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diff --git a/4990-8.txt b/4990-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a15a85c --- /dev/null +++ b/4990-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4956 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of a Boy Reporter, by +Harry Steele Morrison + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Adventures of a Boy Reporter + +Author: Harry Steele Morrison + +Posting Date: March 23, 2009 +Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4990] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER *** + + + + +Produced by Jim Weiler + + + + + + + + +THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER + +by Harry Steele Morrison + +1900 + + +CONTENTS. + +CHAPTER I. + +LIVING IN THE COUNTRY--LIFE AT SCHOOL--THE HUT CLUB IS FORMED--THE +COMING OF THE CIRCUS + +CHAPTER II. + +ARCHIE LONGS FOR A CHANGE IN SURROUNDINGS--A TRIP TO NEW YORK WITH UNCLE +HENRY + +CHAPTER III. + +ARCHIE DETERMINES TO GO TO THE CITY TO WORK--LEAVING HOME AT NIGHT + +CHAPTER IV. + +WORKING ON A FARM TO EARN SOME MONEY--CRUEL TREATMENT + +CHAPTER V. + +THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS--THE CAMP-FIRE OF THE TRAMPS + +CHAPTER VI. + +STEALING A RIDE--KICKED OUT BY THE BRAKEMAN + +CHAPTER VII. + +ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK--A NIGHT IN A LODGING-HOUSE + +CHAPTER VIII. + +LOOKING FOR WORK--WASHING DISHES IN A BOWERY RESTAURANT + +CHAPTER IX. + +IN THE STREET AGAIN--THE POLICE STATION--VISITS THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE, +AND IS KINDLY RECEIVED BY THE EDITOR + +CHAPTER X. + +LIVING IN COMFORT AGAIN--FEATURED AS "THE BOY REPORTER" + +CHAPTER XI. + +A DAY AND A NIGHT IN CONEY ISLAND--RAIDING A GAMBLING DEN + +CHAPTER XII. + +A SUCCESSFUL REPORTER--THE EDITOR DECIDES TO SEND HIM AS CORRESPONDENT +TO THE PHILIPPINES--LEAVING NEW YORK--IN CHICAGO + +CHAPTER XIII. + +SAN FRANCISCO--THE TRANSPORT GONE--WORKING HIS WAY TO HONOLULU BY +PEELING VEGETABLES ON A PACIFIC LINER--THE CAPITAL OF HAWAII + +CHAPTER XIV. + +THE VOYAGE ON THE TRANSPORT--A STORM AT SEA--ARRIVAL IN MANILA + +CHAPTER XV. + +ARCHIE STARTS OUT ON AN EXPLORING TOUR, AND HAS SOME STRANGE ADVENTURES +AMONG THE NATIVES--SEIZED BY THE REBELS + +CHAPTER XVI. + +A PLEASANT CAPTOR--BRAVE BILL HICKSON ALLOWS ARCHIE TO ESCAPE--FIRST +GLIMPSE OF AGUINALDO + +CHAPTER XVII. + +ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS--ARCHIE THE HERO OF THE REGIMENT + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +THE MARCH AFTER THE REBELS--THE FIRST BATTLE--ARCHIE WOUNDED + +CHAPTER XIX. + +RETURN TO MANILA--IN THE HOSPITAL--CONGRATULATED BY ALL--WRITING TO THE +PAPER OF HIS EXPERIENCES + +CHAPTER XX. + +AROUND THE ISLAND ON A WAR-SHIP--BOMBARDING A FILIPINO TOWN + +CHAPTER XXI. + +CONTINUING THE CRUISE--ANOTHER VILLAGE CAPTURED--THE ADMIRAL ARCHIE'S +FRIEND--A GREAT BATTLE AND AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY--LONGING TO BE HOME +AGAIN + +CHAPTER XXII. + +RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS--A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, WITH PERMISSION TO +RETURN TO NEW YORK--BILL HICKSON GOES, TOO + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +HONG KONG--A HAPPY TIME IN TOKIO--HONOLULU AGAIN--ARRIVAL IN SAN +FRANCISCO, AND A GREAT RECEPTION BY THE PRESS--ARCHIE AND BILL ARRIVE IN +NEW YORK, AND ARE THE HEROES OF THE HOUR + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +DOING "SPECIAL" WORK UPON THE EVENING PAPER--INTERVIEWS WITH FAMOUS +MEN--CALLS UPON OLD FRIENDS + +CHAPTER XXV. + +PRIVATE SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE--STUDYING AT EVENING SCHOOL--LIVING +AMID ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS + +CHAPTER XXVI. + +DECIDES TO VISIT HOME--A GREAT RECEPTION IN THE TOWN--A PUBLIC CHARACTER +NOW--DINNER TO THE HUT CLUB--DEMONSTRATION AT THE TOWN HALL--A TELEGRAM +FROM HIS EMPLOYER LEAVING FOR EUROPE + + + + + + +THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. + + + +CHAPTER I. + + LIVING IN THE COUNTRY--LIFE AT SCHOOL--THE HUT CLUB IS FORMED--THE + COMING OF THE CIRCUS. + +"YES," said Mrs. Dunn to her neighbour, Mrs. Sullivan, "we are expecting +great things of Archie, and yet we sometimes hardly know what to think +of the boy. He has the most remarkable ideas of things, and there seems +to be absolutely no limit to his ambition. He has long since determined +that he will some day be President, and he expects to enter politics the +day he is twenty-one." + +"Is that so, indeed," said Mrs. Sullivan. "Well, we can never tell +what is going to come of our boys. As I says to Dannie to-day, says +I, 'Dannie, you must do your best to be somebody and make something of +yourself, for you and Jack bees all that I has to depend upon now.' But +Dannie pays no attention to my entreaties, and somehow it seems to me +that since Mr. Sullivan died the boys are gettin' worse and worse. It's +beyond me to control them, anyhow." + +"Oh, take heart, Mrs. Sullivan," said Mrs. Dunn, "our boys will all turn +out well in the end, and all we can do is to bring them up in the best +way we know, and trust to them to take care of themselves after they +leave home. Now Dannie is certainly an industrious lad. I hear him +pounding nails all day long in the back yard, and he made a good job of +shingling the woodshed the other day. He seems made to be a carpenter." + +"Yes, I think so myself," said the Widow Sullivan. "The whole lot of +them is out by the railroad now, building a hut. They've organised a +'Hut Club' to-day, and never a lick of work have I had out of them boys +since mornin'. They've always got something going on, and when I want +a bit of water from the well, or a little wood from the shed, they're +never around." + +"Yes, but boys will be boys, Mrs. Sullivan, and we'd better keep them +contented at home as long as we can. They'll be leaving us soon enough. +It seems that no boys are content to stay in town any longer; they're +all anxious to be off to the city." + +"That's true, that's true, Mrs. Dunn," said Mrs. Sullivan. "I must be +going now. I'm much obliged for the rain-water, and whenever you want a +bit of milk call over the fence, and I'll bring it to you with pleasure. +It's a good neighbour you are, Mrs. Dunn." + +And Mrs. Sullivan went slowly around the house and out at the front +gate, while good Mrs. Dunn returned to her ironing, a few clothes having +to be ready for Sunday. + +While these mothers were discussing their boys, the youngsters +themselves were busy behind the barn, building a hut down near the +railway track. There were six of them altogether, the three extra ones, +besides Archie Dunn and the Sullivan boys, having come from across +the railway to play for the day. Two hours before they had solemnly +organised themselves into the "Hut Club," each boy walking three times +around the block blindfolded, and swearing upon his return to be true +to all the rules and regulations of the organisation, which had been +written with chalk on the side of the barn. The regulations were +numerous, but the most important one was that no East Side boys were to +be allowed within the club-room when it was built, and that the club's +policy should be one of warfare against the East Siders on every +occasion when they met. This fight against the East Side was, indeed, +responsible for the organisation of the club. It was felt necessary to +have some head to their forces, and some means of holding together. So +the club was organised, and now the next thing on the programme was the +erection of a hut to serve as a club-house. Archie Dunn, who had been +elected president, volunteered to get three boards and a hammer if the +other boys would each get two boards and some nails. This proposition +was agreed to, and when the boys returned from their foraging +expeditions it was found that there were more than enough boards to +build the hut, so the work began at once. Holes were dug in the ground, +and some posts planted as supports for the structure, and then the +boards were hastily nailed together from post to post. In three hours +the hut was practically completed, and it remained only to lay a floor +until they could hold their first meeting in the new club-house. The +floor itself was down by noon, and the club then served a memorable +dinner to mark the completion of the structure. + +A hole was dug in the ground outside the door, and a furnace made. A +skillet was brought from Archie's house, together with some dishes and a +coffee-pot, and Dan Sullivan brought some more dishes, and six eggs from +his nests under the barn. The boys were obliged to make several trips +to and from the houses, but finally nearly everything was ready, and the +eggs were carefully cooked by Archie, who was really a good housekeeper, +from long experience in the kitchen with his mother. Some potatoes were +fried in the grease remaining in the skillet after the eggs were cooked, +and then the feast began. The eggs may have been rather black with +grease, and the potatoes were certainly not done, but the boys all +pronounced it the finest meal of their lives, notwithstanding the bitter +coffee, and the dirty bread, which had been allowed to fall into the +gutter beside the railway track. They were eating in their own house, +and they had cooked in the open air, "just like tramps," Harry Rafe +said, and it was little wonder that they enjoyed the novel experience. + +The only trouble came when the meal was finished. No one wanted to +wash the dishes, and, finally, it was decided to return them to their +respective kitchens just as they were, and to let them be washed with +the rest of the dinner dishes at home. And this decision came near +putting an end to Hut Club dinners, for both Mrs. Dunn and the Widow +Sullivan were determined not to wash any more dirty dishes from the hut. + +When the meal was over, the boys lounged about the hut, and Dan Sullivan +brought a lot of things from his sister's playhouse with which to +furnish it more suitably. Archie Dunn brought a lot of hay from the loft +in his mother's barn, and when a piece of old carpet was spread upon it +it made an acceptable couch. A piece of old carpet was laid in front of +the hut, too, where the boys could sit and watch the trains switching +back and forth on the railway, and the tramps who were heating coffee in +cans over by the cattle-pen. + +Finally, some cattle arrived in the pen to be loaded into cars for the +city, and the boys had just decided to go and watch the men loading +them, when an engine came up the side-track with the most beautiful car +they had ever seen, behind it. The car was painted in all colours of the +rainbow, and in giant letters was printed the magic name of "The World's +Greatest Show." + +The boys lost no time in getting down from the cattle-pen fence, and the +car had barely stopped when they were aboard. "Hooray," shouted Charlie +Huffman, "we'll all get jobs of passin' bills." And it was with this +end in view that they sought the advertising manager in the car, who +promised to give them all jobs when the circus came in two weeks. +The boys deluged him with questions of every sort. "Will there be any +elephants?" "Is there goin' to be a parade?" and "Will there be any +trapeze performances?" The poor man was finally obliged to lock the +door to keep them out, and the boys stood about the car until nearly +six o'clock, admiring the paintings, and speculating as to whether they +would be able to work their way into the circus or not, when it finally +came. Their speculations were interrupted by the appearance on the scene +of the Widow Sullivan with a good-sized maple switch, which she used +to good effect in getting the two Sullivans and Archie Dunn home for +supper. For Mrs. Dunn had given Mrs. Sullivan instructions before she +started, so that when Archie complained that he had been whipped by +"that woman next door," he received no sympathy whatever. + +And when he went to bed at nine o'clock, he could hardly sleep for +thinking of the wonderful things which had happened this day. The coming +circus and the great Hut Club kept him awake until far after ten, so +that he got up too late for Sunday school the next morning, and was +punished accordingly. + +The next week was a hard one at school, and the boys had but little +time to devote to the club. But after four o'clock in the afternoon +they sometimes got together and did various things which improved their +club-house. Some very fair chairs were constructed from empty soap +boxes, and various contrivances were put together to guard against the +intrusion of any East Siders or tramps while they were away at school. +There was no padlock used, and any one coming up to the hut would +imagine it a simple thing to enter--until he tried. But the boys had +fixed a secret cord which, when pulled, shifted the bar inside, and +every boy was sworn not to betray the existence of the cord. + +The day set for the circus came nearer and nearer, and the boys began +to be anxious for fear the schools would not close, so that they could +attend. But the superintendent finally announced that they would; so +early on the eventful day the entire club was on the grounds, waiting +to get some work to do. Archie Dunn got the first job, being selected +to carry water for the elephant because he was stronger than any of the +others. But the rest were given something to do, and when the day was +over they had all seen the circus, and went to bed happy, to dream of +the great trip to be taken by the Hut Club on the next Saturday. + + + +CHAPTER II. + + ARCHIE LONGS FOR A CHANGE IN SURROUNDINGS--A TRIP TO NEW YORK WITH UNCLE + HENRY. + +THE Hut Club went out on a picnic the next Saturday, and had a jolly +time. They camped upon an island in the middle of a shallow stream, and +while there made coffee and cooked their dinner, having brought most of +the necessary apparatus from the Hut. They fished a little, and hunted +for turtles in the water, and altogether had a good time, if nothing +exciting did occur. It was after nine o'clock at night when they reached +town again, footsore and weary, and Archie Dunn had hardly entered the +house before he was on the dining-room lounge, half-asleep. His mother +seemed to be out, and as he lay there he wondered how long it would be +before she came back. Archie truly loved his mother, but of late he +had often thought that he would like to leave home and go to the famous +city, where he felt sure he could get something to do. But he disliked +the idea of leaving his mother. + +"I'm getting to be a big boy, now," he often said to himself, "and it's +time that I began to look out for myself. I'm nearly seventeen, and I +think I ought to be earning some money. This thing of belonging to Hut +Clubs and spending my time in going to picnics and to circuses ought to +stop. It's all right for boys, but I'm getting to be a man, now." + +All these thoughts were flying through his mind when his mother came in. +"Oh, Archie," she exclaimed, "I've been so worried about you. I've just +been over to Mrs. Sullivan's to see if Dannie had come home, and whether +he had seen you. Wherever have you been?" + +"We didn't think it would take so long to walk home," said Archie, +jumping up from the sofa, "but we were awfully tired, and we didn't come +very fast. I'm so sorry you were worried. + +"And I'm as hungry as a bear, mother. Can't you find me something to +eat?" + +"Yes, dear," said Mrs. Dunn, softly, "and when you've finished your +supper I have something for you. I won't give it to you now for fear you +won't be able to eat, but as soon as you have finished your meal, you +shall have it." + +So Archie was obliged to eat his baked beans and brown bread and drink +his milk without knowing what was in store for him, and he hurried as +fast as he could, so that he could learn. When he had finished he went +into the sitting-room, and found his mother sitting with a letter spread +open upon her lap. "Uncle Henry has written me asking if you cannot go +with him to New York on Monday, for a couple of days. He is obliged to +go down there on business, and says he will be glad to take you along +and show you something of the wonderful city, for he knows you won't be +any trouble to him. Now I hardly know what to say, Archie. If I can feel +that you are behaving yourself properly, and are doing your best to be +as little trouble as possible, I am willing that you shall go." + +"Oh, mother," cried Archie, "I'll promise anything. Only let me go this +once, and I'll promise to stay at home all the rest of the summer." + +"All right, then," said Mrs. Dunn. "You shall go on the first train +Monday morning, and Uncle Henry will join you at Heddens Corner. Run +along to bed now." + +Archie went up-stairs almost dumb with delight Was it really true that +he was to see the great city at last? He had heard some of the boys at +school telling what their fathers saw there, but he had never even hoped +that he would see it for himself so soon. Of course he had determined to +see it all some day, but that was to be far in the future. The lad +could hardly sleep for the joy of it all, and when he did finally +lose consciousness, it was only to dream of streets of gold, and great +buildings reaching to the skies. + +Sunday passed slowly by. At Sunday school, Archie told the boys that +he was going to New York on the morrow, and from that moment he was the +hero of the class. The boys looked at him with wondering admiration, and +seemed scarcely able to realise that one of their number was to go so +far from home. The city was in reality little more than a hundred miles, +but to their boyish minds this distance seemed wonderfully great. + +Early on Monday morning Archie was at the depot waiting for the train. +His mother was there to see him off, and there were tears in her eyes +at the thought of parting with her only child, if only for a day or two. +And Archie was radiant with delight at the glorious prospect ahead of +him. He walked nervously up and down the platform, and wished frequently +that it were not so early in the morning, so that some of the boys might +be there to see him off. Finally, the great hissing locomotive drew up, +with its long train of coaches, and Archie was soon aboard, hurrying off +to Heddens Corner and the city. In a few minutes Uncle Henry was with +him, a tall, fine-looking man, with an air of business. Uncle Henry +kept the general store at the Corner, and was an important person in the +neighbourhood. He was of some importance in the city, too, for his +name was known in politics, and his custom was always desired at +the wholesale stores. So Archie was going to see the city under good +auspices, if his uncle would only have time to take him about with him. + +After a couple of hours, during which Archie kept his face glued to +the window-pane, watching the flying landscape, the great train pulled +through a long, dark tunnel, and finally entered an immense shed, +covered with glass where it came to a final stop. Crowds left the +coaches, and passed out of the station, where they were swallowed up in +the great rush of traffic. Some drove away in cabs and carriages. Some +entered the street-cars, and some went up a stairway and entered what +seemed to Archie a railway train in the air. + +Uncle Henry told Archie to follow him carefully, and they, too, were +soon flying away from the neighbourhood of the terminal, past hotels, +stores, and dwellings, until they finally left the trolley-car, and +passed through a cross street into a long, quiet thoroughfare which +looked old enough to have been there for a hundred years. The houses +were built far back from the street, with pillars in front, and into one +of these quaint old dwellings went Archie and his uncle. + +"I always stop down-town," explained Uncle Henry, "because I am near to +the great wholesale establishments. It is central to the retail stores, +too, and to many of the places of interest." + +When they were settled in their room, Uncle Henry explained that he +would have to be away most of this first day, but that to-morrow he +would take Archie out and show him the sights. So Archie expected to +remain indoors all day; but when his uncle had left the house he +decided that he couldn't possibly remain in this close room when so many +wonderful things were taking place outside. So he decided to walk up and +down the street, anyhow, and when he went out he felt like a prisoner +just escaped from a cell. But the noise was terrible, and there were a +great many wagons and trucks passing through the street. The greatest +crowd seemed to be on that cross street about two blocks away, so Archie +decided to go there, and see if there was anything new on that street. + +He saw many wonderful things. There were cars running along without any +apparent motive power, there were thousands and thousands of people in +the streets, and the stores looked so handsome and interesting that he +simply couldn't resist going into one or two of them, just to see what +they were like. And when he had finished with one or two he could think +of no reason why he shouldn't go on up the street, where he was sure he +would find a great many more interesting things to see. So on and on +he went, until at last he was tired and hungry, and then, for the first +time, he was a little frightened, because he thought of all he had read +about people losing their way in the city, and not being able to find +their relatives again. But he was a brave boy, so he determined to make +an effort to find his way back without appealing to a policeman. And +after a time he was successful, and entered the queer old house in the +ancient street at just three o'clock in the afternoon. His uncle was +there waiting for him, and was nearly beside himself with apprehension. + +"I was about to send out a general alarm for you, at the police +station," he said. "How did you happen to go away?" + +"Oh, I was so very tired of staying in the house," said Archie, "and I +felt sure that I could find my way back without getting lost at all. +And to-morrow I'm sure I can get along all right, Uncle Henry, so you +needn't bother with me at all, unless you want to." + +And it so happened that Mr. Kirk was very busy the next day, and would +have found it quite impossible to show Archie about. So it was fortunate +that he was able to go everywhere alone, or he would have had to return +home without seeing anything at all of the city. + +As it was, he went here, there, and everywhere, and saw a great deal of +the city, the people, and the way in which they lived. The entire place +had a strange fascination for him, and all the time he was thinking how +glad he would be to live where he could see all this rush of business, +this varied life, every day. And he fully determined to return some day +and get something to do, so that he might work himself up, and come +to own one of the handsome houses on the avenues, or drive one of the +elegant carriages on the boulevard. And he observed every boy who +passed him, and talked with several of them, trying to find out whether +positions were easy to secure, and whether they paid much when they were +secured. + +So when they took the four o'clock train for home, and arrived at +Archie's house in time for supper, he told more about the city boys and +their work than about the tall buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, or the +Central Park. He talked so much, in fact, about the delights of the city +boy, and the money he earned, that after he had gone to bed Mrs. Dunn +took her brother aside and talked with him concerning Archie's future. +And between them they definitely decided that Archie must not go to the +city to work. + + + +CHAPTER III. + + ARCHIE DETERMINES TO GO TO THE CITY TO WORK--LEAVING HOME AT NIGHT. + +ARCHIE DUNN was not more ambitious than many other boys of his age, +but he possessed one quality which is not developed in every boy, +determination. Once Archie decided upon doing a thing, once he had made +up his mind that it was truly a good thing to do, nothing could keep him +from putting his plans into action, and making an effort, at least, to +accomplish his ends. Most boys of seventeen have not decided what they +want to become when they are men, and, until his visit to the city, +Archie was equally at sea concerning his future. He knew, of course, +that he wanted to be rich and famous, but when he tried to think up +some suitable profession which would bring him these possessions, he was +never able to decide. + +The two days in the city with Uncle Henry had opened to his boyish +mind a new world, and when he returned to the humble home surrounded by +gardens, he felt that he would never be satisfied to live and work in +this small town. There was now no question in his mind but what the city +was the place for any one who wished to become either rich or famous. It +would certainly be impossible for him to make a name for himself in this +village, while in the city he would have every opportunity for improving +himself, and advancing himself in every way. He wondered, indeed, that +he had never thought of going to New York before, and was disgusted with +himself when he thought of the time he had wasted here at home. + +But there was no use in thinking of the past. The thing to do now was to +get to the city as quickly as possible, for to Archie every day seemed +precious, and each delay kept him further from the consummation of +his hopes. It never occurred to the boy that his mother might have +objections to his leaving home. She had always been very ambitious for +his future, and he supposed that she would be delighted at the idea +of having her boy in the great city, where he would have innumerable +chances for improving himself. So when they sat on the front porch, +one evening, and he told her of his plan, he was surprised to hear his +mother pleading with him to remain at home. "Archie," she said, "I am +almost sure you will come to some bad end in the city. You really must +not go, for my sake, if for no other reason." + +"But, mother, I can't remain here in town always. I must go out into +the world some time to earn a living and make a place for myself, and I +think the sooner I go the better, don't you?" + +"Yes, Archie, but you're so young, and you've had no experience. You +have no idea of the things there are in great cities to drag young men +down. I don't think I could stand it to have you so far away from home +and in such danger." + +"Well, mother," said Archie, "there isn't much use in arguing about it. +I have reached a point where I don't think I can be any longer satisfied +at home. I have been here seventeen years, and I think I can remain here +that much longer without improving myself. In the city I am sure I can +make rapid progress, and in a year or two you can come there and live +with me." + +Archie got up from the porch and went down the street, while poor Mrs. +Dunn ran over next door to see her neighbour, Mrs. Sullivan. When she +had entered the disorderly kitchen, and seated herself on one of the +home-made chairs, the anxious mother burst into tears. "I don't know +what to think of Archie, Mrs. Sullivan," she said. "He is determined, +now, to go to New York, and I know that if he goes I will never be able +to see him again. I am nigh distracted with worrying over it. I have +talked with him, but he seems determined, and I know I can never hold +out against his entreaties and arguments." + +"Sure, now, Mrs. Dunn," said the Widow Sullivan, "don't yez be a +worryin' about 'im at all. That Archie is a smart boy, he is, and if he +goes to New York he'll come out all right, never fear, I only wish my +Dannie had as much get-up about him as your boy." + +"Yes, yes, Archie is very ambitious for his age," said Mrs. Dunn, "but +I sometimes wish he were less so. I know I could keep him at home longer +if he wasn't so anxious to be at work. I don't believe I can let him go, +Mrs. Sullivan, not yet. I want him to stay in school another year, and +then I'll think about it." + +"Well, ye're wise, Mrs. Dunn, ye're a wise woman," said the Widow +Sullivan. "Since yer husband died ye've been a good mother to the lad, +and have brought 'im up well. And now, how is yer chickens, Mrs. Dunn? +Have ye got that cochin hen a 'settin'' yit?" + +And the two women began to discuss their various fowls, and the +conversation was so interesting that Mrs. Dunn remained late, and found +Archie in bed when she went home. "Ah, well, poor boy, I'll have to tell +him of my decision in the morning. He'll be terribly disappointed, and I +hate to do it I'm afraid it's selfishness that makes me want to keep +him with me. I almost wish he would take things into his own hands, and +start for the city himself. I would be rid then of the responsibility +of sending him, and the question would be settled for me. Boys sometimes +know best how to settle their own difficulties, anyhow." + +Mrs. Dunn kneaded the bread before retiring, for to-morrow was Saturday, +and, therefore, baking-day, and then she went into her little room +off the kitchen, and prayed earnestly for her boy before sleeping. +She prayed that she might be helped in advising him, and that he might +always do what was best for himself and for his mother. + +The next day was Saturday, and in the morning the Hut Club met, as +usual, and prepared to have an open-air dinner for this day. The +furnace, which had been knocked down during the week by the East Siders, +was rebuilt, and the skillet and other utensils were brought from the +nearest kitchens. Archie went to the grocery around the corner and +bought five cents' worth of cakes, and then the six boys sat down in +a circle and prepared to devour their home-made feast. But before they +began Archie stood up. "I want to say that this will probably be my +farewell dinner with the club," he said, in a low tone, "and I hope that +you will appoint another president in my place." + +The boys were horror-struck, but Archie refused to explain where and +when he was going. Finally, they refused to appoint another president, +all agreeing that Archie should hold that office for ever, wherever he +was. And the meal was eaten in silence, for the announcement had thrown +a sort of chill over the proceedings. When they had finished, Archie +silently shook hands with each of the boys, who were dumb with +amazement, gathered up his skillet and coffee-pot, and went home through +the gate to the chicken-lot. + +"I wonder what he's goin' to do," they all said, as in one breath, and +as there was seldom much fun in the club when Archie was absent, they +all went home in a few minutes, or down-town to watch the farmers, who +were in town to do their weekly buying. + +When Archie reached home he went up-stairs to his little room, and began +to lay out a few things which he wanted to take with him, for he had +determined to start for New York this very night. Then he tied the +things up in a small bundle, and sat down to write a note to his mother. +When he had finished it, he pinned it up at the head of his cot, and +this is what it said: + + "MY DARLING MOTHER:--Please don't worry about me, I'm bound to + come through all right, and if anything happens to me, I promise + that I will write to you immediately and let you know. I have the + ten dollars which I have saved, and if I don't get work at once I + will write to you for some more. Now, I am not doing this thing for + the sake of adventure, but because I am sure it is the best thing + for me, and I don't want you to worry at all. I shall write to you + often and let you know just what I'm doing, so don't worry, but be + a brave mother. I'm not going off this way as a sneak, but because + I want to avoid a 'scene.' + + "Your loving + + "ARCHIE." + +And at three o'clock the next morning Archie Dunn got out of bed, +shouldered his bundle, and started off for the great city, which seemed +to be drawing him like a magnet. + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + WORKING ON A FARM TO EARN SOME MONEY--CRUEL TREATMENT. + +WHEN daylight came, Archie was far out of the town walking quickly along +the southern road. He figured that he had walked nearly six miles in the +two hours since he had let himself out of the back door at home, and, +as he looked ahead, he planned that he would walk at least thirty miles +every day. Of course, he had never done much walking before, or he would +have known better than to have expected to accomplish so much in twelve +hours, but he felt fresh and full of strength this morning, and nothing +seemed too hard to accomplish. As yet he had not regretted his departure +from home. The excitement of it all, and the adventurous side of his +exploit, had kept him interested, and made him feel that he was a real +hero. But he was not so foolish as to imagine that there would not be +times when he would regret having set out for New York. He was too old +and too sensible for his age to allow his ambition to run away with him +entirely, and he fully expected to meet with many great discouragements. +"But I'm sure of one thing," he said to himself, as he walked along, "I +never will return home until I have something to show for the trip. I +won't have the club boys and the neighbours saying that Archie Dunn had +to come home discouraged. If I return without accomplishing anything, I +will be held up to the whole town as a boy who made a fool of himself by +not taking his friends' advice, and I never will be made an example +of if I can help it." And Archie walked faster as he thought of the +possibility of failure. + +When seven o'clock came he was passing through the county-seat, but +though there were many interesting things to look at in the town, Archie +determined not to stop. He was afraid he might meet some one he knew, +who would be sure to ask him where he