The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-05-10
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Final Problem.


II is doubtful whether in all Egypt
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 exuberance 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 l was amazed by his appearance
and by his condition. l had feared to
find him a mental and physical ruin.
had feared even for his life. And
he had come to us. II 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 l did suffer. whenever
! was conscious, which, fortunately, l
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 a rapid,
but rather rough-riding craft of appar-
emily much smaller dimension than
the yacht. and with Chinese boy sit
ting beside me. You can fancy my
startled amazement at the sudden
transition. In vain l asked questions.
In vain l struggled to rise. Then l
shouted, and the Chinese boy lighted
what appeared to be an ordinary joss
stick on . stand at the head OF my
berth. and withdrew from the tiny
cabin. Insensibility followed quickly.
After that l have vague. dreamy
recollection Of eating something with
a strange, spicy flavor. which seemed
only to add to my stupcr. Once l
dreamed-at least think 1t must have
been dream-that l was in a dark
box. SO cramped that my bones ached,
and that far away above me were lit
tile 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" I 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 a certain influential Chinaman,
called Yup Sing. knew all about it."
It's quite possible" Cameron went
on. Il know that it was very diffcult
to distinguish, in those days, between
dreams and realities. Eventually, how
ever, / awoke to find myself on the
Glamorganshire, quartered with the
men in the forecastle. a beard well
grown and my clothes the coarsest
sort of mariners outfit. For a while
l was far too Ill for labor. The reac-
ton from the drugs which had been
administered caused me the keenest
suffering. But. gradually, came
about, and was set to work with paint
pot and brush. The humanity shown
me at this time was surprising. I
couldn't comprehend 1t. But realized
eventually that my strength was being
fostered for future torment"
(TO BE CONTINUED