The spectator., 1919-02-21
Copyright, 1917. by The Mcclure Newspaper
 Syndicate)

Syndicate)
 In New York Public School No. 7S I had three chums, "Bill' Meek, "Jim" Fleming, and Charlie" Unger.
 Bill was full of wild ideas and schemes. He had the "get-rieh-quick" mania. About every two weeks he would call us aside and in a myste- rious and important manner carefully unfold some daring scheme to get rich quick, giving his personal guarantee that it could not fail. At first we were very enthusiastic over his scheme and wanted to go in with both feet" and would carefully work out the details of how to proceed, when, bang! Bill would introduce an- other project absolutely different from the preceding one. When we asked him what became of his wonderful proposition of two weeks ago, he un- blushingly told us that unforeseen cir cumstances which no one could pre- vent had interfered. Then he would unroll another wild dream of fortune. And so it went on; one scheme after another vanishing in smoke, until we became very Skeptical. Personally, I had no faith in any of Bills day dreams, but I admired, and perhaps envied, his spirit of adventure; so at last I decided that I would take chance, success or no success,
 One night Bill came around to the house with four tickets for blood and thunder war play entitled 'Cuba's Vow" His brother was playing the villain. This play greatly impressed me; in fact. from the first act to the last the footlights were gushing blood, love and adventure-and rotten act ing. Bills brother was awful.
 Bill was pretty good judge of human nature. He had taken us to this play to get us worked up to pitch of enthusiasm, and thus getting us in the proper frame of mind, he could unroll his latest scheme.
 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 steam CT, for a passage of about nine months. With the money thus earned we were to equip ourselves and start out for Port Limon, Costa Rica, and 20 into the coffee plantation business. We all fell for this and took solemn VOW to stick. The scheme especially appealed to me because here was my chance to follow Dana in his "Two Years Before the Mast" The next day, after sleeping it 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 I viewed the proposition in the sum- light, but I stuck. Then Bill and I 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 in- fest the water fronts of large cities and are nothing but bloodsuckers preying on 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, Time julcer," 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 eager eyes carried us into the seventh heaven of expectation. This was five o'clock in the afternoon The ship was to sail at three-ten 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 it was like, we could go home and decide whether we want ed to ship or not. I demurred al this, because I had to go home first so he gave Bill and me permission tC go. but said we had to get back al midnight. We hurried home and or the sly packed my grip with my be longings.
 That night I exploded a bombshel in the family. After dessert had beer served, puffed up with importance. declared: "Well. I'm going to Soutf America" A barrage of laughter rippled around the table. This go me sore, and shut up like clam.
 It was February, and very cold About seven o'clock that night grea storm came up and the streets wer' soon covered with sleety ice. turned into bed with my clothes on. Bill wal to notify me at ten o'clock by throw ing pebbles against the window pam in my room. Every time l looked out into the street and saw that howl ing blizzard, a picture of ship wal lowing in trough of the sea con stantIy came before my mind and
 shivered, and my enthusiasm dropped to zero. I could not take my eye -vx.-xy frrvu tha clppk If was n,