was going with his bundle, and +what he was doing out so early. And anyhow he was very hungry, and +decided to get out of the town and to the farmhouses as soon as +possible. "I can work for my meal at a farmhouse," he said to himself, +"but in the town they'll take me for a regular tramp." + +So poor Archie walked quickly through the town, still keeping to the +southern road, and saying to himself, as he passed every milestone, +"So much nearer New York." About a mile out in the country he came to a +large farmhouse, and he determined to enter and ask for a meal. He had +hard work to muster up enough courage to go in and ask for anything, but +finally he knocked timidly at the kitchen door, and was frightened by +a large dog which came barking around the corner. It seemed to him that +the animal would surely bite, but a large fat woman opened the door +just in time to let him in. "Hurry in, boy," she said, "fer there's +no tellin' what Tige might do ef he once gets a hold of ye." So Archie +stepped into the large kitchen, with its rafters overhead, and its +dining-table in the corner. "Sit down, boy," said the woman. "I reckon +you's thet new lad thet's come ter work over at Mullins's, ain't ye?" + +"No'm," said Archie, "I don't work anywhere. I'm on my way to New York, +where I expect to find a position, and I thought perhaps you'd allow me +to do a little work here this morning to earn my breakfast." + +Good Mrs. Lane, for that was the woman's name, was horrified to think +that any one was alive and without breakfast at eight o'clock in the +morning. "Goodness me!" said she. "Why, you must be half-famished fer +want of food, ain't ye?" And she bustled about the kitchen, putting the +kettle on to boil, and stirring up the fire. "You'll have some nice ham +and eggs, my boy, and then I have somethin' in mind fer you. I reckon +yer ain't in no hurry ter get ter the city, be ye? Well, even if ye +do be in a hurry, I reckon you'll be glad of the chance to earn four +dollars. I ain't goin' to ask ye no questions about how ye come to be +walkin' to New York, because I never wuz no hand ter meddle in other +folkses affairs, but ye look to be a likely lad, and a strong un, and ez +my sister's husband, what lives two miles down the pike, needs a boy to +drive a plough fer a week, I b'lieve ye'll suit 'im first-rate. So ez +soon ez ye have finished yer vittles, I'll walk down there with ye, and +we'll see the old man." + +Archie hardly knew whether to be delighted with the prospect or not. Of +course four dollars would be nice to have, but he was anxious to get +to the city as soon as possible, and every day counted. But perhaps it +would be wrong, he thought, to throw away such a good chance to earn +some money, and he had decided to accept any offer the farmer made +him, long before he finished his breakfast. When he got up from the +straight-backed chair, he felt that he had never eaten a better meal +in his life, and when Mrs. Lane started off down the road, he gladly +followed her. A week on such a farm as this would be no unpleasant +experience. Such food was not to be had every day, he knew, and he of +course would have precious little that was good to eat when he reached +the city. + +They soon covered the two miles, Mrs. Lane getting along very fast for +such a large woman, and at last they stood before Hiram Tinch, who owned +the farm. Archie was made to describe his intentions, and was thoroughly +examined by Mr. Tinch. He told the farmer that he knew nothing about +farm work, but Mr. Tinch said he would soon teach him, and it was +settled that Archie was to remain on the farm a week. Mrs. Lane went +inside the house to see her sister, who looked sick with too much work, +and the farmer told Archie that he might as well start in, as there was +no object in waiting. So the boy donned a pair of "blue jean" trousers, +and was taken into a field, where a one-horse plough was standing. +Archie knew how to hitch a horse, so he went to the stable and secured +his steed, and then harnessed him to the plough. The farmer didn't +see fit to give him any instructions about ploughing, and the poor boy +hardly knew what to do, but rather than ask he started off, and tried to +guide the animal in the right direction, as far as he knew it. Of course +the horse went wrong, and the plough refused to stay in the earth, +and altogether the attempt was a miserable failure. The farmer leaned +against the fence, picking his teeth with a pin, but when he saw the +horse going crooked, and the plough bounding along over the earth, his +face grew livid with anger. For a minute he seemed unable to speak, but +strode toward Archie with a fierce look in his eyes. Then he found his +tongue, and opened such a tirade of vile words that the poor boy shrank +from him in terror. He was in mortal fear lest the man should lay hands +on him and commit some crime, so intense was his rage, but Hiram Tinch +seemed to know how far to go, and after five minutes of cursing and +swearing he took the plough in his own hands, and guided it through the +earth. "Now take it," he growled at Archie, when he had gone a furrow's +length, "and see ef ye can do better this time. Remember, not a bite of +dinner do ye get until this field is ploughed." + +Poor Archie was weak from fright, but there was nothing to do but to +obey. He looked at the vast field before him, and made up his mind that +he would get nothing to eat until night, anyhow, for it was already +nearly noon. He felt very much like bursting into tears, but he was too +proud to give way to his feelings. But he couldn't help wishing that he +were at home, playing with the members of the Hut Club. "Those boys are +much better off than I am," he said, over and over, "though they have +made no effort to improve themselves." After a time, however, his +ambition returned, and as he looked ahead into the future, and +remembered the wonderful things he was going to accomplish, he felt more +like working. + +He finished the field at five o'clock in the afternoon, and was almost +fainting from hunger and from the hard work. The ploughing was fairly +well done, but Hiram Tinch could see no merit in the work. He swore at +Archie again, and gave him a supper of mush and milk. Mrs. Tinch sat by, +and Archie could see that she did not approve of his treatment. The poor +woman seemed afraid to speak, almost, but it was plain that she had a +good heart. So when Archie heard a noise in his garret room that night, +he was not surprised to see Mrs. Tinch at the window, placing some +doughnuts and sandwiches there for him to eat. + + + +CHAPTER V. + + THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS--THE CAMP-FIRE OF THE TRAMPS. + +IT seemed to Archie that he had just fallen asleep when old Hiram Tinch +was shaking him awake. "Git up out o' here now, ye lazy beggar, and +git to the field and finish that there ploughin'," he growled, and the +frightened lad awakened from a horrible nightmare, only to find a worse +experience awaiting him in the light of day. He hastily drew on his +trousers, and didn't wait to don either shoes or stockings, for if he +was to spend the day ploughing in a field, he knew he would be more +comfortable in his bare feet. When he reached the kitchen, he found +that Farmer Tinch had already eaten his breakfast, though it was not +daylight. Archie was glad that he was out of the way, and good Mrs. +Tinch was glad of it, too, for she was able to give the boy a good +breakfast, and some good advice with it. "Don't you pay no attention to +what my man says, laddie. He's a powerful man to swear and carry on, but +I don't think he'll have the meanness to strike you. Ef he does, ye must +come to me, and I'll see thet he doesn't do it no more." + +Archie was grateful for this spirit of friendliness, but in his heart +he thought that cruel words were often more painful than lashes, and he +heartily wished that his week was over. + +All this day he spent on the farm, without once going into the road. +Farmer Tinch had warned him that if he saw him making for the road at +any time, he could go and never come back, and he would forfeit what +money he had already earned. So Archie ploughed the field from daylight +till dark, with a half hour at noon for a hurried dinner. He was glad +when darkness came, and after another supper of mush and milk he was +thankful to have a corn-husk bed to sleep on, and was soon in a stupor +which was so sound as to be almost like death. + +Again the next morning he was awakened at daylight, and he was made +to work even harder than on the second day. He had by this time become +somewhat used to the labour, however, and stood it better. He was more +successful in his work, too, and Farmer Tinch had less opportunity for +cursing him. But at night he seemed more tired, even, than before, and +he longed for his home again. He thought of the cosy bed he would now +be enjoying if he had only taken his mother's advice, and he felt almost +like getting up in the night and stealing away on the road to the north. +But, always a sensible lad, Archie realised that this discouragement +could not last, and he lost himself in sleep, looking forward three +days, when his week should be up, and he would be on his way to the +city, with four dollars more to add to his slender store. + +The three days passed slowly, but at length the Saturday night came, and +he prepared to be off. But good Mrs. Tinch entreated him to remain with +them over Sunday, and, as Archie wasn't sure that it would be quite +right for him to travel on Sunday, he decided to do so. So the next day +he brushed his only suit of clothes, and drove with his late employer to +church, where Farmer Tinch sat in a front seat and passed the bread +and wine at communion. Archie's heart rose to his throat as he saw +this paragon so devout in church. He felt like rising in his seat and +denouncing him before all the people as a tyrant and a hard-hearted +wretch. But he kept quiet, though he found it impossible to partake of +the communion under such circumstances. + +The Tinches had brought their dinner with them, and at noon they all sat +on one of the grassy mounds in the churchyard, to take some refreshment +before the afternoon service began. When they had finished, Archie +wandered off, and came to a crowd of boys who were romping behind the +church. When they saw him approach, they all stopped their noise, +and looked at him wonderingly. Evidently they were not used to seeing +strange boys. The silence was soon broken, however, by one of the boys +calling out, "Why, fellers, thet's the chap what's been workin' fer +Hiram Tinch." This announcement was enough to make Archie an even +greater object of interest than before, for the boys seemed to think +that any person who could work for Farmer Tinch, and come out of the +ordeal none the worse for wear, must be something wonderful. Archie was +soon on good terms with them all, however, and told them of his plan of +going to New York. The boys were all attention, and soon he was the hero +of the occasion. When the bell rung for the afternoon service he was +still telling them of the things he was going to do, and none of them +wanted to go into the church. Archie persuaded them to enter, however, +but he was not surprised to meet them all along the road when he left +Tinch's early Monday morning. + +It was almost time to go to bed when they reached the farmhouse that +night, so Archie went at once to his attic, being anxious to start fresh +on his journey the next day. He was now determined to push on as rapidly +as possible, hoping to reach the city within three or four days. He was +somewhat afraid that he wouldn't be able to do this, but he was going to +try, anyhow. + +At daylight Monday morning he was on the way, and when the various boys +he met the day before said good-bye to him and wished him good luck, +he felt that his stay at Tinch's had not been without benefits of some +sort. He had made some boy friends, and he was four dollars richer, +Archie was sensible enough, too, to realise that his experience would be +a valuable one to him in the future. He knew now what hard work was, at +any rate. + +The morning walk was delightful. The September weather was perfect, and +all along the road were fruit-trees laden with every sort of good +thing to eat a boy could wish for. And as the trees were on the public +thoroughfare, Archie did net hesitate to help himself freely as he went +along, so that he didn't require any meal at noon. + +As night drew near, however, he began to wonder what he would do for a +bed, and the question became more important with every hour. He had come +to no towns since morning, and knew that he couldn't expect to reach +one of any size until the next day, anyhow. There were farmhouses, of +course, but after his experience of the past week the lad felt that he +would rather remain outdoors all night than risk being thrown in with +another Hiram Tinch. He didn't know enough of farmers to know that few +of them resemble Mr. Tinch in nature, and he did what he thought was +best in keeping away from farmhouses after this. + +It was five o'clock in the evening, and Archie was beginning to feel +very tired and hungry, when he came to the ruins of an old colonial +mansion, which lay far back from the road, surrounded by trees, and +almost hid with shrubbery. "How interesting," he thought to himself. "It +looks just like the pictures of old ruins we see in geographies. I think +I must go up and see what they look like at close range." And, fired +with a spirit of adventure, and making believe that he was an explorer +in an ancient country, the boy made his way through the trees and +shrubbery. The ruins looked more and more interesting as he advanced. +This had evidently been a magnificent estate at one time. There were +massive pillars which had once supported a stately portico at the front +of the house, and above all there rose a massive chimney, which +seemed to be exceedingly well preserved. As Archie came nearer, he was +surprised to notice a thin column of smoke rising from the top of the +chimney, and for a moment he stood still with fright. What could this +mean? Who could be building a fire in the midst of these ruins. It was +almost like what one reads about in books, he thought. + +For some time he could not decide what to do, whether he had better keep +on, or whether the wisest policy would be to get back to the road as +quickly as possible. Finally, his curiosity and thirst for adventure +persuaded him to go on, and he continued to push his way through the +shrubbery until he stood before the ruins. He then climbed a flight of +steps, and stood in what had once been the main entrance to this +massive palace. Before him he saw a scene which was almost weird in its +unusualness. A fire of pine-knots was blazing in the ruins of the great +fireplace, and seated in a semicircle around the fire were several men +of picturesque appearance, whose faces looked up angrily when they were +disturbed. + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + STEALING A RIDE--KICKED OUT BY THE BRAKEMAN. + +ARCHIE was dumbfounded. Never before had he been among such a motley +crowd, and his first impulse was to turn and run. But on second thought +he decided that it would be best to put on a bold face and walk up to +the men. This he did, and when he reached the fire the men jumped up and +asked him who he was. In a few words he told them his simple story, and +they all laughed and sat down again about the fire, making a place for +him. "You're one of us, then, laddie," said the leader of the gang. +"We're all soldiers of fortune, all dependent upon the generous public +for our livelihood. But we're not goin' to the city. There's nothin' +there for us, and our advice to you is for you to steer clear of the +place, too. Them police takes ye and throws ye into jail as quick as +a wink, and there's no chance of gettin' anythink to eat at basement +doors, neither. They're all on to us, there, laddie, and ye'd better +stick to the country." + +This bit of advice was endorsed by the entire company, and it was in +vain that Archie tried to make them understand that he was no ordinary +tramp, walking about the country in search of an easy time. He tried +to tell them that he was going to the city to work, not to beg; but the +leader, a big, dirty fellow, weighing two hundred pounds or over, said, +"Never mind, laddie, we knows you've run away from home to get away from +the folks, and we appreciates yer position. If yer a mind to stand by +us, we'll stand by you, and see thet ye comes to no harm." + +On thinking things over, Archie decided that it was perhaps the wisest +thing for him to appear to sympathise with the tramps, and make himself +agreeable while with them. He had undoubtedly run into a gang of the +worst sort of vagabonds, and there was no way of getting away from there +without arousing their suspicions. So he partook of their slender meal, +and joined in the general laughter when the leader, "Fattie Foy," made +some crude attempt at punning. The meal was one to be remembered. The +coffee had been heated in an empty tomato can over the fire, and from +its taste was evidently a combination of various collections made from +the farmhouses round about. Besides the coffee there was a various +collection of sandwiches and bread and butter, and two pieces of cake. +One man had succeeded in striking a good house, and came back laden with +pickles and crackers and cheese, which were probably the remains of some +picnic basket. Another fellow had brought some pieces of cold bacon, +and these were warmed on sticks over the fire until they looked really +appetising. From some barn had come a half-dozen fresh eggs, and these +were quickly boiled in a can of hot water, and made a very fair showing +on the slab of granite which served as a table. + +When everything was ready the provisions were equally divided among the +crowd, and every one shared alike. It made no difference how much more +one man collected than another, it was always shared with the entire +crowd. Poor Archie found it almost impossible to eat, but the men +insisted that he take something, so he did manage to swallow a few sips +of coffee and eat a slice of bread and butter. But as he looked about +him at the dirty hands and faces, and the filthy garments of the tramps, +he determined not to eat again while with them. + +When the meal was over the two tin cans were washed at a spring of +water, and as it was now quite dark, they all sat close to the fire, in +order to see. Some one produced a pack of dirty cards, and they began a +game of some kind. Archie was asked to join, but he told them he didn't +know anything about card-playing. The poor lad was beginning to wish he +had never left home, and felt more miserable than at any other period +of the journey. He walked over to a corner of the ruins where the light +from the fire did not penetrate, and, once there, he sat down and sobbed +bitterly for a time. When he had finished crying it seemed impossible +for him to sleep. The scene about the fire fascinated him. The men were +seated in every sort of picturesque attitude, and as the flickering +light fell upon their dark faces it wasn't hard for the poor lad to +imagine that he had fallen among a crowd of brigands. He watched them as +they played until he could see no longer, and then he fell into a sound +sleep. + +When Archie woke it was still dark, but the moon was shining brightly +overhead, making everything as light as day. He rubbed his eyes and sat +up, and it was some time before he could realise where he was. Then, as +he saw the tramps lying about the ground, he remembered his adventures +of the night before, and, horrified that he had allowed himself to +sleep, he hastily jumped up, and determined to get away from the ruins +as quickly as possible. The tramps were all sleeping soundly, and +the only noises to be heard were the sound of their breathing and +the blood-curdling hoot of some owl perched on the pillars of the old +portico. The boy picked his way carefully between the bodies of the +sleeping men, and in a minute stood once more on the grand flight of +steps outside. He was trembling for fear some tramp would awake and +prevent his going, and when a bat brushed him in its flight he almost +screamed with terror. Far out beyond the trees and the shrubby he could +see the road glistening in the moonlight, and he made his way as rapidly +as possible out of the grounds, and was once more on his way to the +city. + +It was lonesome work, walking along a country road at night, and +Archie remembered with longing his cosy bed at home. The feeling of +homesickness kept growing within him, despite his efforts to down it, +and when at last the glorious autumn sun rose over the eastern horizon +he was miserable with longing for mother and for home. But he was too +proud to even think of turning back. He must reach the city at all +hazards, homesick or not. + +Archie did not think of breakfast this morning. His experience of the +night before seemed to have taken away his appetite entirely, and his +only thought was to walk as fast as possible, so that he could reach the +city soon. About nine o'clock he entered the outskirts of a busy town, +and while there he observed that the railroad going to the city passed +through the place. All at once a new idea occurred to him. He had so +often heard men and boys tell of how they had stolen a ride from one +town to another. Why shouldn't he be able to get a ride on a freight +train to the city. Would it be wrong? Archie thought not, since so +many men did it. And anyhow it didn't seem a wicked thing to cheat the +railroad. He had heard people say that the company ought to be cheated +whenever possible, since it cheated so many others. So, from being so +tired and so anxious to reach New York, Archie decided to try and steal +a ride. He entered the yards, where a train was being made up for the +south, and there he saw a cattle-car with an open door. He immediately +jumped inside and shut the door, squeezing himself into the farthest +corner, hoping that he wouldn't be discovered. He soon found that he +wasn't alone, for a couple of tramps were in the opposite corner, and +they whispered to him not to make any noise. "The brakie," they said, +"will soon be 'round, and if he finds ye he'll put us all in jail." + +Poor Archie grew pale at the thought of being put in jail, and huddled +himself closer in the corner. After a time the train started, and the +tramps, he noticed, climbed up into some sort of compartment under the +roof of the car, where they wouldn't be observed, leaving Archie alone +down-stairs. Things went smoothly for a time. The train went flying +along, and Archie counted every mile which brought him nearer to the +city. Finally the train pulled up at a crossing, and a brakeman came +along and threw open the door of the car. He was not long in discovering +the cowering figure in the corner, and his wrath was dreadful to look +upon. "So, ye cussed vagabond," he growled, "ye thought ye'd steal a +ride, did ye? Get out o' this now. Quick, out with ye." Archie could +have fainted, and, as it was, he almost fell out of the car, propelled +by the brakeman's boot. For awhile he stood dazed beside the track, and +finally moved on. "I'll keep a 'stiff upper lip,'" he said, "whatever +happens." But this was by far the most discouraging adventure yet. + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK--A NIGHT IN A LODGING-HOUSE. + +ON and on for the rest of the day walked Archie. His feet were sore, +he was weak from hunger, and he was made miserable with being homesick. +People who met him on the road turned around to look at the slender lad +with the pale face and the weary step, but he kept walking on, stopping +for nothing, and noticing no one. At noon he picked some apples in an +orchard, and these appeased his hunger. When evening drew near, however, +he felt that he could go without food no longer, so he didn't hesitate +to stop at a house and ask for food. "I know mother would give a boy +food if one should come to our door," he said to himself, "so I do not +think it wrong for me to ask for food here." He was fortunate enough to +strike a pleasant housewife, who took him in and made him sit down at +the kitchen table, which she covered with good things to eat. There was +cold roast beef, some fried potatoes and a glass of good fresh milk. And +then she gave him some apple pie, so that when he had finished Archie +felt better than for many a day. While he ate he told the good woman why +he was going to New York, and her sympathy was enlisted at once. "Why, +you poor lad," she exclaimed, "just to think of your being in the city +all alone. And what will your mother think?" + +Archie couldn't imagine what his mother did think. He had remembered her +every minute during the last few days, and was anxious to write her, +so he decided to ask the woman for some paper and a pencil. These were +gladly given him, and he sat down and told his mother that he was almost +to New York and that he had been having a splendid time. He was careful +not to say anything about his experience with Farmer Tinch, or the +night he spent with the tramps. He knew these things would only make her +unhappy, and it was just as well that she should think everything was +smooth sailing for him. His letter was filled with his enthusiasm and +his hope for the morrow, so that when good Mrs. Dunn received it she +was overjoyed, and hurried over to show it to the Widow Sullivan, who +enjoyed it thoroughly and said "I told you so." Poor Mrs. Dunn had +been having a very miserable time of it. She was hardly surprised that +morning when she awoke and found Archie gone, but she was naturally much +worried for fear some accident would happen to him before he reached New +York. Once there, she felt that she needn't worry much about him, for, +strange to say, Mrs. Dunn had a firm belief in the ability of city +policemen to take care of every one, and she knew that Archie would not +be allowed to suffer for want of food and a place to sleep. And when she +received this letter, saying that Archie was nearly to New York, and had +even been so successful as to earn some money, she felt more comfortable +than for some time, Of course she supposed that he would be home before +long. She was positive that he wouldn't be able to get any work in the +city, and knew that as soon as his money gave out he would return. "It's +all for the best," she said to Mrs. Sullivan. "The habit of running away +from home was born in the boy. His father left home when he was no older +than Archie, and no harm ever came to him. So I'm not going to worry, +Mrs. Sullivan." And then Mrs. Dunn would go back to her home, and at +sight of Archie's old hat or some of his football paraphernalia, would +burst into tears. + +The good woman who gave Archie his supper refused to let him start out +again on the road that night. She told him that he must remain with +them, for they had an extra bed up over the kitchen which was never +needed, and that he might just as well sleep there as not. So for the +first time in nearly a week Archie slept comfortably, and, as he heard +the familiar sounds in the kitchen below him in the morning, it was hard +for him to make up his mind that he was not at home, and that it was not +his mother who was grinding the coffee in the kitchen below. He heard +the ham frying in the skillet, and the rattle of the dishes as his +hostess set the table, and then he dressed himself and hastened +downstairs, feeling ready for a good day's walking. + +When he had eaten his breakfast he started out again. The woman told him +that it was only about fifteen miles to New York, and that after he +had walked about six of them he could take a trolley-car and ride the +remainder of the distance for five cents. So he thanked her for her +kindness, and promised to let her know how he succeeded in the city, +for the woman was much interested in his future. He felt almost sorry +to leave the home-like place, but the prospect of reaching the city this +very day was enough to make him anxious to be off. He covered the six +miles to the trolley-car before eleven o'clock in the morning, and then +in an hour and a quarter more the trolley landed him in lower New York. + +His sensations as he was whirled along the smooth pavements, past +beautiful buildings and handsome residences, may be better imagined than +described. After looking forward to this day for so long, he was almost +overcome at the realisation of his hopes, and took the utmost delight in +everything about him. When the car stopped at the terminus of the line, +he got out and walked up the busiest street in the neighbourhood. He +hardly knew what to do first, but continued walking until he came to the +New York end of the great Brooklyn Bridge. Then he couldn't resist the +desire to walk across the bridge, and he started out upon the journey. +Up the steps he walked, and soon he had climbed as far as the middle +of the magnificent structure. There he stood for some time, looking +out over Governor's Island, nestled like a green egg in a nest of red +buildings, and past Staten Island to the open sea beyond It was all +grander, more beautiful than anything he had ever seen before, and +he felt glad that he had come. Then in another direction he saw the +never-ending succession of buildings, some tall, some low ones, but all +inhabited with swarms of people. "There are three million people in this +great city," he said to himself, "and over them in New Jersey, in those +cities I see, there are a million more, and I am one of four million." +The thought was too much for the boy, and he continued his walk across +the bridge. Once across, he came back again, for Brooklyn was a strange +place to him. In New York City he felt more at home, for he had at least +spent two days within its limits. + +Once back in the busy streets, he decided to look about for a cheap +place to stay for the night. It was the middle of the afternoon now, and +he felt that he ought to make some preparation. He knew better than to +apply at the police station for lodging, for he knew they would probably +turn him over to the famous Gerry Society, which would send him back +home before a day had passed, and then where would his ambitions be? + +He remembered the place where he had stayed with Uncle Henry, but +he knew that this would be too high-priced for his pocketbook, so he +started up the Bowery, where he expected to find some very cheap places. +He didn't like the looks of the people he met in the street, but +his experiences on the way to New York had taught him not to be too +particular about a little dirt. So when he came to a rickety building +with a sign up, "Beds, ten and fifteen cents," he immediately went up +the dark, filthy stairway, and found himself in a large room at the top +which served as the "hotel" office. There were rows of chairs in +front of the windows and along the walls, and in the chairs were +the queerest-looking lot of men he had ever seen. He didn't pay any +attention to them, though, but went up to the seedy individual behind +the desk, and asked him if he could get a bed for the night. "Sure, +Mike," the man replied, and Archie signed his name in a dirty book with +torn pages. He paid the man ten cents, and asked if he could leave his +bundle while he went outside. "Sure, Mike," was again his answer, and +the man took his little bundle of necessities and threw them on the +floor behind the counter. When Archie had gone out, a fat man with a +baby face came up and whispered to the clerk. "Anything in the bloke?" +he inquired. "Nit," said the clerk, "don't yer see his baggage? Does +it look like there's anything in it?" And the mysterious conversation +closed, to be continued later in the evening. + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + LOOKING FOR WORK--WASHING DISHES IN A BOWERY RESTAURANT. + +AFTER a couple of hours spent in going about the streets, Archie went +into a place where he bought some coffee and rolls for his supper. He +paid only five cents for three sweet rolls and a large cup of coffee +which was not at all bad to taste, and he returned to the lodging-house +on the Bowery feeling better than he had expected to feel when he +started out from the homestead where he spent the previous night, If +he could get a good meal for five or ten cents, and could sleep for ten +cents more, he would have enough to keep him going for some time. + +The Bowery at night presented a wonderful appearance to Archie's mind. +The brilliantly lighted shops, the cheap theatres with their bands of +musicians on the sidewalk in front of the entrance, were all attractive +to his boyish eyes, but he was wise enough to pass them all by, and +to make his way as quickly as possible to the cheap lodging-house. The +street was jammed with persons of every description. He was surprised +particularly at the number of Chinamen he met, for he didn't know that a +block or two away was the centre of the Chinese population of New York, +where the Celestials have their theatre, their hotels, their great +stores, and their joss-house. There were many Italians in the street, +too, and Polish Jews, to say nothing of Frenchmen and Germans. Then +there was the typical Bowery "tough," who swaggered up and down, looking +for trouble, which he usually finds before an evening passes. Archie was +not afraid in this cosmopolitan crowd. No one seemed to notice him, and, +anyhow, there were a great many policemen about, who seemed to keep a +sharp lookout all the time. And as Archie shared his mother's faith in +the city policeman, he felt no fear. + +In the lodging-house everything looked very much as before. The chairs +were still occupied with filthy-looking men, who smoked