The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-10-28
They

haven't been taken up yet"
Certainly haven't" Elliott pro-
tested. but he felt through his peck
| cts. In the breast of his coat he
came upon a large folded yellow
document which, to his utter
amazement, proved really to be
ticket from Victoria to San Fran
cisco, in the name of Wingate FL
| lott.
Il never bought this. never
saw it before" he cried.
| Lets see it," said the purser.
Second cabin. 1t seems all cor
rect" He rang bell. ASK the
chief steward to come here a mo-
ment," he said to the Chinese boy
who responded
Anyhow, Elliott insisted. '1've
got to get ffthis ship and back to
Hongkong, as quick as l can. Don't
you call at Yokohama"
I'VE don't stop anywhere this
side of San Francisco" 900.
The chief steward came in at
this moment and looked at Elliott
with a smile of recognition. Good
morning. Feel better, sir?" he in,
| quired. I
This gentleman doesn't know
how he got on board said the
purser. His tickets all right. Did
you see him when he came on?"
Sure 1 did," responded the
steward, cheerfully. 81 helped to
get him to his stateroom. He came
aboard last night about II o'clock
with a couple of his friends hold
ing him up. You sure had been hav-
ing a swell time, sir-no offense.
They'd been giving you a little
send-off dinner at the HongEong
club, don't you remember? The
gentlemanly dark young fellow ex-
planned it to me, and asked me to
have the doctor look in un you
when you woke up. How do you
feel. sir?'
Can you tell me when this tick
ct was bought" Elliott asked.
The purser looked at it again
bought last night. 1t must have
been the last ticket sold for thiT
ship. You were lucky to get pas
sage so late"
"Shanghaied, by heaven!" cried
Elliott "Drugged and kidnapped!
I've got to see the captain. Some
bodyll settle with me for this.'
You'd better take time to put or
a collar and shoes" the purser adj
vised. "A minute more won't mat
ter. The captain can't help you
I'm afraid"
So it appeared. The commando
Of the Peru listened sympathetical
ly but offered no prospect of assist
ance.
Il don't see what we can do for
you, Mr.-er-Ellis. We don't stop
anywhere and you can't expect me
to put back to Hongkong."
couldn't you transfer me to a
westbound ship if we should meet
one?"
I'm afraid not. We carry the
mails and we're under contract not
| to slow down for anything but to
save life. / take it that this isn't a
3question of saving life
mo, but it's a question OF mil
lions. Coed heavens! | stand to
| lose enough to buy this ship three
times over. Is there any way for
me to send a message back to Vic
toria?"
Not that | know. Or, IN tell
you what I'll do. If we run close
enough to anything bound foi
Hongkong to signal her, III give
you a chance to throw a bottle
overheard with letter in it. That
is the best | can do for you, and ]
can't slow down to do that"
Elliott chafed with wrath as he
left the cabin. He sat down beside
the rail, still feeling weak and ILL.,
He thought of Margaret and his
heart was wrung. He pictured her
waiting all night for her fathers re-
turn and for himself. She had nc
money. She knew no one in Vic
toria.
There was the hope that she
might be able to send message
back to Victoria, and he went tc
the saloon at once to write 1t. TIC
save her from pain, he wrote:
Your father is seriously i'll. He
is with me. We got aboard this
ship by a mistake which | will ex
plain when | see you and we are
bound for San Francisco. You
must follow us at once. Take the
next steamer. If you will call or
the American consul and give hin
the Enclosure he will arrange fol
your passage. Don't delay a day
Wingate Elliott
"On board s. S. Peru"
With the letter he inclosed mote
to the American consul begging hin
to furnish Miss Laurie with suci
money as she might require, and
inclosing a promissory note TO
800 He then obtained an empt.
beer bottle from the smoking room