drink, in fact were rather fresh; but we did
not fancy the looks of the host, who wished
us to remain for an hour or two, so we made
off again, and reached a Canal, which we
crossed, and proceeded along the banks,
thinking that it would lead us somewhere.
On our left was a plantation, the canal being
on the right; here we were overtaken by
four countrymen, who, from questioning us
as to where we came from and whither bound,
proceeded to stop us, and said we must go
with them to the police-station. Seeing that
it was all up, S—— knocked one of them flat,
with a right-hander, and made for the plantation.
I turned round and made for the
bridge, but found my retreat cut off by two
fellows on the other side. I foolishly jumped
in the Canal, where I proved an easy capture
—far differently had it happened with poor
S——.  He had tried first to gain the wood,
had been beaten back, these fellows striking
him over the head and body with bludgeons,
he now made for the water, and jumped in—
but, poor fellow, although a good swimmer,
he sank to rise no more; the blows must
have stupified him. Search was made, but
his body was not recovered for some hours,
I never learnt how the coroner's inquest
brought it in, it surely could not be accidental
death. The clothes he wore when
brought to the Regiment were covered with
blood, and the opinion of all is, that he was
murdered. By what right had these fellows,
on mere suspicion, to take and ill-use us as
they did? I remained in Guilford Gaol for
two months over another affair, and was then
brought back, and tried for breaking out of
the Guard Room, receiving eighty-four days
additional, and who should I find a prisoner
along with me but J—— , the contriver of
our escape. He had his wits about him as
usual, for he stole a key that would open
both padlocks that the door was now fastened
with.

"They had neglected to profit by former
experience, and still locked the door inside,
although they had placed a sentry outside,
We should have gone that night, but J——
was marched into prison that afternoon. He
left the key with me, but none would join,
and I did not fancy somehow going by
myself.

"The next day a sergeant came on, and on
counting the keys missed one, he suspected
I had it, told me that I had better give it up
quietly and there would be nothing more
about it—but if he searched and found it on
me—he would put a crime against me for
stealing it. I gave it up, and has come in
here to do near on six months."

I thought when his tale was finished what
a difference there was in the treatment
by Civilians—of these two deserters—the
Militia man and ——, the former receiving
shelter, clothes, and assistance in every way
from them, the latter getting only ill-treatment.

Desertion is at present the most prevalent
Crime in the Service. Upwards of forty per
cent. of all Court Martials is for Desertion,
twenty per cent. for Absence without Leave,
and only fifteen per cent. for Drunkeness.
When I joined the Service some years back it
was in an inverse ratio to this—Drunkeness
standing first in the List. Can any reason
be assigned for this exceedingly large
proportion of deserters? And this has nothing
to do with those now at large—numbering I
believe over ten thousand.

One cause in my opinion is the large
bounty now given to recruits. Many during
the Crimean War made a trade of enlisting;
receiving the bounty, and deserting—and
many do now. A recruiting sergeant cares
nothing about who he enlists as long as he
passes the Medical Officer. What is it to
him whether he has taken one or a dozen
bounties previously, as long as he gets the
fifteen shillings for enlisting him? And
after this he cares not how soon he starts
again; for by such are recruiting sergeants
enriched. When a recruit enlists he receives
ten shillings; and, on joining his Regiment,
two pound ten shillings and a complete kit;
if he joins the Militia in the first place, and
then volunteers, he gets three pounds additional.
While this money lasts, soldiering is
all very well, and I daresay he likes it; but
the money gets done and he comes on fourpence
daily pay: he misses his pint in the
morning, his bread cheese and porter for
lunch, and his quarts at night; he disposes of
some part of his necessaries for half their
value; this does for a time to supply these
luxuries, until all is gone; if he makes these
good he will, if in the Infantry, be thirty
shillings or two pounds in debt, if in the
Cavalry twice as much. He is now under
stoppages, and receves one penny a day. As
he could not do upon fourpence, he cannot
exist upon a penny—the sale of all his kit
and desertion follows. He now enlists in
some other Regiment, where the same is
again enacted, and so on. I've heard them
boast of the number of Regiments they had
been in. One mentioned no less than seven
Regiments he had served in, another four,
another three—yet all considered themselves
unlucky in being taken at last, and all declared
that they would again desert the first
opportunity. From this it will be seen that
one man may represent several in the Hue
and Cry.

Some one says that the worst use a man
can be put to is to hang him, and I think the
worst use a soldier can be put to, is to place
him in a Military Prison; where he only
entails trouble and expense.

Military Prisons are now in all Camps,
Garrisons, and Barracks, for however small
the barracks are, there is provost cells, provost
sergeant quarters, and a provost sergeant
with so much extra a day. Here for instance
there is a prison capable of holding somewhere