ongest men of their boats' crews,
they ordered them to shoulder the sentry-box and its sentry within, and
to carry it down to one of the boats as gently as possible, not to awake
the occupant. There, however, was little chance of that. Safe on
board,--there being no witnesses but themselves to the operation,--the
boat containing it was towed across to the Gosport shore, on which,
being carefully landed, it was set up in its proper position, facing the
harbour. Great, as may be supposed, was the consternation of the
`Relief' when it arrived at the post, to find sentry-box and sentry
gone. The soldier could not have walked off with it as a snail does its
shell on its back. A rigid search was instituted, but no sign of sentry
or box could be discovered, and the sentry at the Dockyard gates, having
also been snoozing at the time, had neither seen nor heard anything
unusual. The captain of the guard, unable, even by a conjecture, to
solve the mystery, considered it of sufficient importance to report
without delay to the major, who, jumping to the conclusion, as he heard
it when awakened from his first sleep, that the French had made their
way into the harbour, and were about to assault the town, turned out the
guard, ordered the draw-bridge to be hauled up, and, like a wise
soldier, took every precaution to avoid surprise. Not till the next
morning was his mind set at rest, when a report came from across the
harbour that a sentry-box had been found on the Gosport shore, where one
had not stood the night before, with a sentry in front of it, who could
give no account of how he got there. The sentry, on awaking at
daybreak, had in vain looked for the objects he expected to see around
him, but deemed it prudent to maintain his post. When questioned, he
roundly asserted that he had been broad awake all night, and the only
conclusion to which he or any one else could come, was that he had been
the victim of some trick of witchcraft."

"Were you, admiral, among those who played it?" asked Captain Sourcrout
"because then the less I say on the subject the better."

"A man is not compelled by law to give evidence against himself,"
answered the admiral, laughing. "I give the tale current at the time,
and happened to have been informed of the facts which solved the
mystery. I should say that Jerry Hazledine had nothing to do with it,
as it was before his day. He has a good many things set down to his
account."

"Some of