and spat and +talked in undertones among themselves. The boy paid no attention to any +of them, but, walking up to the seedy individual behind the counter, +asked him if he could go to bed now. The man answered, "Certainly," and +sent a fellow with Archie to show him his bed. It was in a long, narrow +room, which was poorly lighted with a few gas-jets here and there, and +which was filled with about thirty beds, all narrow, and all dirty. One +of these was pointed out to Archie, and then the man left him. The poor +lad felt more homesick than ever, and had it not been that he had a +glorious to-morrow to look forward to, he would have been very miserable +indeed. As it was, he undressed and got between the chilly sheets, when +he remembered that he hadn't looked after his little roll of bills for a +long time, and that some of them might be missing. He crawled out of +bed again, and felt inside the lining of his coat for the purse. He had +sewed it there for safe-keeping until he reached the city, for he had +some little change in his pocket, which he knew would last him for +several days. + +The poor boy's hand felt nothing but a cut in the lining, where the roll +of bills had been, and all at once he realised that the money must have +been stolen from him. And he at once thought of the night in the ruins, +when he fell asleep among the tramps, and there was no doubt in his mind +but that they had taken his money from him. This was a terrible blow. +Here he was, with just a few cents in his pocket, and no one to whom he +could appeal for aid. It was the worst predicament Archie had ever +been in, and he hardly knew what to do. He sat on the side of his dirty +little bed for awhile, and then he snuggled under the covers and was +soon asleep again. For a boy who has been walking all day seldom stays +awake from worry. + +But when he awoke in the morning, it was to realise the fact that he +must get some money this very day or go to the police station. The few +cents he had remaining were only enough to buy some coffee and bread for +breakfast, and the poor lad didn't know where his next meal would +come from. As he went out, the clerk in the filthy office of the +lodging-house told him that he needn't come back any more. + +"Why did you tell him that?" asked the fat man with a sly face. + +"Because I went through his clothes last night when he was asleep, and +he had only six cents in his pocket. We don't want no starvin' brats +around here, to bring the Gerry Society down upon us." + +It was well that Archie didn't know his pockets had been searched while +he was asleep, or his faith in human nature would have been more +shaken than ever before. He had not suspected that the men in this +lodging-house might be dishonest. + +"They are poor," he said to himself when he saw them first, "but they +may be good men for all that." + +After a slender meal, Archie found a library where he looked over the +advertising columns of the morning papers, trying to find some position +open which he thought he might fill. There were several advertisements +calling for office boys, and all these he made note of, and then as he +looked down the page he noticed that a boy was wanted in a restaurant to +wash dishes. He decided that if he didn't succeed in getting a place +as office boy, he might get the restaurant place. He knew that in a +restaurant he would be likely at least to get enough to eat. + +For two hours he called at addresses of men who wanted office boys, but +at every place he was turned away. "We have already hired one," some +of them said, and others told him that they never took any boys in +the office who were living away from home. Some asked him for +recommendations, and when he had none, they looked at him and told him +"good morning." It was all terribly discouraging, and with every minute +Archie was wishing more and more that he were back home again. Somehow +the city seemed different now from what it had been when Uncle Henry +was with him. Everything was less bright, and the things he had been +delighted with before were less interesting now. + +Finally, he entered a large, handsome suite of rooms, in one of the +great sky-scrapers, and was shown into a very elegant private office. +There he found an old gentleman seated in a great easy chair, looking +over papers, and keeping one eye upon a buzzing instrument at his side +which seemed to be spitting out long strips of paper, like a magician +in a side-show. The man looked up as he entered, and cleared his throat. +"Ahem," he said, "you look as if you were from the country. I wonder, +now, if you have came to the city to seek your fortune." + +Archie was embarrassed. "Yes, sir, I suppose you might put it that way," +he replied. + +"Well," continued the old gentleman, "my advice to you is to go back +where you came from as quickly as you can. Not one boy in a thousand +will gain either fame or fortune in New York, and you stand a wonderful +chance of sinking lower every year. And even if you do succeed, you will +miss many beautiful things in your life which may come to you in the +country. You can have a pleasant home there, and live an easy, natural +life, while here it will be years before you can expect to accomplish +much, and you will spend your life in a nervous strain. Think well, +young man, before choosing the great city as your sphere of usefulness." + +"I've made up my mind, sir," said Archie. "I have quite decided to +remain in the city." + +"Very well," said the old gentleman, "I hope you may never regret it. +But we have already hired an office boy. Good morning." + +Archie walked out, more discouraged than ever. Perhaps, after all, a +country life was not to be so much despised. This man ought to know what +he was talking about. But once outside, in the Broadway crowd, Archie +forgot everything about the country, and was lost in the delight of +being one of four million. + +He now decided to accept the place in the restaurant, if it were +not taken, and, fortunately for him, it was not. So he rolled up his +sleeves, and began to wash dishes as if he had done nothing else in all +his life before. + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + IN THE STREET AGAIN--THE POLICE STATION--VISITS THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE, + AND IS KINDLY RECEIVED BY THE EDITOR. + +ALL day long Archie washed dishes, and before night came he decided that +he had never before had such discouraging work. The restaurant was +a popular one, and there were very many dishes to be washed, to say +nothing of the pots and pans which were always dirty. Archie no sooner +finished one sink full of dishes than another large pile was waiting +to be put through the same operation, and there was no time at all for +looking about him. There was hardly time for eating, even, and at +noon he was only able to snatch a few mouthfuls. The work was not +interesting, and it was a new sort of labour to Archie, so that +altogether he did not get on as well as he might have wished. The cook +was constantly nagging him, and telling him to hurry up, and the poor +lad tried his best to please him. But somehow everything went wrong, and +he was hardly surprised when the proprietor came in at six o'clock +with a new man for the place. "Come around in the morning," he said to +Archie, "and I'll pay your day's wages." + +So the boy was in the street once more, with no money, and no place to +sleep. He wasn't hungry, that was one thing, for he had been allowed +to eat a good meal before leaving the restaurant. But where was he to +sleep, and what was he to do on the morrow, when he would surely be +hungry? His experience at looking for work had not been encouraging, and +he began to have serious doubts as to whether he would ever get a place. +Certainly he would starve if he waited around New York long without +anything to do. + +It was quite dark at seven o'clock, and Archie walked over to the +brilliantly lighted street which ran north and south through the city. +He had never failed to find something interesting to look at there, and +he felt now that he would like to see the bright side of city life, even +if he couldn't enjoy it himself. So all the evening he walked up and +down the street, watching the well-dressed crowds hurrying into the +theatres and the other almost innumerable places of amusement. He stared +in open-mouthed amazement at some of the costumes of the women he saw +alighting from carriages. Never before had he seen anything half so +beautiful, and if any one had told him that there were such dresses he +would have told them he didn't believe it. Some of them, he thought, +must cost hundreds of dollars, and the jewels worn with them many +hundreds more. How interesting, how new, it all was to him! Once he +thought of the little home in the village, and at first wished that his +mother might be there to enjoy the sights with him. "But I wouldn't want +her to see me," he thought, "not while I am so miserable, and feeling +so discouraged." For Archie was beginning to wonder if he hadn't made +a mistake in leaving home, whether he had not been overconfident and +hot-headed. But he decided to try it a few days more, that is, if he +could manage to live for that length of time in the city. + +At twelve o'clock he was walking up and down the street, which was still +bright with millions of lights, though the crowds had gone home from the +theatres, and the restaurants were beginning to be less popular. He was +still wondering how he was going to find a place to sleep, when he was +accosted by a policeman, and taken into a doorway. "I've been watching +you," said the officer, "and I want to know why you are walking up and +down the street at this time of night." + +Archie could have cried from fright, but he remembered that he was under +suspicion, so decided to tell the policeman his whole story, and perhaps +he could help him out in some way. So he described his experiences +during the day, and was surprised at the interest shown by the officer +in the recital. When he had finished he was told that he would be +taken to the police station. "You needn't be afraid, my lad," said the +policeman. "I'll see that the Gerry Society doesn't get you and send you +home, that is, if you think you want to try it here a few days longer. +You can sleep at the station to-night, and the next morning you can try +it again." So to the station they went, and Archie was, naturally, a +little frightened when he saw, for the first time, the cells, and the +terribly severe appearance of all his surroundings. But he was given a +good bed in which to sleep, and he passed a delightful night, dreaming +of the wonderful adventures which befell him in the city. + +He was not awakened until eight o'clock, and then he found the good +policeman waiting to take him out to breakfast, He expressed surprise +that he should be so kind to him. + +"I always thought that officers were cross and unpleasant," he said, +"but you're not that kind, anyhow." + +"Well," laughed the officer, "we have to be cross very often, though +we're sometimes sorry to be so. But I've taken a fancy to you, my lad. I +like to see a boy who does things. When a boy of seventeen is willing +to come to New York alone, and make his own way, without friends +or influence of any kind, it shows a proper spirit, and he ought to +succeed. I know you'll get along if you only persevere. I'd advise you +to keep on trying." + +"Oh, I'm going to, now," said Archie. "I was very homesick and +discouraged last night, but since I've met you I seem to have received a +new impetus, and I'm ready to make a new beginning." + +So Archie and the policeman parted friends. + +"Come around to the station to-night if you want a bed, and you shall +be cared for," said the officer, as he turned around the corner into the +busy street, where he was lost in the crowd. + +Archie walked down the street, hardly knowing what to do first. He +didn't feel like answering any more advertisements in the newspapers, +and he decided to go into a few stores and ask for work. He was about to +do this when he saw before him the magnificent building of the New York +Enterprise. It was a truly beautiful structure, rising fifteen stories +above the ground, and surmounted with an artistic tower, which could be +seen from almost any part of the city. The home of the city's greatest +daily, it looked as if it were always welcoming strangers to the +metropolis, and Archie felt an irresistible impulse to enter. Everything +connected with a newspaper had for him the greatest fascination, and he +knew he would enjoy seeing through this wonderful building, which was +almost wholly occupied by the departments of the Enterprise. So he +entered the door, and passed from one floor to another, finally arriving +at the highest floor of all, where were located the editorial rooms of +the Evening Enterprise. All at once a new plan entered Archie's fertile +brain. Why shouldn't he be able to get something to do on a newspaper? +It had always been his greatest ambition to become a reporter, and here, +although he didn't think the editor would take him in that capacity, he +thought he might get some sort of work in which he could work himself +up. + +There upon the door were the magic words: "Editor of the Evening +enterprise. No Admittance." Archie opened the door and entered. He knew +it would be useless to send in his name. It was best to see the editor +at once, and without ceremony. He was seated before a large desk, +which was littered with papers of every description, and he was a very +pleasant person in appearance. Archie stood hesitating near the door, +and remained there a minute or two before the editor looked up. + +"Well, my boy, what is it?" + +Archie took courage. + +"I--I want to be a reporter, sir, and I thought it would do no harm to +ask you for such a position, anyhow." + +The distinguished journalist wheeled about in his chair. + +"What!" he exclaimed, "you want to be a reporter. Why, my dear boy, how +old are you?" + +"I'll be eighteen my next birthday," said Archie, "and, sir, I've had +some experiences in the last two weeks, which make me feel as if I were +about five years older than I really am. I've been through some very +trying experiences, sir." + +The editor was interested at once. "Tell me what your experiences have +been," he said, and Archie began, and told him his whole story; how he +had left home to win fame and fortune, and how he had worked on the farm +for a week with Farmer Tinch; how he had been robbed the night he stayed +with the tramps in the ancient ruins, and how he had finally reached +the city. Then he told him of the night in the lodging-house, of his +dish-washing experience in the restaurant, and how he had been taken +from the street by a policeman the night before, and allowed to sleep in +the station-house. When he had finished the editor had a broad grin upon +his face. + +"By Jove!" he exclaimed, "this is certainly rich stuff. There's a good +story in it, I'll be bound." + +Then, speaking to Archie, he said: + +"Just wait here a minute, my boy, and I'll see if we can't put some +money in your way." + +He pressed a button at the side of his desk, and when a boy appeared, he +told him to bring "Mr. Jones, please, or one of the other reporters. And +tell Jones to bring an artist with him." + +The reporter and the artist soon stood before the editor, who told them, +with great glee, that he had a leading feature for the next evening +edition of the Enterprise. "Just talk to this boy, Jones, and see if +you can't make two good columns on the front page and two for the inside +from his story. I think it's great, myself. And you Cash," he said, +turning to the artist, "you make a good sketch of the boy." + +Archie could hardly believe his eyes and ears. Just to think that he +was being interviewed, and that his picture was to be in the paper. It +seemed almost too good to be true. + +When the reporter had finished with him, he was taken down-stairs to the +cashier's office and given thirty dollars in bills. "This will pay you +for the interview," said the editor, "and give you enough to fix up +with. Now, to-morrow, you come in again, and I think I can give you +steady employment." + +Oh, how happy Archie was! He went out into the street, and seemed to +fairly walk on air. Then he heard the newsboys crying, "Extra paper, +read about the Enterprise's Boy Reporter." And when Archie saw the +paper, there on the front page was his picture, together with the story +of his "startling adventures." + + + +CHAPTER X. + + LIVING IN COMFORT AGAIN--FEATURED AS "THE BOY REPORTER." + +ARCHIE often speaks of the day when he visited the newspaper office +for the first time as the happiest day in all his life. The change from +despair and homesickness to the joy of being appreciated by some one +was so rapid that it made his head fairly swim with the exhilaration of +success. With thirty dollars in his pocket, and the knowledge that he +would have steady employment of the kind he desired on the morrow, he +walked up the Bowery feeling like a prince. He entered the lodging-house +where he had left his bundle of clothing, and so surprised the clerk +by his new appearance that he was invited to remain there for another +night. The shrewd man guessed that some good fortune must have befallen +Archie, or he wouldn't be so happy. But the one night of misery which +he had spent in the squalid hotel was enough for Archie, and he walked +hastily up-town with his bundle, keeping a sharp lookout for a pleasant +place where he might get a room. In his previous wanderings he had seen +several nice houses with rooms to rent, but now that he wanted a room he +found it difficult to find any of these neighbourhoods. He was anxious +to get settled as quickly as possible, for he wanted to get everything +done to-day, so that to-morrow he could have time to do anything +required of him by the editor of the Enterprise. He must get a new suit +of clothes, he must get his hair cut, and last, but not least, he must +write home to mother and tell her of his great good fortune. + +Finally, in his wanderings, Archie came to a beautiful square which +was surrounded on every side by business houses and tenements. But the +square itself and the houses on it were very quaint and very handsome, +so that it seemed to be a very oasis in the desert. The green trees, +just a little tinged with the brown and gold of autumn, reminded Archie +of the front yard at home, and he decided to get a room in one of the +houses here if he could possibly do so. + +It so happened that there was a hall bedroom empty in one of the +best-looking places, and Archie at once engaged it. The price was more +reasonable than he had hoped for, even, and this made him happy, for as +yet he had no idea how much his earnings would be, and he was anxious to +be able to save something to send home, if he possibly could. The room +was nicely furnished, and looked out upon the fountain, with the green +trees, so that it was highly satisfactory in every respect. It didn't +take Archie long to undo his bundle, and it was a pitiful display that +greeted him when it was opened. The little comb and brush, a piece of +soap, a Testament given him last Christmas by the teacher at Sunday +school, a suit of underwear, and a couple of handkerchiefs. The whole +lot of things hardly filled a corner in one of the bureau drawers, and +Archie realised that he must buy a great many things within a week or +two. + +But before going out to do any shopping, he sat down and wrote a long +letter home, describing his success of the morning, and telling his +mother of the editor's promise to give him regular employment. He +enclosed a copy of the paper with his picture and the story of his +adventures, and it made him very happy to think of his mother's feelings +when she read it all. Then, when he had finished, he went out to a +post-office, and bought a money-order for ten dollars, which he also +enclosed. "I know I can spare it," he said to himself, "and it will +gratify her so much." Then, when the letter with its contents was safely +mailed, he bought himself a new suit of clothing, and renovated himself +in many ways, so that when he returned to his room in the square it was +nearly dark, and he looked a different boy entirely. + +Before going to bed, he determined to see his policeman friend, and tell +him of his good fortune. "He is probably expecting me to sleep in the +station," Archie thought, "and it will be a great surprise to him." +But when he met the good man, he found that he had already heard of his +success. + +"I bought the Enterprise, and could hardly believe my eyes," said he, +"but I always thought you would find some one to appreciate your pluck. +I'm mighty glad for you, my lad, and you must always let me know how +you are getting along." This Archie promised to do, and returned to his +lodging to sleep. + +The next morning he was on hand at the Enterprise office before the +editor himself was down. The place was quite as fascinating as it had +been on the preceding day, and he found something new to look at +every minute. The reporters at their desks, several of whom introduced +themselves and congratulated Archie on his perseverance, were a source +of great interest to him, and the copy-boys, running here and there with +special copy for the first edition, gave an air of hustling activity to +the place that was very attractive to this new reporter. + +When the editor came he had already thought of something for Archie to +do. "Now you've been introduced to the public," he said, "and we want to +feature you for a few days. Every one will be interested in knowing what +you are doing, and what is going to become of you. You must write us +an article for the paper to-day, telling about your experiences since +yesterday, about getting a new suit, and about hunting for a room. And +you can tell about your policeman friend, too." + +This was surprising. Archie couldn't imagine why any one should +be interested in knowing about his daily life, but he sat down and +succeeded in writing a very interesting two columns about it. He was +much surprised that he should be able to write so easily and so well. Of +course he knew that composition and rhetoric had been his two strongest +studies at school, but he had never realised before that he had any +great talent for writing. When he had finished this article, the editor +looked it over, and said, "That's great. You're all right, my boy. We'll +make a great journalist of you yet," and of course this made Archie very +happy. "Wait until this story is set up," said Mr. Jennings, the editor, +"and I'll see what you can do in the way of correcting proofs." + +When the proofs came, in a very short time, he hardly knew what to do +with them. But in reading them he discovered several mistakes, which he +lost no time in correcting, and Mr. Jennings said that he had done very +well indeed. "Now you can spend the day in doing what you please. +I would suggest that you go about New York and have as many strange +experiences as possible, so that to-morrow you can write them up for us. +And it will pay you, by the way, to go out to Coney Island, which is a +different place from any you have seen before. You are sure to see some +unusual things, and in the morning you can bring me in two columns about +it." + +Before leaving, Archie was asked if he needed any money. "You mustn't +hesitate to ask for it, because you can have it as well to-day as on +Saturday." But as he had left several dollars of the thirty he had +received the day before, Archie didn't draw any more, and he thought it +most remarkable that the editor should have so much money to pay out. + +He had no difficulty in getting a trolley-car to Coney Island, and, +after an hour's riding through Brooklyn streets, he found himself in the +most unique and most delightful place imaginable, It was a queer-looking +town, with great wheels in the air, high towers, with elevators and +innumerable merry-go-rounds, and other sources of amusement. The noise +was something terrific. Hand-organs, street-pianos, and German bands +were all playing at the same time, while people hurried about from one +place to another, enjoying the hundreds of games and riding the various +scenic railways and carrousels. Archie stood mute with delight at it +all, but before five minutes had passed he had shot the chutes, and had +ridden over a steeplechase which took him through dark caverns, where +dragons glared at him and where electrical sparks were constantly flying +through the air. It was all so new, so different from anything he had +seen before, that he was simply lost in admiration. He was standing +near a theatre, when a short, dark man touched him on the arm, and said, +"Come this way, young man, and I'll teach you the best game of all." + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + A DAY AND A NIGHT IN CONEY ISLAND--RAIDING A GAMBLING DEN. + +ARCHIE was at first too much surprised to answer the man at all, but in +a few moments he remembered that he was now a reporter, and that it +was his duty to see all that he could, and have all the new experiences +possible. So he decided to follow the man, and find out what "the best +thing of all" in Coney Island was like. He was taken through several +narrow alleyways, and finally he found himself in front of a tumble-down +structure, built out directly over the water. It was very modest in +appearance, and everything seemed quiet about the place. The shades were +carefully drawn, and the dark man had to knock three times before the +door was opened and they were permitted to enter. Inside, Archie found +himself in a handsomely furnished apartment which differed greatly in +appearance from the exterior of the building. There was a rich velvet +carpet, mahogany furniture, and a great many small tables standing about +the room. The place was filled with men, mostly well-dressed, who were +playing various games. Some were dealing cards, others were twirling +wheels with numbers on them, and some were playing games with chips. +It didn't take Archie long to realise that he had been steered into a +gambling den of the worst kind, and he was immediately on the alert for +future developments. He watched every movement of his new friend, and +noticed that he found it necessary to speak to several of those present +in a low undertone. This didn't worry Archie, because he knew that +he was in no danger except of losing money, and he felt that he could +afford to lose some money, since he was sure to earn more by writing +about the experience for the newspaper. + +So he carefully observed all that was going on, making mental notes of +the peculiarities of the place and the people. When at last the dark +man came up and inquired if he wouldn't like a chance to earn some money +easily, he very readily answered yes, and the man was overjoyed to +find so willing a victim. Then, of course, Archie was introduced to the +mysteries of the famous roulette wheel, of which he had read so much. +Archie was interested in everything, and didn't mind losing four dollars +in learning so much that was new. He succeeded in getting away when +he had lost this sum, though the man assured him that he couldn't help +winning back all he had lost, and much more, too, if he would but remain +awhile longer. Archie was firm, however, and passed out into the narrow +alleyways again, feeling that he had learned a great deal through a very +small expenditure of money. He gradually found his way back into the +crowded Surf Avenue, where there were hundreds of things, evidently, +which he had not yet seen. The crowds, too, seemed greater even than +before, and there seemed to be thousands of people arriving every hour +from New York and Brooklyn, over the various street-car and railway +lines, and by the excursion boats landing at the great iron pier. The +noise was still deafening, and every one seemed to be having a splendid +time in every way. "Surely," said Archie to himself, "no one can feel +blue or despondent in such a place as this, where every one is full of +fun, and apparently determined to have a good time while here." And he +felt that he would like to remain longer, but he knew he should go +back again to the city, so that he might see the editor, and tell him +something about what he had seen and done. + +So again he rode over the great Brooklyn bridge, and stopped on the +other side at the handsome building of the Enterprise. It made Archie +very happy to feel that he was now a reporter on such a great paper, and +he found it hard to realise that so much good fortune had come to him in +such a short time. He met reporters in the various hallways, and all of +them spoke to him pleasantly, so that he began to feel that he had never +been thrown with such pleasant men before. + +He had no difficulty in seeing the editor this time, and found him a +ready listener to the story of his Coney Island experiences. He insisted +on Archie's describing all the men he had seen in the gambling den, and +then asked him if he could identify them, if necessary, and also if he +would be able to find the place again. Archie gave good descriptions of +most of the men, and said that he could take any one to the place at any +time. The editor lost himself in thought for a few minutes, and at the +end of that time he rang for a copy-boy. "Ring for a messenger boy," he +said, "and when he arrives come for a note which I want him to take to +Mr. Pultzer's house." Archie stared with amazement at Mr. Jennings, and +waited for further information. He wondered what was going to be done. +He knew that Mr. Pultzer owned the newspaper, and he knew that it must +be something important that Mr. Jennings wanted to write him about. He +wasn't long left in the dark, and he felt very proud that Mr. Jennings +should have confidence enough in him to tell him about his plans. "I +think you have discovered something which will prove very important to +the paper and the public," he said to Archie. "We have suspected for a +long time that gambling dens have been flourishing in Coney Island, but +up to now we have not been able to locate any of them. Now that you have +found one, we hope to arouse public opinion to the danger there is in +such places, and we hope to inspire a reform movement which will be +strong enough to wipe them out entirely. I will hear from Mr. Pultzer +in a short time, and then I want you to go down to the Island with +some plain-clothes detectives and two other reporters. And I don't +mind telling you now that there will be a good sum in it for you if you +succeed in arresting any of the leaders of this gang. You can be excused +for an hour now, if there's anything you want to do." + +Full of enthusiasm over the coming adventure and his part in it, Archie +hurried out to a quick-lunch counter and bought himself a light meal, +for he feared that he would have to remain at Coney Island through +the evening. Then, when he had finished, he returned to the newspaper +office, where he spent some time in getting acquainted with some of the +reporters who were working on the Morning Enterprise. He found them all +very pleasant to meet, and he learned a great many helpful things from +their conversation. The older men were able to give him many pointers +concerning things that he should, and should not, do. While he was in +the office of the Morning Enterprise Mr. Jennings came in, and, taking +him along into the private room of the managing editor, introduced him +to Mr. Van Bunting, who was the editorial head of the morning edition. +Then Mr. Jennings told of the new scheme, and Mr. Van Bunting entered +into it so thoroughly that before an hour three detectives, two +reporters, and Archie were on their way to the Island. + +Once arrived in the resort, which was as noisy and bright as in the +afternoon, they all made a bee-line for the gambling den, headed by +Archie, who surprised the others with his certainty and confidence as to +which was the right direction. In a very few minutes they all stood in +front of the dilapidated structure built out over tide-water, and Archie +heard one of the detectives say that the place looked "mighty suspicious +like." He gave three knocks just as the dark man had done in the +afternoon, and in a few minutes the door was cautiously opened and a +head made its appearance. The detectives lost no time in pushing their +way in, amid great confusion and cries of fear, and it seemed only a +few seconds until all the inmates were huddled in a corner, covered with +pistols, and wailing in fear, when they weren't cursing through anger. +Then they were all arrested and taken to the police station, where they +were all refused bail, and placed in cells overnight. Then the reporters +returned to the office of the Enterprise, where Archie was told by Mr. +Van Bunting to write the story of his experience for the morning paper. +This was his first work for the morning edition, and he took great pains +to make his descriptions as complete as possible, and the details as +accurate as he knew how to make them. And his hard work was rewarded by +words of praise from the managing editor when he turned the copy in for +editing. + +Tired from his hard day's work, Archie then went up-town to the quiet +square in which he had his home, and he was glad to get to bed. He had +been nervous and excited all day, and found it difficult to sleep, but +finally the tired eyelids lay quietly over the tired eyes, and Archie +was dreaming of the cool and pleasant arbour of grapes at home, and of +how the Hut Club was holding a special meeting there to devise ways and +means of welcoming home their distinguished fellow member, Mr. Archie +Dunn, who had achieved such great success in the city. + +Notwithstanding his tired feeling, Archie was up early the