"That's, your man," said the" publican to a “Brother Bung" as he pointed to "Sam the Bear," sitting in a corner of the taproom, and looking wistfully into an empty pint pot. "Good," said Mr. Bung, and approaching Sam with a great show of friendliness, he ordered the pot to be filled. "Drink that off," he said; "and when it’s gone, there's another waiting for you."
Sam did not want a second bidding, but he was quite sure he was not being “treated” for nothing, and therefore when he was well on the way of swallowing the second instalment of "free beer", he bluntly' asked what was wanted of him.
“Oh! Nothing much,” said Mr. Bung. “Only a bit of fun. The fact is some of us in the trade think these Army people are going a bit too far, hollering about the streets, deceiving honest British workmen into giving up their beer, and drawing our customers out of the bar. Why should they have it all, their own way? Why don't you, and a few lads of spirit, stick, up for your rights? We'll help you; and as for beer you can have as much of it as you want, and a quart to pour over the Army Captain as well!"
"I'm your man”, said the poor drunkard. "Lor'! What a game we'll have!"
The publican, who had recommended him as a fitting leader for a local "Skeleton" army, came round from behind the bar, and patted on the shoulder. "I'd back ‘Sam the Bear’ for beer and devilment against any man breathing," he said.
“‘Sam the Bear'?" queried Mr, Bung. “Is that his right name?” Sam laughed. “It's what they call me,” he said, in drunken pride, “for a bit o’ play-acting I used to do when me, and, my mates wanted a copper or two for beer. I was younger then, and a lot of us were up to anything. A pal o' mine says to me one day, when we was both stone broke and dreadful thirsty, ‘Sam, you play bear and I'll act keeper, and we'll make" as much as that Frenchy who went round the fair last year!’ So he gets a rope and puts it round my neck, and I gets down on all fours, and then dances about while he flourishes his pole and says, 'drop a copper in my cap, ladies and gents, to encourage the British bear and his keeper. "Lor’ how it worked, we wasn't sober for weeks together!”
“Well, you play the bear with them interfering Salvationists and you won't go short of beer," said Mr Bung. "There’s a few at my house as will be pleased to join you. We’ll show those red-shirted chaps that the British working-man ain't going to be frightened out of having his pint by the likes of them."
"So the ‘Skeleton’ army sprang into being that very night, and its appointed leader, ‘Sam the Bear,’ did his best to earn the beer which flowed in a never-ending stream from the taps of the publicans who had at first only laughed when The Army ‘opened fire’ in the town, but, when they saw some of their best customers leaving the bard for the penitent-form, they grow angry.
‘Sam the Bear,’ became a regular attendant at The Army meetings, indoor and open-air, and made himself a thorough nuisance to the Officers and Soldiers.
Every now and then, however, a ‘shot’ went home. He couldn’t help seeing that these people were better of than he was, and when they told him he was ‘a slave to drink’ he knew it was true! He roared out some drunken song in reply, but he fairly ‘squirmed’ when the Captain got in another ‘arrow’ in the shape of the words, “The wages of sin is death!”
In the middle of the night he woke up and thought it all over. “A slave to drink!
“Yes, he had been that from his youth up, and the demon had proved a hard taskmaster. At his bidding, ‘Sam the Bear’ had made a public exhibition of his own foolishness, become a terror to his Wife and children, broken up home after home, gone upon the tramp, and got into trouble of all descriptions. He had tried to get free many a time, but the demon drink had only riveted his chains the, faster. That Army man was right! He was a slave!
Yet he was going to be paid his wages! He had seen many another slave "paid off" on this earth, and wondered when his own time would come. Death! Yes, that was the Devil's currency in which" he- paid his bitter wages. The Army man was right, and yet he, ‘Sam the Bear’ was trying every night to upset these' people whose every thought was to do him good! He was a fool for his pains! He would give up beer and get better work than leading the Skeletons. So he thought, but, with the morning all his good resolutions vanished.
Presently, a ‘Skeleton’ got converted - then another - and another!
‘Sam the Bear’ looked on aghast! Very soon the publicans told him he was recruiting for The Salvation Army instead of driving them out of the town!
The comrade, who sent us the outlines of the above story, adds: “The whole of Sam’s Skeleton army were caught in the Salvation net; and at last, Sam himself, utterly broken down, fell at the mercy-seat and within half an hour was testifying to the fact of his conversion, in the open-air before hundreds of people congregated at Rowell Fair. For twenty-two years he has continued praying, preaching, and testifying to the saving and keeping power of God, indoor and out.
The ‘Skeleton, the, drunkard who was once known as ‘Sam the Bear,' is now Band-Sergeant Law, of the Rothwell Salvation Army Band, Northants, prompt, with spiritual counsel, ever ready to visit the sick, assist in the meetings, to go anywhere and do anything for God, and The Army.
