North Carolina Newspapers

A SECOND SECTION ' ..( ASHEVILLE, N. C, SUNDAY MORNING, NOV. 23, 1917 SECOND SECTION j SHANGHAIED AT SEVENTEEN By ARTHUR GUY EMPEY Author of OVER THE TOP" (Copyright. 117, hy th MrClnrf SyniHr-nt-!" i A Brief Account of My Life I Start Out to See the World Before I tell of my first real adventure I will give a brief re sume of my life. I was born In the '80's, closer to the bot tom than the top. When I first open ed my eyes I breathed the air of the "Rockies." To be exact, I was born in Ogden, Utah, on the eleventh of December, 1883. My roving started at the early age of four. This was in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I used to play on the front porch. My mother must have suspected that I was of a roving nature, because she took the precau tion to put a gate across the steps of i lie porch with some kind of new fnngled lock on it, which I was unable to negotiate. I used to work for. half an hour at a time trying to get the gato open. - but without success; in tact this got to be a habit with me until my father applied the "slipper" several times. This made me more' cautious and I worked in secret. Out in front of our house were the sand hills of Wyoming. These had a fasci nation for me and it was my greatest .ambition to explore them. One mo mentous morning, the grocery boy, who was a great friend of mine, show eel me how to work .the lock, t was full of childish glee, when, after a few attempts, I found it easy to get out into the world beyond. On the morning in question my mother left me in charge of the hired girl while she went shopping. It was wash day, and my guardian did not have much tune to look after me. She, not being in on the "big secret," put me on the front porch, thinking that I would be safe. I waited my chance, and as soon as I heard the noise of her scrubbing on the wash board in the kitchen I availed myself of the op portunity of getting out. When I got out into the sand hills it was great fun and I kept plowing forward. After a while I got very tired and tried to re trace my steps, but without success. I knew I was lost. Then I did what all kids would do under like circum stances, I blubbered for my mother. Pretty soon a cowboy came along, took compassion on me, lifted mo in Iront of him on his saddle and we rode into the town of Cheyenne. All tho way he was trying to find out mv name, out an i couia answer was 'Doyempey." Of course he could not tra'nslate this into "Guy Empcy." He curried me into a saloon, filled with cowboys, and sat me on a barrel and the cowboys crowded around and scorned to be greatly amused. I thor oughly enjoyed myself for a while, but then began to howl for my mamma. 1 must have "been a howling success, because even the con joys could not Bland it. 'i'iiwj gave me everything in the saloon to play with, but to no avail. My yelling continued. Mv mother, upon returning home at about 1 o'clock, that afternoon, found tho girl frantic with fright, say ing that 1 had disappeared. My mother turned in the alarm and a general search took place. All I can remember is that my fath- or, with a frightened face, rushed in to the saloon, and, seeing me, grabbed mo in his arms and kissed me. lie then in triumph took me home. A great reception was awaiting me, and all the neighbors patted me on the back. I was a great hero, pro tem. When the neighbors left, out came that old familiar "slipper." When 1 saw the slipper I experienced the same feeling that I had later when on a trench raid in Franco I was hung in tho German barbed wire. My father sure had the art of slipper applica tion down to a line point, because I lost all interest in roving for many moons. From Cheyenne my family wont to Richmond. Virginia. At this place I went to school and was brought up on McGuffy's Header. This gave me a great idea of an Englishman. All I could see was a big Grenadier in a red coat chopping Americans into mincemeat. From Virginia wo migrated to Can ada. Two years later we loft for New York. In New York I went through pub lic school, and twice Just escaped be ing expelled. I organized the boys of the class Into a gang and we de cided to mutiny against our teacher, a Miss Hall, but the principal of the school, Mr. Lyons, soon wiped out the mutiny and gave me another chance to make good. When I received my graduation diploma I breathed a sigh of thanksgiving. From public school I went to Man ual Training High school. The most notable thing I did there was to make left half back on the football team. My great hero was Richard Henry Dana, who wrote "Two Yeurs Before tho Mast", I devoured this hook sev eral times and then decided to run away and make the same trip, and did so. Mv First After a little less than i. a year'B absence I again Military returned to New York, . . Once