The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-03-01

OAaa&&GAAAA&SeAa u - ANAAAD
Now. then, Casemate. let's hear
from you" said the major.
The gunnery lieutenant-Gunnery
Jack he was called afioat-roused him
self with a start. Il beg your par
don chaps" he said. Il can think of
nothing but that broken recoil spring
of my Al It's hard lines TO be hung
up like this just when you're wanted .
Never mind. old man" said the ad-
jutant. You've made hit if she new
ar fires another shot Your men S
shooting has been an eye opener
My old gunners mate said when
complimented him on good shot
Well. sir. with a fixed target and us ut
anchor. too. when once we get the
range something's got to shift II
we'd had a few big guns in the Zulu
turnout. we should have finished that
Job bit quicker"
We're you in that swim. too?' said
the major
Yes" said the lieutenant; Il was a
Young sub then-one of old Dicky
Rradshaw's boys from the Shah
South Africa runs in our family My
old dad was our here. too in the Kaffir
affair
Il got that from him." he added. pro.
dncing from his tobacco pouch n rather
dirty looking object like "A small eye
holt or "A clock key with a hole in it.
Il was extremely heavy and bard and
ms far as could he discovered through
itS outer coming of tobacco ash and
dust was OF some metallic stone"
What is it," said the war CORE
spondent, n baccy stopperY'
That's what | use it for" said' the
lieutenant. but by rights IFS charm
for saving life"
Il know man myself" said the
major, who carries a potato in his
pocket to keep off the rhpunn tiSm.'
This might save you from hang
ing" said the adiutant. but 1t
wouldn't help you much If you were
drowning It's extraordinarily heavy
for its size"
I'll saved my life once" said the lieu.
tenant quietly
"A yarn. YARN said the major.
Order, please. for the yarn of the
mystic charm that keeps you from
harm and alarm. Pegs round first.
Now. then. Gunnery John, unfold your
curly tale"
Il nusI begin with the dad" said
taseniate He WAS out in the kattir
affair. az | said In 1852 He was In
command of the old Forty fourth"
"Regad. thought you'd got an
army back on you" said the major.
why did you leave us. .JeremiahY
You've heard of an old chief uam-
rd Moshesh?" resumed Casemate.
Yes. but he was farther north.
wasn't hep said the major You
mean MoSes?'
This was descendant of his |
expect He was boss of the show
among the niggers here In the early
lays He was the original early bird
about these parts Well a descendant
If his old Johnny was captured by
the Forty fourth, and. owing to some
iii of dirty work he'd been mixed up
with. our men wanted to chop him up
.'l,uf The guv nor said. No. discipline
is discipline and chiefs a chief al
though like the poor Indian of I'm.
tutored mind he clothes him before
and goes bare behind He gave him
tent to himself and Bible TO read
and used to eXplai in II To him in the
evenings after fighting hours
Curious chap the guv'nor was I've
heard him say that some of the chiefs
questions used 10 keep him awake all
night trying TO think of the answers
However they got SO thick that.
when they parted. the chief who was
going down to the cape for trial gave
h!n this blt of stun lie SAID II was
the most precious thing he could give
him 1t had belonged To MoSheSh and
had been KEEP 10 the chiefs family
since the time of Ham. think II was
\ safe cure for ague and would guard
rhe wearer against any form OF violent
death
The guy'nor said that as the result
Of the triai was so uncertain the chief
had better keep it himself Bul the
old man sand he would rather die thal
anything should happen to the guy nor
md forced II on him"
"Rummy Chaps. these niggers. said
the adJutant. where they take You
can fetch em with music too y lid
dler can lead EN- anywhere, they say"
Yes. they'll follow him with
bricks" SAID the lieutenant Il was in
ship once on the west coast that car
ried band. and the seedee boys Slied
thar all the Instruments might he stop.
ped except the drum A taste FOR mu
sic is natural to them. like curly hair.
However. to get back 10 the charm
The poor old mater. who tirmly be-
lieves In the Thing. made me promise
TO carry il. So I've kept IL in the
pouch and used II as a pipe stopper
ever since
You remember how the Shah got
into the Zulu scra mble. of course
We'd done four years on the Pacific
and were homeward bound. with
Pleasure at the helm. when we were
brought up at st. Helena by the news
of Isandhlwana. Old Dicky Bradshaw
brought us back here on his own, and
three weeks later we were landed and
working our way up TO Eshowe.
There's been some talk lately about
first class fighting men We've tackled
several sorts of them In our time. but
for sheer pluck the Zulu was second
to none. In my opinion. Some of them
-