ransport and medical departments. Two days after our
arrival we had a field day. We marched to the Long Valley, where we
were drilled for several hours, and when we returned to camp it was
difficult to tell who was who. It was an extremely hot day, and the
dust stuck to our faces and made us look like negroes.

During the summer I was detailed to escort a deserter to Plymouth. The
sergeant-major gave me an opportunity to see my relatives there. The
prisoner was a deserter from H.M.S. _Implacable_, stationed in
Plymouth Sound. He had been a few months in the regiment and it was
not to his liking. He surrendered, and I handed him over to the
commanding officer of his ship. If I failed to do this I would be
tried by court-martial and sentenced to be reduced to the rank and pay
of a private. The court is also empowered to add imprisonment with
hard labor not exceeding 42 days. The charge would be neglect of duty
in allowing a prisoner to escape from custody. So it was with much
solicitude that I took over my prisoner. Private Peter Coady of my own
company was my escort. When we paraded with the prisoner handcuffed,
the sergeant-major handed me my instructions and money to defray
expenses. The prisoner was allowed 12-1/2 cents per day. We then
loaded our rifles, fixed bayonets, and marched off to Farnboro station
en route to Southampton.

After we were comfortably seated in the coach, I did not like to see
the prisoner handcuffed, so removed the shackles. He entered into
conversation with a passenger, which for a while made me suspicious.
However, that passed away, and in a few hours we arrived at
Southampton. It was my duty to take the prisoner to the lock-up and
provide him with refreshments, and take him over again when the steamer
was ready to sail for Plymouth. Instead of that, I allowed him to go
with us and have dinner at our hotel. After the meal we sat conversing,
when, without warning, the prisoner left the room and tried to make his
escape. Coady was too smart for him, and pulled him down off the wall
and secured him. We found out the passenger he met on the train had
something to do with it. After that the prisoner was kept handcuffed.

We arrived at Millbay the next morning, took the prisoner to his ship,
handed him over and got a receipt and expenses incurred during the
trip, for which the naval authorities were responsible, and then
reported at military headquarters, Mount Wise. We were attached to the
10th