again I was the 1 raining hero, minus the "slip per." After being wor shipped for nbout two weeks, I Join ed the 47th regiment of Brooklyn, and ' soon became sergeant. , The militia, In my eyes, seemed tame, bo I ran away and enlisted In the navy. In two months I became a third-class Yeoman, having passed the Yeoman Course in tho Brooklyn navy yard. Then I went to sea on the "rookie" battleship Missouri. We nicknamed her the "Misery." I was lucky enough ' to be on her when she rammed the Illinois, and nearly foundered her in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After go ing Into drydock for two weeks at ' Newport News, Virginia, we left for the target range off Pensaoola, In the Gulf of Mexico, On April 13, 1804, while on tar get practice, we had an explosion in the after turret, which killed 34 men. I barely escaped with my life; in fact, I was smashed up a little and Wfts sent to the Naval hospital at Portsmouth, Virginia. My folks concluded that they had had about enough of my foolishness, and got me out of the Navy. I was highly Incensed at this action, so en listed' in the 12th United States Cav alry, and inside of a year was pro moted to the rank of Squadron Ser geant Major. . -. . I happened to be fairly good at rough riding, or ''Monkey Drill," and was sent with the Second Squadron to the Jamestown Exposition to give ex hibitions jn rough riding. After three years I was discharged from the 12th Cavalry, and came home, but soon enlisted In the. 11th United States Cavalry and did duty on the Mexican border during tho first trouble in 1011. I was discharged at San Antonio, Texas, returned to New York, and went into business for my self. This was a distinct failure. I could not settlo down so I applied for a position with a well-known detective agency, and after pounding my heels in tho ante-room for several weeks, now and then being given a "shadow case," finally had the luck to go be fore the "Chief," and with four other men was sent down South on a "moon shine" case. I got in with a family of "moonshiners" and liked them very well; in fact I thought so much of thm that when the time came to show them up it sort of went against the grain, and I couldn't do it. It seemed like stealing candy from a baby. Of course this severed my con nection with the detective agency, and I shed no tears. 1 then applied for a position with the New York Telephone company. While with them I joined the Mount ed Scouts of the 4th Regiment of New Jersey, and went through three ma neuver camps. Upon the expiration of my term of service,' which was three years, I Join ed the Mounted Scouts of the 71st Regiment, New York. Then the war broke out and I was all engerness to get into the fight. T l,nr1 hnan nlovini, n. cnliliA.inn .. A here I was ,n tho United States while I a real war was going on across thci water. AVhat was I to do? I did noti like being neutral a little bit, so justj by luck I happened to get in with an agent of the French government. At this time France was buying thou sands of horses in the Uniltd Suites and shipping them to France for thtl Irench army. Here was my chance at last. My detective experience stood me in good stead, and after a lot of maneuvering I finally landed a Job to go over on a horse ship to try and find out why so many horses wefe dying on the passage over. A Chance of Real Soldiering , Shortly after my re turn from the trip the Lusitania was sunk, and, like all Ameri cans, I was pretty sore, and waited for the United States to get busy. As we all know that nothing happened. I knew it was up to me to get over "on my own." I applied to the Brit ish consul, "camouflaging" as a Ca nadian, but it did not work. They would not send mo to Canada. I de cided to pay my own way. One day I met an officer of the Ca nadian, army and lie told nie that If I did reach Canada I would have to stay' in a training camp for at least six or seven months before being sent over. This did not suit mn In the least. 1 was no "rookie": in my opin ion I was a trained soldier. I then decided to tako matters into my own hands and go to England, and shipped on the American Line. I arrived In London about ten-forty one night. The next morning before 11' o'clock I was a private in His Majesty's Imperial army, a soldier of tho King. Then I realized that I was at last up against tho real thing and all of my pugnacity oozed out through my pores. When you get out of civilian clothes, into uniform and close up to the fight, yon do not want to fight as much as you did before, and 1 felt very nervous. This nervous ness, never left me during my stay on trio western" front. Over a year later I was so badly wounded that I was discharged . as "physically unfit for further war scrv, ice" and cumo back to tho old U. S. A. My First Real Adventure The