The San Francisco call., 1904-03-27

transports lay ancnoCeo on CaNlte,
protectingly encircled by the ships
OF the American feet Within the cir
Gle were also some merchant sailing
ships discharging Australian coal into
navy Lighters Outside the circle were
anchored the foreign warShtIs-Gsr-
rnzn, French. Japanese and English
ny i6s2 IN making this plain IS simply
70 show that tho sftEAt1On ont there
made any other mode Of procedure
than that which we followed practical
y impossible Ours was the only eS-
fecrfve way II must be remembered
that ths duties Of /Consuls and Port
Captains were but VagueT To be de-
nned az that dine.
Ths United States transport zez-
lzndiz, OF which I was q quarternsSter,
lay anchored IA the seaward edge CT
the circle. within ha1ing distance Of
the flagship Our regular four hour sea
watches were now changed to night
and day dutys two enartermasters d.
vadsd the day ar gangwsy watch, two
eid the same IT night. while all others
of tbs ships company slept
Z WIS ths third. night OF August !
ha6 been l0unging lazily about the
desaz, trying hard 10 keep awake, for
the n.Ehz Ezs 4 drOwsy one At last
I lsansd over the gRngwzy railing
watching ths distant regular rows OF
Lights OF tbs besieged city Overhead
hing 2 deep indigo sky, spr1nkled with
gt2r oust-an ideal tropical night So
czlZn was the water that the lights OF
The neighboring ships reflected as single
fire spots. and the bells Of the most
distant gulboats Of the feet were dis
t5nctly audible striking the hour; fUur
bells. think il was, when the sergeant
of the guard Joined me In my noctur-
nal coHtemDlattons
Fine night but blamed hot" he
said
There was that tropical humidity IL
the atmosphere that kept us in con
tinnal perspiration, brought on by no
physical exertion- The se-geants shi-i
was thrown back and he breathed
heavily
You're not used to the tropics7'' I
ventured.
Yes, I am" be replied I'm a san
or like yourself I've been six years in
>-opical waters was paid or in Phil
adelphia six months ago from a lime
3uicer"
Such an Introduction could only hnd
a response IN me- Leaning over the
rail- we yarned Of ships and foreign
ports and the beauties Of tropical seas.
A typical soldier Of fortune, 1 thought.
as looked at my companions well knit
figure vaguely defined by the gangway
light His English accent seemed IT,
oongruOus with. his American uniform,
but he had worn the uniform for a half
dozen armies, soon learned
This is tiresome," he growled. Here
We are doing guard duty and the rest
Of 'em ashore. scrapping. Hear those
guns blazing away?"
The black mass Of jungle, just above
the city, was occasionally lit up by a
fash OF fire, followed by a low "br-r-
room" We watched the firing for
some time in silence, but the cannon
aiding was too distant to disturb the
almost perfect stiffness that hung over
the CLASSY water: IL seemed like being
Up In some gigantic airship, with the
phosphorescent fash of fish the lights
Of cities miles underneath. The ships
about seemed TO hover in the air with
Us. a mighty f1eet 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 I hurriedly de-
scended the broad gangway ladder
At the lowest step we made out e 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
between US, shaking and sputtering,
and finally vomiting into the scuppers.
For Gods sake, hide mel" he
gasped; and a second fit Of vomiting
overlook him.
"In take him down into the fore
castle" said the sergeant. and, calling
a man from the guardroom, they led
him ford.
Half an hour later Jackson rejoined
me at my post.
How is hep" 1 asked.
"An right he answered, but pretty
well pegged out He can talk now,
though. Say, we're sailormen; we can
understand his case: there's no need
fer US 10 report You see that Nova
Scotia. bark over there2'
I cast my eyes toward a big square
rigged wooden ship swinging inshore
toward Cavite, her tapering rigging sill
houetted against the horizon.
He swam-blamec nasty job-the
waters full Of sharks. It's the Silver
Star-a Blue Nose hot box Skipper
killed man on the trip out. Six poor
suckers in irons down the forepeak,
while the two mates and the bos'n are
discharging cargo for Uncle Sam with
a gang Of coolies. Here's this chap