The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-07-22

pay day. and should never have taken a chance on sitting down at all when on guard. I nodded and fell asleep of course.
 At 1 o'clock in the morning, or about half an hour after I had done that unforgivable thing. from the mili- tary point of view, of falling asleep while on guard. the corporal of the guard had stood at the prison railing and. making a funnel of his hands called down to me:
 One o'clock, and all's we'll.
 Tt was up to me, then, of course to reply:
 No. 1, 1 o'clock. and alfs we'll
 But how could I have done that. when, being sound asleep on bag of coal. I didn't hear the corporal of the guard?
 @AII Of a sudden 1 was awakened with a start, and was brushing at my nose. A barrel of molasses had been landed on the dock the afternoon be- fore, and some of the treacle had leak ed. That had attracted a swarm of flies from the barracks to the dock. One of those flies had awakened me by biting my nose.
 And maybe that fly hadn't awak- ened me in the very nick of time. I had no sooner slapped at the fly than I heard the even tread of quick foot steps advancing in the pitchy dark ness from the direction of the guard close, too. But I was on my feet, and as stiff as raTnrod, and giving the Who goes there%
 It was the sergeant of the guard who happened to be a man who had it in for me-come with my relief. The corporal of the guard had report ed to the sergeant that No. 1 sentry hadn't responded to the o'clock tAlls well call. The sergeant of the guard had hurriedly awakened my relief and come after me. confidently expecting to find me asleep on post. If he had found me asleep, you know what wolld have happened--ny gun and belt wouli have been grabbed. I'd have been put in the clinlx and then would have fol- lowed the general court martial with all of the dismal consequences. But the fly had stung me awake just in the in- stant of time. The only thing the ser- geant who had 1t in for me could do was to growing inquire why l hadn't replied to the corporal's 1 o'clock call. T told him that the wind had carried the corporal's hail in the other direction. The sergeant returned to the guard house with my relief grievously disap- pointed that he hadn't been able to cliliK me. That was the first time a fly |helped me out nobly.
 Next time a fly came along and handed me sting at the psychological
 moment I was on ship of war. l was working at some books in a log-room
 on the berth deck, when the officer of the deck-he was on the main deck called down the after companionway Cor me. ! hustled out of the logroon
 and rushed around the companionway to respond to the summons It was
 dark on the berth side. I had forgot ten for the moment that the gun crews
 were overhauling the magazines that
 forenoon. At the bottom of the after ladder, up which intended to vault to make the main deck, a magazine
 hatch was wide open and yawning.
 didn't notice that open hatch. I raised
 my foot to take the step that would have landed me, 8 mere Inangled mess, at the bottom of the magazine, when a fly lit right under my left eye and gave me bite that can feel yet. I drew
 back suddenly to feel of the bitten place, so that my foot didn't come down in that open hatch. It wasn't until af- ter had drawn back that noticed the open hatch. through which had all but tossed myself when the fly gouged me. and when I saw it and perceived what narrow shave I'd had, I was So weak that had to sit down on the bottom ladder step and fan myself with my cap for a minute before going above to see what the officer of the deck wanted of me.
 I'm not overly sentimental, but I've never made a pass at a fly since one oi them so opportunely saved me iron plunging down that open hatch. Slap went the hand of the irritated man against his trouserse leg, and the mashed fly that had been annoying him slipped off onto the grass. "I hope that cuss isn't any kin to either Of the two flies that helped you
 out. pal, said the irritated man, "but I'm blooming glad that I got him, any 4 y1yfl U ,,---- -VNTa shin rsf n,, ctor