Trip Around But to get to niy first real adventure. In Fill, 11c School No. if i mm mice cnums. tape Horn "itiiu Meek,' ".iim" Fleming, and "Char lie" Unger. Bill was full of wild ideas and schemes. He had tho "get-rlr.li-niiiok" mania. About every two weeks ha would call us aside and In a mysteri ous and important manner carefully unfold some daring scheme to get rich quick, giving his personal guarantee that it could not fail. At first we were very enthusiastic over his schemes and wanted to go in "with both feet," and would carefully work out the de tails of how to poceed, when bang! Bill would Introduce another project absolutely different from tho preced ing one. When we asked him what became of his wonderful proposition of two weeks ago, he unblushingly told us that unforeseen circumstances which no one could prevent, had in terfered. Then he would unroll an other wild dream of fortune. And so It went on; one scheme after another vanishing in smoke, until we became very skeptical. 'Personally, I had no faith In any of Bill's day dreams, but I admired, and perhaps envied, his spirit of adventure; so at last I de cided that I would take a chance, suc cess or no success. One night Bill came around fo the house with four tickets for a blood and thunder war play entitled "Cuba's Vow." Ills brother was playing the villain. This play greatly Impressed me; In. fact, from the first act to the last the footlights were gushing blood, love and adventure and rotten act ing. Bill's brother was awful. Bill was a pretty good ludge of human nature. He had taken us to this play to get us worked up to a pucn ot enthusiasm, and thus getting us in the proper frame of mind, he could unroll his latest scheme. That night, after the show, he pro posed a trip to South America, which took our breaths away. We were to run away and ship on a tramp steam er, for a passage of about nine months. With the money thus earned we were to equip ourselves and start out for Port Lemon, Costa Rica, and go Into the coffee plantation business. We all fell lor this and took a solemn vow to stick. The scheme especially appealed to me because here was my chance to follow Dana in his "Two Years Before the Mast." The next day, after sleeping it over, Charlie and Jim decided that there was more money in New York, and refused to go. I admit I had a sinking sensa tion in the pit of my stomach when I viewed the proposition in the sun light, but I stuck. Then Bill and I made a tour of the docks in New York, trying to find the ship we wanted. We fell in with several, "hoarding masters." These men in fest the water fronts of large cities and are nothing but bloodsuckers preying on sailors. One of these par asites took us on board an old tramp steamer, tying in Erie Basin, called the "Cushko." Here we met the steward, a "llm Juicer," John Royal Minnis, with the emphasis on the hy phen. The wonderful tale, of ..'case, luxury and "getting paid for seeing1 the world" stuff that tho steward and the boarding master unrolled before our eager eyes carried . us into the seventh heaven of expectation. This was 6 o'clock in the afternoon. The ship was to sail at 3:10 the fol lowing morning, but they did not tell us this. The steward said that we wore just the two that he wanted, there being vacancies on the ship for second steward and second cook. He suggested that we. sleep on the ship that night, and then in the morning, after seeing what it was like, we could go homo and decide whether we want ed to ship or not, I demurred at this, because I had to go home first, so he gave Bill and me permission to go, but said wo had to get back at mid night. Wo hurried home and on the sly I packed a grip with my belong ings. ... That night I exploded a bombshell :n the family. After dessert had been served, puffed up with importance, I declared: "Well, I'm going to South America." A barrage of laug!.ter rip pled around the table. This got me sore, and I shut up like a clam. It was February, and very cold. About 7 o'clock that night a great storm came up and the streets were soon covered with sleety ice, I turned into bed with my clothes on. Bill was to notify be at 10 o'clock by throw ing pebbles against the window pane in my room. Every time I looked out into the street and saw that howl ing blizzard, a picture of a ship wal lowing in a trough of the sea con stantly came before my mind and I shivered, and my enthusiasm dropped to zero. I could not take my eyes away from the clock. It was an agony of intense waiting, similar to that when, later in tho trenches, I kept looking' at my wrist watch waiting for 4 o clock in tho morning when we were to go "over the top" in a charge. Oh, how I wished that Bill would .chanite his mind! About fivo minutes to ten, crack! crack! came a couple of pebbles against tho