himself. But how to send word was a question, for no steamer was sailing and the mails were closed. On returning to the hotel at which he was stopping Gilbert found several letters awaiting him. The majority were business communications, but one was of a private nature, and as soon as he beheld the hand-writing he tore it open in surprise. “From my old chum, Ben Russell!” he cried, as he looked at the signature. “Where in the world can he be now? I thought he had gone home to stay there. Dated from Manila, too, and I thought he was in Buffalo or New York.” [Pg 29] [Pg 29] The communication was a long one, filling sixteen closely written pages, and ran in part as follows: “My Dear Chum Gilbert: I know you will be surprised to receive this, written from the above-named place, but the fact of it is, I changed my mind after writing to you that I was going home to visit my Uncle Job Dowling, and my brothers Larry and Walter, who left for home, as you know, two years ago. My Dear Chum Gilbert “Some time ago I received several letters from home, including one each from Larry and Walter. Walter has gone into business and is doing remarkably well, so he tells me. But Larry did not want to stay on land, and after knocking around for the best part of a year he entered into communication with his old friend, Captain Ponsberry of the Columbia, and the upshot of the matter was that Larry is now on board of the Columbia, acting as second mate. He is certainly a sea-dog if ever there was one, and I begin to believe he will end his days on the ocean in spite of all we can do to make him settle down on land. “Larry knew that the old Columbia was carrying a cargo for your company, and as soon as he could he communicated with me stating that the schooner[Pg 30] was going to stop at Manila while on her way to Japan and Manchuria, and asking me to wait there until he could see me. [Pg 30] “The Columbia came in several days ago, and I can tell you I was mighty glad to see Larry, and to see old Captain Ponsberry, too. It was like a touch of old times, and I was sorry you and Walter were not there. Do you remember the good time we had at our last meeting? How we talked of all the hardships we had endured, and of the narrow escapes we had had?
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