The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10

at sea Make ii and cable me from
Yokohama. You have knocked around
the East enough TO fit you for such
business; this with your West Point
training makes you the very man Oran-
off needs"
For what business I had been fitted
by following, two years before, run
away Celectial army. might well be con-
sidered a Chinese puzzle, yet such had
been my chief experience in the East.
During the Japan-China war / had
been an aide to an American army Off
Ger. Colonel French, detailed to study
the Chinese campaign, and we had fol-
lowed the Yellow Dragon throughout
the inglorious retreat from Korea to
Peking; from Wun Lung we got back To
Tu Loo and Tu Lung. and if there had
been more LoOs and Lungs between
that and the palpitating heart of the
thing, Peking. / doubt not we would
have gone there tco. But the Russian
Bear, in his humorous but favorite role
of White winged Dove of Peace,
stepped in and put stop to the war
through fear Japan would keep what he
wanted-Port Arthur, the Gibraltar Of
the East After that, Colonel French
and 1 could have given points to a
stampeding herd of cattle-but what
else were we good for?
This, with a lazy journey through
Europe, homeward, made up the sum
Of nv experience in the golden East
Yet ] had acquired a thing of which I
did not know: it was the travel fever.
Have you had that fever? If not, you
have escaped the most pitiless disease;
one knows not when he contracts it
and it never leaves. Other fevers burn
themselves out, or snuff out the patient
and die down with the life light This
fever never dies: ii fills the sufferers
eyes with aching dreams of quaint har-
bors almost. but not quite, reached;
his ears ring with a new coolie chorus
all but clearly heard: it fills his nostrils
with the medley scent CT flower fetes
more beautiful than any he ever saw: it
RACES in his brain with Turing sugges-
tions of odd shadows on unfamiliar
hillsides; he hears new voices laughing
beneath new trees, weird temple bells
tinkling in the night and. now and
again. he sees the battered prows of
ship come 'longside out of an unknown
sea. other fevers freeze at deaths
touch-but does the travel fever? Some
say yes, scme no, and many are silent
here
THE note inclosed." the letter went
on, states in my name that you will
meet Colonel Oranoff in the captains
cabin the midnight following it's receipt
Send it, and go tonight, lad. Cable
me your resignation, and we will send
another man to Toxic"
The sea was calm at eventide and the
c1 hriO he do ir
Dulcine and 1 found our chairs and
looked out happily upon the glistening
wastes. If We were quiet now it was
because the waves were quiet-the
battling winds had left us all to peace.
We had prettily made our mutual con-
fessions. the burden of mine being that
was no sailor and could not have read
a steamer letter, though it contained a
will leaving me the steamship line for
an inheritance.
The lights danced high i'm Dulcine
Oranoff's large black eyes while we
hinted of the days ahead. l was sur
prised to find how fully this girl shared
her serious fathers condolences. She
soon told me that their destination was
Keinning, the old capital of Quelparte.
I'VE are to settle Japan's end China's
z l.
volunteered, looking at my watch.
Yes" Dulcine answered me slowly
'In favor of neither?"
I'm favor of neither" the girl replied
as we arose.
When, few minutes later. / was ad-
mitted to the captains cabin, Colonel
Oranoff welcomed me with genuine
warmth to his great table covered with
mass of papers and maps. For a
time he spoke of my father, and 1 soon
caught the drift of his "reminiscences,
in which he implied great trust and
confidence in me for my fathers sake.
He could not have done this in a more
charming indirect way, and it won me
to him even more than anything my
father had written. For time then
he remained silent, resting his pale face
on his hands, gazing down upon the lit
tered table.
A large map, oddly marked in red and
white, hung on the wall near me and at
once attracted my attention. The man
at the table came to me at last, his
eyes also upon this map.
You are looking at Peters map?"
he asked. Then, without awaiting a re-
ply. he continued, stroking it with the
end Of a pencil as he spoke. Peter
the Great made a will and bequeathed
to Russia this eastern half of the world
The red" and here the pencil swept
swiftly from st. Petersburg to Korea,
shows the portion of our Inheritance
we have received; the white we have
not yet obtained"
The will has been contested" COM
mented, dryly enough.
And is still in litigation Oranoff
answered suggestively. / was looking
beyond Korea TO Quelparte.
"Quelparte is still white" I said. The
man looked at me one moment and un-
derstood. You have not danced all the
evening"" he commented with pleas
ant nod. Then he turned quickly TO the