window pane, sounding HKfe the creek of bullets on the west ern front. With my shoes In one hand and my grip in the other, I soft ly tip-toed downstairs, put on my shoes and heavy overcoat, and opened the front door. I was greeted by a, rush of wind, snow and sleet. Bill looked like a snow man. Wo ploughed through the blizzard, got on a trolley car, and reached Erie Buiin ut a quarter to twelve, went ui the gangplank and reported to tho steward. fi RnnrI ThB BnlP looked like un uoaru nn fce palace. Voil could hear the creaking of winches and tho straining of cables, and could see dark forms sliding and cursing on the slippery decks under the glow of the cargo lights. The steward greeting us very cor dially and I thought him the finest man I had ever met. Bill was shipped as second steward, and I got the bil let of second cook. My "glory hole" was aft on the, main derk. whllo Bill slept amidships. I piled into a little two-by-four bunk and was soon fast asleep. I had a horrible dream: a giant had me by the heels and was swinging me around his head, trying to dash my brains out against the side of the ship: I awoke In terror. The "Glory Hole" seemed to be looping the loop, and 1 could hear heavy thuds as Immense waves broke against the side of the ship, the water hissing and rushing around the port hole. Reaching for tho electric button I turned on tho switch. An awful mess met my eyes. The deck of my room was awash. The grip and all my belongings, which I had unpacked betore turning in, were swishing and washing on the deck, now in this corner, now In that. The ship was rolling like a log In the trough of the sea. I held on to the sides of my bunk in terror. A wave would smash against my door and watei would pour In through the cracks. I felt deathly sick and I thought I was going to die. I was experiencing my first touch of sea sickness. About six bells In the morning (3 oclock) the door opened, and there standing in the opening was a huge Swede, encased in oilskins. The Icy blast sent a cold shiver through me. I wondered what he wanted, but did not wonder long. "You bane get tea and toast on bridge for mate, damn quick." I was bewildered. The door slammed and once again I was alone. Fifteen min utes must have passed when the door opened again and in rushed the toughest-looking seamen I have ever been He had only one eye. Later on I found that he was our first mate, "One-eyed Gibson," a "Blue-Noser" from Nova Scotia, and a man whom it was not safe to trifle with. Without a word he stepped into the glory hole, grabbed my shoulder in a grip of steel, and yanked me out of my bunk into the icy water which was awash on the deck. This was my first intro duction to him. "Get out o" that, you landlubber. There's no fire in the galley, and I want my tea on the bridge, and I want it now, or I'll put out your dead lights." I meekly answered, "Yes, sir," and started to put on my wet socks. See ing this action, he shouted, "Never mind that damned rigging. Get into the galley and get that lire alight." Outside o My feet were hlllA TL-lfh tHtt rnlrl Sandy Hook and my teeth were Bound South" Lllll LLV.-, 111. X Ulll- 1 d 1 y asked, "Where are we, sir?" With a look of contempt he answered, "We're oujside o' Sandy Hook, bound south for the Horn, and she's blowing big guns." Then he left. I stepped out of my glory hole onto the deck. We were dipping our scup pers, and huge seas were breaking over the weather side. On minute the after deck would appear like a steep hill in front of hie, and a hor rible churning sound would come from the racing propeller. Then the deck The first of a series of twelve articles by the author of "Over the Top," the best seller of the year. The remaining articles will tell Mr. Em pey's experiences during his seven teen months in the first line trenches of the British army in France, the thrilling "great adventures" which hundreds of thousands of young Americans are soon to jwss through. Mr. Empcy is now lecturing to overflow houses throughout the country. Only a few can hear his lectures. This series gwes to every reader of this paper the oppor tunity to live with Empey and feel with him the excitement, . the thrill, the hardship, the horror and, above all, the joy of sacrifice for love of country which every true soldier has experienced or will experience at the front. would slant away from me and a loud chug! and a shiver through the ship as the propeller sank again into the water. Benumbed ind wet from the icy i spray, I managed to steer a course to the companionway. and dragged I myself to the upper deck. A sailor : was in the galley and had started a fire. The ship was rolling, pitching j and lurching. In that galley it sound-; ed like a bombardment. Pots .and pans were rattling in their racks; a few of them had fallen