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.