Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-24

n
THIS time Franco was buying. thousands
OF horses in tho United States and
shipping them to France for the French
army Here was my chance at last
My detective experience stood me in
good stead. and after a lot OF maneu-
Vering finally landed job TO go over
OH horse ship to try and find out why
80 many horses were dying on the pass
age on the passage over.
Chance of Renl Soldering.
Shortly after my return from this
trip the Lusitania was sunk, and. like
all Americans. 1 was pretty sore. and
waited for the United States to get
busy AS we all know that nothing
happened.
l knew 1t was up to me to get over
''on my own" applied TO the British
consul. "camouflagIng" as a Canadian.
but It did not work They would not
send me to Canada. l decided to pay
my own way.
One day / met an officer OF tho Ca
madam army and he told me that IL 1
did reach Canada ] would have to stay
in training camp for at least six or
seven months before being sent over.
This did not suit me in the least.
was no rookie: in my opinion was
trained soldier.
I then decided to take matters into
my own hands and go to England. and
shipped on the American Line.
arrived In London about 10:40 one
night. The next morning before IL
o'clock was private in His Majesty's
Imperial Army. soldier OF the King.
Then 1 realized that l was at last up
against the real thing and all OF my
puRnacity oozed out through my pores.
When you get out Of civilian clothes.
into uniform and close up to the fight.
you do not want to fight as much as
you did before. and l felt very ner-
vous. This nervousness never left me
during my stay on the western front
over a year later was SO badly
physically unfit for further war ser
vice" and came back to the old u. S. A.
First Real Adventure.
But to get to my first real adventure.
In Public School No. IS I had three
chums, bill" Meek. Jim" Fleming
and Charlie" Unger."
One night Bill came around to the
house with four tickets for a b,oDd
and-thunder war play. entitled "Cuba's
Vow. His brother was playing the
villain. This play greatly impressed
men: in fact. from the first act TO the
last the footligh:s were gushing: blood.
love and adven:ur--ard rotten acting
P:lfs brother was awful.
Bill was pisty good Judge OF
i.uTan nature. lie had taken US to this
play to get us "'ikcd 3p TO pitch Of
enthusiasm. and thus getting Us in the
proper frame OF mind, he could unroll
his latest scheme.
Trip to South America.
That night, after the show, he pro-
posed trip to South America. which
took our breaths away. We were to
run away and ship on a tramp steamer.
for passage of about nine months.
With the money thus earned we were
to equip ourselves and start out for
Port Lemon. Costa Rica. and go into
the coffee plantation business. We all
fell for this and took solemn vow
to stick. The scheme especially ap-
Pcalcd to me because here was my
chance to follow Dana in his Two
Years Before tho Mast" The next
day. after sleeping IL over, Charlie and
jim decided that there was more
money in New York, and refused to
go. I admit I had a sinking sensa-
ton In the pit of my stomach when
light. but l stuck. Then Bill and I
made 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
hut bloodsuckers preying on sailors,
One OF these parasites took us on
board an old tramp steamer. lying in
Erie Basin, called the "Cushko" Here
VIC met the steward, a lime juicer."
John Royal-Minns. with the emphasis
on the hyphen. The wonderful tale OF
ease. luxury and getting paid for see
ing the world" stuff that the steward
and the boarding master unrolled be-
fore our eyes carried US into the sew
enth heaven OF expectation. This was
o'clock In the afternoon The shio
was to sail at $40 the following morn
Ing. but they did not tell US this. The
steward said that were were just tho
TWO that he wanted. there being va
cancies 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 de-
eide whether we wanted TO ship or
not. 1 demurred at this, because !
had TO go home first. SO he gave Bill
and me permission to so. but said we
had to get back at midnight. We hur-
ried home and on the SLY packed nv
grip with my belongings.
That night I exploded a bombshell
In the family. After dessert had been
served. pulled up with Importance, 1
declared: We'll. I'm going to South
america" A barrage OF laughter rip
pied around the table. This got mo
sore, and 1 shut up like a clam.
Enthusiasm Drops to Zero.
IL WAS IN FEBRUARY. and very cold.
About q 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 throw
ing pebbles against the windowpanc
In my room. Every time l looked out
into the street and saw that bowling
blizzard, picture OF ship wallowing
In trough Of the sea constantly came
oefore 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, similar to that when, later
in the trenches. kept looking at INV
wrist watch waiting for 4 o'clock In
the morning when we were to go ..oyer
the top" in charge. Oh. how wished
that Bill would change his mind!
About five minutes of ten. crack.
crack! came couple of pebbles against
the windowpane. sounding like tho
crack OF bullets on the western front
with my shoes In one hand and NV
grip in the other. 1 softly tip-toed
downstairs. put on my shoes and heavy
overcoat. and opened the front door.
was greeted by rush of wind, snow
and sleet Bill looked like snow
man.
n