Another story we heard was about the mad pranks played by naval officers in days of yore.  At that time, a sentry-box, having a seat within, stood on the Hard, at Portsmouth, so that the sentry could sit down and rest himself.  It happened that a party of young captains and commanders, coming down from dinner to embark, found the sentry at his post, but drunk and sound asleep in his box!  Punishment was his due. They bethought themselves of a mode of astonishing him.  Summoning their crews, box and sentry were carried on board one of their boats and transported to Gosport, and then placed in an upright position facing the water.  When the relief came to the spot where the sentry was originally stationed, what was their astonishment and alarm to find neither sentry nor box!  The captain of the guard reported the circumstance to the fort-major.  "The enemy," he averred, "must be at hand."