eave a
country where his credit was bad and his reputation worse, he embarked
for Batavia. But any pleasant day-dreams he may have cherished of
tropical luxuries, of the indulgence of a _farniente_ life in a grass
hammock, gently balanced by Javan houris beneath banana shades, of
spice-laden breezes and cool sherbets, and other attributes of a
Mahomedan paradise, were speedily dissipated by the odious realities of
filth and vermin, marsh-fever and mosquitoes. He wrote to his father,
describing the horrors of the place, and begging to be released from his
pledge and allowed to return to Holland. His obdurate progenitor replied
by a letter of reproach, and swore that if he left Batavia he might live
on his pay, and never expect a stiver from the paternal strong-box,
either as gift or bequest. To live upon his pay would have been no easy
matter, even for a more prudent and economical person than Van Haubitz.
He grumbled immoderately, blasphemed like a pagan, but remained where he
was. A year passed and he could hold out no longer. Disregarding the
paternal menaces and displeasure, and reckless of consequences, he
applied to the chief military authority of the colony for leave of
absence. He was asked his plea, and alleged ill health. The general
thought he looked pretty well, and requested the sight of a medical
certificate of his invalid state. Van Haubitz assumed a doleful
countenance and betook him to the surgeons. They agreed with the
general that he looked pretty healthy; asked for symptoms; could
discover none more alarming than regularity of pulse, sleep, appetite,
and digestion, laughed in his face and refused the certificate. The
sickly cannonier, who had the constitution of a rhinoceros, and had
never had a day's illness since he got over the measles at the age of
four years, waited a little, and tried the second "dodge," usually
resorted to in such cases. "Urgent private affairs" were now the
pretext. The general expressed his regret that urgent public affairs
rendered it impossible for him to dispense with the valuable services of
Lieutenant Van Haubitz. Whereupon Lieutenant Van Haubitz passed half an
hour in heaping maledictions on the head of his disobliging commander,
and then sat down and wrote an application for an exchange to the
authorities in Holland. The reply was equally unsatisfactory, the fact
being that Haubitz senior, like an implacable old savage as he was, had
made interest at the war-office for