Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-01-21
Ccopyright.)

want oneY'
yes"
Jump in and come with me-"
He took me to the recruiting office
at the foot of Market street, and the
wind-up of it was that before the day
was over l was enlisted in the Marine
Corps as a private at thirty per, and
on my way to the barracks at Mare
Island.
Which is all merely by way of eX-
planning how ! came to be doing a
mid-watch in an orderly box in front
of the commandments house on that
suspicious night four months later.
Shortly after midnight the telephone
rang.
''Commandant's orderly" answered.
"This is wireless. Message from
Western Union"
I grabbed pencil and memorandum
pad and prepared to copy it. Let
er CO." said.
This was the astounding message
that I received:
Commanding Officer. Marine Barracks.
Mare Island, via Commandant. Navy
Ysrd:
Place Private Fred E. Mcdonald under
immediate arrest. Further instructions
by mail
(signed. Bliss.
Commandant Marine Corps.
Fred e. Mcdonald! That was my
self!
Rather than stay and face the un-
certain charge. with its still more un-
certain attendants of trial and punish
ment. / would run away.
What with the sentries and civilian
watchmen and guards it wasn't going
to be any easy time getting off the
island, and that / knew.
Then / started down Davis street
toward the waterfront.
Iknew where there was shore-boat
lying alongside the sea-wall at the
end of the street. would steal that,
or borrow it, rather, and get away.
1t was a mighty dark night; ! had
that in my favor. got halfway
down the street without being dis
covered
Then. just as / was passing the En-
gineer building, some one turned into
the street about fifty feet ahead.
stopped and skunk against the side of
the building; but he had heard me.
Halt !" he cried. who's there?"
1t was sentry.
I,7e,+ ohax-n No uyac q harrpd window
I took hold of the ledge and pulled
myself up noiselessly.
There / chung. mOnkey-like.
The sentry challenged three times.
Then he proceeded to investigate.
Several times he passed me so close
that / could have kicked his hat off.
But at last he gave it up and went
his way. and / went mine, gratefully.
/ made it to the sea-wall without
further mishap.
And then the door of a nearby build
ing opened and night Waterman
came out.
"Oh-h, We divil, Oh have We. have
Orr he cried, and made dive for
me-
You have notl'' said.
/ sprang out of thes boat and lodged
him as he came. sprinted up the
waterfront at a ten-second gait, with
him numbering behind.
"Stop or Oi'll shoot, OH shoot" he
yelled
/ didn't think he would, and so /
kept on running
But, all of sudden, from in front
of me came the sharp:
Halt! Halt. Haltr'' of a sentry.
/ knew that meant business.
There was only one thing TO do. 1t
was long swim across the channel,
and the under,0w was treacherous,
but / turned and dove headlong from
the sea-wall.
Bang
Say. did you ever make running
dive, expecting to hit water. and In
stead land square on q solid oak plat
form. No? Well, that's what l had
done.
A float. for the use of shore-boats,
had been anchored there. | learned
more astronomy in that instant than
/ ever had at school.
The sentry and the watchman pulled
me off the float. / was pretty well
dazed; but got myself together in a
moment.
"Sure, an We are a lucky beggar," "
said the Waterman. what are We
goin' to do with hum, sintry?"
"Turn him over TO the sergeant of
the guard, / suppose said the sentry
what were you trying to do, any
way?''
I'm restricted" said. I was try
ing to make liberty. | haven't been
off the island since payday
''Well. / don't know as blame
you much" said the sentry, who was
n -oorl;cTad man and had nrnhahlv