The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-31
TALES OF 4 PRIVATE.


big. white turbaned sheiks and thirty
Chinese on the police force of Shang-
hal was exciting enough, but, some
how, the tall O'Reilly grew constantly
more homesick for Chicago-s.for the
sights of 'er and the smells of err for
the smoke, the dirty streets. and the
awful odor from the stockyards when
the wind blows from the southwest
so on day O'Reilly resigned his
commission. turned in his uniform and
ms whistle, and became. once more, an
exceedingly able bodied American citi-
zen, exiled in strange land. He had
many pounds of English money in the
pockets of his frayed trousers, and the
hrst thing he did was to buy an outfit
OF clothes. SO that he might. in appear
ahce, do credit to the bald eagle and
the stars and stripes. He bought a long
ana baggy checked ulster that hung
within two inches of the bottom of his
feet 4; he covered his head with a
topper, and he swung in his large right
mltt' dainty silver headed bamboo
stick.
So attired he met Plant, small
sallor man. broke and homesick also for
Cnlcago- Out of his remaining wealth
y Kelly purchased first class transpor-
tatlon to Nagasaki, Japan. for the pair
OF them, OReilly in his gOrgeouSneSS
and little Plant in greasy and badly
worn blue shirt and trousers that f1ared
at the feet. On the dock at NagaSaki
these two met a third, one Griffin. Now,
wnen you have played barefooted base
pail on a vacant west side lot with a
Doy ana, twenty years later. you come
up with him, hungry and homeSick
standing on the dock of Japanese
port, looking out over the ocean with
tears IN his eyes and not a copper cash
m ms pocket, it shall go hard with you
II you do not at least b1ly him a good
supper before he jumps in.
80 . Reilly and Plant and Griffin
tnese three-ate their fill and were sat
lsfied. But still the wide Pacific
stretched between them and the back
door to home.
Out in Nagasaki harbor the United
states transport Sheridan lay at
anchor. Now, OReilly still carried in
ms inside pocket the papers showing
ed states army, and he knew that they
We're good for transportation home. So
ne left his partners and went up to see
the captain quartermaster, stationed by
ne fte' war department. at Nagasaki to look
after such cases.
The captain quartermaster furnished
the transportation promptly, but he re-
GREETED to observe that, because O'ReiIIy
mad left the army more than a year
before, he (O'ReilIy) would be Obliged
to pay his board on the steamer going
across
Thank you, SIR" said O'Reiny, who
then had $4.56 in American money.
The SheSidan sailed at daybreak the
be lost.
They won't allow any one to come
aboard after sundown,' said Plant the
sailor man.
L know they won't" said OReilly,
$50 We'll wait until after shutdown"
At 11:30 o'clock that night O'Reilly
hired Japanese sam-pan to carry him
and his co-partners out to the Sheridan.
Plant and Griffin hid themselves from
sight in the little cabin of the boat The
kr.IT I'll
in his long ulster, his top hat, and his
yellow kid gloves, stood in a distin-
guished attitude at the bow of the sam
pan and twirled his silver headed bam-
boo.
"There1l be a quartermaster on the
gangway with orders to let no one on
board,' said Plant, the sailor man,
anxiously
Yes. know there will be- answer
ed O'Reilly carelessly. You git down
in your hole and stay there
So grand looking was the figure of
O'Reilly in the moonlight as his sam
pan approached the gangway of the
Sheridan that the blue-jacket on duty
there saluted as if an admiral had been
approaching.
must see the captain at once"
The captains not on board, sir, :"
said the bluejacket. saluting again.
1.-THE quartermaster captain will do
as well, SdlQ ~ Kelly.
Very we'll. sir" returned the blue
Jacket His cabin is the second on the
upper deck to the right
Nov, that won't do" said O'Reilly,
bluejacket's hand. Il want you to come
up and show me just where that cabin
is"
And why not? thought the bluejacket
Apparently the Sampan was empty, but
for the crew. and he would be absent
OsPoi1IU maid the
for the trip and told him to wait until
a porter came down to take his luggage
on board. Then he and the sailor climb
ed on board The bluejacket pointed out
the cabin of the quartermaster captain
and then returned to his post of duty
on the gangway. O'Reilly walked down
past the cabin and then turned ana
made his way below decks. Presently
with his last half dollar he paid a sailor
to go down and bring up his suit case
from the Sampan and to find out at the
same time whether or not any white
men were aboard the sampan. The sail
or man reported when he came back
that there were nobody but Chinese on
the little boat, so O'Reilly was satisfied
that his two comrades were aboard the
Sheridan omewhere-where, he didn't
much care
ION board the Sheridan. homeward
bound was the whole of the Ninth cav
airy (colored). several companies from
other regular regiments. and a sick bay
full of invalids- O'Reilly unpacked his
satchel put on an old Khaki uniform,
and found little difficulty in getting a
bunk with some of the other soldiers,
who were too good fellows to express
their suspicious, if they had any.
Next morning the Sheridan was far
out at sea. BY noon O'Reilly discovered
that Plant. the small sailor man, had
slept all night standing up inside of an
elevator shaft, while Griffin had hid UNI
der a bunk in the quarters of the Ninth.
They had both climbed the gangway
the minute O'Reilly and his guide had
left it the night before. Before any
thing was discovered each of them
'hustIed up khaki uniform. and the
homesick three rode safely home across
the Pacific without money and without
price, and, also. without working, and
without anybody in authority even de-
tecting their presence on board the ship.
As a matter of fact the shin was crowded