next morning, +and out at the corner to buy an Enterprise. He hastily turned the pages, +trying to find the story of his Coney Island adventures, but he looked +in vain. It wasn't visible anywhere. He was about to think that it had +not been thought worth while printing when he noticed on the front +page, in large letters, "The Boy Reporter's Great Discovery," and then +followed the complete account, just as he had written it. This was +the best thing yet. Just to think that his story had been considered +important enough to print upon the front page! He could hardly believe +it. Surely he had made great strides, and Archie began to realise that +it is not experience that is most needed in journalism, but something to +write about. "I have simply been fortunate in finding some interesting +things," he said, to himself, and then, after a light breakfast in a +quaint Italian restaurant around the corner, he hurried down-town to the +office of the newspaper. + +Archie was beginning to feel, by now, that he had worked for a long time +upon the paper, and as he had become acquainted with almost every one +connected with it, this wasn't a strange feeling for him to have. And +it was evident, too, that the editors intended to keep him busy for some +time to come, and Archie realised that he was in newspaper work to stay, +for a time, at least. And he was overjoyed at the prospect, for he found +the whole business as fascinating and as interesting as he had expected +it would be. + +Mr. Jennings, of the evening edition, was at the office when Archie +arrived, and sent for him to come in. "Here is fifty dollars," he said, +"for your work of yesterday, and you will have more coming to you if +these men are convicted. I want to congratulate you on what you have +done so far. Come in this afternoon, and I think Mr. Van Bunting will +have a new plan for you." + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + A SUCCESSFUL REPORTER--THE EDITOR DECIDES TO SEND HIM AS CORRESPONDENT + TO THE PHILIPPINES--LEAVING NEW YORK--IN CHICAGO. + +AT three o'clock in the afternoon Archie was seated in Mr. Van Bunting's +office, together with Mr. Jennings and several of the chief members +of the editorial staffs of both editions of the paper. The editors had +spread out before them, on the large table, several maps, and most of +them were busily engaged in making notes on little paper pads. All the +time, however, an excited conversation was being carried on, for some +editors wanted Archie to proceed to the Philippines one way, and some +thought that the better plan would be for him to go by some other route. +But the important fact with Archie was that he was really going to be +sent to the Philippines as a war correspondent, and that he was going +to start very shortly. He had called on Mr. Van Bunting early in the +afternoon, and had then learned for the first time what the new plan was +to be. When the managing editor asked him how he would like to go to the +Philippines, Archie could scarcely reply, so delighted was he with the +brilliant prospect before him. He managed to stammer out a few words, +though, in spite of his surprise. "I always thought war correspondents +were selected from the most experienced men in journalism," he said, +but Mr. Van Bunting only laughed. "That's what we have already done, my +boy," he said, "and so far none of our distinguished correspondents have +sent us a thing worth printing that we didn't already know. You see they +can't send any more to us in the way of news than we can get from the +War Department in Washington, and most of these men are too old fogy to +send us anything out of the ordinary line of war correspondence. Now, +what we want is for you to go over there and have some adventures, and +write us something which will be different from what we have had before +from the Philippines. We are sending you, because you have had no +experience at such work, and will be sure to send us something unusual, +and that is what we want. If you can only do as well in the tropics as +you have done here in New York, we shall be more than satisfied with +your work. I am sorry that I won't have time to give you very complete +instructions, but perhaps it will be as well. And now some of the men +are waiting outside to come in and talk this matter over, so we'll have +them in now." + +And Archie found himself in the midst of an editorial conference, during +which many things were discussed. The meeting lasted more than two +hours, and finally it was decided that Archie should travel from New +York to San Francisco, and go from there to Manila on the army transport +which was to sail on the twenty-fifth of the month. This meant that he +would have to leave the city in two days' time, and Archie announced +himself as quite willing to do this, as he had few preparations to make. +The editors gave him many instructions about how he was to address his +correspondence, and how he should proceed in the event of finding it +necessary to send despatches by cable. And at the end of the conference +he felt that he knew all that he would need to know, so that he could +start off without fear of not being able to fulfil his mission. As far +as Archie could understand it, his chief instructions as to duty were to +the effect that he must have as many experiences as possible of as +many different kinds, and that he must write about them in a perfectly +natural way, just as if he were writing a letter to the folks at home. +And he thought, of course, that this would be very easy to do. + +Mr. Van Bunting gave him a letter of credit for six hundred dollars, +which amount, he said, would probably be sufficient to pay his expenses +while he was in the Philippines, and he also gave him a cheque for three +hundred dollars, which was intended to pay the expense of getting to +Manila. "Of course," said Mr. Van Bunting, "you can spend as much or as +little of this as you please, and if you need more, and we find that +the venture is paying us, why, we will send it on demand." Archie was so +overcome with the knowledge that he possessed nine hundred dollars, that +he could hardly thank the editor enough, and he made up his mind that he +would spend as little as possible of the sum, and bring back part of it +to Mr. Van Bunting upon his return. He couldn't imagine how it would be +possible for him to spend so much money, and he felt that, after some of +his experiences since he left home, he ought to be able to economise in +many ways where other reporters wouldn't know how to save at all. + +When the two days were up Archie had made all his preparation, and was +ready to leave New York for Manila. He had sent a long letter home +to his mother, telling her of his great good fortune, and enclosing a +cheque for a hundred dollars, which she was to spend while he was gone. +He told her that he would send her more money from time to time, and +felt very proud as he mailed the letter. He told her, too, that if at +any time she didn't hear from him on time, she could write to Mr. +Van Bunting, and he would let her know of his whereabouts. This was +something which Mr. Van Bunting had very thoughtfully advised him to do. +"Your mother is sure to worry if the mails are overdue," he had said, +"and if she writes to me, I will always be able to tell her of your +whereabouts, for we can hear of you through our other correspondents, if +not from your own despatches." So Archie felt that his mother shouldn't +worry, since he was such a fortunate boy in so many ways. + +The night before leaving he took a long farewell walk up Broadway. +Everything was bright with light, and there was, as usual, a great crowd +of pleasure-seekers on the sidewalks. It was all as fascinating as ever +to Archie, and he felt sorry that he was to leave it so soon. New York +had begun to grow on him, as it grows on any one living there for +any length of time, who is in a position to appreciate the city's +attractions. He felt that he would almost rather be on Broadway than in +the Philippines, but of course he forgot this feeling when he remembered +the confidence which Mr. Van Bunting had reposed in him by sending him +upon such an important mission. So, after he had passed all the bright +theatres and restaurants, he turned down a quiet side street and +returned to his lodging, so that he might have a good night's rest +before starting on his long journey. + +At seven in the morning he was up again, and at nine o'clock he was +bidding farewell to his many friends in the editorial rooms of the +Evening Enterprise. Every one congratulated him upon his great good luck +in getting such a chance to distinguish himself, and when they had done +telling him that he had a great future before him, Archie felt happier +than ever before in all his life. + +The train left the Grand Central Station at one o'clock, and Mr. +Jennings went with him to the station to see him well started upon the +journey. "You may be sure we are all much interested in you, Archie," he +said, as the train was leaving, "and we shall look forward anxiously to +your safe return." These words made Archie very glad, for it cheered him +to know that at least one of the editors liked him for himself as well +as for what he could do. + +The Southwestern Limited seemed to fairly fly along the banks of the +beautiful Hudson, and everything was so delightful that Archie could +scarcely believe that only a week or two before he had been walking +along country roads, anxious to reach New York, that he might become an +office boy. Every thing in this train was as perfect as modern ingenuity +could make it, and there was no lack of interesting things to be +examined, when Archie tired of the landscape. Then, when the train had +been two hours out of New York, he discovered that the famous president +of this great railway system was aboard, and, mustering up his courage, +he determined to introduce himself. He had long been anxious to see this +famous after-dinner orator and statesman, and here was a chance which +might not come soon again. So he went back to the drawing-room, and +found the great man to be quite as pleasant as he was interesting, +and Archie was asked to seat himself and tell something about his +experiences since leaving home. Everything he said was listened to with +great interest, and this distinguished wit seemed to find many of the +adventures very funny indeed. "You have certainly had some wonderful +experiences," he said, when Archie had finished, "and I can appreciate +your anxiety to leave school. I had that desire myself when I was a boy +of about fifteen, but my father succeeded in making me change my opinion +on the subject, and without much argument, unless you can call an +ox-team and a stony pasture an argument. I had been asking to stay +at home from school for a long time. I said that I was too old to be +sitting there with a lot of girls and some younger boys, and that I +wanted to work. Finally, my father said that I could stay at home if I +cared to, and that he would let me work on the farm for a time. I was +overjoyed, of course, at the prospect of staying out of school. + +"The next morning I was awakened at four o'clock, and had to swallow my +breakfast in a hurry, because I was late, my father said. Then he took +me out to the barn and ordered me to hitch up the ox-team, and when this +was done he took me out to a pasture lot and told me to pick up all the +boulders there. Well, I picked up boulders all day long, and by evening +my back and arms were so sore I could hardly move them. I was too tired +to eat supper, and was soon asleep in bed. When my father awoke me at +four the next morning, I told him to let me alone and that I was going +back to school. After that I was content to stay in school, and said +nothing more about leaving until I had finished the course and was ready +to go to college." + +And Archie thought it very queer that such a famous man should have had +such experiences when a boy. He remained in the drawing-room for more +than an hour, and when he left he felt perfectly sure that he had been +talking with the most charming man in the world. + +The train sped on and on, and when daylight came the next morning they +were passing through Northern Ohio. Early in the afternoon they reached +a great smoky metropolis, spread out for miles over the plains. Archie +knew that this must be Chicago, and he decided, as this was Saturday, +and the steamer wouldn't leave San Francisco until the next Friday, that +he would have time to remain here over Sunday. So he left the train at +the station in Pacific Avenue, and, Finding a hotel near the station, he +started out to see something of the city famous for its dirt and for the +World's Fair, two widely different things. + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + SAN FRANCISCO--THE TRANSPORT GONE--WORKING HIS WAY TO HONOLULU BY + PEELING VEGETABLES ON A PACIFIC LINER--THE CAPITAL OF HAWAII. + +ARCHIE found Chicago to be so widely different from New York that +everything he saw was new and interesting to him. In the afternoon he +managed to see something of the congested business section of the city, +the tall office buildings, the great stores, and the famous Board of +Trade. It was all very fine, he thought, but still it wasn't nearly so +fascinating to him as New York had been on the first day he visited it. +"Chicago seems so very much like some great town," he explained to the +hotel clerk in the evening. "I feel as if I were not in a great city +at all, because there are not the evidences of a large and wealthy +population that we have everywhere in New York." Archie spoke of New +York as if he had lived there always, and found much to criticise in +Chicago. But toward evening he went up to Lincoln Park and the beautiful +North Shore, and he felt that there was nothing more beautiful in New +York than this magnificent park, and this handsome Lake Shore Drive, +with its great houses whose lawns reached down almost to the lake +itself. On the South Side of the city, too, he found some handsome +streets and residences, but there was always that feeling of being in +some rapidly growing town. It wasn't hard for Archie to realise that +there were older houses in his native town than could be found anywhere +in the great city of Chicago. + +The greatest difference between Chicago and New York was to be noticed +in the evening. Instead of the brilliantly lighted thoroughfares of +upper Broadway and Twenty-third and Thirty-fourth Streets, he found +but one street in Chicago which was at all illuminated, and the +illuminations there were chiefly signs in front of dime museums. The +streets, too, were not so crowded, and Archie almost longed that he +could be back on Broadway, if only for a little while. + +On Sunday he found Chicago to be a more noisy city than he had ever been +in before on that day, and he found that the people made good use +of their one weekly holiday. All places of amusement were open, and +everything was running in "full blast." + +The parks seemed to be very popular, indeed, and there were numerous +water excursions upon Lake Michigan, to Milwaukee, St. Joe, and various +other neighbouring cities. The street-cars were crowded all day long, +many of them taking people to a Sunday game of baseball at the Athletic +Park. All of this was very interesting and very new to Archie, but it +didn't make him anxious to remain in Chicago any longer than Monday +morning, so on that day he took the limited train for the Pacific Coast, +for he had determined not to stop off again until he reached Denver. + +Days of weary travel over a level, uninteresting stretch of ground +followed the departure of the train from Chicago, and had not Archie +found some interesting persons to talk with he would have been very +weary long before reaching Denver. As it was, he managed to pass the +time very pleasantly until the train entered Colorado, and after that +he found much that was new to look at until he reached Denver. Here he +remained for half a day, just long enough to see something of the city +and a little of the neighbouring country. Then, taking a train for San +Francisco, he reached that city on Thursday afternoon, and immediately +began to make arrangements for sailing. He found, to his great +disappointment, that the army transport had sailed the previous day, +contrary to the expectations of the editors, and of the War Department +itself, until the arrival of important despatches from Manila, which +made it necessary to start the transport at once with supplies of +ammunition. Archie hardly knew what to do. He had not anticipated +anything like this, and could scarcely think of any plan for a time, +but, finally, he proved himself equal to the emergency. He went to the +naval agent and asked him when the transport would be due at Honolulu, +and then he ascertained that a passenger steamer sailing for that port +on Saturday would reach the destination three days sooner than the +transport, so that by taking the liner he would have three extra days in +Honolulu, and would be able to reach Manila on schedule time, after all. +He at once decided that this was the thing for him to do, and as soon +as he thought of taking the steamer it occurred to him that he might +possibly be able to work his way to Honolulu, instead of paying the +regular passenger fare, which he knew was high. So he went down to the +great docks, and, after interviewing the second steward, he approached +the chief steward himself, and asked if there wasn't something that +he could do aboard the ship to earn his passage. The chief steward was +thoughtful for a time, and finally said, "Well, yes, I believe there is. +We haven't any one to peel vegetables yet, and if you think you care to +do that work I guess we can fix you up all right." Archie didn't wait +to consider whether peeling vegetables was hard work or not. He was too +glad to have a position of any kind aboard ship to be particular about +what his work was like, so he told the steward that he was willing to +take the place. "Well, be on hand at about eight in the morning, and +we'll see that you get to Honolulu." + +Archie was overjoyed at his good management. "I am going to save about +a hundred dollars," he said to himself, "and I will have this money to +send home to mother." The rest of the afternoon and the evening he spent +in going about San Francisco, and he found it to be more like New York +than any city he had yet seen. There was the same cosmopolitan crowd on +the main thoroughfares, and the same foreign districts here and there +throughout the city. He found a great deal to interest him, especially +at the Presidio, where everything connected with the army monopolised +his attention. He made friends with many of the soldiers who were +waiting to be sent to the Philippines, and hoped, on leaving, that he +would meet some of them there, but he hardly expected that he would meet +some of them in such a strange manner as it was his fate to do in Luzon. + +After a good night's rest he was on hand early at the great steamer, +where there was such a scene of bustle and confusion as he had never +seen before, not even in New York. There was a throng of men with trucks +who were loading the late freight, and there was a constant din of noisy +voices, which, combined with the shrieks of escaping steam, made it +impossible to carry on a conversation. Archie hurried aboard to find the +steward, who immediately took him into the galley and introduced him to +the cook, a large, fat Frenchman, with small, blue eyes set far back +in his head. He seemed to be a pleasant man, and Archie thought that he +would like him very much. + +"Well, does ze youngster vant to vork, eh! Eef he do, I say you pare zis +potate for dinee as quick you can." And the fellow pointed to a great +bag of potatoes and a paring-knife. "Now you sit zere in da corner," +continued the cook, "and keep out uf my vay." Archie found a stool and +sat down, and, having brought an apron with him, he put it on and began +work. The cook watched him closely, so that Archie soon learned to pare +the potatoes very nicely, and of course he was able to get along faster +and faster as he became more and more experienced. He managed, through +great effort, to get the bag finished in time for dinner, or luncheon, +as it was called on the bill of fare, and then he soon had to begin on +other vegetables, which were to be served at the more complete evening +meal. There were more potatoes, and some turnips and apples as well, +to be prepared, and it kept the boy busy all the afternoon, cleaning +as hard as he could, and never seeming to get done. The cook urged him +always to hurry, and seemed determined to have everything ready on time. +And Archie began to realise that he was working under a rather severe +master. + +He was again successful in getting the vegetables finished in time for +the evening meal, and then he had an idea that he might be allowed to +rest for awhile, but he soon realised his mistake. He was advised to +begin work on the potatoes for breakfast if he didn't want to get up at +two o'clock in the morning and pare them, so once more he took up the +knife and began to clean and scrape. It was ten o'clock before he +had finished, and he found himself too tired to spend any time on the +after-deck with the crew, but went at once down into the small, stuffy +room where he was to sleep with some of the stewards. His back ached +from bending over, and his hands were all sore from being scraped. + +Things were not very pleasant in this bedroom, but poor Archie was glad +enough to be able to lie down on the hard straw tick and go to sleep. +He slept soundly until he was awakened at four o'clock in the morning by +the second cook, who ordered him up-stairs to work. There was no time to +wash, and no place where he could wash, so the boy was obliged to go up +just as he was, much as he disliked doing so. And once up-stairs there +were various chores which were waiting for him in the galley, so that +he was kept running until breakfast was served. And then it was time +to begin paring vegetables again. This turned out to be the invariable +daily programme, and Archie became rather discouraged. Had it not been +for the thought that by doing this he was saving money to send home, he +would have been miserable indeed, but this idea kept him hopeful. He was +seasick, too, for a time, and was obliged to keep cleaning vegetables +in the galley during the whole period of his suffering. The days when he +was ill in this way were the most disagreeable ones of the voyage, and +Archie often described afterward his feelings as he sat peeling potatoes +with a bucket standing beside him. Each night he slept like a log, and +each morning he was obliged to get up at four o'clock and start work +again. It was the same thing day after day, tiresome and monotonous, so +that Archie wasn't sorry when the beautiful island hove in sight, and +they anchored in the picturesque bay of Honolulu. + +Once at Honolulu, Archie's term of service on board the liner was +over, and he was glad, indeed, to get ashore, where he learned that the +transport had not yet arrived, but was expected in two or three days' +time. These two or three days Archie determined to spend in sightseeing, +and he spent his time to excellent advantage in visiting every quarter +of Honolulu and seeing every side of life in the Hawaiian capital. He +found it a delightful place. There was much that was interesting to see, +the people were pleasant to meet, and the climate was perfect. He was +almost sorry when he learned that the transport had anchored in the bay! + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + THE VOYAGE ON THE TRANSPORT--A STORM AT SEA--ARRIVAL IN MANILA. + +THE transport did not remain long at Honolulu, and before leaving Archie +had several things which he wanted to do. In the first place, he felt +that he ought to write the story of his experiences so far, and send +it to Mr. Van Bunting; so he did sit down and describe in detail his +experiences at cleaning vegetables on board the Pacific liner. He wasn't +sure whether this was anything that Mr. Van Bunting would care to print, +but he decided to send it on, anyhow. He would have been surprised +had he observed the enthusiasm with which this letter was read in the +Enterprise office a month later. He would have been no longer in any +doubt as to whether it was anything worth printing had he read the +Enterprise of the following day, when the letter appeared on the second +page as one of the chief features of the paper. + +Before leaving, too, Archie sent a long, cheerful letter home, saying +nothing of his being seasick on board the liner, or of his having had to +work so hard. He devoted his letter to telling of the many interesting +things he had seen, and of his bright prospects for becoming a +successful newspaper man. He wrote a shorter letter to Jack Sullivan, +which was intended to be read to all the members of the Hut Club, +for Archie felt that it was no more than right that they should know +something of his success. He found it very hard to realise, away off +here in Honolulu, that he had ever been a member of the club, and that +he had ever lived in tents behind the barn. He felt very manly now, and +his boyhood seemed far away behind him, so far away that he now felt +like a man of twenty-five rather than like a boy of eighteen. He was +beginning to realise that age is not always governed by years alone, but +that experience does much to make one old. + +As soon as the transport had anchored in the bay, Archie went aboard to +present his credentials to the commanding officer. He found the general +very pleasant to meet, and a very appreciative listener as he told of +his scheme for overtaking the transport. The officer was surprised, +of course, that such a young fellow should be going to the islands as +correspondent, but the things he said were very encouraging to Archie, +"I tell you what," the general remarked, at one time during the +conversation, "I believe that a young fellow like Dunn, here, can find +out a great many more interesting things than an older man could ever +discover. You see the youngster has ambition and energy on his side, +and ambition and energy are two mighty powerful things when they're +combined. I'd hate to buck up against 'em myself." The other officers +agreed with the general in this remark, and Archie began to feel that, +after all, he might not have such a hard time finding interesting things +to write about as he had expected. + +The transport remained in port but one day, and in thirty hours after +her arrival Archie found himself sailing again over the blue Pacific. +The weather, for a few days, was almost perfect. A cloudless sky +overhead, a warm breeze from the west, and a smooth sea made things very +pleasant aboard ship, and Archie began to realise that there are times +when it is delightful to be at sea. The vessel was very much overcrowded +with troops, and the sleeping quarters were but little more pleasant +than aboard the liner. Archie shared a stateroom with three sergeants, +and they managed to have a lively time during the voyage. They played +games, told stories, and slept in the afternoons, but all this, of +course, grew rather tiresome after a time, and the voyage was becoming +monotonous, when there came a severe storm which kept things moving for +three days. + +None of the navigating officers had expected a gale, so that when it +came every one was taken wholly by surprise, and it came so suddenly +that there was no time at all for preparation. The sky became quickly +dark one afternoon about three o'clock, and soon the whole horizon was a +mass of great black clouds, which every moment seemed to come lower and +lower until they directly overhung the ship. There was great excitement +aboard the ship. Officers hurried here and there shouting orders to +their men, and the cavalrymen rushed about in a frenzy of haste, trying +to devise means to save their horses, most of which were stabled upon +the deck. Archie looked on in breathless interest, and was surprised +to find that he wasn't at all frightened. He even found himself making +mental notes of the scene, so that he could send the story of it all to +Mr. Van Bunting when he reached Manila. + +There was but little time for rushing about, and it was soon evident +that the horses would many of them be lost, because there seemed to be +absolutely no way of saving them if the waves were high enough to break +over the bulwarks. The storm soon broke in great fury, beginning with a +fierce wind which swept the waves before it. There was but little rain, +and the waves rose higher and higher with every minute, until the heavy +ship began to roll and pitch in a frightful way, so that the soldiers +began to think, some of them, that she would certainly sink. Finally the +waves were so high they dashed themselves over the decks, and no one was +allowed above the gangways. The cries of the poor horses, as they felt +themselves being washed overboard, were frightful to hear, and many +a trooper cried himself as he thought of his horse foundering in the +raging sea without. Before many minutes all was as dark as night, though +the watch pointed to but four o'clock, and all lights were burning below +deck. It was impossible to keep a light above, for no lantern could burn +in such a storm. + +The waves began gradually to subside at ten o'clock at night, and a slow +steady rain came, which soon calmed the sea to a great extent. As soon +as it was safe to go above deck, it was found that more than a hundred +horses had been lost overboard, and that one mast had been carried away. +Down below nearly every man was in his bunk, for there was scarcely a +person who was not seasick, and most of them wouldn't have cared if +the ship had gone down with all aboard, such was their feeling of +despondency. Archie was as sick as any of the others, but was able to +make notes of occurrences just the same. And when he grew better the +next day, he wrote an excellent account of the storm to send to the +Enterprise on his arrival in Manila. + +After this rough weather experience, every man aboard was anxious +to reach port, and when, after many more days, the Bay of Cavité was +reached, a great cheer went up from a thousand throats, for everyone was +overjoyed at the sight of land. + +The transport came to anchor off the forts which had once been Spain's, +and it was announced that no one would be allowed to land for two days, +until advices could be had from Manila and the interior of the island. +This was very trying for Archie, being obliged to sit on deck for two +whole days, looking at a shore which seemed very inviting, in spite of +the general dilapidated appearance of the various buildings and docks. +Everything looked different from anything he had seen before, and the +boy felt that he could hardly wait to be allowed to explore some of +those streets which were so narrow, and those houses which were built in +such a peculiar fashion. + +Finally, the permission came for the troops to land, and Archie received +the permission of the general to remain with them as long as he wanted +to do so. And as he had no other plans, the young correspondent decided +that it would be a good plan for him to stay right with one of these +regiments, for the time being at any rate. He knew that they would be +likely to be sent to the front immediately, and the front seemed the +place for him to be. + +And then he was already acquainted with many of the men, and with the +colonel, and he realised that this would be an advantage to him in his +work. So he made his plans to keep with them. + +First they went to Manila, where they remained for a week. The quaint +old city was a veritable fairy-land of wonders to Archie, who had never +before been in a city so ancient, and here there were so many unusual +things to be seen. There seemed to be absolutely no end to the winding +streets, delightful old houses, and interesting churches, and the boy +spent many days in exploring every corner of the island capital. The +colonel warned him several times that he must look out for robbers and +other suspicious characters, but Archie laughed at his fears. But the +colonel was right, as he found later on. + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + ARCHIE STARTS OUT ON AN EXPLORING TOUR AND HAS SOME STRANGE ADVENTURES + AMONG THE NATIVES--SEIZED BY THE REBELS. + +THE days passed very quickly in Manila, the regiment was quartered in +an old palace which had once been used as a residence by the Spanish +governors of the islands, and Archie remained in the palace with them. +There was very little to do while they were there. Each morning there +were anxious inquiries for news from the front, but there was always the +same discouraging reply that no trace had yet been found of the fleeing +Aguinaldo. The men were gradually becoming disheartened at the long +wait, and there were frequent statements by the officers that +Aguinaldo would soon be caught if they were sent out after him. The +dissatisfaction with the general in command grew stronger every day, and +at last things reached a point where there was very little loyalty and +patriotism displayed among the troops. + +The drilling was continued, however, by order of the colonel, and every +morning the troops marched out to a public square near the palace, and +went through the same old manoeuvres which they had practised for months +past. And it was harder for them to drill each week. At first they were +willing enough to work, for there was then some prospect of their being +able to use their knowledge in a fight, but now it was beginning to +seem that they would simply remain in this old palace for a few months +longer, and then go back again to San Francisco. With this opinion