A sailor's cheek
After 17 days alongside, a British aircraft carrier prepares to leave Sydney harbour Australia and proceed to sea. The shore connections severed and just one gangway remains in position with a crane attached ready to lift.
Suddenly a taxi screeches to a halt at the bottom of the gangway, and a voice calls out, "Hold the gangway". A young sailor gets out of the taxi, still fastening his trousers, and gives a beautiful girl in the back seat a farewell kiss. The sailor runs up the gangway.
"I know I am adrift Sir" the sailor reports to the officer on the gangway, "And I will be happy to take my punishment Sir". "As you can see ... she was well worth it". "However I have a little problem as I owe the taxi driver $200 as we have travelled far this morning".
The Officer on the gangway, not wanting to sail leaving the taxi driver out of pocket, contacts the pay office who despatched a messenger with $200 to the gangway. The money is handed to the sailor with the instructions, "We will deduct this from your pay, give it to the taxi driver, and look sharp about it".
Where upon the young sailor runs down the gangway, jumps into the taxi which speeds off. The ship, already late, carries on and proceeds to sea without this young sailor.
On sailing under the Sydney harbour bridge, this young man with his beautiful girlfriend can be seen waving his shipmates goodbye.
So a deserter, motivated by female charms, had the cheek to return to the ship and obtain another $200 to finance his new life.
We should not be surprised. After all we used Australia as a penal colony years ago.
Now they have one more criminal....(G)
Simply Steve