Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-24

cling dDOub tnab country ana visiting
China he finally found himself at Yoko-
hama dead broke.
II didn't feel like sending home for
money" said he, land heard considera.
bic of sealing schooners which stopped at
Yokohama on their way to and from Vic
toria. I went to Johnny Kernans board
ing house, and explaining my case to him
asked him If he could ship me in sealer
had no experience on the sea, and that
was dead against me- but he said that if
did as was told he would fix me all right.
Two days after ] was shipped as m able
bodied seaman on the schooner Helen
White, Captain Pearce. which left the
same day for the seal rookeries on the Is
lands off the coast of Siberia.
1t didn't take the captain long to find
out that l wasn't q sailor, and because 1
didn't know how to trim the sails and
handle the wheel l was pretty badly used
by him. l told him my story, but he
didn't believe it and said it might do to
tell in Yokohama, but it didn't go with
him. We had been out ten days, and the
vessel was riding the waves like cork
while ! was at the wheel. When the
schooner's nose went down If the helm
was eased. it kept her head from going
under too far. The captain was forward,
taking the sun TO get the latitude and
longitude. when the schooner gave lurch,
and down went her nose into big wave.
Il was excited and failed to ease the
helm up, SO we shipped big sea, which
hhocheu tne captain from MS Ieet ana
smashed MS sextant. AS he arose the sail
ors roared with laughter. and aggravated
py TINS ne rushed Dack TO the wheel and
STRUCK me IN the lace with MS list. he
90 N,s, l. IN
accuseu me OF having tricked MN ana SAID
ne would iiX me SO that would never ship
vi aho'ner ooat Oh any kihu: WASH
use" 10 tnat Emu OF talk' SO 1 answered
ah2rll! 'hat Woriu remember MS treat
ment, ana he would hear from me again.
1ou II get no chance, said he, ana was
put IN irons Tor ~ hours.
Two days after this we put In Mt a
harpor at the southeastern end OF the is
land OF Sakhalin, of the coast of Siberia
There is no habitation where we shipped,
out captain Pearce determined to have
fresh water. and, If possible, some fresh
meat, as the place abounded with deer
The schooner lay to, and the captain
took Stone ashore with the crew of the
iongboat and contrived to lose him in the
INFERIOR OF the Island. When he returned
70 the beach. the schooner had disappeared
Presently little Russian steamer hove in
sight. 1t approached the island hove to
and sent a boat ashore.
AN officer came ashore and in broken
English began to question me rs to my
presence OH the island says Stone. II
told him. and he asked me if had a per.
init. OF course hadn't, SO ! was taken
out to the ship. and put in irons The
man-of-war steamed to a harbor on the
same island, known rs Alexandriffs,
where the governor of the place lives. I
was taken before him ana questioned. He
asked for proof of the truth of my story.
and had none to give him.
Then it was explained to me that
would be confined until the opportunity
offered to send me to Nladivostok, the
nearest port on the mainland. Twas taken
to prison. and there made the discovery
that l was on convict island. Five days
later | was taken to Nladivostok and
again taken before the authorities TO tell
my story. l was told that was not on
the Island Tor any good, and they seemed
10 think that was either nihiiist or a
spy OF some KIND They wanted proof of
my story, and was informed that would
be kept in confinement until they were
enabled to verify my story by communica-
ton with the United States. I was sent
TO the city prison ana badly fed for thres