The Natchitoches enterprise., 1900-05-03
TIE LIEUTENANT YARN
A Charm That Saved Soldiers Life
In ihc Zulu War.
BY JOHN STOCKHOLM.

Observation-Disclosures e <sSes<SSS ssssessSsS
Now, then, Casemate, let's hea
from YOU" said the major.
The Gunnery lleutenant-Gunnel,
/ Jack he was called adoat-roused him
self with a start. Il beg your paI
don, chaps" he said. Il can think 0
nothing but that broken recoil sprinj
of my Al. It's hard lines to be hunj
up Ike this just when you're wanted
"NcvCr mind. old man." said the ad
jutant. you've made hit if she nev
er fires another shot Your meni
shooting has been an eye opener"
"My old gunner's mate said when
complimented him on a good shot
We'll, sir. with fixed target and us a
anchor. too, when once we get the
range something's got to shift Il
we'd had few big guns in the Zulu
turnout. we should have finished that
job bit quicker"
"Iyere you in that swim, tooT' said
the major
"Yes." said the lieutenant; 81 was q
young sub then-one of old Dicky
Bradshaw's boys from the Shah.
South Africa runs In our family. My
old dad was out here, too. In the Kafir
affair.
IL got that from him." lie added, pro-
ducing from his tobacco pouch rather
dirty looking object like a small eye
bolt or a clock key with a hole In it.
1t was extremely heavy and bard and
as far as could be discovered through
It's outer coating Of tobacco ash and
dust was of some metallic stone"
What Is It," said the war CORE
spondeut, "a baccy stopper?
"Tbat.s what use 1t for" said the
lieuten4nf. "but By rights it's a charm
for saving life"
81 know a man myself" said the
major, ''who carries q potato in his
pocket TO keep off the rheumatism"
This might save you from hang
Ing" said the adjutant. "but it
wouldn't help you much if you were
drowning. It's extraordinarily heavy
FOR its Size"
at saved my life once" sold the lieu
tenant quietly.
"A yarn. a 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"
81 must begin with the dad" said
Casemate. "He was out In the Kafir
affair, as said. in 1852 He was in
command Of the old Forty-fourth."
"Begad! thought you'd got an
army back on you" said the major.
'Why did you leave US. JeremiahT
you've heard Of an old chief nam.
ed Moshesh?" resumed Casemate.
"Yes, but he was farther north, |
wasn't he?" said the major. "You
mean MosesY
"This was a descendant Of his, |
expect. He was boss of the show
among the niggers here In the early
days. He was the original early bird
about these parts. Well, a descendant
of this old Johnny was captured by
the Forty-fourth. and, owing to some
bit Of dirty work he'd been mixed up
with. our men wanted to chop him up.
"But the guv'nor said, No, discipline
is discipline and a chiefs a chief, al
though. like the poor Indian of un-
tutored mind, he clothes him before
and goes bare behind He gave him
a tent to himself and a Bible to read
and used to explain It to him in the
evenings after fighting hours.
Curious chap the guv'nor was. rye
heard him say that some of the chiefs
questions used to keep him awake ALI
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
him this bit of stuff. He. said 1t was
the most precious thing he could give
him. II had belonged to Moshesh and
had been kept in the chiefs family
since the time of Ham. think. 1t was
q safe cure for ague and would guard
the wearer against any form of violent
death.
"The guv'nor said that as the result
Of the trial was so uncertain the chief
had better keep 1t himself. But the
Did man said he would rather die than
anything should happen to the guv'nor
md forced it on him." !!
"Rummy chaps, these niggers," said
the adjutant. where they take. You
ran fetch 'em with music too. A fid-
Her can lead 'em anywhere, they say" !
Yes. they'll follow him = with ! !
bricks" said the lieutenant. 81 was in !
pip once on the west coast that car
'Ied band. and the seedee boys asked :.
haf all the instruments might be STOP
bed except the drum. A taste for mu-
nc Is natural to them, like curly hair. !
However, to get back to the charm. :
The poor old mater. who firmly be- :
ieyes in the thing, made me promise =
o carry 1t. So I've kept 1t in the :
'ouch and used it as a pipe stopper :,
yer since.
''ynu remember how the Shah got y J
bro ilip Ztl4,i scramble. of course. :