The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-12-27
HICKS MEETS AN OLD FRIEND


davs out of San Francisco he was on
easy terms with everyone aboard, and
no one was able to say just how it
came about. Without being offensive
or obstrusive, but in the most ma
tural manner imaginable. he had
found time for few moments chat
with each of his fellow travellers.
There was engaging twinkle in his
merry blue eyes; there were mis-
chievous lines at the corners of his
mouth disclosed by the carefully train
ed brown mustache; good nature and
a spice of temper were suggested by
the crisp curl of his sandy hair. "Wil-
liam B. Hicks, President The Hicks
Manufacturing Company. Bucyrus,
Ohio, U. S. A." was the way his card
read, and, without making his own
affairs the subject of conversation, it
was easily inferred from chance re-
marks that his busciness was source
of large income.
He carried his fifty years lightly,
romped with the youngest passengers,
gossiped with the old ladies, promen-
AIDED with the best looking young
women. talked navigation with the
skipper, played poker with the veter-
ans in the smoking room, told rat
Ting good stories in all sorts of dia-
lects, played chess with the return
ing Chinese diplomat and took his
defeat gracefully, and had store of
bridge problems that kept the enthu-
siasts busy. After leaving Honolulu
he organized classes among the young
and middle aged passengers, had them
tossing medicine balls and sand bags,
engineered series of games of skill
and dexterity, was the judge in the
grand bal masQue that was the feature
Of the voyage, and under his deft
management there was something en-
tertaining each day to keep his fell
low passengers in high spirits.
When we dropped anchor in Yoko-
hama and nearly half of our passen-
gers said goodby, they seemed to part
from Hicks with genuine regret. Hicks
was booked for Honkong, and so was
l, and in common with forty or fifty
others l congratulated myself that
there were still ten days or more of
goodfellowship ahead of me.
When we left Yokohama there was
added to our first cabin list three
shrewd looking Japanese men in
European dress who were booked for
Nagasaki. They were little in evidence
until after we had made the usual stop
at Kobe, where we took on dozen or
more passengers, including a blond
bearded German and an attractively
gowned handsome woman, evidently
his wife. With the advent of this
couple the Japanese trio developed re-
markable activity. Whenever the Ger
ssco c4,.rkk ~ An~1 f0r 10
one of the Japanese found the air very
beneficial. This was equally true when
his wife moved ABOUT. 1t was impos-
sible for either of them to speak to
another passenger except under the
casual but none the less careful sur
vigilance of one of the unobstrusive
Japanese.
If the German were aware of the
espionage, he gave no sign; but hall
an hour before finding our moorings
at Nagasaki, when he and his wife
were in their cabin preparing to &C
ashore, two of the Japanese paid them
an official visit. There was brief con.
versation in French, calm accusation
vehement denial and expostulation
and little later the Europeans ant
their luggage went ashore tenderl,
conveyed by the three Nipponese.
Hicks, who had been an interested
observer of the incident, and had no
ticed the movements of the japanese
after leaving Kobe, watched the de
parture of the special launch hyini
the Mikado's. flag at the stern ant
manned by men in uniform.
THAT" said he to the little groul
near him at the rail, "looks to me lik
our friend Shorty McCabe would cal
a'pinch.'
Hicks was right. We learned after
wards from our Captain that the Ger
man, who was supposed to represen
certain Russian interests, had been in
cautious enough to try to carry ava
with him numerous important map
with equally important data, and tn
three quiet little japanese were activ
representatives of the Government.
."Great people, these" volunteered
passenger who was on his way to n
spect an oriental country for which h
had been acting as Consul for a mum
Der of years. II had little expei
fence with their police secret servic
at Kobe. We had arrived late at nigh
was tired when | reached my ROOF
one the second floor Of the Orienti
Hotel had my luggage brought up, ge
into my pajamas, and selpt like 2 10
until long after daylight. When wa
awake enough to realize whei
was and what was, an
what was what, l first nj
ticed that my luggage W:
gone. I hoped out of bed and reacl
ed for my clothes. Clothes gone to
Dresser swept clear OF everything
had left on il it the night before.-
keys, change, pocket book. letter
credit. sticEpin, and even a seal rir
I had removed Ut the last minute:
"You could have heard me roar ";
up on top Of Fujiyama. called q
hotel manager to my room. snow,
him that the only things that Z!
thieves had left me besides. my PAL
mas was. my watch, which from for,
Of habit had placed under my p
low, and demanded, ~ high cons
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