The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-02-03

CHAPTER
Do 80 seaIn. Aaysntur,

Some may question the truth OF thil
narrative. set they will scarcely b,
found among those who go down q
the sea in ships To them The nn
fathomabic mystery abiding upon ths
face Of the great deep. the constant
marvel Of huge. hcaving leagues OF
watery solitude. secret and profound
must ever remain so vast so mex
plicablc. al 20 be beyond any iutcrroE
atory % the hplfc-the strange. tbs
unexpected. lurking cyerywhere To
Others. mere landsmen. confidently
imagining that an phenomena can BE-
reduced within the contracted limits
OF human comprehension. ! need sas
no more than that Witnesses sim sur
uve 70 corrob0rate the principal Incl
dents o. this story. which J nov pur
pose writing 10 the full giow Of a mem
ory sttll dominated By the events tC
BE- recorded.
Il had come 20 be the 9TH day o..
April. the year 1879. !. John stephens.
aged 20, occupied a rather comfort.
able seat upon the shaded balcony Of
b a large. ultrafsshionable hotel az
Valparaiso. which. as travellers will
recall. elihgs TO the steep hillside over.
looking both the city and harbor be.
meath I vas alone. not having as yet
ordered the serving OF the evening
meal.
A gayly attlred military band was
playing noisily Ia a nearby plaza. and
through the Intervening distance was
able 20 distinguish plainly the patri-
otto notes OF national music. | even
believed that a medley Of shouting
voices. mingled with an echo OF
cheers. Was borne 70 me on The rising
night wind. and ! leaned above the
low railing 20 gaze down. slightly 10,
terested. as a regiment OF Chilean Ia.
fantry-regulars % the line. from
their white trousers and stln hats
swept swiftly past the hotel corner 20
rapid tine. 10 disappear suddenly
over the steep crest 10 the direction
Of the quay. Far away, toward the
right. where the long row Of gray
store barracks vas stlll dimly visible
against the darker background OF sur.
rounding hills was 10 be dlscerned =
Eliwmer o! EtpeI. ~ ~squHdrons OF cav.
airy and artillery engaged IN dress
parade. their numerous banners Zap
ping against the sky. At the moment
these several occurrences served 20
awaken the mcrcst interest. tending
rather TO bring home TO memory q
f~rcBhoulnE knowledge OF the dcspera.
ton Of my situation.
Il can ~ be told in few words: /
vas persona non Erata 20 the Chilean
authorities. with apparently every pos
siblc venue leading forth from the
Couatry fully aud effectively barred.
While personally unknown to those
omclala thus Tar -succsssfui 81 mask
iug my movements under the Ruise OF
a foreign gentleman Of leisure TEN.
porarily resident az a fashionable
hotCl l nevertheless discovered " TN
possible 10 break through the Gordon
81 wRtchtul EovcTumunt spies aud
shake the Chilean dust from on my
feet A rapid explanation will suffice
s native % Massachusetts OF vKcoi.
lent family connections. together with
prospects Of fururc wealth. ! early de.
Vclopcd the understandable ]propcnsi
tiCa % a rover. and after a vain effort
60 turn my reluctant ambition toward
n 90 the learned professions my par,
cuts. despaidng OF over DOING better.
finally confcutod 90 apprentice me 90
the Eoa Unfortunately for the rcall.
ratiou OF thCif more secret hopes. !
took 10 that hard. adventurous ufc as
q dack Go water, 50 that. at the end OF
nyo years service. had risen.
Through the various Grades. 60 the non
crnhlc position % FIRST officer IN tho
old lcyland line. my steamship being
tho Vulcan. trading between New
York and South American pcus
seoa after I attained this berth my
father died suddenly leaving behind
him "a fair amount OF property, a good
ly share of which came 20 mo Ia cash.
Il chancrd that during a previous
SoyaFv. "a passenger on board had sue.
cCcdcd Ia interesting me deeply Ia Ger.
tain mining operations Whlch he was
C-ondgct.uE uuder a Bolivian concos