" he would tell me
nothing, even when ! once came upon
him with letter in his hands, sobbing
like child, and begged him to let me
help him. Once only, to my certain
knowledge, did Jeremy Tobin rouse
himself, and then it was q rousing with
q vengeance. We were in camp, at the
time. and Jeremy, while taking soli-
tary stroll, had come upon q great, coarse
brute of fellow numerically logging a
little drummer boy belonging to our reg
iment band. This man, who was q Cor
poral in another regiment, had the repu-
tation of being terrible bully, and was,
without doubt, one Of the strongest men
in her Majesty's service. He was in
fiioting chastisement on the little drum
me for daring to assert that "our regi-
ment could lick bis at any mortal thing"
Gentleman Jerry had taken the surprised
bully by the collar and dragged him off
the boy by force; then loosing his hol
of him, he had calmly requested the boy
TO tell his version of the affair. The little
chap blubbered out his story, and then
Jeremy had politely asked the bully to
give his version. Finding that he had
none to give, Gentleman jerry had
straightway stripped of his coat and gone
for him on the spot. saying never word,
but pounding the man in terribly cool
and scientific, not to say effective, lash
ion; after which he had donned his coat
and strolled away as if nothing had hap
pened, but gazing for himself the re-
spect and admiration of his comrades,
while the boy he had rescued worshiped
him from a1ar.