in +their hearts, it is not to be wondered at that most of the men became +slouchy and careless in their manners and dress, or that even the +officers themselves became disgusted at the long wait for marching +orders. + +Things had been going on in this way for a long time, when Archie made +up his mind that it was time he was hustling about and finding something +to write about which would be interesting to readers of the Enterprise. +He had sent two articles describing his life with the soldiers in the +old palace, but he knew that he ought to find something more exciting, +and more like his first articles. So, after much thought, he decided +that a good plan would be for him to take a little trip into the +interior of the island, to see whether he could find any traces of the +insurgents. The colonel had held all along for a month, now, that the +Filipinos were probably all about Manila, and still he couldn't get +the permission of the general in command to go out and investigate +the matter. The colonel figured that it would be an easy thing for the +insurgents to come as near to the city as they cared to now, for Lawton +and Wheeler were far away in the interior after Aguinaldo, and the +troops in Manila were quietly drilling, and eating, and sleeping, with +no thought of doing anything else. This line of argument seemed very +reasonable to Archie, and he volunteered to go out and see if he could +make any discoveries. The colonel assured him that he would be in no +danger, even if he were caught by the rebels, for they would never +suspect a boy of Archie's age and size of being a spy. So the lad felt +no fear at all, and made what few preparations there were to be made +before starting. He secured a knapsack from the commissary officer, +and in this he placed what few belongings he wanted to take with him, +together with his note-books and some provisions for the trip. Then he +secured a small pistol, which he carried in his hip pocket, and he was +disappointed because the colonel would not allow him to carry a rifle. +And when he had everything ready he said good-bye to his friends in the +regiment, and departed from the palace amid a multitude of cheers. At +the last moment the colonel tried to dissuade him from starting, for +fear he might meet with some accident, but Archie was determined to make +the attempt. + +It was his plan not to go farther than fifty miles in the interior, for +he thought that if he found no traces of the rebels in that distance +there would be little use in going farther into the forest, for, it +would be almost impossible to find them there. So he set out gaily upon +his trip of exploration, and Archie couldn't remember when he had been +so happy before, save on that day when he first visited the office of +the Enterprise. This adventure was exciting enough to please the wildest +boy in America, and Archie could imagine how envious the other boys +would be if they could but know the trip he was having. It had an +official air to it, too, for had not the colonel been most anxious, +in the beginning, that he should go, and did he not say that he would +reward him handsomely if he were successful in locating any of the +insurgents, or in proving that he had been right when he said they were +near Manila? It was all as perfect an adventure as Archie could have +imagined. He could not have planned a better one if he had been able to +select any trip he could think of. + +He planned that it would take him at least three days to walk fifty +miles, and perhaps longer, for the roads were not very good in some +places. He knew that he would find many villages and towns along the +way, too, for the island was thinly settled in this neighbourhood. So if +he were obliged to rest, he would never be at a loss for a place to +get a bed. Archie couldn't help thinking, as he walked along the road +outside Manila, this first morning, that he might find a body of the +insurgents in possession of one of these towns. They were very bold, +he had heard, and they probably knew that there were no American troops +anywhere in the neighbourhood, outside the city of Manila itself. And, +knowing this, he knew they wouldn't hesitate to camp at the very gates +of the city, for they were marvellously successful in getting away into +the interior whenever an American force made its appearance. + +As he thought of this possibility, Archie couldn't help being a little +fearful of what might happen to him should he fall into the hands of +the insurgents, and he began to wonder if he had not been a little +foolhardy, after all, in starting off on such a wild-goose chase. "But +I will have something new to send Mr. Van Bunting about the interior +towns," he said to himself, "and if I am captured, why, I will have a +great deal to write about when I am released." This thought made the lad +happy again, and he trudged along the road with as much vim and energy +as he had displayed during those weary days when he was walking to New +York to make his fortune. And it was a much more interesting country in +which to walk than the New York State counties had been. The vegetation +was rich and luxuriant everywhere, palm-trees, vines, and flowers +growing in profusion all along the road. In every dooryard, in front of +every hut, there grew what seemed to Archie a veritable fairy bower of +the most richly coloured flowers in existence. And they were growing, +apparently, without cultivation. He had seen nothing like them before, +even in California, and he longed to pluck some of them to send home, if +they had only been wax instead of nature's blossoms. As it was, he kept +his arms filled with them for awhile, but after a time he grew tired +carrying them, and was obliged to drop them by the roadside. + +The country looked as if it might have been very prosperous at one +time. There were plantations laid out in excellent fashion, and the soil +seemed rich and fertile. But instead of growing crops, and storehouses +filled with spices and coffee, there was desolation everywhere, and it +was easy to see that the Spaniards had determined to leave but little +behind them for the Yankees. Every other farmhouse and wayside hut was +deserted, their occupants having gone, apparently, to join Aguinaldo, +and the whole country, outside the towns, seemed to be wholly deserted +and left to grow up in weeds and tangled vines. + +The sun was warm, the sky was a perfect blue, and it seemed a delightful +day in every way. But it made Archie sad to walk through a district +which had been made so desolate, and he hadn't walked many hours before +he wished that he might soon reach a town, where he could find some +life, and where he could remain overnight. For by the middle of the +afternoon he was tired walking, and made up his mind that fifteen miles +was enough for any one to do in one day. But he was obliged to keep on +walking for two hours longer before he reached a village, and the great +sun was just sinking behind the blue hills in the distance when he +entered the one main village street, which was long and narrow, winding +in and out among the cabins and huts, as if it had been laid out after +the houses were built, for the convenience of the people. It was a poor +excuse for a public thoroughfare. There had probably been a pavement of +some sort at one time, but now the street was a mass of rubbish of every +sort, straw, dust, old bricks, and bits of stone being thrown together +in every rut, so that it was exceedingly difficult to walk along with +any comfort. + +There was no life visible in the settlement. Almost every hut had its +shades drawn at the windows, and there was absolutely no one to be seen +in the street. As he passed down the road, Archie could catch occasional +glimpses of black eyes staring at him through a lattice, or he could +hear some muttered word as he walked close to a window. From these signs +he knew that he was observed, and he felt very much embarrassed as he +continued his walk down this deserted lane, for he felt instinctively +now that hundreds of eyes were watching his every movement. + +Finally, he came to the public square, and he sat down here to look +about him. From general appearances, he judged this to be a town of +some two thousand inhabitants, for there was a very respectable +administration building, and a good-sized church. There were but two +streets of any consequence, the one by which he had entered the town, +and another running at right angles in the opposite direction. In this +latter street, as he stood in the square, he noticed a three-story +structure with a sign outside, and he decided to go there and make +inquiries as to where he might be able to secure a lodging for the +night. It looked as if it might be an inn of some sort, or at least a +store, so he walked rapidly up to the entrance and knocked twice upon +the door. This place, in spite of its sign, looked more deserted and +shut-up than any other building he had yet seen in the town, and he +wondered whether he would receive any answer to his knocks. It was +indeed a long time before he heard a sound within, but at last there was +some muttering inside, the door flew open, and Archie found himself in +the arms of three Filipinos, who threw him upon the floor and bound him, +hands and feet. It was all so sudden that he had no time to cry out, and +before he could say anything at all he was thrown into a dark room, and +the door shut behind him. + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + + A PLEASANT CAPTOR--BRAVE BILL HICKSON ALLOWS ARCHIE TO ESCAPE--FIRST + GLIMPSE OF AGUINALDO. + +FOR a long time Archie lay still upon the floor, being unable to move a +muscle from the shock of his encounter with the men, and because he was +tightly bound with ropes. And then he at last went off to sleep, feeling +frightened because he was in the hands of strange men, and a little +satisfied, too, because he was the victim of some adventure which might +turn out in a very interesting way. + +When he awoke, it was morning, and the light came into the room through +two small square windows, set high up in the wall. Archie looked about +the room with great curiosity, but found little there to interest him. +There was nothing to be seen but an old bed without spring or mattress, +and a rickety chair with but three legs, which stood in one corner. +The walls, he was surprised to observe, were handsomely decorated with +tapestries, and Archie at once made up his mind that this had at one +time been a private dwelling-house, and had probably been owned by some +rich Spaniard who kept a store on the ground floor, and lived in these +rooms. The insurgents had probably driven the family out of the country +and had taken possession of the house, which they had stripped of +everything useful, leaving the tapestries and works of art behind them. + +These suppositions were cut short by the entrance of a man who appeared +to be a half-breed, and who immediately began to speak to Archie in +broken English. The fellow had a pleasant face, and presented a fairly +good appearance, and Archie wondered how he could have come to this +place. "I suppose you have been wondering," said the man, "why you have +been thrown into this room, and it won't take me long to explain things. +You see this town belongs to us just now, and we don't propose to have +any Yankee spies around here to tell Otis of our whereabouts. There +ain't no troops in this town now, but there's likely to be any minute, +and we patriots was sent here to take possession of things and arrange +quarters for our army. Let me tell you that the Filipino army will be +in this town to-day, and if you don't look sharp you'll be the first +prisoner to be shot. Aguinaldo isn't a man to deal easily with spies, +and if he thought you was out here for that purpose he'd have you +riddled with bullets in a minute." The man came up to Archie and began +to undo the ropes. "I reckon I can trust you free for awhile, for +there's no use in your trying to get away, with the Filipino army all +around the town. Sit down there now, and I'll see that you get some +breakfast. You can tell, perhaps, that I ain't no Filipino, nor never +was one. I'm from Arizona, U. S. A., and I'm fightin' with these rebels +for what there is in it just now. I'm mighty curious to find out how you +come to be out in these diggin's, youngster." + +Archie was willing enough to tell all about himself. He liked this man, +in spite of his being with the rebels, and he felt that he would be able +to make friends with him if he were careful to do so. And the best plan +seemed to be for him to tell all about himself, how he happened to go to +New York, and how he had been sent out here as a boy correspondent for +the Enterprise. The man from Arizona listened to the recital with +open mouth and eyes, and he frequently laughed outright at some of the +experiences Archie described. When the narrative was finished, he seized +Archie's hand, and said, "My name's Bill Hickson, and you can count on +me after this fer a friend, youngster. I'll swan if I ever heard tell +of sich nerve in my life. I'll see that you get out of this scrape all +right, but you must be careful to keep up appearances of being under +guard. I'm a big-bug in this Filipino shack, but I wouldn't dare to let +you out openly. So you jist kind of lay around and look despondent, +and depend on me to make things as easy for you as I can. You kin come +down-stairs now, if you like, and I'll present you to my friends. +There don't none of 'em speak no English but me, and all I can do is to +interduce you, and tell 'em that you ain't no spy, and that you are +very sorry you ever ran up agin this here town. And I guess I'll be +expressin' your sentiments exactly, won't I?" Archie nodded, but in his +heart he felt that he wasn't sorry he had run up against the town. This +Bill Hickson, in himself, was a character worth going miles to meet, +and if what he said was true, Archie stood a good chance of seeing the +notorious Aguinaldo, with his army of Filipinos, before the day was +over. + +When he reached the lower floor, he found several men lounging about in +another poorly furnished room, and they were all similar in appearance +to the men he had seen at the door the night before. They looked at +him in an indifferent way, and didn't seem surprised that he should +be walking about without restraint. Bill Hickson stepped up to some of +them, and, after a few words in some language Archie didn't understand, +motioned for the boy to step up. He was told to shake hands with "all +the gents," and after he had done so he was offered a cigar, and Archie +began to realise that it was a very good thing that he had a friend at +the Filipino court. He thought, too, that if these men were samples, +Aguinaldo had a very poor lot of retainers, and later on he perceived +the real cause for the failure of the rebels to do anything more than +keep up a constant retreat. It was plain to see that the followers +of the rebel leader were "in it for what it was worth." They had no +difficulty, any of them, in getting enough to eat, and often they had +opportunities to enjoy themselves in great fashion by taking possession +of some Filipino village and ejecting the inmates of some particularly +fine house, with a well-stocked wine-cellar. + +In looking out of the window Archie perceived that the town looked very +different this morning than when he saw it the evening before. Instead +of drawn blinds and shuttered windows, there was everywhere an evident +attempt at decoration in honour of the coming army. The streets were +crowded with a throng in holiday garb, and some of the soldiers of the +rebel army had already arrived, as they could be easily distinguished by +their ragged dress and ridiculous airs, walking up and down the street. +It was all such a scene as Archie had never seen before, and would have +made a great success as the scenario for a comic opera. But as a welcome +to an army, supposedly victorious, it was a dismal failure, and Archie +wondered what General Aguinaldo would think when he entered the town and +saw such shoddy patriotism everywhere. He hadn't long to wait, +however, before seeing the famous rebel and the effect upon him of the +celebration in his honour. It was about ten o'clock in the morning when +he rode into the public square, followed by about two hundred ragged +Filipinos, armed with all sorts of guns and pistols. Archie saw the +arrival from the roof of the building which was his mock prison, and he +could scarcely refrain from laughing outright when he saw the boasted +Filipino "army." It was the poorest excuse for a body of troops that he +could imagine. + +Aguinaldo rode a fine bay horse, as did several of his followers, but by +far the majority of the regiment, if such it could be called, was afoot, +and most of them were barefooted, too. The rebel leader looked very much +like most of his pictures, with the exception that he had an older look, +and some gray hairs about the temples. He was attired in a gaudy uniform +of some sort, with epaulets and a Spanish general's hat, and he carried +himself with great dignity of manner. Dismounting from his horse, he +entered the administration building, where he held a conference with the +town officials, and probably made them pay over whatever money was in +the treasury "for the cause." He remained within for two hours or more, +and all this time Archie stood upon the roof and watched the remarkable +scene in the streets below. The troops had scattered, and were engaged +in robbing the housewives of whatever they had in their houses to eat. +And the women seemed willing to provide them with whatever they could +afford, and there was much enthusiasm evident everywhere. But the +celebration was very quiet, in spite of the friendly reception, There +were no bands of music, no cheering, and no singing of battle-hymns. +The whole affair reminded Archie of some camp of a section of the famous +Coxey army, when he had seen it long ago. The soldiers were no better +dressed than tramps, and there was but little more discipline among +them. + +And the celebration and occupation of the town came to a sudden end. +While Archie stood upon the roof at noontime, he saw a runner enter the +administration building in great haste, and in a minute Aguinaldo +came hurrying down the steps. Then there was a great commotion in the +streets, and the two hundred followers of the chief were seen assembled +in the square, and before they were all there the general was riding out +of the town toward the interior of the island. There was no noise, and +the inhabitants stood about apparently speechless, and wondering what +had happened. Their reception had come to an untimely end, and their +hero had left them unceremoniously. Soon the last of the straggling +troops were out of the town, and just as Archie was beginning to think +of going down from the roof Bill Hickson stuck his head up and gave him +some astonishing news. "Stay where you're at, young feller, till these +fool Filipinos gits away from here. You saw how they skedaddled, didn't +ye? Well, Uncle Sam is comin' after 'em with shot-guns, and old Aggy +heard the news just in time. He is bound for the jungle, about forty +miles southeast, and he won't reach it until to-morrow night, anyhow, +and if the officers are quick they may be able to catch him. Now you +stay here, lad, and give 'em the news when they git here. They'll +thank you for it, and you may be the means of gittin' this fool of an +Aguinaldo captured. If you does, why, your future's all right. And ye +can tell the colonel, or whoever's in command, that Bill Hickson is +still with 'em, and that he's doin' his best fer Uncle Sam, and tell 'em +that Aggy has got about three thousand troops altogether, but only about +a thousand with him. Now, good-bye, lad, and I hope I'll see ye again." + +And Archie saw brave Bill Hickson get down from the roof. He brushed +some tears from his eyes as he realised that here was a brave soldier +doing good work for his country. A moment later he saw him running +across the square with four of the Filipinos, and waving his hat to +the "youngster" as he went. He followed him with his eyes as long as +he could, and then he sat down and made a solemn vow that Bill Hickson +should be named among the heroes of the war. + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + + ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS--ARCHIE THE HERO OF THE REGIMENT. + +ARCHIE descended from the roof, and found everything below in a state of +wild disorder. The fleeing rebels had taken with them all they had time +to get together, but in their haste they had left behind many of their +most useful belongings. In a cupboard of the dining-room Archie found a +supply of food and wines sufficient to feed several people for a week, +so he supposed that it had been the intention of the occupants of the +house to remain for some days. The news that the Americans were coming +upset all their plans, however, and now, as often before, they were +obliged to flee before them, leaving behind most of their creature +comforts in the way of food and furniture. + +"What a life they must be leading," thought Archie to himself, "going +from one place to another, constantly endeavouring to hide from the +Americans. Now in some town, now in the wilderness, and again venturing +as near as possible to the boundaries of Manila." And he could scarcely +help admiring their courage, or recklessness, rather, in camping so +near the head of the American government, where they might expect to be +caught in a trap at any moment. But Archie realised, too, that such an +army can get away in a very short time, and he began to have serious +doubts as to whether the Americans would ever be able to capture +Aguinaldo and his men. For knowing the islands perfectly, and being able +to get from one point to another in the easiest and quickest way, the +rebels have a great deal in their favour. + +Selecting some canned beef and some native bread and cheese, Archie +managed to make a very good meal for himself, though he ate hurriedly +for fear some of the rebels might return. As soon as he had finished he +returned to his position on the roof, for there he knew that he would be +safe in case the building was entered by the townspeople. From his high +perch he looked down into the streets, and was surprised to find them as +quiet and as much deserted as they had been the night before. The +news of the coming of the Americans had been effective in quieting the +enthusiasm of the morning, and all the townsfolk had again entered their +homes and put the shutters up before their windows. One would have taken +the place for a deserted village, judging from appearances. But Archie +knew that within the shuttered windows and barred doors there were +hundreds of people waiting anxiously for the arrival of the American +troops, and making ready to come out, when required to do so, and again +declare their allegiance to the stars and stripes. The cowardly wretches +were diplomatic enough to be always on the side of the victorious. +When the rebels occupied the town they were loyal to them, and when the +Americans came, as they often did, they came out into the square and +cheered loudly for Uncle Sam. But of course the Americans knew very well +that their sympathies were with the rebels, and the rebels knew it, too, +or they would never have dared to venture so near Manila. + +About five in the afternoon, there was a sound of many men marching +along the road, and in a little while Archie was able to see the +Americans coming down the street. It was a sight to cheer his heart +after all his experiences of the last day and night. The column was +marching at double-quick, and the handsome colonel rode a great gray +horse at the head of the regiment. Archie saw that they would reach the +square in two or three minutes, and, throwing discretion to the winds, +he descended from the roof, almost fell down the stairways in his haste, +and was soon running toward the administration building. He mounted the +great steps leading up to the portico, just as the colonel rode into the +square, and the expression of surprise on the faces of all the men was +funny to see. In a minute every hat was off, and the regiment was +giving "three cheers for the boy reporter," while the colonel, rapidly +dismounting, hurried up to speak with Archie. + +"Why, how did you come here?" he demanded. "Haven't the rebels been +here, and how did you escape them? Which way did they go, and was +Aguinaldo with them? For pity's sake, say something." + +Archie wasn't long explaining things, and his news was so explicit and +so valuable that the colonel grasped his hand and said, almost with +tears in his eyes, "God bless you, lad. You may have aided us to catch +the gang, and anyhow you've proved your bravery." + +By this time the regiment was standing at ease, and all the men were +watching Archie and the colonel with great interest. Knowing that they +were all curious to learn how the lad happened to have escaped the +rebels, the good colonel made a short speech in which he explained +everything. He dwelt particularly upon the bravery of Bill Hickson, and +held him up as a model for all the men to follow. "And now three cheers +for Bill Hickson and our boy reporter again," he cried, when he had +finished, and they were given with a will by all the men. + +The regimental officers held a short consultation, and it was decided, +on the strength of the news brought by Archie, to push on after the +rebels as fast as was possible. But it was now sunset, and there was no +use trying to go farther to-night, so it was agreed that the best plan +would be to give the men a good rest overnight, as they had made the +entire march from Manila since five o'clock in the morning. "They will +do all the better to-morrow for the rest," said the colonel. Archie was +valuable in being able to guide the officers to the building where he +had been confined, assuring them that they would find everything needful +there in the way of food, and a place to sleep. Some of the soldiers +were quartered in various houses of the town, for the people had soon +turned out into the street again, and had expressed their friendship for +their "masters," as they called them. Archie could hardly refrain from +laughing as he saw some of those who in the morning had bowed down to +Aguinaldo vowing everlasting allegiance to our flag, and he assured +the colonel that he couldn't be too careful while in the town to guard +against surprises. "No one knows the beasts better than I do," was the +answer. "I know they can't be trusted." + +Archie was invited to remain in the building with the officers, and +while they prepared and ate a lunch he busied himself in writing a +description of his last two days' experiences. He knew that a messenger +would soon start for Manila, and that a boat would leave that city on +the next day for Hong Kong, so he wanted to get his narrative written +in order to send it to Mr. Van Bunting at once. He felt that he had +some very interesting things to write about, for it wasn't every +correspondent who had seen Aguinaldo, and had been captured by the rebel +army. He knew that most of them were content to remain in Manila, and +send only what they could get from the general in command, and that this +description of the rebels would be something new, at any rate. So he +wrote it very carefully, and succeeded in getting it ready in time to +send, so that it would be in the office of the Enterprise in less than +a month. As he sat at the table writing, Archie thought of the great +changes which can take place in one's surroundings in a few weeks. It +seemed ages to him since the day when he left home for the first time, +and the experiences he had on his way to New York seemed now to belong +to the far-away period of his boyhood. He was beginning to feel very old +now, because he had been through so much of late, and he could hardly +realise that he was still eighteen. + +He wrote a short note to his mother at home, telling her not to worry, +and assuring her that he was in good health and in no danger whatever +of being captured by the rebels, for Archie felt quite safe after his +experience with the insurgent leaders. He knew that no one of their +prisoners was ever likely to come to a very bad end. They were far too +slipshod in their methods of holding prisoners. He was sorry not to be +able to send a longer letter home, but he knew that this note was much +better than sending nothing at all, and that it would make his mother +very happy to hear from him at all. + +The officers, when Archie returned to the dining-room, if such it could +be called, were engaged in making a very good meal from the provisions +in the cupboard, and they thanked Archie warmly for leading them to such +a good place. "By Jove," said one of the captains, "we sha'n't want to +return to Manila at all, when we can get such grub as this is outside." +But the colonel assured them all that they needn't expect to find such +accommodations everywhere in the interior of the country. "No doubt +we'll all be living on plantains in a day or two, if we don't catch that +fox of an Aguinaldo. And I'm willin' to bet now that we won't find him. +That feller's too slick for us. He's proved it many a time before." + +"And to think that he was here only this morning! The nerve of him, to +come within twenty-five miles of Manila!" said another. + +"I'll be mighty well satisfied if we can catch a few of his ragged men," +continued the colonel. "That will be something to have accomplished, +anyhow, and more than some other regiments have done, when they were +sent after him. He's the cutest feller I've heard of in a long while. If +it wasn't for Bill Hickson we'd never hear tell of him, even. He could +enter Manila, I believe, and go out again without us ever knowin' it at +all." + +Archie was now called on to tell something of the rebel leader's +appearance, and how he had acted while in the town. + +"I didn't see very much of him," said Archie, "because he spent most of +the morning with the big-bugs of the town, over in the administration +building. But when he rode into town on his horse he looked mighty +dignified, though he fell some in my estimation when I saw him standing +up. He looked rather dumpy then. He carried himself with a lot of +dignity, a little more than was becoming, I thought, and he received the +cheers of the people as a matter of course, and hardly took the trouble +to acknowledge them, even by a bow. The officers of the town treated +him with great deference, and I guess there's no doubt but what the +Filipinos look upon him as their leader." + +"Oh, there's no doubt of that," said the colonel. "We've learned that +long ago. They stand up for him whenever he needs them, and they give +him all they've got to help carry on the war." + +The meal finished, the officers smoked awhile, and then went to bed, for +they were to be up at four in the morning. