The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-01

1t was after the Spanish feet had
sunk under American fire. 1t was be-
fore Manila surrendered. Six trans
ports lay anchored off Cavite, protect
ingly encircled by the ships of the
American fleet. Within the circle were
also some merchant sailing ships dis
charging Australian coal into navy
lighters. Outside the circle were an
chored the foreign warships-German
French, Japanese and English. My
idea in making this plain is simply to
show that the situation out there made
any other manner of procedure than
that which we followed practically i'm
possible. Ours was the only effective
way. 1t must be remembered that the
duties of consnls and port captains
We're but vaguely to be defined at that
time.
The United States transport Zea-
landia, of which was a quartermaster,
lay anchored in the seward edge of
the circle, within hailing distance of
the flagship. Our regular four-hour sea
watches were now changed to night
and day duty; two quartermasters di-
vided the day at gangway watch, two
did the same at night, whhe all others
of the ships company slept.
1t was the third night of August.
had been Longing lazily about the
decks, trying hard to keep awake, for
the night was a drowsy one. At last
/ leaned over the gangway railing
watching the distant regular rows of
lights of the besieged city. Overhead
hung a deep indigo sky sprinkled with
star dust-an ideal tropical night. So
calm was the water that the lights of
the neighboring ships reflected as sim
gle fire spots, and the bells of the most
distant gunboats of the fleet were dis
tinctly audible striking the hour; four
bells, l think it was, when the ser
geant of the guard joined me in my
nocturnal CONCENTRATIONS.
Fine night, but blamed hot" he
said.
There was that tropical humidity in
the atmosphere that kept us in con-
tinual perspiration, brought on by no
physical exertion. The sergeant's shirt
was thrown back and he breathed
heavily.
You're not used to the tropics?"
ventured.
Eyes, l am" he replied. I'm a sail
or like yourself. I've been six years
in tropical waters. / was paid off in
Philadelphia six months ago from
limeJuicer."
Such an introduction could only find
a response in me. Leaning over the
rail we Xarned of ships and foreign
ports and the beauties of tropical seas.
A typical soldier of fortune, 1 thought,
as l looked at my companions we'll
knit figure vaguely defined by the
gangway light His English accent
seemed incongruous with his American
uniform, but he had worn the uniforms
of a half dozen armies, soon learned.
This is tiresome," he growled. Here
we are doing guard duty and the rest
of EN- ashore, scrapping. Hear those
guns blazing away?'
The black mass of Jungle. just above
the city, was occasionally lit up by
flash of fire followed by low "br-r-
r-room. We watched the firing for
some time in silence. but the cannon
aiding was too distant to disturb the al
most perfect stiffness that hung over
the CLASSY water; it seemed like being
up in some gigantic airship, with the
phosphorescent flash of fish the lights
of cities miles underneath. The ships
about seemed to hover in the air with
us, mighty fleet of phantom air craft.
Suddenly the sergeant grasped my
arm.
Listen" he said.
A faint splash came from ford.
Looking down we saw an object in
the water approaching in a phosphor
escent glow. until finally it stopped at
the foot of the gangway.
The sergeant and l hurredly de-
seconded the broad gangway ladder. At
the lowest step we made out a half
naked man holding on, but apparently
too weak to pull himself out. Each of
us seized a white hand. and a second
later had the swimmer staggering up
the steps We pulled him up to the
deck, where he sank upon his knees be-
tween us, shaking and suffering, and
finally vomiting into the scupDers.
For Gods sake hide mel" he gasp
ed: and a second fit of vomiting over
took him.
"I'll take him down into the fore
castle" said the sergeant, and, calling
man from the guard room, they led
him ford.
.