The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-19

caps Jno MhTlNclc6 MOunNdinS. 1nt Itu Wv
roofs OF Manila fadedinto a blue lndlstlnguish'
able from the gray iron. The deep purple
OF the mountains beyond tho city changed
10 black. A regiment OF Whitehead soldiers
marched out onto the plaza beyond the
Luneta and went through evening parade. Fai
across the bay their bugles sounded. playing
r~ctreat-tho last time for us. Down same ouI
Stars and Strines from the Yuen Sung's fore
truck. One by one the carriages gathered
along Malecon and the Luneta. The electric
lights came out. We heard the band playing
In the big stand. and then the shipping clerk
came. We had had our hurry and work and
wait. and now we could go.
West we went 10 the Boca Chica. The moon.
almost at the full. sailed up the eastern sky
straight behind us. Her yellow wake fell like q
golden streak behind the ship. and the water.
churned white by the whirling screw fringed y
with silver. With the feeble lights, Of Cavito
How different those big Luneta. lights looked
from 6taovitSS' or Camp Dewey. they seemed
somehow Just about to 20 out. Now they
SImoossff r stroRSGT ans bis f strTndESiE Fl t the S enfr fEg5s
dashinR along beneath them.
Down throughthe Boca Chica where now forty
smokes an hour make nc commotion whatever.
Itseems. only aiday or so ago that smoke in the
Boca Chica' turned every glass. that way and
with crew ready TO go to quarters. Past Cor;
regidor, his great red and white eye slowly and
s~oiemniy winEed in the days before we came.
Along mp the coast we hold for n time, but fur.
f IisGt 9 gSa. f o5t@anS TT iSst ! F tSS last gG ct t fsG p Init
ippines for a few weeks ut least.
"Ramonl Ramonl R-a-m-o-n.n-nl R-r-r-a-
mon-n-nl"
1t was a voice that would have split through
stone walls. 1t sounded like a cross-cut saw
trying to rip a sycamore log. 1t came straight
through the bulkhead from the ladies' cabin
into the little saloon OF the Yuen Sung. and set
the glasses swinging under the sideboard
shelf to ~jinglfnG all at once. A globe-trotting
dominic from Harrisburg having preSmpted
my berth, l was lying on the starboard tran
som In the saloon. The dominic had drawn
the transom in my room, but the corkscrew
motion given to the ship by the monsoon dis
turbed his rest on the transom-as well as else
where-and he took the bunk. The sudden
projection OF this rasplng voice into the saloon
caused me to sit up and look around. APP
p%arently. save for myself. the saloon was
empty. The light nickered vaguely and un-
certainly. 1t came from a single candle. and
had hardly strength to withstand much of an
onslaught from such a voice.
"R-r-r-r-r-a-m-o-n-n-nl |" remarked the voice
again.
Up from the port transom rose Ramon. Poor
utNll lHeTe . Oub SpuIlldEu VINO Is enJlUleu TO
rapid transit to Nirvana. He's getting enough
of the other thing here. Tall. slender. I'M
kempt. haggard. unshaved. Ratchet faced. he
ran his long fingers through his hair and
shouted a single syllable Of answer to the call.
Aqua c%aliante, aqua c~aliante. aqua cali
ante" rasped the voice on the other side OF the
bulkhead. There was n mufled sound of wall
ing. strengthened presently by some good Wig
orous yelling. and l remembered the drove OF
little Ramons who had been blockading the
passageway all day. Hay back on the transom
and pondered. Having slept all day in my
chair on the hurricane deck. wrapped in four
blankets-for one must keep warm In the trop-
ics-I was prepared for some interruption OF
my sleep at night. 1 got 1t. Ramon was
dancing about the saloon shouting for
a Chino. Hes off his beat."I thought to
myself. All the summer these Spaniards
had been having the advantage IN language
OF me. and now the tables were turned. The
China boy came at last, utterly unable to I'M
derstand q word Ramon uttered. Ramon
shouted. Aqua caliente.' until he was black
In the face. and the voice from behind the bulk.
head ripped In two or three times for good
measure. But the China boy stood unmoved.
Poor Ramon gave vent to his overweight
feelings in one long 'tu Chino" whereby he
expressed his unutterable contempt. Hay on
the transom and gurgled with glee. Then a
dreadful thought came along. Suppose the
voice got out from behind the bulkhead. sat
up on the transom and spoke to the boy.
He wants some hot water. The babyi is sick"
mo have got" said the boy. You look see
clock"
1t was three bells in the underwater. No
self-respectinR galley slave of a Chinese boy
half past l in the morning.
Can catchee ?" asked. This piece man
got one piecee baby plenty sick. More better
you catchee hot water JUS now"
The boy disappeared into the PANTRY doubt
full and uncertain. and Ramon stood despair
ing. Then he turned TO me. and the dam burst.
and all the pent-up Spanish came out in n food.
l lay back on the transom and said that the
boy would come with hot water in a short
time. Ramon was comforted. He lay down on
his transom and closed his eyes. Only the
walls from behind the bulkhead disturbed the
peace Of the saloon. Outside the big moon rode
through a star-speckled sky. Some idealists
have written ~soulfully about the peace that
broods DER the deep. They never heard such
a voice. This time It began down in the bass
clef somewhere below decks. down about where
g rest the the omit lent owl eyHS @ ERfsn ali aiiV tRs snsiSsSS t
through would boot and hoo-hoo. and boot and
h0 ct the frs tP bel hSW4 Ramon rose IN, Then fol-
s !9wsd t T duet Ist In n sSMn e. W TGiG a, beat anything
behind the hulkhead. and the booming voice |
rose through Al degrees, Of parade rasp up to a
file squeak. The China boy had not come with
The hot water. There, were ominous sounds
from behind the hulkhead. Some one was
running about, Itook n sheltered position be.
hind the table and waited; The stateroom
falling washboiler. Out came the voice and
then swift as an eagles swoop the owner-a
white-clad ,pyrqmidal fgure-pounced on
Ramon. A hand graspcd each lapel OF his
coat, and as Ramon rocked back and forth
under the gIrpaa nf ri iron m atn pnau thnsn -
such q clash Iof language that the candles
sHinging In the corners melted from the
FRICTION heat and drippod grease on my pillow.
Then came the boy with a bucket OF hot
and the hot water disappeared in, the state
noiseS stepped, and peace again threatened to
brood. Their, came Ramon and sat upon the
table and told me the sad story OF his life.
At THIN to-day tho Colonel had so far re-
covered his spirits that he ventured on a story.
1t varied from the usual run in that It concerned
the sea. The Colonel wears the blue now. but
from 81 to '65 he was in butternut and gray.