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + + THE MARCH AFTER THE REBELS--THE FIRST BATTLE--ARCHIE WOUNDED. + +ARCHIE was awakened at four the next morning by the sound of the bugle, +and, hastily dressing, he hurried down-stairs to learn the plans of the +officers. He found that they were going to start on the march as soon +as the men had drunk their morning coffee, and Archie immediately made +preparations to go with them. The colonel looked on in amazement. "Why +are you packing your knapsack!" he asked. "You surely don't think you're +going with us? You never in the world can stand this hard march in the +hot sun." + +"Oh, yes, I think I can," said Archie. "You see I have walked a great +deal in these last two months, and I don't think I will have any +difficulty in keeping up with the troops. And I do so want to see some +fighting, and to learn whether you capture Aguinaldo. You don't object +to my going, now, do you?" + +"No," said the colonel. "If you think you can stand the marching, and +are so anxious to come, why, I suppose you can do so. But you mustn't +blame me if anything should happen to you." + +Archie was ready enough to promise this, for he had no idea that he +would meet with an accident of any kind, and so he continued to pack his +things in the knapsack. The rebels had emptied everything in a corner, +and had evidently intended taking the knapsack with them when they went; +but they left so hurriedly they couldn't possibly think of everything, +and so had left it behind, much to Archie's relief, for he would have +been unable to secure another one anywhere outside Manila. In a very +short time the regiment gathered in the streets immediately about the +square, and soon the men were marching out of the town, much to the +gratification of the residents, who watched them from their roofs +and windows. Archie fell in at the head of the column, and found no +difficulty in keeping up with the soldiers near him, though they were +marching at a rapid rate. + +The town limits were soon passed, and they swung into the white country +road, which presented the same scene of desolation which had been +everywhere visible to Archie on his way from Manila. The farm-houses +were nearly all deserted, and there was but little attempt at +cultivating the soil, which would have been productive enough had it not +been overgrown with tangled vines and weeds. And as they went farther +into the country the wilderness increased, until at last the road itself +was filled with growing vines, and the men had difficulty in walking. +Every little while some trooper would fall headlong, tripped by some +vine, and the others would laughingly help him up before passing on. +These little incidents did much to enliven the march, which became +monotonous after the first six or seven hours, and Archie appreciated +the mishaps very much until he took a few tumbles himself. He was +usually, much to the amusement of the officers, marching at the very +head of the regiment, and "setting the pace," he said, so that he was +more likely to trip than any of the others. He was always the first to +discover a snake in the road, too, and kept a great stick with which to +kill them. He seemed to have no fear of them, but walked up to lay them +out, and on one occasion the colonel warned him just in time or he would +certainly have been bitten by a snake whose bite is certain death. This +experience made him more careful, but he still kept his place at the +head of the regiment, and came to be called the mascot by the men. + +At noon the regiment halted at a grassy spot, where there were trees, +and made their dinners from their knapsacks. The officers warned them +to go carefully, or they would find themselves without provisions before +returning to Manila, for they had been so sure of catching the rebels +at the town behind that they had neglected to bring along many supplies. +Now, of course, they didn't know how long it would take them to find +them,--two days at least, and probably longer. + +Archie had stocked his knapsack with some food from the old headquarters +in the town, so that he felt safe for a few days, at any rate. He +ate carefully, however, and was careful not to waste anything, for he +realised that he might be called upon to aid some of the soldiers before +long. + +Dinner over, the regiment marched on again, for the officers now began +to think that they had made a mistake in not pursuing the fleeing +rebels the night before. They met several Spaniards, who told them that +Aguinaldo had marched all night long without stopping, so that he was +now at least thirty-six hours ahead of them, and some of the men began +to be discouraged, saying that it was no use following him up with such +a small force. "Other regiments have tried to find him in this way, and +none of them have succeeded," said one of the privates to Archie. "They +keep us marching for three or four days, and finally they decide to +return to Manila, without having found any trace of the rascal beyond +hearing that he had passed this way or that." + +The officers couldn't depend upon what the natives told them of +Aguinaldo's movements, for, almost without exception, they were in his +favour, and always lied to the Americans to try to throw them off the +track. It was due to this that they proceeded very cautiously, and +still, notwithstanding their extreme care, they found themselves, when +night came on this first day, in a small village where no one had seen +anything of the rebel army. There was no denying the fact that they were +off the trail, and the colonel stormed about in a terrible way when he +learned of their mistake. There was no use going back in the dark to +hunt for a trail they had mistaken in the daylight, so the regiment +remained in the village overnight. They were a lot of very discouraged +men, and the officers were enraged at the mistake, for which there was +no one but themselves to blame. + +Early in the morning they retraced their way, and started off in an +opposite direction to the one taken yesterday. It seemed that this must +certainly be the path taken by the rebels, but the regiment marched +until nearly noon without seeing any signs of them. Then, when they had +halted for dinner, the colonel decided to let the men rest while two +companies were sent ahead to reconnoitre, and report as to whether there +were any signs of men having passed this way. He was beginning to think +that the whole affair would be a wild-goose chase, and he decided that, +if these companies found nothing, the whole regiment would return to +Manila forthwith, probably to be the laughing-stock of the army there. + +The remaining companies had nothing to do now but lay about on the soft +grass, and rest. They were encamped in a stretch of grassy loam in +the midst of what appeared to be a dense forest, and all about were +evidences of the great fertility of the soil. The vegetation was so +dense that one could scarcely see through it, and the glade was cool and +pleasant, though overhead the sun was shining as warm as ever. It was a +lovely oasis in a wilderness of undergrowth, and the men enjoyed it to +the utmost. + +About three in the afternoon the sound of firing was heard in the +distance. First there was one shot, then another, and several more at +rapid intervals. Archie was one of the first to jump to his feet, but in +a second every man was at attention, with his musket in his hands. The +colonel listened closely for two minutes, and then the firing began once +more, and this time it seemed nearer. He hesitated no longer, but gave +the order to march ahead. "They've evidently found the cowards at last," +he muttered to Archie. "You stay here, where you will be out of danger." +But Archie was determined to do nothing of the kind. He felt his pistol +safe in his hip pocket, and when the companies swung out of the forest +and into the road he was marching in his old place at the head of the +column. Again the colonel ordered him to remain behind, but Archie +insisted that he would not, "Then go to the rear," cried the colonel, +angry for the moment. "I will not have you shot down by a rebel +sharpshooter the very first one." And Archie knew that he would have to +obey. + +The column went ahead at double-quick, and finally broke into a steady +run. Every minute the noise of rifle-shots sounded nearer, and it seemed +probable that the two companies were retreating before the insurgents. +The men were wild to reach the scene of the firing, and the officers had +all they could do to keep them in line. All the time they were running +hardly a sound was heard save the noise of their boots upon the soft +earth, and they all knew that they could probably take the insurgents by +surprise. + +Archie's heart was beating very hard as they drew nearer and nearer to +the scene. He felt that he was about to see his first fighting, and he +determined not to miss any part of it. So he gradually ran ahead until +finally he was almost at the head of the column again. + +The troops made so little noise that the two companies, retreating +slowly, were upon them without knowing it. But when they discovered +that their comrades had come to their aid they set up such a cheering +as Archie had never heard before, and immediately faced about and went +ahead again. The rebels were about a quarter of a mile behind, marching +rapidly forward, and firing as they came. Some of them were running +among the trees at the roadside, firing incessantly, and hitting +some poor soldier almost every time they fired. They were the famous +sharpshooters, of whom the soldiers in Manila had heard so much. + +When the rebels observed that the Americans had received reinforcements, +they halted suddenly, and before they could turn about the Yankees were +almost upon them, firing volleys into them as they came. Many of the +insurgents fell in the roadway, and the others fled wildly in every +direction. Most of them entered the dense forest, where the Americans +captured nearly a hundred of them after the others had surrendered, +and some were such good runners that they escaped down the roadway. The +whole rebel army presented a scene of wild confusion. Some of the men +knelt and begged for mercy, and some cried out in a horrible way as they +saw the dreaded Yankees advancing. But it was all over very soon. The +prisoners were placed in line, and marched back along the road, and the +dead, of which there were about fifty, were soon buried. Aguinaldo had +escaped in the forest, and no one suggested that he should be followed. +All the officers knew that such a course would be useless, and most of +them were very well satisfied with what had already been accomplished. +The prisoners numbered more than six hundred, and the dead a hundred +more, while there were about seventy-five wounded. So if what Bill +Hickson said were true, not more than two hundred insurgents could have +escaped. + +Among the seriously wounded was a man whom Archie recognised immediately +as one of his captors of two days previous, and while he was looking +over the bodies for the other men, he came suddenly to brave Bill +Hickson, lying face downward in the road. He almost screamed with fear +that he might be dead, and when one of the men hurried up to him he told +him who the man was. The colonel was soon on hand, and it was found that +the brave spy was not seriously wounded, and would recover soon under +proper treatment. + +When the insurgent wounded were cared for, it was discovered that the +two companies sent out to reconnoitre had also suffered losses, and when +they marched back along the line of their retreat no less than five dead +and about twenty wounded were found. This sad news threw a gloom over +the entire regiment, and when they started back to Manila they marched +in quiet, and without rejoicing over their victory, which had proved so +costly. + +Poor Archie, when they started to march, found, to his great disgust, +that he was so weak he couldn't walk far, and he thought this must be +due to the fright he had received. He was very angry with himself, until +the surgeon examined him and announced that he had a bullet in his arm. +And then Archie confessed that he had felt a stinging sensation at one +time during the firing, but had thought nothing of it. Now his disgust +was turned to great delight, for the idea of being wounded in battle was +glorious to his mind. "I'll bet I wounded more than one insurgent," he +told the surgeon, "for I discharged every barrel of my revolver." The +wound was not at all serious, but he was told to be quiet for a few +days. He was given one of the rebel horses to ride back to Manila, and +he felt like a real hero in many ways. + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + + RETURN TO MANILA--IN THE HOSPITAL--CONGRATULATED BY ALL--WRITING TO + THE PAPER OF HIS EXPERIENCES. + +IT took the regiment much longer to march back to Manila than it had +taken it to follow the rebels, for the wounded of both sides had to be +carried, and the arrangements for carrying them were very imperfect. +Fortunately, most of them were able to ride horses, and the officers +were successful in securing wagons enough to carry most of the others, +but there were about a dozen who could neither ride horses or lie in +wagons, but had to be carried on stretchers all the time. Of course this +was slow work, and the officers were glad enough when they reached the +town with the three-story building. Here they found things very much as +they had left them, two days before, save that the inhabitants were more +abject than ever to them, now that they had captured most of the rebel +force. + +It wasn't an easy matter to find quarters for so many men, and some of +the Filipinos were obliged to camp in the public square overnight, while +the wounded and ill were given beds in the various houses of the town. +The inhabitants were required to furnish food, too, for the Americans +were entirely out of almost everything. They still had some hardtack, +but of meat and coffee there was none. The people of the town pretended +to be very glad to serve their "masters," but every one knew that the +natives would be only too glad of a chance to cut the throat of every +Yankee soldier. + +The officers again occupied the old building which they had used during +their former stay, and Archie was invited to share it with them, for +they expected to rest in this town over the next day, before proceeding +to Manila. The men's uniforms and equipment generally needed cleaning +and repairing, and the colonel was anxious for them all to appear as +well as possible when they returned victorious to the island capital. So +the next day was spent in cleaning and washing, and by evening most +of the soldiers looked as if they had never left Manila. Then came a +surprise for every one, for into the town marched a regiment of +militia from Manila, sent out to see whether the first regiment needed +reinforcements. They set up a great cheer when they learned that most +of the rebel force had been captured, and the night was spent in a +celebration of the great event. A band was scraped up in the town, the +great hall of the administration building was thrown open, and there was +dancing and music until an early hour in the morning. All the belles of +the town turned out to welcome the soldiers, hypocrites that they were, +and they danced with their enemies as readily as they would waltz with +their own dear Filipinos. Every one seemed to have a good time, and +the soldiers went to bed just in time to get three hours' sleep before +starting for Manila in the morning. + +It was a great sight to see the two regiments, with the prisoners, march +out of the town at five the next morning. They made a fine appearance in +their well-brushed uniforms and bright equipment. The townsfolk watched +them out of sight, and then most likely cursed them for a lot of +vagabonds, but the soldiers didn't mind their curses. They were all very +happy at the prospect of getting back to Manila again, and no one was +more glad than Archie. He had somewhat recovered from his wound now, and +rode in his old place at the head of the column, where he was the centre +of interest to every one. The men congratulated him on having proved +such an excellent mascot, and he laughed and talked with them until he +was tired. + +The outskirts of the city were reached about five in the afternoon, +and as they marched through the streets to headquarters a band of music +preceded them, playing popular and patriotic airs. The sidewalks were +crowded with people, and Archie felt happier than for a long time, +because every one was curious to know who that boy could be riding at +the head of the troops, alongside the colonel. He was known to most of +the other troops in Manila, and received many a cheer from them as they +saw his arm in a sling, and when they finally reached the general's +headquarters, he was honoured with a handshake and the congratulations +of the commander himself. This was the climax to a very happy day, and +Archie went to bed in his little old bunk feeling that he was a very +lucky boy for having been wounded in battle. + +Of course the next few days were very busy ones for all the men, and +for Archie, too. He was obliged to tell, over and over, the story of his +experiences, and how he had managed to escape from the rebels when +they had him. This story always made the men roar with laughter, and +increased their already strong contempt for the Filipino army. He told, +too, about brave Bill Hickson, and that gentleman's cot was always the +centre of an admiring throng of visitors, who shook his hand and told +him how proud they were of what he had accomplished. And all the poor +hero could do was to smile feebly, for he was still too ill to talk +much. + +Archie felt that he had almost volumes to write about his experiences in +battle, and he did send a very long account of this encounter to Mr. Van +Bunting. It was written in his boyish way, but one of the officers who +read it said that it was the best thing of its kind he had ever read, +so he wasn't at all backward about mailing it. All the other newspaper +correspondents in Manila were wishing they had gone with the regiment +and witnessed the battle, but they had stayed in Manila, thinking that +this would be like the other expeditions of the kind, a mere wild-goose +chase, which wouldn't amount to anything at all. They were all very +anxious to get the details of the affair from Archie, but he was shrewd +enough not to tell them anything of value. And the other correspondent +of the Enterprise in Manila insisted that Archie should send a cable +message describing the affair, as well as a written account, and this +he finally consented to do. The correspondent added a long account +of Archie's personal bravery, how he had been wounded, and how he had +ridden back to Manila at the head of the column. Archie would have been +very much embarrassed had he known this, for he was still modest, but +the first thing he knew of it was from a letter he received a few +weeks later from Mr. Van Bunting, congratulating him on what he had +accomplished, and telling him that he had long since more than earned +his six hundred dollars. But for weeks he was ignorant that any one in +New York knew of his being wounded. + +The days now began to pass as before in the camp at Manila. The wound +in Archie's arm was healing slowly, but he was hardly able to use that +member for a month or six weeks. Bill Hickson did not fare so well. He +lay for weeks on his cot in the hospital building, and was hardly strong +enough, for awhile, to talk. He was improving slowly, but the doctors +said it might be two months before he was able to walk about and take +his former active part in the campaign against the insurgents. This +enforced quiet was very trying to the brave man, and Archie spent many +hours reading to him, and telling of various things he had learned at +school and elsewhere. This constant companionship served to strengthen +their already close friendship, and it was soon known among all the +troops that Bill Hickson and the boy reporter were inseparable. And +every one who knew the story of their experiences looked upon them as +the two chief heroes of the war so far, because as yet there had been +few feats of bravery in the desultory campaigning against the rebels. +General Funston had swum the river, of course, but many held that not +even that feat compared with the bravery of Bill Hickson in serving as +a spy under Aguinaldo's very nose. The more people heard about his +experiences, the more remarkable they thought him to be, until at last +he was by far the most popular man in the army at Manila. + +Archie sent many interesting letters to Mr. Van Bunting, telling of the +adventures of the brave spy, and one day he received a cablegram telling +him to send at least one of these letters by every steamer, for people +had become interested in hearing about him. So for some time Archie +wrote about Bill Hickson rather than about himself, and was glad of the +opportunity to do so. He knew that if a letter were published every week +or two in the Enterprise Bill Hickson would soon be famous, and this was +something he was very anxious to accomplish. He felt that no fame could +be too great for such a man, and no praise too strong. + +The commanding general decided, about this time, to begin a more active +campaign against the insurgents. It was now the month of December, and +with the beginning of the new year he wanted to inaugurate a series of +attacks against them in every part of the islands. He was beginning to +feel the criticisms of the papers at home, and of the newspaper men at +Manila, and he felt that something must be done immediately to retrieve +his lost reputation for active fighting. Every one, as soon as this +announcement was made, wondered what plan would be pursued to worry +the rebels into submission, for it was now generally agreed that the +Americans would hardly be able to capture the whole rebel army. It was +too evident that they were familiar with numerous hiding-places in the +islands. The only thing to do seemed to be to prevent their getting +supplies, and to drive them from one point to another, hoping that they +would become discouraged in the end and submit to the inevitable. + +So far the campaigning had consisted chiefly of such expeditions as that +accompanied by Archie, and most of these had returned to Manila without +having even seen a rebel soldier. It was not surprising, then, that the +general was becoming discouraged, and that he was anxious to try a new +policy. + +No one knew what the new plan would be until one day several cruisers +and gunboats made their appearance in the harbour. There had been no +war-ships at Manila for several weeks, and every one was surprised that +so many should arrive at once. There were rumours of a German onslaught, +and also gossip saying that Japan had decided to interfere, but all +these were set at naught when the general announced that the war-ships +were to be sent around the islands to bombard the rebel villages, and to +drive the rebel troops to the interior of the islands, where it would be +hard for them to receive supplies. + +This news made Archie very happy, and a plan at once occurred to him. +Why shouldn't he and Bill Hickson be allowed aboard a cruiser? It would +be the best thing possible for their health, and he set about getting +the necessary permit from the admiral. + +Bill Hickson was able to be about now, and he was overjoyed when Archie +said he thought they could arrange to go. "I'd like nothing better than +a voyage in the good salt air. I believe it will do me more good than +a month in the hospital," he said. Archie secured a very strong letter +from the general, and one day he stepped aboard the flag-ship in the +harbour. He had no difficulty in seeing the admiral, and found him to be +a very pleasant man to talk with. He read the letter carefully, and then +shook Archie cordially by the hand. "Yes," he said, "I've heard of +you, and of your friend, too. Every one in Hong Kong knows how you two +together bearded old Aguinaldo in his den, and robbed him of most of his +troops. It did me good to read about it in the New York papers, too, and +to know that you are both getting your just measure of credit for the +achievement." + +Archie blushed, and assured the admiral that he didn't do very much, +that it was all owing to Bill Hickson's bravery. "Oh, yes, I know," +laughed the admiral, "you lay it to him, and he will most likely give +you the credit. I've seen your kind before. But I like you all the +better for your modesty, lad. Of course you and your friend can have a +berth aboard ship, and aboard the flag-ship, too, where I can see you +both very often. You can come aboard whenever you wish, and stay as long +as you like." + +Archie could hardly thank the good officer for his kindness, and hurried +back to Manila. He found Bill Hickson waiting for him at the wharf, and +they rejoiced together over the good news. + + + +CHAPTER XX. + + AROUND THE ISLAND ON A WAR-SHIP--BOMBARDING A FILIPINO TOWN. + +IT was early one morning that Bill Hickson and Archie went aboard the +flag-ship, but all hands were on duty there, and the gallant cruiser was +raising anchor preparatory to sailing off on her errand of pacification +by means of shell and shot, The two newcomers were assigned a pleasant +stateroom where they would not be far from the cabin of the admiral +himself, and where they could step out of their door upon the +quarter-deck, and get all the fresh air they needed. It was a very +comfortable place, with two soft bunks, and every convenience usually +found aboard the fastest ocean liner. When the fellows saw it first, +they could hardly believe it could all be for them, but the officer +assured them that it had been given them by the admiral's own orders. So +there was nothing for them to do but accept the kindness, and to settle +themselves down to having just as pleasant a time as possible during the +coming weeks at sea. + +It was generally understood that the cruiser was to make a complete tour +around the island of Luzon, investigating every suspicious port, and +shelling towns when such action proved necessary to convince the rebels +of Uncle Sam's superiority. The voyage was expected to occupy nearly a +month, for there was no reason for them to hurry, and the admiral said +he would like to take things easy. + +Neither Hickson nor Archie had ever before been aboard a war-ship, and +they both found much to interest them during the first few days at +sea. Every movement of the crew, every action of the ship, was of great +moment to them, and they found no lack of entertainment in examining the +great guns and the equipment of the vessel in the way of firearms +and ammunition. Archie became much interested, too, in the science of +navigation, and spent much time with the captain on the bridge, or with +the pilot in the lookout, learning as much as possible about how the +movement of the vessel is controlled. Before long he had mastered the +rudiments of the art, and the captain told him that he might some day +make an excellent navigator if he continued to take as much interest in +the charts as he did now. And Archie told him that he was determined to +master as much as possible of the business during the voyage. Before he +returned to Manila he knew more about it all than even the captain would +believe he knew, and the knowledge was very valuable to him in days to +come. + +The two visitors aboard took their meals at the officers' table, and +they kept the whole party interested for many days, with their stories +of the war in Luzon and of their very unusual adventures both at home +and in the Philippines. For it turned out that Bill Hickson had visited +almost every part of the United States, and had lived in all sorts of +places. He had been a cowboy in Texas, and a miner in the Klondike, and +he had also been a policeman in Chicago. He knew more stories to tell +than any other man at the table could think of, and he told them in a +way that was wholly charming. + +Archie found that every one was very much interested in hearing about +his leaving home, and how he had happened to become a reporter on the +New York Enterprise. No one seemed to tire of listening to his stories +of his adventures in the great American city, and many of the officers +told him that they would give a good deal to have had his experiences in +life. + +And so it wasn't long until the two chums were friendly with all on +board, and after awhile things went along as though Archie and Bill had +never lived elsewhere than aboard ship. There was nothing exciting for +nearly a week. The cruiser steamed slowly along the shore, sometimes +stopping entirely, while the officers levelled their glasses upon the +beach, to see whether there were any signs of the rebels being there. +Sometimes, if things looked suspicious, parties were sent ashore to +reconnoitre, but they seldom returned with news that would encourage +the admiral to investigate further. The days passed quietly, and the +two convalescents enjoyed themselves well enough. They were both much +improved already by the trip, and felt almost as well as ever. They +each had a steamer chair, and hour after hour they sat upon the deck and +watched the ever-changing panorama of the tropical shore. Now the beach +would descend slowly to the sea, and there would be numerous palm-trees +and luxuriant vegetation growing close within view, but again there +would be steep clips, which looked menacing to a ship in the dark. But +it was all beautiful, cliffs or sandy beach, and Archie thought he had +seldom passed such a wholly delightful week. + +But, of course, it all became monotonous in time, and every one, even +the officers, longed for a change. The reconnoitring parties were sent +out more frequently now, and every one hoped each time that they would +return with news of the rebels, but they were always disappointed. The +admiral now determined to steam ahead more rapidly, so that they might +get around the western end of the island. It was evident that there were +no insurgents along this shore, and as there were no villages of any +consequence, either, he was anxious to reach the southern shore, where +it was known the rebels had recently been gathering. The towns, too, +were very numerous here on account of the excellent fishing, and it was +hoped that some good work might be accomplished for Uncle Sam before +another week passed. + +Subsequent events soon proved the wisdom of the admiral's plan. The +cruiser, it seemed, had no sooner rounded the western point than signs +were visible of rebel activity ashore. It was one Tuesday morning that +a village was sighted, built around a narrow inlet of the sea. When the +binoculars were levelled upon this harmless-appearing settlement, it was +soon perceived by the admiral that there were soldiers in the streets +with the rebel uniform, and that the insurgent flag was flying from the +administration building in the village square. All this was just what +had been expected, and there was great rejoicing aboard the cruiser. +Every man, without exception, almost, was anxious to be one of a party +to be sent ashore to attack the rebels, but the admiral hesitated before +sending any one at all. "It is impossible to tell from here," he said, +"how numerous the rebels are, and it is quite possible that they may +have a large force of men in the village. If the appearance of the +streets is any sign, there must be quite a force of them in the place." +But every one laughed at the very idea of there being a rebel company of +any consequence in the place, and the admiral was finally prevailed upon +to send a boat ashore, armed with thirty men. + +"Remember," he said, "if you come to grief, that I advised against this +venture. Don't be too bold, or risk too much, for though I can shell the +place, that won't help you any, once you are captives." + +But every one was anxious to be one of the party in the boat, and the +officers had a hard time making selections. "You can go, Archie, because +you're a correspondent," said the captain, "and you can go, Mr. Hickson, +because you're a brave man," and then he continued to pick out men until +the required number was secured. Of course there were many disappointed +ones left aboard the cruiser, but the captain assured them that they +might have their chance yet. + +The boat was soon off, and it was noticed that there was great +excitement ashore as soon as the departure was observed. All the +inhabitants, it seemed, were gathered upon the beach, anxiously awaiting +developments. They seemed to be absolutely ignorant of what the presence +of a war-ship in their harbour meant, and were apparently not at all +anxious as to the outcome of this visit. One of the men told Archie that +they had probably never seen a war-ship before, and that they wouldn't +know a cannon at all. "But we'll let them know the meaning of our +presence," declared the sailor, "if they shoot at us." The boat drew +every minute nearer the shore, and it was soon perceived that there +were many soldiers among the crowd on the beach. Every one thought it +remarkable that they should be so quiet, but not one of the natives made +a move until the boat was within two hundred feet of the shore. Then one +of the rebel soldiers suddenly raised his rifle and fired at the boat. +The lieutenant in command stood up in the boat and gave the order to +return the fire, and a perfect volley of shot was poured into the crowd, +which immediately scattered in every direction. The rebel soldiers, +however, seemed determined to stand their ground, and they were so +numerous, and kept up such a steady fire, that it was deemed best to +return to the cruiser, which was signalling for this action on their +part. So the boat was turned about as quickly as possible, and +the sailors pulled for the cruiser, amid the derisive yells of the +Filipinos, who had gathered again upon the beach. The rebel soldiers +continued their firing, but were such poor marksmen that but three of +their shots took effect. One sailor was shot in the arm, another in the +side, and still another was shot in the leg as he stood up to take aim +at the rebels. None of these wounds, it was afterward discovered, were +at all serious, though they were enough to arouse the anger of the +entire crew. + +When the boat reached the cruiser again, preparations were at once begun +for bombarding the town. The natives still stood upon the shore, and it +could be seen that they were immensely proud of their present victory. +It was amusing, then, to see the change in their behaviour when the +great six-inch gun of the cruiser belched forth a cloud of fire and +smoke, and a burning shell landed in the village street, apparently just +in front of the administration building, which was soon afire. The poor +natives fled in every direction, and the rebel soldiers followed their +noble example, and took to their heels, too. Another shell followed +the first, and soon several buildings were burning in the village. The +admiral watched developments carefully, and finally he decided that they +would be glad to surrender the village if another boat was sent ashore. + +Accordingly, the same boat started out again, with three new men in +place of those who were wounded, and for sake of effect the cruiser +steamed farther in toward shore. This time there were no crowds upon the +beach, and the thirty men marched to the burning buildings, where the +natives fell before them, begging for mercy. The soldiers were nowhere +to be seen, so the crew took possession of the town and slept there, in +company with thirty more sailors, that night. + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + + CONTINUING THE CRUISE--ANOTHER VILLAGE CAPTURED--THE ADMIRAL ARCHIE'S + FRIEND--A GREAT BATTLE AND AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY--LONGING TO BE HOME + AGAIN. + +IT may go without saying that the sixty men from the cruiser had a very +interesting time before the night was over. The entire village was in a +constant uproar; the poor natives, horrified by what they had witnessed +during the afternoon, ran hither and thither, some even leaving the +place entirely and starting for the interior with their goods and +families. The rebel soldiers had evidently gone for good, and a small +party sent out to look for traces of them returned without learning +anything of their whereabouts. The bombardment of the village had +certainly had great effect. + +It was only a tiny place, with possibly not more