The San Francisco call., 1906-03-25

Transferred under, guard to the small
er boat they are exposed to the camera.
but as soon as they realize lt with 0no
accord they turn their backs and so II
happens that the photographer snaps
line In which the letter p, the black
badge OF punishment. becomes a princi-
pal feature.
There Is. all the while, the futter OF
passengers whose trunks are not being
handled as promptly as they wish. or. who
are being told by one officer that they
must leave the ship, baggage and all, at
the wharf and make arrangements later
for transfer to the Preside or Goat
Island, while another assures them there
is no possible objection to their being
transferred to the Slocum at once and
proceeding to their destination in that
vessels due course.
For though the great ship has been
since early morning in the harbor. though
there has been hours during which all
these details might have been arranged,
there is the inevitable rush at the very
last moment. and it appears that those
whose friends are now signaling well
come from the wharf are. IL possible.
even less coherent than the others. their
desire TO respond to greetings interfering
sadly with their determination to get
things fixed" as one woman nervouSly
expressed 1t.
These tangIes straighten themselves.
however without violence. and at length
the nine Russian stowaways are brought
down.
AS saw them frst-great fellows with
placid faces framed IN shaggy hair and
beard-and listened to the story OF how
they were probably smuggled aboard IN
= the coal taken out at Nagasald, / won
dered what their secret Is and whether
they would be allowed to follow their
own devices on landing
We may not know their story. but my
uncertainty as to the outcome OF their
Journey is set at rest In the quartermas-
ter's Office.
''They are undoubtedly prisoners escaped
from Siberia am told. whose friends
at Nagasaki helped them to fee the
country They are supplied with money.
from $50 to $50 each, and one OF them.
who claims to be Count. seems TO be iD
charge"
THAT must be the fair-haired one who
is porting over a railway timetable. He
looked different from the others think.
"He is the brightest Of the party. Six
want to go to Alaska. where they say
they have relatives or friends. and three
want to stay in California"
"And may they do as they hke2"
mo. they must wait at Alcatraz till the
Thomas is ready for the return trip. when
we shall take them back"
cit seems pity. when nothing is known
against Them" / begin, but the quarter
master is not sentimental and briefly am
reminded that no ones personal feelings
can possibly be involved in the question.
''The informality OF their coming aboard
might be thought suspicious" he suggets.
judiciaIly, "and, besides. the United States
does not admit stowaways from other
countries"
So they have before them a return voy-
age, delightful enough In itself, but de-
essing as to destination.
l.. -. f~,k,- -,
of an American railway guide will have
no chance to use any information he may
have gained, and whatever is the fate
from which he and his fellows sought
safety in flight. it's operation has merely
been deferred for two brief months
After the Slocuns departure with It's
quota for the various GOvernmept posts
about the bay there remains only the final
furry Of trunks and handbags on the
wharf.
"Madam.a a guard at the temporary
gate is saying. that suit case hasn't
been marked The trunk can go
through" he points to the chalk hero
elyphic from which he reads the in
spector's o k but you'll have TO see
about the suit case
."The same man looked through both
pieces" she protests, and / can't help
1t IL he didn't mark them both I'm in
a great hurry
Inc Keeper OF the SdtS - yAAlPdlhCtlS-
He appreciates madam's impatiencs OF
the delay and is genuinely sorry. We
can see it fn his glance
But ne is firm and the hurried pas
senger turns back to find the inspectoE
who failed to give her the chalk-mark
certificate of release from customs
That in finding him she finds she was
mistaken-that the bag had not BEEN
examined--she does not conide to the
guard when, few moments later, she
again approaches the gate Confidently.
as one who has experienced a vindica-
tion, she passes on 70 where cab drivers
and street cars will compete for the
privilege of taking her up TO the city
They're always like that-the wo-
men, comments the guard. They never
admit they're wrong. Oh, yes. I think
ed and that the inspector forgot to
mark 1T. One OF the kind or mistakes
hardest TO confess.
Long before twelve o'clock the
crowds have melted away and there re-
main only 4 few interested in the un-
loading Of household goods and heavier
freight from the hold
soon the ship. that for spick-and-
spanness might be at the start OF long
VOYAGE instead OF at its close, will
steam to Mare Island navy yard. there
to be examined as TO engines and pro-
peIlers. boiler plates and shafting. and
made ready for return to the Orient.
perhaps at a speed that shall break the
record made by this same vessel almost
a year ago.