rk
of disgrace. Dame Fortune soon began to smile upon me. I found a good
friend in Captain Clifford Lloyd, the musketry instructor to the
regiment. One fine morning, shortly after I was reduced to the ranks, and
while I was engaged in preparing myself to mount guard, the Captain
passed my room. "Ah!" says he, "you're brushing up, I see." "Yes, sir," I
answered; "I'm going to mount guard. This is the first time I have
mounted guard since I was reduced to a private." "Ah! well," said Captain
Clifford Lloyd, "you see what a fool you have been to get intoxicated.
But I always said that any man can have a breakdown in his lifetime; and
if ever you have another chance you will mind it?" "Yes, sir; I think I
shall," replied I. The Captain then walked away, but he had not gone many
paces when he returned and said to me, "I'll tell you what I'll do. One
of my attendants, Johnson, wants a six weeks' furlough to see his parents
in Nottingham. I will let you have his place during his absence if you
will take it. You will not have to wait at the mess, but to accompany me
at the targets--fit up the targets, paint them, signal, and see that all
is right for shooting." "Thank you, sir," said I, from a heart full of
thanks; "I shall be ready when called upon, sir." The Captain then went
away, and I proceeded to complete my equipment for going on guard. I was
on the first post of the barrack guard. I had not been walking sentry
"go" for many minutes ere a relief man came to take my place, telling me
that I was wanted by Captain Lloyd. I promptly repaired to the Captain's
quarters, and Captain Lloyd told me that he had given Johnson permission
to take his leave on the next day. "Go," said he to me, "and tell the
sergeant to strike you off the mess, as you are now my fatigue man for
two months at least." I followed out the instructions. My new duties were
very agreeable in one sense, for while being engaged only three days per
week (that being as much as the regiment could put in at ball-firing
practice) I had full pay. The next morning we went to business. I hoisted
the danger flags to keep trespassers away from the range, and, with help
from another man, I got the targets in working order. The range was on
the seaward side of Ayr, and the targets had always to be removed before
the tide came in. I used to take my paint cans (the paint was used to
"face" the targets), danger flags, &c., at night to a fisherman's hut at
the mouth of the rive