than a thousand +inhabitants, but there were evidences that it had been formerly a +flourishing town. There were fine residences in some of the streets, +which were now quite deserted, and there were some very respectable +business houses in the village square. All these had once been occupied +by Spanish traders, who had been driven away when the rebels came, and +if the insurgents had never come the town might now have been a booming +place. But the rebels were lazy, as usual, and did no work, so that now +the fine residences were vacant, and the business blocks stood empty. + +Some of the sailors looked about for a casino, where they might be able +to find entertainment of some kind for the evening, but every place +of amusement was closed, and the streets were deserted. Since the +occurrences of the afternoon all the people had locked themselves into +their houses, to await the departure of the Americans. But, even though +the casino was closed, the Yankees managed to have a good time. They +sang and danced and played the banjo until an early hour in the morning, +when they finally went to sleep, leaving only two for a night watch, +for there was no danger that the insurgents would return, after their +engagement, in which they had lost six men. + +When morning came, some officers landed from the cruiser, and all +the villagers were summoned to the public square and made to swear +allegiance to the American flag. + +In the afternoon the cruiser steamed away again on her errand of +forcible pacification, and more days of quiet watchfulness followed, as +the vessel steamed along near the shore. There were many small +villages along this coast, but all of them seemed peaceful and free +of insurgents. The captain even said that some of the people in them +probably didn't know that there had ever been a war between Spain and +the United States. Archie, who had enjoyed his experiences during the +occupation of the last village, now began to be impatient again at +the long quiet. The day when the cruiser bombarded the administration +building would be a memorable one to him, and the succeeding events were +just such as he had been longing to see for months. And then to think +that he had taken part in the occupation of the village. It was all very +wonderful, but very real, too, and for several days he took much pains +in writing an article for the paper describing the events leading up +to and including the capture of the village. And in the narration Bill +Hickson was an important character. He had again proved himself a hero +of the first water by insisting that the boat proceed when the first +attempt was made to land, and by being the first man ashore when a +landing was finally effected. He was a leader in everything that was +done. He marched at the head of the squad when they marched through the +streets of the village, calling all the people to assemble in the public +square, and he stood beside the officers with his rifle handy when the +ceremony of swearing allegiance was gone through with. When it was +all over he was called to the admiral's cabin aboard the cruiser and +congratulated for being so brave and so ever-ready to lead in any +dangerous undertaking; but Bill Hickson simply blushed and said +he hadn't done "anything worth mentionin'." The men aboard thought +differently, however, and he was even a greater hero after this +adventure than he had been before. + +Archie, too, received the congratulations of the admiral. "You have been +a brave boy," he said, "and deserve much credit for showing so little +fear in the face of danger. I hope you will be rewarded upon your return +to New York for your bravery while with us here." Archie, too, blushed, +and said that he had no doubt that Mr. Van Bunting would treat him +fairly when he reached New York again. + +And Archie was now beginning to wish that the time for his return would +soon arrive. It was the month of February, and he had been away from +America an age, it seemed to him. He felt that he had seen most of what +there was to be seen in the Philippines, and when this naval tour was +over with, the active campaigning would no doubt cease until the rainy +season was over. So for many reasons the boy wished he might be able to +start home soon, and as the days passed he became more and more anxious +to receive word from the Enterprise that he might return. He had sent +many interesting articles to the paper, and would be able to write many +more just as interesting upon his return, so he felt that the editors +wouldn't object to his early return. + +For an entire week the cruiser found no signs of the rebels, but at last +there came a day when they were steaming slowly along near the shore, +and saw, back among the trees, some specks of white resembling tents +in shape. Immediately the whole vessel was excited, and there was much +gossip and wonder as to what the tents could be doing there. The admiral +at last decided to send two boats ashore to investigate, and gave strict +orders that the men should be cautious and not allow themselves to be +ambushed or caught in a trap of any kind. Of course Archie and Bill +Hickson were among the crew of the first boat, and each was as fully +armed as any of the sailors. + +The two boats pulled quietly for the shore, keeping close together, and +they were beached at the same time. The natives, or whoever occupied the +tents, had evidently not yet discovered them, and the men halted upon +landing to decide what they had better do. The tents could be plainly +seen through the trees, and there was smoke rising from a fire somewhere +in the neighbourhood, but there were no noises which could be heard +so far away. It was decided to march up to the tents and find out who +occupied them, and the column kept close together as they advanced, for +things were so quiet it was feared the rebels, if such they were, might +be in ambush. + +The men got within a hundred feet of the camp, when they heard several +terrible yells in succession, and several natives ran out from behind +one of the tents, screaming at the top of their voices, and not pausing +to look around at all. The officer in command of the company of men was +much disturbed by this demonstration, and, without pausing a moment, +gave the order to fire. Five of the natives fell immediately, but the +other six kept running, and soon disappeared among the trees on the +other side of the clearing. The men stood still awaiting developments, +but though they waited several minutes nothing more was heard, and it +was decided that the camp must be deserted. So they marched up to the +tents, and then the officer almost fainted, for inside the first one +he entered was standing an American flag, and scattered about were the +accoutrements and camp equipment belonging to an American force in the +field. There was now no doubt but what the tents belonged to an +American regiment, and that the fleeing natives were either servants or +prisoners, more likely the former. The men were all much excited at this +discovery, and the officer ordered the natives to be looked after at +once. It was found, however, that all but one were dead, and he expired +within an hour, so that the men felt that they had killed five innocent +men, a thought which made some of them weep, hardened though they were. + +It was now decided to await the return of the regiment, which was out, +the officer thought, on a practice march, and could not possibly be +gone much longer. So the men lounged about on the grass for more than an +hour. Then, about three in the afternoon, a rifle-shot was heard in the +near distance, and instantly every man was on his feet, rifle in hand. +"They must have found the rebels," said the officer; "so be ready, +men, to help them out, should they be retreating to the camp." This +supposition turned out to be correct, for a few minutes later some +members of the regiment came running into camp and announced that a +large body of insurgents was after them. Later the remainder of the +regiment followed, and the joy of the colonel when he found these +unexpected reinforcements was very great. "There must be more than +fifteen hundred rebels," he said, "and they will all be on us here in +less than an hour, for their sharpshooters have been following us up for +a long time. I was beginning to think that we would be unable to fight +them, for they seem to be well equipped, but with the cruiser to kelp +us we can whip them at once. The thing to do will be to let them come +on without suspecting that we have received any help, and then, when the +fight is getting a little warm, or they are about to charge us, let the +cruiser fire a few shells into the air, and it will all be over. Most of +them are country troops, and have never seen a cruiser, so they will be +too much frightened to speak when they hear the thunder of the guns, and +see the shells explode in the air. And then they have a village about +three miles back from the coast, and if you can send a few shells into +that village it will simply ruin the insurgents. + +"I had no idea of meeting these rebels," the colonel then explained. "I +took the men out for a little practice marching, but before we had gone +far we encountered these sharpshooters, and later discovered that they +had all these men about a mile and a half away. Then we decided to +return to camp as quickly as possible, to get more ammunition, and we +felt, too, that we would stand a better chance of resisting them here +among the trees. But now we will soon finish them up, if you will just +send a man out to tell the admiral of our plans." Archie immediately +volunteered to carry the information, and as he could be spared better +than one of the soldiers or sailors, he was permitted to undertake the +mission. So he started out, and was on board the cruiser in a very short +time. The admiral was dumbfounded to learn that American troops were +encamped on the shore, and in imminent danger of being defeated, and he +at once set about giving orders with great vigour. "We will show them +how they can attack a small regiment of Americans with their ridiculous +army," he declared, and at once gave orders for the vessel to move +inshore. "But wait," he cried, a minute later, "I see by my chart +that there is a deep stream about a mile up the coast, and if I am +not mistaken we can enter this stream and perhaps get very near the +advancing rebels. We may even be able to destroy them before they have +a chance at our soldiers," and the old admiral almost danced in the +enthusiasm of this idea. So the cruiser steamed rapidly up the coast, +and was soon at the mouth of the stream, which seemed to be the estuary +of some great river. Then she steamed up-stream, and, sure enough, the +admiral soon discovered the rebels marching rapidly along the road, +about half a mile away. They had evidently not perceived the cruiser, on +account of the high reeds growing along the banks, and the admiral gave +orders to begin firing. + +The first shell rose high in the air and exploded with a deafening +thunder, and when the smoke cleared away it was seen that the insurgents +were almost paralysed with fright, and had just discovered the cruiser +in the river. But this first shell had not hurt any one, and another +was immediately ignited. This one exploded over the very heads of the +troops, and many of them must have been killed. Those who were not +either killed or wounded turned about and began to run, and their +leaders were powerless to make them stand their ground. One shell +followed another from the cruiser, and hundreds must have been killed +outright among the insurgents. Finally they were all running, and it was +soon perceived that the Americans had advanced, and were now pursuing +them with great energy. So the cruiser could fire no more shells, and +the admiral ordered her about and back to the anchorage onshore. + +It would take many pages to describe in detail the events of the +remainder of that afternoon, as Archie witnessed them from the deck of +the cruiser, and learned of them later from Bill Hickson. The insurgents +were nearly all killed or taken prisoners, and it was found that they +numbered nearly two thousand. So it was a great achievement to have +vanquished them all. The affair turned out to have been the greatest +victory of the war, so far. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + + RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS--A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, WITH PERMISSION TO + RETURN TO NEW YORK--BILL HICKSON GOES, TOO. + +ARCHIE left the cruiser when she was once more at anchor, and, going +ashore to the American camp, he found things in a very lively condition +at the close of the afternoon's battle. Every man was very jubilant over +the retreat which had been turned into a great victory, and Archie was +congratulated on having been the lucky man to carry the news of the +coming of the rebels to the admiral. The officers were all in the best +of humour, except the colonel, who felt somewhat sad on account of the +death of his five faithful servants, as the men first shot turned out to +have been. + +"There were never any better men than they," said the colonel, "and I +would almost as soon my own men had been shot." But he bore the ship's +company no malice for their mistake, which he said was a very natural +one. + +After the capture of so many rebels, and the killing of so many others, +it was felt that the rebel army in this part of the island was pretty +well disbanded, and that it would soon disappear altogether. It had been +known, from the very beginning of hostilities, that there was a large +force of insurgents somewhere in this neighbourhood, but not until +to-day had the colonel seen anything of them. But it was impossible, all +the officers said, that there could be any more troops about, for these +two thousand represented a very considerable portion of the entire rebel +army. And now that these were done away with, the colonel said there +was no need of his remaining any longer in this place, and that he would +like to get back to Manila as quickly as possible. Hearing this, the +admiral said he thought room could be made for all the men aboard the +cruiser, and that they could all return at once if they so desired. This +generous offer was at once accepted by the colonel, and the next day the +work of embarkation began. By night every man was aboard, and a place +of some kind had been found where he could sleep, but of course, every +portion of the vessel was much overcrowded. This only made things all +the more lively, however, and Archie, as well as all the others, thought +he had never enjoyed any trip so much as these three days spent in +getting back again to Manila. There was always fun of some sort going +on. If some one wasn't dancing, there was sure to be singing. And then +there were several ingenious games which were invented for the occasion, +so that time never passed slowly. Indeed, there were many who were sorry +when the capital was finally reached, but Archie was not among these, +for he expected some mail to be awaiting him from the editor of the +Enterprise. And he hoped that in this mail he would find permission to +return to New York. + +All officials were very much surprised when the cruiser anchored off +Cavité, but the admiral explained that he thought it no use to spend +more time in touring the island, even though the month which it was +supposed to take him had not yet expired. He said that he felt sure +there were no more insurgent villages along the coast, because it was +perfectly evident, from all signs, that the rebels were all in one +division. And this division, of course, had been vanquished four days +previously. + +When the report of the engagement went the rounds there was much +enthusiasm, for it was felt that at last some progress was being made +against the insurgents. The admiral was a popular hero at once, and +Archie, with Bill Hickson, was again the centre of admiration and +interest in the old palace, where they both returned. + +Archie was surprised to find no mail awaiting him, but he was not +discouraged, and wrote two long articles to send to the Enterprise. One +described the great engagement, and the other was descriptive of the +daily life aboard ship upon the return to Manila. These articles, with +the others he had written during the latter part of the cruise, were +sent off at once, and Archie felt confident that they would be read +with great interest by Mr. Van Bunting. And now the days passed very +pleasantly in Manila. He had a great deal to tell his comrades in the +old regiment, for none of them had been out of Manila since he left, +and were very anxious indeed to hear about the events of the +round-the-island tour. And Archie was very willing to tell them all he +could, for he had been much interested in the entire voyage, and never +tired of talking about it. + +Still, while things were very pleasant, and he was having a good time in +many ways, Archie was very anxious to see New York again and to get back +to America. And then, what was even more important with him, was the +knowledge that he would certainly be allowed to visit his mother upon +his return. Therefore he was a very happy boy when he one day received +two letters from the Enterprise office, one from Mr. Van Bunting, +and one from Mr. Jennings. They were both very encouraging and very +friendly. Mr. Van Bunting wrote to tell Archie how delighted they all +had been with his success in finding interesting things to write about, +and he enclosed a check for three hundred dollars, which he thought +"would come in handy now." The letter from Mr. Jennings was of later +date, and stated that he had prevailed upon Mr. Van Bunting to allow +Archie to return to New York, to work upon the Evening Enterprise. It +was a very delightful letter, Archie thought. "We believe," wrote Mr. +Jennings, "that we can use you here to very good advantage, and we will +be glad to have you return as soon as possible. I enclose two hundred +dollars to pay your expenses home again." + +So now it was all settled that Archie was to leave Manila for New York, +and, now that it was sure he was going, he felt somewhat reluctant to +leave the soldiers with whom he had become friendly, and to get away +from all this life of adventure which had been so interesting and so +delightful in many ways. It was hard, too, to leave the dear old palace +in Manila, through which he had wandered so often, and every room +of which had for him some story of a Spanish prince or a great +governor-general, wealthy and wise. There would be none of all this at +home or in New York, but then there would be something better; there +would be mother, and the old grape arbour, and the Hut Club. + +On investigation, Archie found that the quickest way to get home would +be to travel by way of Hong Kong and Yokohama, taking the steamer from +there to San Francisco. It would take him more than a month to make +the trip, and, as it was now the second week in March, he could hardly +expect to reach New York before the first of May. He at once cabled +Mr. Jennings that he would leave at once for Hong Kong, and received +an answer telling him to do so by all means, and to continue to write +letters describing his trip. Archie knew that these letters would +probably not reach New York any sooner than he would, but he did write +them, anyhow, and he did see some of them appear in the paper after his +arrival. + +Archie was overjoyed to learn one day that Bill Hickson had received +permission from the commanding general to return to the United States, +and he at once hunted up the bashful hero, and insisted that he leave at +once, and make the trip with him. This was finally agreed to, and when +it was settled that the two old chums were to travel homeward together +the whole camp in Manila was interested in the news. They were both +very popular, and almost every night before their departure there was a +pleasure party of some kind arranged for them. One night they would give +a regular "stag," as they called them, and then again they would arrange +a sort of musicale, at which there would be clog-dancing, banjo music, +and various games to increase the fun. + +The four days passed very quickly indeed, and at last the day for +sailing arrived. There was a great throng at the pier to see them off, +and there was no end of good wishes and stories of the good times now +gone by. When the steamer finally moved out into the open, there were +three cheers each for Archie and "brave Bill Hickson," in which every +man appeared to join with all his heart and voice. And there were tears +in Archie's eyes at having to part from such true friends. It was hard +to tell, too, when he would ever see any of them again. He realised +that hereafter his path and theirs would probably lie in different +directions. He was going to New York to work as a reporter, and they, if +they were not killed in battle, would be scattered in all parts of the +great United States, at the mustering out of the troops. It was all very +sad, and even Bill Hickson seemed to feel the solemnity of the occasion, +for he had nothing to say for many hours after the vessel had started on +its journey. + +Archie, too, felt homesick at having to leave, and they went to bed very +early, apparently feeling that the best thing under such circumstances +was to be asleep. And when morning came they both felt somewhat better, +for Archie arose filled with hope for the future, and more anxious than +ever to reach home. Bill Hickson, too, was not loath to return to the +United States, even though he had no relatives waiting there to +welcome him. The poor fellow had been through a great deal while in the +Philippines, and his constitution was almost wrecked by the constant +strain to which he was subjected. He had never fully recovered from his +accident of several weeks before, and he felt that he needed a rest from +the constant excitement and worry of life in the army. He was tired, +too, of being a spy. He had never relished the work, but he had realised +how necessary it was for the Americans to have some one to follow up +Aguinaldo and let the general know of his movements. "They'll be a long +time catching him now," he said, time and again, to Archie. "He's a much +shrewder man than they think, and he knows his Philippine Islands like +a book. He can go from one place to another without the Americans ever +knowing where he disappeared to, and without some one to follow him they +will never be able to learn anything of his movements." + +Bill had received nearly two hundred dollars in back pay, so he felt +quite rich, and Archie told him that if he should happen to run out, and +need more money, he would be very glad to furnish it to him, For Archie +was now determined to take Bill Hickson to New York, and introduce him +to Mr. Van Bunting, feeling sure that the wise editor would thank him +for bringing to his attention a man at once so interesting and so worthy +as this hero of the war had proved himself to be. But for the present +Bill would discuss nothing of the kind. He was thoroughly content to +sit beside Archie on the warm steamer deck, and watch the ever varied +surface of the Indian Ocean. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + + HONG KONG--A HAPPY TIME IN TOKIO--HONOLULU AGAIN--ARRIVAL IN SAN + FRANCISCO, AND A GREAT RECEPTION BY THE PRESS--ARCHIE AND BILL ARRIVE IN + NEW YORK, AND ARE THE HEROES OF THE HOUR. + +AFTER a short and pleasant voyage they reached Hong Kong, and Archie +found this city to be much more interesting than he had expected to find +it. It was charming, he thought, to run across a place which combined +the conveniences of England and America with the picturesque oddities +of China and Japan, and he enjoyed himself to the utmost during the two +days they spent there. Bill Hickson enjoyed the place, too, and they +would both have liked to remain longer had it been possible for them to +do so, but they were anxious to see something of Japan before sailing +for San Francisco, and their steamer was due to leave Yokohama in eleven +days. + +But they did enjoy Hong Kong to the utmost while they were there. They +called first, of course, upon the American consul, whom they found to be +an exceedingly pleasant man. They learned, to their great surprise, that +he had read of Archie Dunn, and of Bill Hickson, too, in the Enterprise, +and Archie began to think that his paper had a much wider circulation +than even the editors claimed for it. He thought it very remarkable, +at first, that a man living in Hong Kong should have read about his +Philippine experiences in a New York paper, but of course, after he +thought of it awhile, it didn't seem such a very remarkable thing, after +all. And after this, when they heard of people having read of them, +they weren't so much surprised, having come to realise the tremendous +circulation of this paper. + +The consul did all in his power to make their stay in Hong Kong +pleasant. He was anxious to have a formal dinner for them, but Bill +Hickson said that he would much prefer not having to dress up, and +Archie was willing for Bill's sake to forego the honour. So they spent +their two days in going about the city, visiting the quaint Chinese +shops, and seeing everything of particular interest. They found many +wonderful things to look at, and Archie said that he couldn't imagine +any more delightful place; but Bill told him to wait until they reached +Japan, for he'd find that much more charming than Hong Kong. "I've been +there before," said Bill, "and I know what I'm talkin' about, and I say +there ain't no such place on earth as Japan for interestin' things to +look at, and pleasant things to do." And when, a few days later, +Archie was initiated into some of the mysteries of Japanese life by +his experienced friend, he was willing to admit the truth of all he +had heard concerning the land of the chrysanthemum. He found everything +quite beyond his expectations. The people themselves were more quaint +in their dress and manners than he had expected to find them, and the +houses and the pagodas were much more picturesque than he had imagined +they would be. And the whole atmosphere of the country seemed filled +with romance and history, and it wasn't at all hard to believe that the +Japanese have longer family trees than any other nation on earth. + +They spent a few days travelling through the provincial districts of the +little kingdom, and then they reached Tokio, where Bill was anxious to +spend several days. "I know some folks here who can take us around and +show us everything that's worth seeing," he said, "and we can spend our +time to better advantage here than anywhere else I know of." And sure +enough, Bill did know some people in the capital city, some pleasant +English people, who had met the open-hearted Westerner when he was in +the city years before, and who had at once appreciated the true nobility +of his character. They were very kind to Archie,--so kind that the lad +thought he had never before met such pleasant people. And they were +thoroughly interested in all his adventures, from the time he left home +late in the preceding summer until now. He had to tell them all about +his New York adventures, and also about their experiences together in +the Philippines, and his new friends showed the greatest interest in all +he had to say, and seemed to find it all vastly entertaining. They were +anxious, Archie thought, to make him have a very good time in Tokio, to +make up for some of his hard experiences, and if this were indeed their +object, they succeeded admirably in accomplishing it. Every day was +filled with surprises, and every night Archie thought he had enjoyed +himself more this day than the day before. They travelled about the city +so persistently, on foot and in the quaint jinrikishas, that he felt +that he knew almost every part of Tokio, and he witnessed every side of +native existence, as well as the life in the foreign quarter. It was +all charmingly new and interesting, and, as in Hong Kong, they were +both sorry when the day for their sailing came around. And always since +Archie has declared that no one can be more kindly hospitable than the +English. + +The voyage from Yokohama to San Francisco was slow and monotonous, +Archie thought, for he was now very impatient to reach the United +States, and he had also grown very tired of travel by water. There were +some very pleasant passengers, but Archie couldn't see that he had a +much better time than when he was peeling potatoes corning over. That +was interesting enough, anyhow. The only break in the monotony was the +day they were enabled to spend in Honolulu, and on that day Archie went +again to some of the places he had seen during his first visit to the +attractive city. And he called again upon some of the friends of his +first visit, and found that most of them had read of his great success +as a war correspondent, and of his many exciting experiences in the +Philippines. They were all profuse in congratulating him upon what +he had accomplished, and every one seemed to think he had been very +successful indeed. + +While they were in Honolulu a vessel arrived, bound for Japan, and +Archie was delighted to find it was the same vessel upon which he had +worked his passage from San Francisco on his way to Manila. He went +aboard and met some of the friends he had made there, and found that +they all knew now who it was they had carried as chore-boy in the +galley. They all seemed glad to hear of his success, and to know that +he was coming home as a first-class passenger. The cook treated him with +much deference, and started to apologise for his treatment of Archie on +the way over; but the boy stopped him, and told him that no apology +was necessary. "I think I may have been an unwilling worker," he said, +"because of course I didn't like the work at all, and it was hard for +me to take an interest in peeling potatoes when I was looking forward to +accomplishing such great things in the Philippines." + +"Oh," said the cook, "you was a fine worker. Sure, I ain't had so good +a boy since." And Archie laughed to see the change in opinion which is +sometimes brought about by a change in circumstances. + +Archie enjoyed the city quite as much as before, but he was glad, +nevertheless, when the steamer continued her voyage east. And then he +began to count the days until they should arrive in San Francisco, and +of course these last days seemed the longest ones of the voyage. But +they gradually passed away, and as they steamed ahead, coming nearer +every hour to that dear land called "home," both Archie and Bill began +to wonder how they would like it all, after their adventurous life in +the Philippines. Bill, in particular, was doubtful whether he would +again be able to settle down to a quiet existence in some small place, +and Archie assured him that he must live in New York, where he would be +sure to find things lively enough to suit him. + +At last came the eventful day when the great steamer threaded her way +through the beautiful Golden Gate, and discharged her passengers at the +pier. As Archie and Bill had but little baggage, they were almost the +first ones to leave the vessel, and were hurrying away to find a hotel +where they could remain overnight when Archie felt some one touch him on +the shoulder, and, turning about and seeing no one he knew, was about +to go on, when a man introduced himself as being the San Francisco +correspondent of the Enterprise. "And these gentlemen here," said he, +"are reporters from the newspapers here. They would be glad to have +you say a few words about your experiences during the last few months." +Archie was quite dumbfounded. It had never occurred to him that he was a +person so important as to be interviewed, but he was willing and glad to +accommodate the reporters, and told them to accompany him to his hotel. +Once there, he answered all their questions, and didn't find it hard at +all to give them his opinion of the situation in the Philippines, and +what he thought should be done by the government to stop the rebellion. +"The President will soon put an end to it," he said, "if he can only +have the support of Congress. But as long as there are members of +Congress fighting his policy, the insurgents are going to continue their +insane efforts to establish an independent government." And some of the +reporters smiled to hear so young a fellow talking about the policy in +the Philippines. They felt that he was well-informed, however, and put +down every word he said. + +The interviews over, Archie and Bill went early to bed. The Enterprise +correspondent had telegraphed the news of their arrival to New York, and +had received word from Mr. Van Bunting to send them on to New York at +once. So, early in the morning, the two started for the East, and the +train seemed to travel quite as slowly as the steamer. "It does seem +good to be in our own country again," they said a hundred times during +the days that followed, and when they reached the Empire State and began +their journey down the Hudson River, Archie could hardly restrain his +enthusiasm at being again in his native commonwealth. + +There was quite a delegation at the Grand Central Station to meet them. +Mr. Jennings was there in person, and he explained that Mr. Van +Bunting was waiting anxiously at the office to see him. Then there were +reporters from the various other city papers, who wanted interviews, +but Archie was told to say whatever he had to say in the columns of the +Enterprise, so he had to deny the reporters for the first time. Bill +Hickson was introduced at once, and became the lion of the hour. Every +one had read of him, and was glad to shake his hand, and poor Bill was +quite bewildered by so much attention. They didn't linger long at the +station, however, but hurried down to the Enterprise office, where Mr. +Van Bunting was awaiting them. He grasped Archie's hand in his as they +entered, and cried, "Well done, my boy, well done." And Archie felt as +if he had grown three feet that instant. