The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-05-29
By THE REV. A. HADLEY,

Al
prise to a good many admirers of Mr..
Thomas Atkins to hear that a fish
once put a whole detachment of Gar
rison Artillery out of action. So far
as 7 am aware, the circumstances are
without a parallel, and, as I was an
eyewitness of the whole affair, I pro-
pose to set the facts down for Wide
World readers. Dear old Putting
Billy" the major of the battery con-
cerned, will be delighted at reading
once more the story of his extraor-
binary fight with the sunish.
And now for my story. It hap
pened at Trincomalee, Ceylon, in
1881, when I was acting a. military
chaplain there. The major was very
proud of his battery, and was forever
. showing the men off. Stationed as
he was at Fort Frederick, Ceylon,
with men-o'-war Of all nations fire.
quently calling, Putting Billy" was
| often tempted to let the foreigners
see what British gunners could do.
Every time a foreign warship came
into the inner harbor her officers
must, if possible. see an exhibition
of the mems skill.
AS good luck or i'll luck would have
1t, Just in the middle of the annual
target practice a Russian man-o'-war
came into Trincomalee. The oppor-
tunity was too good to be lost, and
the major decided that the captain
l and his officers must come and see
the British gunners fire at the float
Ing target in the outer harbor. Ac-
cordingly the usual structural bar
rel resting on beams of wood and
surmounted by a fag-was prepared,
towed out to sea and anchored about
a mile away from the Mess House
battery.
Firing had proceeded for half an
hour or more, with excellent results,
when the major, putting and blowing
as usual, strobe up, accompanied by
the Russian officers.
What in the name of thunder are
Pyou up to-" roared the major, an
grily; for a shot had been fired and
gone yards wide of the mark.
Something wrong with the pow
der, sir" said the captain in COM
mand.
The major was furious-as furious
as dear old Putting Billy"~could be.
But neither fury nor bad language
could mend matters, make the men
shoot straight, or drive the irritating
grins from the Russians faces. you
must hit that target at all costs!"
yelled the major in tragic tones, TAX
ing up a position by the gun.
He took n peep through his
glasses at the target and then ex-
ploded wrathfully. why" he shout
FED, "the COMPOUNDED thing is moving!
Captain o., your point of attack
is afoat. You'll be knocking over the
lighthouse iflyou don't look out"
It was only too true; the target
was adrift, and a boat manned by
four gunners and a corporal was i'm
mediately dispatched to corral the
runaway. This, however, was more
easily said than done. When the
rowers were within about fifty yards
the flag and barrel-wnich had been
floating slowly backwards and for
wards with the currents-suddenly
gave a tremendous lurch and started
out to sea as if dragged by a steam
ktug at full speed. The men were
nonplussed at this curious maneuyre;
they stopped rowing and signalled
for assistance. AS they lay there
staring after the target a gunner
yelled out: Look! look! It's a
helcphant got tangled up in the
tackle"
"A helephant, you IDIOT" retorted
the corporal, shielding his eyes with
his hands as he gazed after the van
ishing target. Where did you go to
school? Any youngster knows a
helephant's a land hanimal. BY Jove,
though, it's an 'ippopotamus. Here,
pull away; he's after US! No-stop
her! Lay to; let's view the enemy.
Can you all SWIM"
/, The order to stop was promptly
obeyed, and presently there foated
placidly by something that looked to
the excited mems eyes like a floating
island.
Aiming himself with the boathook,
the corporal boldly made a lunge at
the mysterious object. There came
a violent upheaval of the water, and
the next moment owe went the boat
and down into the briny depths of
the Indian Ocean went the five gall
liant gunners. The boat had run on
to the back Of the mysterious mon
ster, and it had wriggled with disas-
trous result when it felt the stab.
mighty foine island that" gasped
Gunner O'Flannagan as he rose,
spluttering, to the surface. This is
too much like whale huntin' to please
kme."
Right the boat and Chamber in"
spluttered the corporal, sharply.
Fortunately the sea vas calm and
the men good swimmers, SO that the
order was soon executed.
Once in the boat the mel sat silent
hand m~otionless, recovering their
breath and equanimity.
Presently the corporal spoke: II