The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-21
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- ROWLAND. Copyright Mcclure Phillips 3
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about it?'' he asked.
81 think you'll lose your billet" 1
answered.
II don't care for that said he. "All
wanted was to get out here"
What are you going to DOR ask
led, carelessly.
Get little vessel and trade around
the islands. / can buy fifty-ton brig
out here for five thousand" He re-
garded me silently for a few minutes.
Doctor" he said, 81 don't know
why man of your age, and an Eng
| lishman at that, should want to come
out to this God-forsaden place as an
acting assistant surgeon in the army
There's no money in it and not much
glory" There was a bit of a sheer
Ton his face as he said this.
| ''Now, I've got proposition to
make. 1 want another man to go in
with me on this trading scheme. There
| is no end of money in it. I've made
two trips out here before. and know
what I'm talking about Do you
know anything about ship?'
"A little.' l said.
"When will your time be up?" he
asked.
ITS up now as far as that's con-
cerned. My contract was only made
for a month";
Have you ever been in the East
before 2" he asked.
Yes l answered. II once went
out to China as a medical missionary.
Now / want to see the Filipinos. You
ought to be interested in them your
self l remarked, turning to him sud
denly. They're distant blood rela-
tons of yours
His eyes narrowed. What do you
mean ?'
Haven't you got some Indian
blood? North American, I mean"
What makes you think SOP"
Because I've studied racial pecu-
liarities and see many points of SINH
larity.''
you are right, DOCTOR My grand
mother was a Tuscarora woman"
"And your grandfather"
"a Scotch Puritan he answered
with slight smile. Queer combina-
ton, wasn't it? 1 was brought up
among the Indians until L was II
years old, and then l was sent to my
Cousins people in Maine"
"And went to sea with the fishing
fleet. Summer on the banks and win
ter on the farm / added.
How do you know that?"
Partly because every one there's
L fisherman, partly from the way you
hold your hands,"
Right again, doctor. But let me
tell you more about my trading
scheme"
He explained the idea with so much
clearness and certainty that l began
to get interested, and before he had
finished l was about as enthusiastic as
a man can be who has made a failure
of everything he had tried from boy
hood to his fortieth year. The out
come of it was that I decided to go
into it with him. he to be master of
the vessel, with a three-quarter inter-
est, and / as mate, with "a quarter.
rhe proceeds would be shared on that
ratio.
When we reached Manila McKim
was informed that his services were
no longer required, as I had foreseen.
[ had rather more difficulty than | eX-
pected in getting my contract an
nulle6, and was, in fact, subject to
considerable criticism for leaving the
service right upon arriving on the
scene of action. But 7 had gotten
past the age when sentiment counted
for much, and / was sick and tired
of taking orders from every one in
sight, anyway; so l simply demanded
that my contract be annulled, and in
due time was successful.
McKim came in to see me almost
every day. Most Of his time was spent
along the Pasig and padding around
inside the break-Water looking for q
suitable vessel at a reasonable price.
Until my contract was annulled / was
| occupied with my duties in the First
Reserve Hospital. where 1 had been
| temporarily assigned. One day | met
| him on the Ecolta talking to a Span
| iSh mestizo who seemed greatly eX-
| cited.
Good morning. DOCTOR he remark
| ed in Spanish. "Senor Valdez" turn
ing to the mestizo, permit me to in
| troduce my partner. Dr. Boles. Senior
Valdez" he continued to me, GOWNS
| I vessel that 1 think might answer
| our purpose were it not for the sad
| fact that some of her frames and part
| of her keel are badly burned as the
| result of fire that broke out in her
cargo few months ago"
| Before we got through with him he
{ was overjoyed to let us have her at
our own price, which was fair enough,
and we made him throw in an extft
anchor and 200 fathoms of three-inch
coir hawser.
The following day McKim shipped
a native crew three. Tagals and two
| Visayans, lilo Ilo men, who afterward
turned out to be brave. devoted SER
wants. Our idea was to run down
among the southern islands of the
archipelago and try to pick up car
go of hemp and tobacco, especially
| the former, as the war had put the
price way up. Many of the ports
were still closed. but natives can be
| induced to run cargoes off at night
and besides there were the pearls and
copra to consider. / was strongly in
! favor of trip to Sydney or Melbourne
after load of trading junk, calico
prints, condemned cutlery and stuff
Of that sort knowing how much the
natives preferred these things to
money. But McKim seemed to think
there was more in getting our hands
on all of the lose hemp around the
| islands.
A week later we had got our craft
III pretty good seagoing shape. I ha1
the cabin aft slightly remodeled and
made very comfortable Some Chino
carpenters had been strengthening tho
| burned portions, replacing some of
the teak frames and fishing others in
| weak spots. One afternoon / was SUI
perintending the work as McKim was
ashore haggling with Valdez about
stores. when / saw a banca coming
alongside. Under the awning sat the
biggest, fattest Chinaman l ever saw
| AS he seemed to want to come aboard
| called to one of the crew to drop
1 L i e. L. IL