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + + DOING "SPECIAL" WORK UPON THE EVENING PAPER--INTERVIEWS WITH FAMOUS + MEN--CALLS UPON OLD FRIENDS. + +THERE was so much to tell Mr. Jennings and Mr. Van Bunting, that Archie +didn't get away from the Enterprise office until seven o'clock in the +evening. And what a lot they did say to each other during the afternoon! +Archie told of all his experiences, and found them all anxious to hear +about them. He learned, to his joy, that everything he had sent had been +printed, and that the articles had made a great hit with the public. "We +would have liked to keep you there longer, but we knew you must be worn +out, and then we want you to stay right here, now, and see if you +cannot get us some good interviews and articles of various kinds for the +Evening Enterprise. The paper has been losing ground somewhat, of late, +and we need some new life for its pages. Of course the morning paper +profited greatly by your articles, but the evening edition seemed very +weak in comparison, and we think it only fair to Mr. Jennings to let +him have you on his staff for awhile now. So if you are willing, you can +start in to-morrow as a member of the staff. We will see that you are +well paid for what you write, or we will put you on salary, whichever +you like. You can think it over, and in the morning you can tell us +which plan you like best." + +Archie wanted to ask for a few days' absence to return home, but he +felt, somehow, that he ought not to ask it just now. So he contented +himself with writing a long letter to his mother, in which he enclosed a +very large check, money which he had not used on his return to New York. +He told her that he would be home just as soon as he could get off for +any length of time, and he knew that she would now be looking forward to +the visit every day. She had written him about the enthusiasm displayed +by every one over his achievements, and how proud she was of what he +had accomplished. "I think I am the proudest mother in the country," she +wrote one day, and this sentence made Archie very happy, of course, and +more anxious than ever to return home. He received a letter, too, from +Jack Sullivan, telling him how much the boys all thought of his success, +and how every member of the Hut Club had longed time and again to be +with him. "It all reads just like some book," Jack wrote, "and we are +dying to have you come home and tell us all about it." Then his mother +sent him clippings from the town papers, eulogising his efforts, and +calling him the "coming man of the State." All this was very pleasant +and very encouraging, and Archie couldn't help having a kindly feeling +for the townsfolk who thought so much of him. + +New York was as delightful as ever. It was now the last of April, and +the trees were all green with fresh leaves, and the numerous little +parks scattered over the city were looking their very best. The asphalt +pavements looked clean and elegant when Archie thought of some other +streets he had seen, and the tall office buildings lifted their ornate +domes and cupolas into a sky of clear blue. "Surely," he thought to +himself, "this is the most charming city in all the world." Fifth +Avenue, with its crowds of fashionable folk, and its throng of vehicles, +was a delight of which he never tired, and when he went into the +Bowery, just to see how things were looking now, he found it quite as +interesting and as dirty as in the fall. + +But the first place he visited was the dear little square away +down-town, where he had lived during those few happy days spent in New +York. It, too, looked the same, only the flowers and grass were fresher +now, and the fountain seemed to flow more joyously, now that spring was +here. The house where he had lodged was as clean as ever, and Archie +at once decided to engage a room here, where he could have his New York +home. So he called upon the motherly landlady, and was glad to learn +that the room he had first was still vacant, and that he could take +possession at once. + +As before, when he came to this house, Archie was almost out of +clothing, so he went out and fitted himself with everything he needed. +And this time he felt able to buy the best to be had, for he thought he +had now earned the privilege to dress well if he liked. And then, when +he had everything he needed to wear, he went out and bought many pretty +things for his room, for he felt that he would like to have it just as +cosy and home-like as possible. He wasn't able to do much at it this +first night, but in the succeeding days he furnished the place in a +charming way, so that the landlady said it was the "handsomest room in +the house, sir." The dear old lady could hardly understand this great +change in her lodger's circumstances. She worried about it very often, +and discussed the question with many of the neighbours. "He come here +last fall looking mighty poor-like, but, lawsy me, he's as fine now as +any man on the avenue." And she never did understand it until one day +she learned that her lodger was the "very young man who had been to the +war in the Philippines, and writ about his battles in the Enterprise." + +There was no ceremony when Archie began work on the evening paper. Mr. +Jennings told him that he thought they understood each other pretty +well, and that he could use his own discretion, very often, about +getting articles. "You can be as independent as you like, Archie," he +said, "and use your own ideas as much as you like." This pleased the boy +very much indeed. He was beginning to feel now that he had really won +his spurs, and that he was a full-fledged journalist. It seemed scarcely +possible that it had taken him little more than six months to make +this great advance in circumstances, and yet he could see himself a few +months previous, sleeping in the station-house. Now his days of poverty +were surely over, and he would have a clear path ahead of him to +accomplish his great ambition to be a successful author and writer of +books. For the present, it was good experience for him to be working +upon the Enterprise, and he felt that he ought to be very much +contented, since there were men old enough to be his father who were not +earning as much money. + +He liked the work upon the evening paper very much. He didn't have to +get down early in the morning, and at three o'clock in the afternoon +he was always through. He was very glad indeed that there was no night +work, for he now spent his evenings in studying shorthand, which he +thought might be helpful to him in many ways. He didn't have much +routine work to do upon the paper in the beginning, but he told Mr. +Jennings that he would like to get as much experience as possible, so +the good editor gave him a lot of regular reporting to do, as well as +the special work which was daily featured in the paper. This special +work consisted of interviews with various successful men. Archie had +always felt a great admiration for men who had "done something," and +as New York was simply filled with wealthy and successful men, who had +started as poor boys, he found a wide field for work. He found it very +interesting to meet these men of affairs, and have them tell him of +their early struggles, how they had begun on the farm or in the factory, +and had worked themselves up through industry and perseverance to the +high places they now occupied. He found it very easy to get access +to most of them, for they had all read of his experiences in the +Enterprise, and Archie found that his fame as the "Boy Reporter" was +quite general and widespread. Some of the great men were quite as much +determined to interview him as he was anxious to interview them, so +that he usually got along very well by telling them first of his own +experiences, and then asking them about their own boyhood days. It +was work that never became monotonous, for each day he saw a man quite +different in most respects from the man he had interviewed the day +before, and of course every one had something different to say. + +These interviews proved very successful when published in the Evening +Enterprise, and Mr. Jennings had him continue them during all the weeks +Archie was connected with the paper. And of course he did other things, +too, work which took him into every part of the great city, looking +up this event, or investigating this reported disappearance or murder. +Archie was quite successful in this line, too, and, as he was being paid +by the column, his weekly income was something larger than he had ever +dared to hope for in all his life. He was now enabled to study his +stenography at the best school, and to indulge himself in many things +which had been denied him before. He could, for instance, attend the +performances of grand opera, and hear the great musical artists of the +world. He was able, too, to read the best literature, and he gradually +learned to appreciate all the many good things in life. He was very glad +to find himself broadening in such a way, for he realised that he +would not always want to be a "Boy Reporter," and that he had better be +developing his mind in every possible way. + +He had not been back long in New York before he met all his old friends. +One of the first upon whom he called was the good policeman who had been +so very kind to him when he had no place to sleep. The large-hearted man +was as enthusiastic over his success as if he had been his own son, +and Archie felt that here was one true friend upon whom he could always +depend. The policeman never tired of telling about that first night when +he found Archie walking up and down Broadway, and he always spoke of him +to the other officers as "that boy of mine." So the boy, who was now a +full-fledged reporter, spent as much time with this friend as possible, +and many a time he sat at the station-house telling them all of his +adventures in the Orient. + +Another friend whom he met was the great railway president with whom he +had travelled to Chicago on his way to San Francisco. Archie had liked +this man from the very first, and he felt that in him he would +always find a friend, because he had shown such interest in his first +undertaking. And when he called upon him in his elegant office, he +received a very cordial greeting. + +"No, indeed," said the great man of affairs, "I have never forgotten our +trip West together, and I have followed you with much interest through +the columns of the Enterprise. And I am glad that you are back again in +New York, for I hope to see a great deal of you. You must come up to my +house some evening and tell us all about yourself." + +Archie was naturally much surprised to receive an invitation of this +kind, but he resolved to accept it, nevertheless. + +Bill Hickson was now employed in the Brooklyn navy yard. He had been +featured for several days in the Enterprise, and had enjoyed the +excitement of New York for awhile, but he decided he would like to be at +work. So one day Archie learned that he was working at the navy yard. + +"I've got to be with Uncle Sam," was all the reason Bill would give for +his action. + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + + PRIVATE SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE--STUDYING AT EVENING SCHOOL--LIVING + AMID ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS. + +IT was now September. Archie had been in New York the whole summer +through, attending carefully to his work on the Evening Enterprise, and +continuing his study of stenography. He had taken occasional trips to +Long Branch and Asbury Park on Saturday afternoons, but every other day +he spent in working up ideas for the paper, and each evening he devoted +to the shorthand school. By this time, though, he felt that he knew all +that was necessary of shorthand, and found himself more free to go about +in the evenings. He visited his friends more frequently, and sometimes +spent whole evenings in studying works on English literature, for he was +ambitious to know more of the great work he had decided to make his own. +This study was not really work to him, for his interest in everything +connected with literature was so great that he found a pleasure in +reading even the most classical books on the subject, and of course so +much reading of this sort did a great deal to educate his mind along +this line of work. + +One evening in the early fall, Archie decided to accept the invitation +of Mr. Depaw, the railway president, to call. So he carefully dressed +himself in the best he had, and walked up Fifth Avenue and into the side +street where the great man had his home. He rang the bell and presented +his card, and waited in the drawing-room for an answer. The footman was +gone but a moment, and returning, announced that the family would be +down directly. Archie was very much pleased that he was to meet the +entire family, and looked about him with great interest at the elegant +furnishings of the room in which he sat. He couldn't help thinking how +lovely it must be to have so many books, so many pictures, and so many +works of art of every kind. The boy thought then that he would like to +be a wealthy man, just to be able to gratify his desires for beautiful +things. + +He had to wait only a short time before the genial Mr. Depaw entered the +room, accompanied by several members of the family. Archie was greeted +very warmly, and introduced to every one, and then they immediately +began an animated conversation, in which Archie soon found himself +taking an active part, much to his surprise. He felt that he had +never before realised what a great gift it is to be able to talk +entertainingly, and this evening was a revelation to him in the ways of +good society. He found that every one was much interested in the story +of his adventures, and he talked more about them than for a long time +past. He was now beginning to feel that his Philippine experiences were +an old story, but he learned that they were quite as entertaining as +ever to these people. But they did not talk entirely about Archie. They +realised that this would be embarrassing to him, and they were careful +to guide the conversation into a discussion of music and literature, and +whatever else they imagined him to like. And so it was that the evening +passed very quickly, and it was time to leave before he knew it. Then he +was asked to be sure to call again, and Mr. Depaw, as he accompanied +him to the door, requested him to call at his office on the following +Wednesday, if possible. Archie promised, and walked home down the +avenue, wondering what it could be that Mr. Depaw wanted to talk to him +about. He didn't worry long about it, however, but went home and to +bed as quickly as possible, for he had formed a habit of rising at six +o'clock in the morning to study. + +The days passed quickly until Wednesday, and the afternoon of that day +found Archie in the waiting-room of Mr. Depaw's office. He had not long +to sit there after sending in his card, for the busy man received him as +soon as he could get rid of his present visitor. He shook Archie warmly +by the hand as he entered, and then, pulling two chairs together, they +sat down. "I have been thinking for some time," said Mr. Depaw, "that +I need a sort of private secretary. Of course I have men here at the +office who take dictation from me, and who fulfil the duties of a +secretary to a certain extent, but I want a young man who can attend +somewhat to my personal affairs; I want one whom I can trust, and one +who is likely to grow as he works along, so that eventually he may +be able to fill any place I may have open for him." Then he stopped a +moment, and Archie felt his heart beating very fast beneath his coat. He +waited almost breathlessly to hear what Mr. Depaw would say next. + +"Ever since I met you first," he at last went on, "I have somehow +thought that you are the kind of a young fellow I would like. You are +ambitious, you are persevering, and you are willing to learn. You say, +too, that you know shorthand, and I know that you are a good penman. You +have seen quite a little of the world, I am sure, and I think you +can prove yourself equal to almost any occasion. The only question is +whether you will care to give up reporting for a position of this kind. +I can assure you that I will pay you as much as you are earning now, and +I shall be glad to offer you a home at my house, because I shall want +you at my right hand all the time. Do you think you will care to take +the place?" + +Archie could hardly speak, it was all so wonderful, but finally he +recovered himself sufficiently to explain his hesitancy in accepting +the position. "I would like just one day," he said, "to consult with my +friends on the newspaper. You see Mr. Jennings and Mr. Van Bunting have +been very good to me, and I shouldn't care to leave them now if they +object very strongly." + +"That's quite right, quite right," said Mr. Depaw. "I can appreciate +your feelings, and you can tell the editor that you will have some time +for writing, and that you will contribute occasional articles to his +paper." Archie was now delighted. "Oh, thank you," he cried. "I am sure +I can come now." + +"Well, come in at this time to-morrow," said Mr. Depaw, "and let me know +what you have decided to do." + +Archie hurried at once to Mr. Jennings's office to tell him the good +news. He wondered how his friend would take it, but all his fears +were soon put at rest. "Archie," said Mr. Jennings, "this is the best +opportunity you can ever have to improve yourself in every way. Mr. +Depaw is a man highly respected all over the country, and a man who is +known to be extraordinary in many ways. Association with such a man will +do more for you than four years in college, and you will make a mistake +if you do not accept his offer. Of course we shall all be sorry to lose +you here, but, as Mr. Depaw says, you will have some time for writing, +and we hope you will always continue to do some work for us." + +Archie could almost have thrown his arms about Mr. Jennings's neck to +hug him for his splendid feeling, and when, a little later, Mr. Van +Bunting said practically the same thing, he felt that he had never known +two such men. He assured them both that he would never forget them, but +would try and spend as much time as possible in the Enterprise office. + +The next day he called again on Mr. Depaw, and told him of his decision +to accept the place, and the good man seemed overjoyed. "I will see that +you never forget it, Archie," he said. It was arranged for him to begin +work the very next day. "You can transfer your things to my house as +soon as you like, for your room is waiting for you, and I will begin +to-morrow to teach you how to do things." + +And now Archie found it hard to leave the dear little room in the quaint +old square, which was looking now just as when he saw it first. The +leaves in the trees were turning brown and gold, and Archie realised +that he had been away from home more than a year. "Oh, I must go back +soon," he said to himself, "or I shall simply die of homesickness." + +In a couple of days he was installed as a member of the Depaw household, +and he soon felt at home there. Every one was very kind to him, he was +given a handsome room, and everything seemed almost perfect. One of the +best things about it all was that he had access to the fine library, +and he longed for the long winter evenings when he could devour the many +interesting books he saw there. He was soon initiated into his work, and +it was much easier than he had expected. Mr. Depaw, of course, started +him very gradually, so that he learned as he went along. Every morning +at eight o'clock he was in the library with Mr. Depaw, taking dictation, +and receiving instructions for the day. They remained together here +until ten o'clock, when Mr. Depaw either walked or drove to his office. +Archie always accompanied him, and took charge of some of the mail +there, attending to it during the morning. Then at noon he returned to +the house, where he spent the afternoon in writing the letters which had +been dictated in the morning, and in doing various things for Mr. Depaw. +The evenings he always had to himself, and he had no difficulty in +finding enough to do at home without going out. He almost invariably +passed the evenings in reading, but occasionally he was asked to +accompany the family to some musical event at the opera house, for they +had soon learned of his love for music. + +In work and study the winter passed quickly and happily for Archie, who +now felt quite at ease amid his elegant surroundings. His only wish was +that he might go home, and as spring approached Mr. Depaw promised him +that he should have a short vacation. The suggestion of Mr. Depaw that +Archie's mother come to New York for a week was heartily accepted by +Archie, but when he wrote home Mrs. Dunn replied that she would rather +wait for Archie at home. She had never visited New York, and felt that +she wouldn't like it. + +Bill Hickson came over very often from the navy yard, and was always a +welcome visitor at Mr. Depaw's office. He didn't seem to care for his +work in Brooklyn, however, and Archie finally requested a place for him +about the elegant new station which the road had just constructed in the +city. Mr. Depaw very readily gave him an excellent position, one which +he could keep always if he so desired. And Bill was highly pleased +with his new work, so much so that he surprised them all one day in the +spring by leading into the once a young lady whom he introduced as his +wife. Of course Archie was very much pleased at this new development, +for he had often thought that his friend must be very lonely, living in +a boarding-house. + +The days were all busy ones for Archie now. He had learned the work +so thoroughly that he was given more than ever to do, and he still +continued to write, too, for the Enterprise. He worked too hard, +however, and in April he looked so thin that Mr. Depaw sent him home for +a week's rest. + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + + DECIDES TO VISIT HOME--A GREAT RECEPTION IN THE TOWN--A PUBLIC + CHARACTER NOW--DINNER TO THE HUT CLUB--DEMONSTRATION AT THE TOWN HALL-- + A TELEGRAM FROM HIS EMPLOYER LEAVING FOR EUROPE. + +IT was a beautiful April day. There had been a light shower in the +morning, and now everything looked as fresh and green as possible all +along the railway. Archie lay back in his comfortable Wagner seat, +admiring the beauties of spring, and thinking, too, of the days he spent +in walking along this very road. It seemed hard to believe that he +was now secretary to the president of this railroad, and that he was +returning home, after a year and a half, a very successful young man. He +had much to think of in the hours it would take him to reach the little +town. He tried to remember everything about the place, and his mother as +he saw her last, and it wasn't at all difficult for him to do so. But, +oh, how he hoped that things had not changed! He almost dreaded going +home for fear he would find things different. + +He had changed, that much was sure. He knew that he had grown to +look much older than his years, and he knew that he was not looking +particularly strong. He used to be so sturdy, and he had such a splendid +colour in his cheeks. Mother would be sorry to see him now, but of +course he would be sure to improve very much during the week he was to +remain among old friends. + +He was very anxious to see his boy friends, the members of the Hut +Club, and the boys and girls who were in his class at school. He had +telegraphed his mother that he was coming, so she would probably tell +the boys about it. He was sure they would be there. + +Now the stations looked more familiar. This one just passed was near +the Tinch farm, and Archie remembered the days he spent working for old +Hiram, and how he had suffered. He wondered if the farmer had ever seen +any copies of the Enterprise. It would be very interesting to him to +know that his chore-boy was now a secretary to a millionaire. This next +station he remembered very well indeed, because he used to come here +every fall to visit the county fair, where he marvelled at the wonderful +things he saw in the side-shows. + +And now the train was entering the limits of his own town. Here was +the old elevator, and the machine shop near the railway track. And, oh, +there was his own home, looking green and pleasant as the train sped by. +It almost brought tears to Archie's eyes to think that he was so soon to +see his mother. Now they had reached the station, and he stood upon the +car platform ready to alight. My, what a crowd there was! and why did +they cheer as he made his appearance? All at once it dawned upon him +that all these people were here to meet him, and to bid him welcome +home. He could hardly speak as he found himself in his mother's arms, +and then he began to shake the hands of the big crowd. They were all +old friends, and then there was the mayor, and the superintendent of +schools, and quite a delegation of leading citizens. How nice it was of +them to welcome him in this way! + +After awhile the handshaking was over, and the mayor was able to get +a few minutes with Archie. "We are all very proud of what you have +accomplished," he said, "and we want to give you a public reception +to-morrow night in the town hall, if you don't object." Archie stared +blankly at the mayor, and it was several moments before he realised the +meaning of the words. Then he was almost overcome. It was almost too +good to be true, it seemed, but he warmly thanked the mayor, and told +him how he appreciated the honour which they had done him. He said that +he would be glad to attend the reception. + +The crowd was scattering now, and Archie, wild to reach home, took his +mother to a carriage, in which they drove rapidly out to the little +house among the trees and arbours. The old town looked beautiful in +every way. The great maple and oak trees along the road were green with +new leaves, and every dooryard was bright with snowballs and yellow +roses. "This is the very best time of the year," he said to his mother, +"and I am the very happiest boy in all the world." + +"And I am the happiest mother," was the answer. Then they sat in silence +until they reached the old home. They entered by the kitchen door, and, +once inside, and seated in the old cane rocking-chair, Archie bowed his +head in tears of joy at being home with mother once again. + +The hours which followed were sweet with joy. Mrs. Dunn busied herself +in preparing the supper, and Archie hung around the kitchen, telling +some of the many things he had planned to tell. Mrs. Dunn was smiling, +and Archie thought her the sweetest mother any boy could have. She was +changed somewhat, but she looked very young to-day. + +Supper over, Archie went over the fence to see the Sullivan boys, and +he found them looking much the same. He was truly glad to see them, and +they, of course, were glad to see him, too, though at first they were +just a little bashful, remembering, no doubt, all the things which had +happened to Archie since they saw him last. The boys were soon telling +all about the Hut Club, though, and Archie learned to his joy that it +was still a flourishing organisation. "We spoke of you every time we +were together," said Jack, "and we always wished you were back again." +Archie was delighted to hear that he had been missed, and all at once +an idea came to him which he put into execution three days later. He +determined to give an elegant dinner to this club of boys, and the very +next day he sent to New York for a caterer to arrange it. He wanted +it to be something finer than any of the boys had ever seen, and it +certainly turned out to be so. The caterer did his best, and when, three +days later, the Hut Club sat down together for the first time in more +than eighteen months, they partook of a dinner which would have done +credit to Mr. Depaw's table. It was a memorable night for them all, and +every boy enjoyed himself. + +Archie enjoyed this Hut Club dinner more than anything else while he +was at home, though of course the great event of his stay was the public +reception at the Town Hall on the second evening after his arrival. This +was a truly grand affair. The town authorities hired a brass band, which +played inside the hall and out, and there was such a crowd in attendance +that many were turned away from the doors. It was a night that Archie +will never be able to forget. He sat on the platform, in company with +the mayor and other town officials, and he listened to several speeches +congratulating him on what he had accomplished since leaving the town. +Then he had to get up and tell them all of his experiences, from the +time he left until now. He told it in a simple manner, but from the +close attention he received it was evident his audience was deeply +interested. When he had finished, there were calls for "three cheers for +Archie Dunn," and they were given with a will. Then Archie, rising +from his seat, called for "three cheers for the President of the United +States," and they, too, were given, for Archie had told them all his +feelings on the subject of the President's policy in the war. After this +there were three cheers for Mr. Depaw, whom one man said would be the +next United States Senator from the State. The meeting closed with some +cheers for the New York Enterprise, and then followed a long siege of +handshaking for Archie, who stood beside his mother on the floor in +front of the platform. It was a happy night for them both, and Mrs. Dunn +said afterward that she could never wish for anything more the rest of +her life. + +The fourth day of his visit was a Sunday, and, to Archie's joy, brave +Bill Hickson and his wife came up from the city to spend the day. What +a jolly time they had, all day long! They went to church in the morning, +where they saw all the people, it seemed, whom they hadn't seen before, +and in the afternoon there were many callers at the little house. The +evening was spent quietly by the happy four, talking of old times and +plans for the future. The town authorities were anxious to give Bill +Hickson a reception while he was in town, but the bashful hero declined +the honour, and returned with his wife to New York by the midnight +train. + +During the two succeeding days Archie talked a great deal with his +mother, and finally gained her consent to come to New York to live in +a year's time. Mrs. Dunn had never really understood that Archie had so +good a position, but now that she realised what a splendid beginning +he had made, she was very willing to come and keep house for him. This +question settled, everything seemed wholly delightful in the cosy home, +and Archie settled down to enjoy the two remaining days of his visit in +quiet rest. He had already much improved during his stay, and was sure +of going back to the city feeling much better than for a long time past, +and this made Mrs. Dunn very happy. + +But Archie didn't stay his week out at home. On the fifth night he +attended a reception in his honour at one of the neighbours' houses, and +he was just in the midst of a description of Tokio when a messenger boy +entered with a telegram for him. He opened it at once, and read it aloud +to the company: + +"Dear Archie," it said, "return as soon as possible. I sail for Europe +on Saturday's steamer to remain six months, and wish you to accompany +me." It was signed by Mr. Depaw, and there was great applause from the +crowd when he finished reading it. But Archie's face was a study. He +wasn't sure whether he wanted to go to Europe or not, but of course +there was no question about what he should do. He at once telegraphed +a reply, saying that he would reach the city to-morrow at noon, leaving +home on the early morning train. + +Of course the reception soon broke up, and Archie walked quietly home +with his mother, who was saddened at the prospect of losing him so soon +again. She soon brightened, however, and began to plan things for him to +do abroad, and soon she entered into the preparation for his departure +with all her heart. But Archie was not so soon made glad, and he didn't +rest until he made his mother promise to accompany him to the city on +the morrow to spend the two days previous to his departure in helping +him get ready. Mrs. Dunn wasn't anxious to make the trip, but for +Archie's sake she consented. + +And early the next morning they left for the city, where the time passed +rapidly until the hour of the steamer's sailing. At the pier they said +good-bye. Archie could hardly speak, but Mrs. Dunn was brave. "Archie," +she said, "God has been with you so far and he will keep you yet. And +remember that a boy with honest ambition will always get along. You +are sure to have friends about you always, for you have proved that +you possess energy, perseverance and a good heart." She said good-bye +without a tear, but as the steamer left the pier Archie saw, on looking +back, a sweet mother seated on a coil of rope, with her handkerchief to +her eyes. + + THE END. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of a Boy Reporter, by +Harry Steele Morrison + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER *** + +***** This file should be named 4990-8.txt or 4990-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/4/9/9/4990/ + +Produced by Jim Weiler + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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