Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-11-11

On, Oh a
And what's that?'
Father, Scotch. Mother, Cockney.
Meself born in Stamshaw, sir
4 see. Well. Calhoun, you do honor
to your country
(Which one, sir?' said Sam.
"'The country of mefastitiscs,' he
says, meanin' Scotland. You'll over
reach yourself one day, my man. I re-
member the occasion. Twas skarcastic,
and you think it's fine fun to carry on
the joke, do We? A seaman must learn
that a officer can turn his Jest to earnest
very sharp
81 wish you'd do it now, SIR says
Sam, smart as anythink.
1.-The Cap'n frowned agin. He didn't
quite see the point. He had to think
out to hisself. I promised to let him
off, in fun. He takes it in earnest.
take his earnest in earnest and start
out TO run him in for q court-martial,
but he says he wishes would turn my
joke to earnest, cos then I must let
him off. 1 believe the devils cornersd
me-
Sam said he surmised all this argu-
ment was goin' on in the Cap'n's mind,
and when he jist said 'Remanded, he
knoo he was safe.
THE Cap'n sent for him next day 10
his cabin.
Calhoun he said, I've decided TO
be in earnest
Thank We, sir
"'I've put you in my boats crew.
"Sam was took aback, fiat aback.
He'd never been petted before.
"'But I'm habitual leave, and n
thorough bad character, sir
"'You have been. But I'll give you n
clean sheet, Calhoun. You start afresh.
"I-my-excuse me, sir, my eyes is
weak and Sam drawed his sleeve
acrost his face.
The Cap'n was lookin' through Sam
all this time he was tryin' not TO leak.
When he sees he was bit manly agin',
Shake hands, my man. he says, and
they shook hearty.
For the future, sir
"'No promises, Calhoun puts in the
Cap'n. I won't have II. You are in
my boat. Don't disgrace me-
THAT was Cap'n Bunson's way.
when his cox'n was promoted to a
higher ratin', Sam Calhoun took the
billet, and so there you are. Now you
know Sam, and you will be able to
understand that for Cap'n Bunson he'd
go through birthstone and treacle, TO
put it mild.
"Well, now we comes to Egypt, and
the desert and the fight in the night.
You know the Naval Brigade was there,
a course. Cap'n Bunson was there wild
il, and Sam, who follered him like
n shadder in every scrap, which was
right. AS Sam said: 'S'pose the Cap'n
captures the enemy in punches Ike
Nelson used to do, must be there to
stack up the captured swordses and
spearses, while he politely bows to the
niggers.'
"But in this night fight the Cap'n got
lost somehow. You remomber we was
drove back. formed up, broke again, re-
formed, each man plyin' his gun or his
cutlass wild all his might to keep his
own life. 1t was the most tremenjus
burnin' fiery furnace I've even bin in.
You couldn't see In the least what you
a a9iqn inc o. nh faew6sa e o heaaE aEeamS any
thrustin', Sam moanin' that he'd lost
the Cap'n, and astin' everybody If they'd
seen him. And they all said MOL en-
phatic, and went on fightin', thinkin'
he was wild some other company.
"'What did he want to slope off by
hisself for, tryin' to sneak all the glory,
I heard Sam sayin'. Nelson always
uster stick by his cox'n and share 1t.
Well, so long, Chatty. seen him last
over this way. Out the way, you'll And
still In dream, seen him down one or
two Noobians and pass into the thick of
the fight.
Then I surmise1 he'd bin speakin' to
me.
But the rest of us was pushed back
and back, sweatin' and baked. Some
times 1 heard, and yet did not hear,
husky voices screamin': Stick TO II,
Navy or Number One thunderin':
Steady on the right, men!' or the pipin'
of the sub-lootenant: 'Off-sides there.
as Dervish speared his way through
the line and he pipped him wild his re-
volver.
"And as for me, was gettin' tireder
and tireder. The whole earth was full OF
mad black men, and they WIS oil waitin'
their tufn at me. Something 'ud loom
up like figure In fog, big and sudden.
There'd be little private fight, and one
of us was down bitin' at the sand. or
.lutchin' at the air, or beatin q tattoo,
Or just simply still. And the sound In
your ears was maddenin,' SO that the
eyes seemed useless. Three-and-forty
times l lunged and parried, and three
and-forty niggers made earth, and still
they popped up. And l was diggin'
lazily away at 'em wild my bayonet,
downin' of 'em, when woke up In q
field hospital tent, and Sam was holding
my hand.
"T found him. he says, after a bit.
"'Who? says /.
"'Cap'n.'
"'Didn't know he was lost says,
md went to sleep again.
when was gettin' well heard all
about it.
"It seems the cap'n had got separated
In the rush, wild between four and hve
bluejackets-"
Between four and five, Chatty?" i
asked.
Ibid / say between That's how 1t was
telt me. 1 surnise there was n budding
A. B. amongst 'em then, an o. d., but
don't know for certain. They was sur,
rounded by a howlin' mob, no doubt
fought away blind like did. But one
went down, and another went down.,
and on'y Cap'n Bunson and one blue
jacket was left, back 10 back, when Sam
Calhoun came boundin' into the circus,
yellin' out 'Stamshaw for everl' which
he'd made kind O. war-cry; and 'Wayo
Wuz-Fuz!' and sich things. The other
pore fellow was speared at that mint
by big buck niger, but Sam was on
the sportsman at the same instant and
spread him out 40 that he never spoke
no more.
Then he stood by the cnp'n and they
fought silent, except when Sam used
his navy revolver or his sea-service cut
lass wild effect. Then he'd remark loud
enough for the cap'n 70 hear: Brass
buttons retired hurt, SIR referrin' to
chap who wore n coat but no trousies,
who was particularly active. The brass
buttons jist shone up in the starlight,
We understand. Chap wild white shirt
sicked off, sir The cap'n answered not
n word. but fought grim. He was breath
In hard, too. AT last the crowd seemed
TO melt away, and they two thought