The Delawarean., 1900-06-27
THE DESERTER.
A Story and Its Sequel All In a :
Nutshell
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spot where the water was overshadow-
ed with trees which formed the out
skirts OF a wood extending south to-
ward fine dwelling a mile or more in
the upland. At the foot of one of these
trees they left their clothes and plung-
ed from the bank into the cool, re-
freshing stream. The river was deep,
affording ample room for swimming
and diving and for the exercise of all
those aquatic evolutions in which Wig
orous young men are wont to indulge.
Having swan some distance against
the stream whose flow was gentle, they
turned to swim back with the flow.
On looking toward the spot where they
had left their clothes they saw a man
hastily disrobing.
Somebody else getting ready for a
SWIM" said one of them.
Eyes, but it is deuced strange he
should select just that spot" the other
remarked.
Keeping their eyes on the intruder,
as they swan with a somewhat quick
er stroke, they beheld him cast down
his last garment and expected to see
him take plunge. Imagine their sur
prise when, after turning toward them
and evidently fixing his gaze on them,
they saw him coolly begin to invest
himself in their raiment. Simultane-
ously they raised an outcry and struck
out vigorously in order to intercept the
depredator before he could escape. The
distance between them and him was,
however, too great, and he was too ex-
pert on donning their attire. Before
they reached the place he had disap-
peared, and, on landing, they found
that he had appropriated the principal
articles of dress of the larger of them.
They looked this way and that, but
nothing was to be seen of the thief.
The one whose clothes had evidently
been rejected, because too small, dress
ed himself and hastened back to the
village for an outfit for his friend. On
his return the other had somewhat of
Q surprise for him.
Look" said he, pointing to a pile
of clothes on the ground. 81 found
these a score of yards back in the
BUSH"
The clothes We're such as are known
In the British army as fatigue dress,
and the exclamation which came from
each of the friends at the same mo-
ment was:
"He's deserterr'
"But that isn't ALL" said the larger
youth. "On the ground, under the
clothes, was this pocketbook, and it
contains Is Bank of England f5 notes
and over a pound in change"
The pocketbook was not such a one
as we are used to nowadays. 1t was
q inches by 4, of coarse brown leather.
well worn, and tied with a string.
why, the fellow is a fool to turn
thief when he had all this money in
his pocket" said one of them.
II don't know that" was the reply.
You see, his plan was to keep out of
sight so long as he wore clothes that
would betray him, whereas if he could
only get rid of them in the way he has
done his chances of escape were far
better, even in stolen garments, than
II he had worn his soldiers dress or
attempted to buy new clothes. OF
course there was the risk of being fol-
lowed and caught, but the fellow was
looking for just such a chance as we
afforded him. Well, he has got off
with about 80 shillings in my clothes
and is therefore not without means of
clearing out"
"But he certainly never intended to
leave all this money behind him?"
mo, of course he didn't, but In the
haste to be off he thought more of
liberty than money and left this be-
hind him."
"Well. think you are entitled to
what he has left, and in that case it is
not bad bargain"
"In sense you are right am no
doubt entitled to as much of 1t as will
replace the money and the clothes with
which he has decamped."
Don't you think we ought to inform
the authorities, so that he may be cap
tured?"
"Poor devil! Let him go. He'll have
hard time of it as it is to keep out of
the clutches of the corporaps guard,
who, you may be sure, are after him by
this time. AS to the money, I'll take
care of it for him, for who knows that
l may not come across him one of these
daysT
Three days later the young man
whose clothes were appropriated re-
ceived a letter from the thief, brief and
to the point, thanking him for the tenn
porary aid afforded by the use of his
garments and asking him to accept the
contents of the pocketbook as only too
small an equivalent for the service
rendered.
Hes an educated beggar, whoever
he is" said the recipient of the letter.
"But how the deuce did he know
your address"
"He found one of my letters in the
clot s."
1 was well acquainted with both
these young men and vouch for the
facts as narrated. Furthermore, can
relate the sequel.
A few years after the occurrences
herein narrated l met at a hotel in Bir-
mingham a very sociable and agreeable