Evening star., 1917-11-25

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roll another wild dream OF fortune. And
so 1t went on; one scheme after an
other vanishing in smoke. until we be-
came very skeptical. Personally. I had
but admired. and perhaps envied. his
spirit of adventure; so at last decided
that j would take chance, success or
no success.
One night Bill came around to the
house with four tickets for a blood and
thunder war play entitled 'Cuba's
vow. His brother was playing the VII
lain. This play greatly impressed me:
in fact, from the first act to the last
the footlights were gushing blood, love
and adventure-and rotten acting. Bits
brother was awful.
Bill was a pretty good judge of human
nature he had taken US to this play to
get us worked up to pitch of enthu-
siasm, and thus getting US in the proper
frame of mind, he could unroll his
latest scheme
That night, after the show. he pro-
posed 4 trip to South America. which
took our breathS away. We were to
run away and ship on a tramp steamer
for a passage of about nine months.
With the money thus earned we were to
l-lmou. Costa Rica. and go into the cof-
fee plantation business. We all fell for
this and took a solemn vow to stick.
The scheme especially appealed to me
because here my chance to follow
Dana in his Two Years Before the
Mast" The next day. after sleeping ii
over, Charlie and Jim decided that there
was more money in New York, and re-
fused to go. / admit had a sinking sen
sation in the pit of my stomach when
viewed the proposition in the sunlight
but / stuck. Then Bill and / made a
tour of the docks in New York trying to
find the ship we wanted. We fell in
with several boarding masters" These
men infest the water fronts Of large cities
and are nothing but bloodsuckers preying
sailors. one OF these parasites took
US on board an old tramp steamer lying
in Erie basin. called the Cushko. Here
we met the steward. 4 lime juicer,
John Royal-Minns, with the emphasis on
the hy-phen The wonderful tale of ease
luxury and getting paid for seeing the
world stuff that the steward and the
boarding master unrolled before our eager
eyes carried US into the seventh heaven
Of expectation. This was o'clock in the
afternoon. The ship was to sail at $40
the following morning, but they did not
tell US this.
The steward said that we were Just the
two that he wanted. there being vacancies
on the ship for second steward and second
cook. He suggested that we sleep on the
ship that night, and then in the morning.
after seeing what 1t was like. we could
go home and decide whether we wanted
TO ship or not. 1 demurred at this, be-
cause had to go home first, so he gave
Bill and me permission to go, but said we
had to get back at midnight. We hurried
home and on the sly packed a grip with
my belongings.
That night exploded a bornbshell in
the family. After dessert had been
served. puffed up with Importance, I de
clared: well Tn, going TO South
hG Tv-1 r.r Iay 6far vi lad
around the table. This got me sore, and
shut up like clam.
It was February. and very cold. About
: o'clock that night a great storm came
up and the streets were soon covered
with sleety ice. I turned into bed with
my clothes on. Bill was to notify me at
10 o'clock by throwing pebbles against
the window pane in my room Every time
looked out into the street and saw that
howliEg blizzard. picture of i ship wal
lowing in n trough Of the sea constantly
came before my mind and I shivered, and
my enthusiasm dropped to zero. I could
not take my eyes away from the clock.
1t was an agony Of intense waiting, sim
liar to that when. later in the trenches.
1.kept looking at my wrist watch. waiting
for o'clock in the morning. when
were to go "over the top' in a charge
Oh. how l wished that Bill would change
his mindi
About five minutes TO 10. crack. crack
came couple of nebbles against the
window pane. sounding like the crack
Of bullets on the western front With
my shoes in one hand and my grip in
the other. ] softly tiE-toed downstairs.
put on my shoes and heavy overcoat and
opened the front door. l was greeted hv
a rush Of wind, snow and sleet. Bill
looked like a SNOW man.
We plowed through the blizzard got
on trolley car and reached Erie Basin
at a quarter to -. went up the gangp,ank
and reported 70 the steward.
Tho ship looked like an ice nalace You
~
the straining of cables, and could see
dark forms sliding aud hear cursinc on
the slippery decks under the glow Of
the cargo lights.
The steward greeted us very cordially
and ] thought him the finest man I had
ever met. Bill was shipped as second
steward, and I got the billet of second
cook.
My glory hole was aft on the main
deck, while Bill slept amidships. l piled
into a little two-by-four bunk and was
soon fast asleep. ! had a horrible
was swinging me around his head. try
ing to dash my brains out against the
side of the ship.
I awoke in terror. The glory hole
seemed to be looping the loop. and
could hear heavy thuds as immense waves
broke against the side of the ship, the
water kissing and rushing around the port
hole. Reaching for the electric button
turned on the switch. An awful mess
met my eyes. The deck OF my room
awash. The grip and all my belongings.
which 1 had unpacked before turning in,
were swishing and washing on the deck,
now in this corner. now in that. The
ship was rolling like log in the trough
Of the sea. l held on TO the sides of nv
bunk in terror. a wave would smash
in through the cracks. felt deatLiy SICK
and thought / was going to die. | was