Any member found without his red ribbon is to be fined in drinks all round.
Members are to be neither too drunk nor too sober.
Members must never go to bed quite sober.
Members must never refuse a drink.
The President certainly set a fair example in his endeavour to perform the duties of his office, and would never be mistaken for a member of the Blue Ribbon Army, even if he did not wear the badge, for good wine had marked him for its own. Under the fostering influence of such rules and such a “noble” example, it is not to be wondered at that the Army showed a blatant front to the enemy, and that their proceedings soon became disorderly. At this juncture some good-natured moderate men joined the Reds, with the view, it appears, of moderating their offensive tactics, and the result was a manifesto which set forth, amongst other things—That the Red Ribbon Army entertained no feelings of ill-will toward those who did not agree with them, and invited all to join their ranks, and that they assured abstainers that there was always iced water on the sideboard of the smoke room for their convenience. One of the chiefs of the Reds was a dark man, already referred to as Cetewayo, alias the Carrib. I one day heard this worthy call one of the Reds to account for appearing without his badge, the defaulting member replying that he had “resigned.” “That won’t do,” said the Carrib, “Once a member always a member; come and pay up.” Yes, I thought, when the devil has once got his claws in a man retreat is all but impossible.
Every one of the young fellows who joined the Reds fell into the “Spider’s” web, and were most of them eased of their spare cash through the agency of a pack of cards.
This “Spider” was one day on deck sitting by the side of one of my friends who had just awaked from a doze, to whom he said, “You have had a nap?” “Yes,” I said, “Mr. — takes his nap on deck in the face of day, but you have yours in the dimness of the smoke-room” (alluding to the game of “Nap”). “That’s true,” said he, “I like to play when the light is somewhat dull. These fellows say I am always winning. Well, suppose I am? They keep coming to me, and in Melbourne if they consult an expert on any subject they have to pay two guineas, and I take no less.” “You take no less, and don’t refuse more,” said I. “Exactly, that is just it,” said the Spider, and he was said to have cleared out most of the card-playing fraternity. Ultimately, the almost unvaried success of the Spider caused a general feeling to be raised against him amongst the gamblers; but as long as there still remained some who had not been relieved of their money, and others whom the Spider had allowed to win from him occasionally, this feeling did not exist to any great extent. One evening, however, the Pirate charged the web-spinner with having cheated him, and a general disturbance ensued, the Pirate assuring the Spider that as soon as they quitted the ship he would soundly thrash him with a whip, which he displayed, so we were in hopes of having a little excitement on leaving the vessel. One result, however, was to practically dissolve the Red Ribbon army, and the Carrib then came out in a new character. At the fancy dress ball held on the promenade deck he appeared in a dress suit, and was at once saluted with the cry, “Here’s a lark, Cetewayo disguised as a gentleman!”
The noble President of the Reds was somewhat of a curiosity in his way, a very kind-hearted sympathetic man, as many a poor invalid in the second and third classes could testify. The doctor told us of many instances of his lordship’s kindness in visiting some of the sick third-class passengers, and giving them dainties from his private stores; and I heard one poor woman tell him she should never forget him for his goodness to her husband. Some of our colonial passengers, wishing to make the most of their unusual proximity to nobility, were too persevering in their attentions to his lordship, and evidently bored him; but the tact with which he “shunted” them, and the studied politeness of his language, did not prevent onlookers detecting a silent “confound their impudence” terminating each reply.
Once, in referring to the pertinacity of these people, he remarked to a bystander, in a hissing tone, “One must be civ-il.” The noble lord took a great interest in everything pertaining to sailors; his regard for them was evidently warm and genuine. While we were passing through the Canal, coming to our anchorage for the night, we found the space at our disposal was very limited, as the vessels were numerous, consequently our men had to be very active in getting the ship into her berth. I was standing by his lordship’s side, looking at the sailors running along the sandbank, carrying the heavy cable as nimbly as though it was a fishing line. Lord — was delighted, and, turning to me, and in his funny fashion grasping his clothes in front of the place where his stomach should be, exclaimed in tones of rapture, “Look at our de-ah blue-jackets, look!”
His lordship was very popular with the young men on board, but I hope he did not often make such observations to them, as one young gentleman informed me he had made to him, speaking of his past life. “I have committed many sins in my time,” said his lordship, “and I hope to live to commit many more.”
CHAPTER XIII.
Returning from Australia we touched at Colombo, where my companion and a friend paid an interesting visit to Arabi, who invited them to dine with him. It soon became evident that intercourse would have to be conducted through interpreters, as Arabi understood neither French nor English, and his visitors were ignorant of Arabic.