out, and were chasing each other around the deck. Cold and miserable I crouched in the corner, keeping myself from fall ing by holding on to the rail in front of the stove. The sailor took compassion on me. and made the toast and tea. How he did it was a marvel to me, hut later on I became very expert myself. Following the "life lines" on the upper deck, I at last managed to reach the bridge with my pot of tea and two slices of toasted bread. There were two men at the wheel. In the darkness I went up to them and asked for the mate. They did not answer. Just then I received a resounding smack on the back which mado my teeth rattle, and that dreaded gruff voice of -tho mate reached my ears through the wind: "Damn you, you hell's spawn, keep away from the men at the wheel or I'll throw you over the side." I mumbled my apologies, and fol lowed the mate into the chart house.. He greedily drank tho tea. and in about, four bites disposed of the pieces of toast. The toast was soaked in salt water and I Inwardly wished that It would poison him; in fact I prayed that the ship would sink with all on board. Such Is seasickness. I managed, somehow or bther, to make my way back to the galley, and I met my "superior officer" for the trip, the "cookie." He was about five feet nothing in height; a Bhrivcled up Welshman about forty-five years old. Ho reminded me of a mummy in the Museum of Natural History in Cen tral Park. It ho had ever smiled I am sure that his face would have cracked. It seemed frozen into one perpetual scowl. He gave one look at me and let out a howl. "Blawst my deadlights, an' this 'ere (pointing to nie) is what I'm to work with on this bloomin' passage. I'm lucky. I am, not 'arf, I ain't." He looked like some gorilla. The rolling of the ship affected him not in the least. Ho seemed to sway and bend with every movement of the ship. The next two or three days were a horrible nightmare to me. How I lived through them I do not know. I had a deadly fear of the cook. As soon as he found out that I could not evan boil water without burning it, he started in to make my life a misery. He had a habit of carrying a huge butcher knife in his belt. Between meals he would sit down on a bench and constantly feel the edge, at the same time telling we what nn expert he was at carving. Later on I found that there was a reason for his carry ing this knife. He and the crew were at dagger-points, he never daring to go forward txcept In case of neces sity, and then he was careful always to carry his butcher knife. Down In my heart I realized that if the occa sion should arise he would not be backward in demonstrating his art of carving on his opponent. That Welsh man was no better cook than I was, and the crew soon became aware of this fact; hence their hostility. The "Cushko" was a "lime juicer," sailing under the English flag, The skipper was a "lime Juicer." the first mate a "blue noser," the first engi neer a Scotchman, while the crew was composed of Spaniards, Italians, Squareheads, Finns, Swedes! and Uus- slans. The bos'n was Irish, and aa month for the passage. For two firm believer in Home Rule. A worse 1 days he was detailed to help me in gang of cutthroats could hardly be the galley, and I lived the life of a conceived: a nice polite bunch they!Prince. We nicknamed him "Mon- were. Believe me. Bill and I had our - troubles. . Bill and I were the only two Amer icans on board. The engineer's mess man was a Prussian, Karl Tatzner, by name. I nicknamed him "Fritz." He was only 20 years old, but was clumsy, strong as an ox, and about six feet tall. ' After weathering the gale, we at last came into the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida it was w and pleasant. I Peel Spuds I found that my duties were to peel Spuds, wash pots and pans, and be a regular "fetch and carry" for the cook. My office hours were from six bells in tho morning (3 o'clock). I was greasy and filthy at all times, having nothing but salt wa- o'clock) until four bells at night (HI ter to vrash in, and this would not.: cut the grease. Bill had it much eas ier than I. I had murder in my heart and vowed to "jump ship" at the first port we put into.. After nine or ten days we came alongside at Castries, St. Lucia. Brit ish West Indies, to coal ship. At this port the men believed in woman J suffrage. .'