The San Francisco call., 1899-08-25
HOW A "PRISONER" SAW
THE BOYS HOMECOMING


us went alongside We were told that
we could not board, and had no intention
of doing so. A rope ladder was hanging
down the side of the vessel, and on TINS
We mounted so as to converse with those
on deck. The Swede who roWed US over
abandoned us as soon as he saw US on
the bit of rope and pulled back to the
tug, leaving us hanging to the snip sloe.
Where are you from?' asked some one
on board. We replied we were from Inc
Call. That was enough. In minute ed d
hundred pairs of hands were stretched out
to our coat collars, and in minute we
were hauled aboard. Some OF US went
over the rail. Some were yanked througn f51
the portfolios. The boys were crazy Tor
news and landed us among themselves
despite our resistance.
once aboard we were fairy over
Where's Jack?" us Billy waiting for
me?" Lord, but I'll bet the old man will
be glad to see me. Did he send any mes
sage?.' The questions flew so fast that it
was impossible to answer except in
general way. Here and there some poor
fellow would draw one of us quietly aside
and, with tears starting from his eyes,
ask for some loved one whose caresSes ne
will never receive until he Journeys across
time from eternity. ] have seen many
sad thing in my life but l know OF
nothing that was more touching than the
sight of these poor fellows who, amid the
general rejoicing returned only to re-
ceive the news of the death of parent
or relative whose welcome had been the
their every vision of home; whose longed
for caress had been the one great reward
which was to repay them for the months
of weary exile they had undergone.
AS soon as l could be discovered mes
senger approached and told me l was
wanted on the quarterback. l went there
and was promptly put under arrest Tor
violating the quarantine law. l tod the
officer to seek out ond apprehend the
guilty Swede who was the cause OF my
plight by leaving me hanging to the rope
ladder [ was told that the excuse was a
poor one and that l was to consider my
self prisoner confined within the limits
of the ship AS the tug had already ieft
and as | could not swim TO the CHn
Couse, that fact was as apparent TO me
as 1t was to my two companions, HONG
and Britt, who had also been placed under
the ban. So / went forward among the
boys of the regiment, there to receive
greeting that would have made imprls-
onment in far worse quarters than those
of the Sherman a welcome detail indeed.
Again 1 was overwhelmed with questions
They, came at me from all sides, and in
self-defense l had to ask few myself.
After the first burst of excitement had
passed things began to quiet down a bit.
and little by little the news of their trip
across the Pacific was obtained. AS that
has already been published in the columns
of this paper 1t is not necessary to say
anything further on the subject save that
the weather was beautiful the sea calm
and everything had been as pleasant as
good weather, good health and the pros
pect of home at the end of the journey
could make it.
The boys joked. danced. played cards.
sang and hung over the rail until far into
the night, watching the lights twinkling
on the shore and specializing on the splen-
did welcome that awaited them there.
Some time after The Call boat had re-
turned to the shore with the news other
newspaper boats commenced to arrive.
Their passengers exhausted every device
in the endeavor to get on board, but each
attempt was . failure, and at last they
were obliged to desist and retire amid the
good-natured, laughing badinage OF the
hundreds of veterans who hung over the
treated. advising them to read The Call in
tine morning and get the news.
Finally the last boat departed and the
broke up into little groups and sat around
discussing the momentous events which
had passed since they had last seen the
lights guarding the harbor entrance of
San Francisco Bay. Many a wild tale
was told and many a desperate deed re-
counted, but during the entire evening
| did not hear one man speak who made
his own prowess the subject of his narra-
tive. When praise was bestowed 1t was
always upon some absent comrade, gen.
orally upon one who will never return.
Volunteers and like all brave men they
are modest Well let them be so; their
deeds speak for them.
one the boys drifted below and retired to
their well earned rest. Finally the last
straggler had left the deck and the ST.
renee ecnoeu 10 the measured 1ootIal or
the sentry pacing out his last guard.
Then | also retired. going to the bunk
that Adjutant Curzons, my old lieuten-
ant, had kindly given up to me-there to
pass a night of troubled dreams in which
customs officers, prison bars, dungeons
clanking claims and other horried things
were mingled up in one great hair-raising
tumble.
Reveille is supposed to be for the pur-
pose of awakening the sumbering soldier
There was no need of 1T yesterday morn
ing. Long before the gray light of early
dawn had shot its first rays over tne
Berkeley hills the entire regiment was
awake and on deck. eagerly straining for
the first glimpse of their beloved shore
Even before the day had reached them
The Call was there to supply the boys
with fruit and papers. How the boys
lit upon them. They fairly tore each
other apart in their endeavor to get at