( t
8 Conecrvativc.
NEHUASKA CITY TO MANILA AND
KKTUKN.
[ CONTINUED FROM AUGUST 80. ]
Siuco that December evening I have
Been other men in dangerous places , but
none who could compare with him , as
he stood there watching his foes , not a
mnsclo quivering , as if in a twinkling he
had been turned to stone.
It was a thrilling eight. Every mom
ent I expected to witness the opening
shot and to see one of the gang pitch
forward upon the floor ; to hear the
provost gaard come running over the
stone pavement , but at the critical mom
ent one of the negroes tried to step
behind the door and in doing so slipped
and fell. It was the signal of defeat ,
and that crowd of ruffians , who , but a
few minutes before , had done so much
loud talking , fell over one another in
trying to get through the open doorway.
It was a most comical sight to see a
dozen men made panioy by one. Their
rout was complete and some did not
stop until they were safely around the
nearest corner , while the man with the
yellow stripes sat down in a chair ,
leaned his head on the bar , and was
silent.
The holidays were drawing near.
Manila was no place to spend Christmas ,
as everything was under martial law ,
and to be caught out after 8 p. m. meant
a heavy fine or detention in the walled
city. At the foot of the Bridge of Spain
lay moored the steamer Esmeralda , a
small craft of about four thousand tons
burden. Upon her smoke stack was
painted in black letters O. F. I found
out she was soon to leave for Ohina , and
in a moment I had decided. To Hong
Kong I would go.
I wont to the company's office and
called for a ticket. "Where are your
papers ? " was the first question asked.
I handed the agent some letters I had
with me. "These are no good , " he
said. "Go to the captain of the port ,
and get a permit to leave Manila. "
After waiting for hours in the rear of
a long line of Chinamen , I managed to
catch that officer when he was not en
gaged. Again I showed my letters. He
glanced at them , looked me over very
calmly , filled out several blanks and
gave them to me saying , "Before you
leave the islands , these must be signed
by some commissioned officer. " After
spending another day I managed to find
a lieutenant who was kind enough to
put his name to them.
Then I hurried back to the ticket office
with my great bunch of permits , to be
politely informed that the Esmeralda
had already sailed.
I am afraid that I said something un
printable in the doorway of that oriental
building , in regard to Uncle Sam and
the rights of American citizens in the
Philippines. The agent no doubt heard
mo for he came up and said "We have a
freighter that starts for Hong Kong this
evening. I can sell yon a cabin ticket
on her for forty dollars , but I don't sup
pose you will find her berth accommoda
tions extra. " I wanted to go very much ,
and this was the last boat before
Christmas , so I bought the billet and
they were kind enough to charge me
two dollars and a half more before I
could take my valise aboard.
Fnrotroll to Manila.
It was about 8 p.in when the Salvadora
dropped down the Pasig river and out
into the green , with her bow pointing to
the north. I watched the lights from
the city until they went out in the night.
Then going below I looked at my room.
It was a little miserable hole with two
bunks. The light came in through a
small round window , which I did not
dare to open for fear of being drenched
by the spray. I opened my valise , for
there was something in it I could enjoy ,
viz. , three books that I had purchased
for the trip. I was counting on a
splendid time sitting on the after deck
deep in Couau Doyle's famous tales of
Sherlock Holmes. Then there was
Laura Jean Libby's story of Daisy
Brooks , and another called "Broken
Hearts" from the Spanish. Little did 1
dream that in less than twenty-four
hours I would wish that Conau Doyle
had never been born , that Daisy Brooks
had swallowed a tablespoon and died in
her infancy , or that the author of
"Broken Hearts" had met his fate at
San Fabian.
But I went to sleep that night feeling
supremely happy , with these words run
ning through my mind : Hi nan , Kow-
loon , Canton , Hong Kong , and so I
dozed off to dream sweet dreams of new
lands , strange people and Chinese junks.
The next morning I was called by the
cabin boy , a dark little Filipino , who
brought me a cup of tea , which I drank
before dressing. This is somewhat like
the fashion of the American cowboy
which permits the lighting of a cigarette
before rising.
At nine o'clock breakfast was an
nounced and a royal one it was , every
dish being delicious within itself , while
above the table , suspended by short
pieces of wire , hung bunches of ripe
bananas and mangoes. I don't believe I
ever ate such a good meal and at the
same time such a big one in my life be
fore. Then going on deck in the cool
sea breeze , with the indispensable cigar ,
life seemed complete.
The idea of seasickness never entered
my mind. Had I not traveled from San
Francisco to Manila without the slight
est touch of it ? And the idea of getting
sick on this short journey of a thousand
miles , why , the idea was absurd.
But here in the China sea I was to
meet the monster in his rankest form ,
and to come out much wiser and with
pity , yes , very deep pity , for the seasick
mortal who wishes he could die and can
not , who prays the ship might go down
and it does not , anything , any way , only
some way.
I had not been on deck many minutes
before I began to feel dizzy. I started
to go below , but , somehow , reached the
ship's side , and there , in the face of the
flying spray , I uttered volumes of
intense agony. I don't know how
many there were , perhaps fifteen or
twenty , but I am certain of one thing ;
they were not bound volumes. Then I
went to my berth and groaned. There
I lay while the long hours went by. I
summoned up all the things I had done
in my life , the good and the bad , and
came to tke conclusion that I could just
as well die then as any time , but I
wanted the end to hasten.
The next morning I managed to crawl
up the ladder and take my tea on deck ,
but the tea became restless and wished
to mingle with the sea. I could not \
object , and lying upon the main hatch , \
with ten thousand conflicting emotions
tearing the inner man asunder , I prayed
again that the old freighter would take
her final plunge. The strangest part of
it all was that I wanted everyone to bo
either dead or seasick , captain and crew.
I hated the Chinese cook and the cabin
boy. I remember that after noon we
passed Hi Nan and I managed to get one
glance at the island , then went down in
a pile of agony.
When I went above the fourth morn
ing I was still very weak , but the pain
had gone. A heavy fog lay over the
water and I noticed the ship was not
running over half her ordinary speed.
Through the mist I could see great hills
of yellow soil extending all about us.
Hung : Kong. '
Then I saw a little boat beating in our '
direction. She came alongside , a rope
was thrown and a man swung himself
aboard. He was a pilot and taking the
wheel he changed the ship's course and
it gradually slowed down. I could see
we were among many vessels.
Then came a gust of wind , the sun
peeped over the hills and the fog rolled
away. Before us lay a great harbor
with merchant ships and men of war
floating the flags of all powerful nations ,
Chinese junks and earn pans without
number. Along the shore men were
running pulling little queer buggies by
hand , while the city in the background j
appeared as if it had , been cut from the j
mountain side. I looked away across }
the harbor. A great battleship was . j
putting out to sea , and a crowd of sailors f
were gathering on her bridge and then j
the notes of the Star Spangled Banner \
drifted o'er the morning air. The sun
flashed gold across her bow and this is
what I read : "Orefon. " The "reveille"
gun boomed from the mountain side.
"God Save the Queen" and "Father-