The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22

the close of n fierce engagement. mo.
my friend" cried the King, cutting him
down, "a king is never taken-not even
at chess" Sailors have been famous
from very old days for taking advantages
of an occasion in their pithy harrangues
to their crews. When one of Blake's
ships was blown up in an obstinately
fought action, and the spirits of his crew
were somewhat damped, the Admiral at
once revived them by an effective little
speech. We'll. my lads you have seen
an English ship blow up; now let us see
what figure Spanish ship will cut in
the same direction" We do not need to
be told what Drake meant when he re-
ported that he had "signed the Spanish
Kings beard" That little operation was
performed by the destruction of a hum
dred of the enemy's ships off Cadz. Theses
and all such records are not to be APP
praised at their literary" value. They
are interesting chiefly as a personal reve-
lation; we think Of the man, and the oc-
caslon.
In his humorous-pathetic vein Tom
Hood sang of the soldier who lost both
legs in the service of his country: There
he left his second leg, and the Forty-sec-
ond Foot" But many a good man and
| true has said something or other quite
| as pat of himself. The army surgeon
hears not few such racy phrases by tho
| brave fellows under his hand Here's
the arm, doctor. that helped me so well
yesterday at dinner" said an English of
fcer, carrying his own arm taken off by
cannon shot, into the surgeons tent.
And in similar scenes the rank and file
exhibit their own sense of humorous for
titude, which often seems to hear a Gu
riously inverse ratio to the suffering they
endure With the tough "old salt" when
wounded, 1t used to be almost a point Of
honor to tighten the surgeon task with
a well-meant quip. In fact even the hor-
Of rapnof 10 aufirpiw al a.
its humors Some of the good things said
at Trafalgar and Waterloo are a part of
the renown of those immortal battles. A
sailor found kneeing by his gun as his
ship was about to engage the enemy. was
asked by the first lleutena If he was
afraid. afraid" answered Jack, with an
expression of the utmost dlsdaln: mo.
your honor; I'm only praying that the
enemy's shot may be distributed like the
prize money-the greatest part among the
officers" The undaunted Corp. Caithness.
50 consplcuously daring in ''pinch' at
Waterloo, was asked IL he did not fear
they should lose the day. mo, no." said
he; 81 knew we could not do that NY
only fear was that we should all be killed
before we had time to win it," Napoleon
only spoke what he knew when he said
that 1.-THE English did not know when they
were beaten" A hundred humors of the
battlefield give speaking testimony to the
great truth. Most%of them are mere triv-
iallties, but that Is not a demerIt. They
are the straws which show how the wind
sets, and they circle even around the
heads Of a forlorn hope.
Both soldiers and sailors naturally
chance upon occasional opportunities OF
playing the role of Mark Tapley. The en-
during defenders Of our lately beleaguer-
ed garrisons have surely been FOLLY I'M
der the most creditable circumstances"
There has been no brighter page in the
South African campaign than the splen-
did good humor of our men. Assuredly
there Is many a racy humorlst at the
'front.' but 1t is a proud thing to be able
to say that he has not been wanted-in
that character. But good humorist is
always welcome. He leavens a company,
and makes every man in it on better
to contribute anything to the mirth of his
comrades, while they know 1t was entirely
due to his being there" This delightful
quality OF good humor has been constant
" displayed over the test case" of the
siege menu, and most excellent sauce II
makes. No doubt 1t is always thankfully
replaced by more appetizing condiment.
but brave men do what they can. To
laugh and grow fat" IL an easy course
TO grow thin and still laugh is a more he
roic task, and yet it has been cheerfully
carried through by The soldiers of the
Queen. The man who can smile at his
empty pipe IS one to "go anywhere and
do anything" And yet our continental
admirers have decided that the British
soldier can neither march nor fight on
half rauons. That's the humor of It,"