.Long lines of talf-naked black women, with huge baskets, of coal on their heads, passed up the for ward gang plank, dumped their load of coal into tho open bunkers, and , , , I icrt xne snip-: oy- tne arter gangway, Before. -leaving: the ship the Fourth j r.nuineer gave eaca one a nine orass check, which later on she would turn in . t... the coaling company for an English penny. While the women were working, the men would sit around the dock smoking cigarettes, , Tr(, natives .,, st Lucja had a great appetite for salt pork. I soon got wi.s(, t0 this fact and traded about a half a barrel of pork for limes, guava .irlly, buy -rum, and alligator pears. If the steward or cook had caught me I would never ho writing this story. The women threw the pork into their dirty coal baskets, and upon reaching the dork gave it to their husbands or sweethearts, who would immediately, without washing it, devour it. They spoke In a jibhering patois which I could not understand. Some of them could speak pretty good English, The kids, averaging from seven to fifteen years, were running around naked, or diving off the dock for pennies which we threw overboard. About two hours before sailing from St. Lucia, a little fellow about IS years of age came to the entrance of the galley, and in fair English told Bill and me a palhetic story of in human treatment which would have melted hearts of stone. He wanted us to stow him away on the ship. I was agreeable, but Bill warned ine that this was a very grave offense against the English board of trade laws, tho maximum penalty beinc fourteen years' imprisonment. I did not wish to Incur this risk, therefore would not listen to the entreaties of the young negro, explaining to him tho penalty of tho board of trade law.;. Upon hearing this, a cunning look, which at the time did not ap pear significant to me, came into his eyes, and he told me that if I would stow him away, "see how easy it will bo for you." He would do all of my work, and all I would have to do would bo to sit on the superstructure and let my feet hang. I thought this was worth risking 14 years for. so fell in with the plan, Bill objecting all the time. The ventilators had been unshipped while the coaling was going on, and were lying aft on the poop deck. Watching our chance we sneaked aft and bid the little fellow in one of the ventilators, warning him, upon pain of death, not to make a sound untU 'o sue the ship was well under way. To that I was nervous Is putting it mildly. We cleared St. Lucia and were soon at sea. The islands of Martinique, St. Lucia and Barbadoes were tiny gray dots on tho horizon, when nn Italian sailor, Louis Maranto, went aft to ship the ventilators. In a few min utes he camo rushing forward with terror In his eyes. As he passed the galley I stopped him and nsked what was the matter. All he could gasp out was "Mary of God, a devil ees on da ship." "One-eyed Gibson," seeing his terror, went aft with him and soon wo could see him coming forward, leading our little stowaway by the ear. The little negro was howling blue murder, and the curses of the mate snapped like a wireless message. Luckily for me the mute stopped at the galley nnd said, "Keep your eye on this black skunk until I cn t! him before tho 'old man'." lor live minutes I put all my power of en treaty into my voice, nnd prayed the stowaway to stick by me; to swear that he came aboard of his Own voli tion. He promised to do so. Then the mate camo after him and )ook him before the captain. During this fifteen minutes of interview I lived In an agony of torment and suspense. The little fellow came back with a smile on his face nnd I knew things were nil right. He told me that the captain had shipped him at a shilling ,,ay, u"-y vuie vu uuiu. ills real namo was unaries xasiiua Benn. crew it the bos n had died from natu On the fourth day, 1 ral causes. Ninety per cent, of the Monday, after peeling a men could not understand what he bucket of spuds, while I said, and a silence prevailed. At sea was reading and smok- silence means consent. I butted in My Stow away lng, he threw down his knife and. with a cunning leer, in a commanding anditone toll nle to pct busy and complete ,,..,., the task; that he wished to rest. I , Ktftrtprl in tA "httlMnn" v.i. Kit, Un started in to "bulldoze" him, but ho ; simply held his hand in my direction; ; fingers extended, and in a majestic , voice informed me: 1!,"Frr01J,V n0W r"'TT rth. Amcr lean I will not. rI tell Mecster Cap- tain American Monday stowed away. Meester American to preeson go : fourteen years British government." i '1 nly fainted. From that time Billjsoul or one drlnk of clear, cold water. ""d 1 were, Monday s abject slaves. Monday became tyrannical and un- ". i-v. -"""". i Any article In my possession that Monday desired was his for the ask ing,. The steward wormed the secret out of Monday, and I Was also his slave. Bill and I spent a life of hell on board. After getting into the tropics, lime Jl"ue w"s haUL'a aal'y l crew to rible. The pork was rotten; in fact, on the head of one of the salt pork casks was stamped "Inspected 1883." The crew were on the verge of mu tiny, Then we reached the eastern en trance to the Straits and it was blus tery and cold. Tho captain attempted to negotiate the