Evening journal., 1899-08-18
NoBLEmANs AFTER TREASURE
NEARLY LOST HIS LIFE BECAUSE
HE REFUSED TO TELL HIS
NAME OR MISSION.

NEARLY LOST HIS LIFE BECAUSE
HE REFUSED TO TELL HIS
NAME OR MISSION.
A spaniard who had given his name
as Senior Arce, and who represented
himself as a man OF millions, but who
refused to see the consul Of his gov
ernment as to his passports, had ask
ed my assistance in getting him aboard
our steamer for Callao, but / had to
refuse. When the steamer was under
headway boy informed me that some
luggage was in my staterOom; that
my friend" had sent It aboard.
suspected Arce, but when I had de-
scribed him to the purser, l was in
formed that no one answering the de-
scription was aboard. l asked to be
shown to my stateroom. There, to my
surprise, on the bunk with my own
bag and hat box, were the two foreign
looking portmanteaus of Don Manuel,
and in the handle Of one OF them was
strip OF paper torn from the margin
Of the Panama Star and Herald, upon
which was hastily written:
Kindly keep these until called for.
M. A"
1 was lying in my hammock one
morning, three days out, when a stew
ard informed me that a deck passen-
ger, who was i'll, desired to see me.
made inquiries, but "He is i'll, senior, "
was all the reply l got. "and may have
the fever: so you had better consult
the surgeons before you see him."
went to the doctor, as the steward
suggested, and learned from him that
the passenger who wished to see me
came aboard at Panama without bag
gage or blankets and poorly clad but
seemed to be a man OF education, and
had plenty of money, with which he
had purchased comforts and luxuries
not usually enjoyed by deck passen-
gers. He had caught cold from ex-
posure the first night out he was in a
raging fever and delirious at times
when he talked mysteriously and seem
ed to show fear and distress of mind
His illness was serious and might re-
suit fatally. as he seemed to be a
stranger and unacclimated.
I followed the surgeon to where his
patient lay in a rude canvas hammock
attended by a good Samaritan in the
person Of a female deck trader
whose goods were scattered about in
the vicinity, and recognized the carga'
dor who had carried my baggage tc
the boat.
you are very i'll, my good fellow
What can 1 do for you?"
You do not know me?" he muir
INJURED in husky whispers.
Yes, l remember you. / saw yOI
the night we left Panama, and wher
1 went to pay you for carrying my
luggage you had disappeared. WerI
you unable to get back to the city. o
did you come away Intentionally"
He smiled family, and drawing m!
ear close to his mouth with his feverel
hand, said:
Il am Arce. / cut my hair ant
shaved my face to escape, but sa,
nothing to the doctor or captain.
want to die as / am"
1T was with difficulty that L repress
ed an exclamation of astonishment
and turning to the surgeon. / said:
This man should be made as com
Portable as possible. Please take hin
to a stateroom.'
1t was not an hour afterward tina
Don Manuel Arce lay in a comfortabl
berth, with fresh clothing from hi
own trunk. which we found in tn
baggage room, and the best attend
ance the ship could afford; but he wa
very i'll and certain that death wa
rapidly overtaking him. That even
ing, as l famed his feyered face, h
made a revelation.
There is no priest aboard. Kin
senior" he said, and you are nay onl
friend. / beg OF you not to reveal m
presence to those we knew at Panama
shall never see them again, and
prefer they should think l died in tn
calabOzo, or was thrown Overboar
from the lighter. as I heard one {
them suggest when ] was listenin
through the window to your CONVEX