Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-05-01
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Final Problem,

- 10 Nphbliul MHelntT Ill all EklDL
there was ever such another period OF
joyous Thanksgiving as that which fol-
lowed the bringing Of Cameron to the
little hotel in Port Said. am in.
| clined to question, too, whether In the
space OF single waking day four per
sons ever talked more, or with more
mutual interest, than did the four OF
us there gathered. The heat, the flies.
the poor food, and the miserable ac-
comodations. generally. were not
merely gladly tolerated, but absolutely
disregarded. In the exuberanoe of our
rejoicing, annoyances which had
loomed large on the preceding day
dwindled to the imperceivable; and
from early morning until late night ex-
periences were exchanged, adventures
told and speculations INDUCED in.
Washed, scrubbed, shaved. shorn
and clad In raiment put at his disposal
by the indefatigable Hartley, Cameron
appeared wonderfully well.looking. In
deed was amazed by his appearance
and by his condition. l had feared to
find him a mental and physical ruin.
hehd ANaiNd NNth lOI MS lllt. anu
he had come to us, If We might Judge
by outward seeming, stronger, more
robust, less nervously relaxed than
when he disappeared.
AT first" he told us, as We sat at
breakfast in little upper room of the
hotel, Evelyn close on his right, DR..
Addison at his left, and l opposite
him. Il suppose did suffer, whenever
| was conscious, which. fortunately.
think, was comparatively seldom.
They dosed me almost continuously
with what believe to have been some
attribute OF opium, so that even In my
waking moments was not wholly nor
NAL. In this way, of course, lost all
count of time. And so. too, am un.
able to give events in sequence. My
first conscious moment after being on
the deck OF the Sibylla found me
strapped in a narrow berth on q rapid,
but rather rough-riding craft OF appar-
emily much smaller dimension than
the yacht. and with n Chinese boy sit.
ting beside me. You can fancy my
startled amazement at the sudden
In vain / struggled to rise. Then
shouted, and the Chinese boy lighted
what appeared to be an ordinary loss
stick on a stand at the head OF my |
berth, and withdrew from the tiny
cabin. lnsensibility followed quickly. |
After that | have vague, dreamy |
recollection of eating something with |
a strange, spicy favor, which seemed |
only to add to my stupor Once I |
dreamed-at least think 1t must have |
been dream--that | was in a dark |
box. so cramped that my bones ached,
and that far away above me were lit
tie holes through which the light |
came In luminous fan-like rays that
glowed against the black"
I'm inclined to think It was no
dream" / put in. recalling the news
paper story had read in my brokers'
office, in Wall street. "The probabili.
ties are that you were shipped in
that box from Fall River to New York,
and certain influential Chinaman.
called Yup Sing, knew all about It,"
It's quite possible" Cameron went
to distinguish, in those days, between
dreams and realities. Eventually, how.
ever, ! awoke to find myself on the
quartered with the
men in the forecastle. a beard well
grown and my clothes the coarsest
sort OF mariners outfit. For a while
was far too i'll for labor. The reac.
Ion from the drugs which had been
caused me the keenest
suffering. But, gradually, came
about, and was set to work with paint
pot and brush. The humanity shown
ne at this time was surprising.
couldn't comprehend It. But realized
eventually that my strength was being
ostered for future torment"
ITO BE C(JNTIAJTrED,