TWENTY YEARS AGO 53 



the fourteenth day of my leave, at daylight. 

 To my horror I found the coach only left at 

 night, and reached the capital at eleven or so 

 next day. And I was due on parade at 6.30! 



While I was distractedly rushing about 

 asking everybody's advice, I met the skipper 

 of the steamer I had arrived in. "Why," 

 he said, '' I go on to Colombo to-night, and 

 generally get in about half-past six. Won't 

 that do you ? " 



" No," I said, " I fear not. I have to be 

 in uniform and on parade by then." 



"Well," he said, " I'll stretch a point. I'll 

 be off the port before six and send you ashore 

 in a boat before I anchor." 



The good fellow kept his word. A few 

 minutes after six next morning two lascars 

 landed me on the breakwater, then in its first 

 stages of construction. I ran to my quarters, 