Straits one bright moonlight night. After about three hours the moon disappeared and we went on the rocks, knocking a big hole in the side of the ship, and only quick and efficient work by the car penter and crew saved us from sink ing. They dropped a huge sail over the side, covering the hole. The boats were put over the side and we ex pected th ship every minute to foun der. Next day we were towed into Prunta Arenas, and after two weeks the ship was again made seaworthy. At Talcahuana we shipped 28 Spaniards, or 1 , "hombres," as we called them, to work the cargo. This doubled my work, and I prayed tiiat I would die. It was nothing but mis I ery to me. 1 must have peeled 11, 000,000 barrels of spuds: in fact I never turned in before six bells at night, and had to turn out at six bells jn the morning. After touching at thirteen ports on the west coast, discharging our car go, we left for a little island called Lobas, where we were to take on a cargo of guano. While working this ZuZZZJJZe? .11 ! board; the strong ammonia from the guano made our eyes red and watery, ana we could only breathe by wrap ping big handkerchiefs around our noses and mouths. The wind was constantly blowing, and guano was even in our food. We Break T'ien. coming , , ' back, we touched at tor freedom Valparaiso, Chili. To me death seemed easier than the homeward-bound voy age, so one night Bill and I slid down the anchor chain and swam to a 'bumboat" lying near us. We itave the Chileno $4 to row us ashore Ho did so. Dripping wet we crawled up onto the stone quay and made tracks for the town. We found that the dock was enclosed by a tall iron fence. At the gate were two customs officers, who immediately put us un der arrest. Bill and I had $20 in gold Detween us, and, as is usual in South America, it was a simple matter to bribe tho customs officials to let us through. This cost us half of our for tune, but we did not care. Freedom was worth all of it. We were well Into the town and feeling secure when we were held up by a Chilean gen darme, who looked like a walking ar senal. This cost us $2 more for our freedom. He left us in a hurry and went around the block. We had walked about five minutes when, bang! another gendarme. This cost us J4. After leaving him we were more cautious, hiding our remaining money in my shoe. Again we were arrested. We said we had no money and were haled Into the presence of the "Commandante of Police." He had 178 medals on his chest and 4,- 000 yards of gold braid on his collar and cuffs. Ho had us searched, but did not find the money. Very much disappointed, in broken English ho in formed us that our ship was to sail at 4 o'clock the next morning, and that if he found us in Valnaraiso we would be sent to the mines. j Shivering and trembling we wended j our way back to the dock and hunted around for a boatman. Bribing him with our remaining money he at last brought us alongside, Just before the gangplank Was lifted. The black smoke was pouring from the single funnel of the "Cushko." Then we went before the captain, nnd he "log ged" us ten pounds ($50) each. On our homeward-bound passage we went around the Horn and ran into a gale. The bos'n mutinied. Old "One-eyed Gibson" came behind him nnd laid him low with a marlinsplke. Then, carrying him amldshps, he chained him to the iron steps leading to the bridge. He remained this way for a day and a half, exposed to cold and Icy wind. Strict orders were passed through the ship that no one was to npproach him. That night, under cover of darkness, Bill and 1 sneaked him a steaming pot of stew, and some hot coffee. If he had lived, we would, through this one action, have gained a true friend for life. From exposure he contracted pneu monia and died. Ho was buried at sea. The carpenter sewed him In a sack, and tying an old iron wheel to his feet, placed him on a plank, and while the enptian read a rough burial service the plank was tilted, and the body of the bos'n went down to rest in Davy Jones' locker. The first port we touched at, the consul's flag i was hoisted at the fore mast, and a bleary-eyed, half-drunken little old man came on board and was closeted with the captain for about an hour. When he came out he was staggering, and his eyes. If possible, (' .-.! j . ipiam uuu uip ciew up, unu uio cuuaui, in a. thick and stuttering voice, asked tho and said "No." I was standintr next to the mate. I felt that gorilla-like hand of his pinching the back of my I neck, and I nearly fainted. Then the u t U4 1 consul went over the side into his boat, and was soon pulling for tho shore. We lifted anchor and the port was left behind. Half way up the coast we ran out of tresh wat and had t0 drink con. densed water from an old squeaky condensing engine. It was brackish cii,i i ,i,i v,o nearabie. ana it was up to tsiii ana me to devise some scheme to keep him in check. Through listening to Monday's sto ries, I knew that he was very super- , stitious and believed in magic, or "zobi," as he called it. Bill told him' that my father in America was a great medicine man and that I was gifted with magic. A T :1, While loading gua- - J 1J"1"" no at Lobas, the j Black Bird Fourth Engineer had ' i gone on a shooting trip and .killed several hu&re neHonns. a He skinned these and gave me one 1 or tne sKins. Bin and I worked a : scheme. That morning a little black I bird fell on the deck, and I picked it , j up and took it to my glory hole. It j was in a dying condition, I told Bill j that that night, about 10 o'clock, I ; ; would go aft on the poop deck with J the pelican's skin down my back, and, A with my face smeared with black, " would do a mystic dance. He was to j take Monday and hide behind the ven- ? tilator, and while I was doing my war ? dance, he would explain to Monday 'i that I was in communication with my ? father, the great American Medicine I Man. He did this and it made quite a hit. The next morning Monday came ' to me, and, bowing low, requested a 1 token, as he called it; a message from "J my father. I promised to give him;.'? one, but we were sure up against it. i Then I thought of the little black ,J bird in my glory hole, and the solu tion was at hand. I very solemnly In- i formed Monday that at 8 o'clock ' that night my father would send a "l message to me in the form of a little land bird. All day Monday kept away ', from me, adoration and awe In his eyes. Bill and 1 Immediately repaired to the glory hole, and certainly took tender care of that bird, praying that it would live until 8 o clock. About ten minutes to eight I put on my feathers and sneaked aft with the lit tle bird, placed it On the steering gear, and commenced my mystic dance. I chanted a little song: 'Oil. Father, -greatest of Medicine Men, a token is desired for the esteemed friend of your son. Oh, Father, send me this token." Then, with a few mystic grunts, I beseeched Bill and Monday to come and receive the token. Mon day came trembling aft and I pointed to the little black bird which was weakly gasping its last, but it saved, the day for us. How we honored and respected tnat little bunch of black feathers. Curious to see what Mon day would do, we left him. He sat by the bird for over an hour, chanting in that weird, sing-song patois of tha British West Indies. From that time on Monday was our slave. Two days before reaching St. Lucia, the captain sent for us, nnd said that he knew that Bill and I had stowed away Monday, We, like a couple of fish, fell for this and admitted It, whereupon the captain cooly In formed us that we had forfeited all pay and allowances due us for the entire voyage. The joke of it was that, under the board cf trade laws, the "Cushko" had to go 200 miles out of her way to get to St. Lucia and put Monday ashore. , We dressed him in a long pair of white pants; the carpenter gave him a red vest; Bill placed a derby hat on his head nnd he went ashore in a small boat. When the boat returned we lifted anchor, and as St. Lucia again faded Into the distance we could see a solitary little figure on the dock waving his white pants around his head. He - had removed them upon reaching port. We felt a pang of re gret as lie faded out of sight. After an uneventful trip we went into quarantine in New York harbor. At the first sight of the Statue of Liberty a rush of independence and patriotism surged through me, and I sat down on tho hatchway and abso lutely, refused to work. The captain threatened to put me in double irons. I told him to go to hell,' and do it; that I was a free American in a freo American port, and I claimed the pro tection of the Stars nnd Stripes, and in accordance with my rights as a sail or, I demanded the consul's flag be hoisted at the foremast. The cap tain gave me a hard look but wilted. ' The next afternoon at eight bells T landed in New York, free again. I was dressed in a pair of blue overalls, barefooted, a Panama hat on my head, black as a negro from sunburn, a red handkerchief around my neck, and wearing a white negligeo shirt. On my left shoulder I had a small mon key, and in my right hand a wooden cage with a parrot in it. In my pock et was $8.40 in silver, but I did not care. I was again on terra flrma with the Stars and Stripes floating above me. 1 received a wonderful welcome at home, and was of the opinion that the hardships of my cruise were well worth enduring, in view of the recep tion I was receiving. But of course all wonders die out in nine days, and mine sizzled out Ilka n wet firecracker on the Fourth of July, and it was up to me to Bet busy and find something to do. This ended my First Real Advent ture,