CHAPTER XI
ACCEPT A KINDNESS AND PASS IT ALONG
"Is it as bad as all that, my boy?" asked a kindly voice at Rob's elbow;and the lad, turning quickly, looked into the sympathetic face of aUnited States army officer, whose khaki uniform was faced with red.
Captain John Astley, commanding Battery Z of Field Artillery, returningfrom leave in the East, had been placed in temporary charge of a body ofrecruits ordered to Vancouver Barracks, near Portland, Oregon, which washis station. He had stopped at Helena _en route_, to pick up a fewmore newly enlisted men, and, being at the railway-station that morning,was attracted by Rob's running and shouting after his rapidly vanishingtrain. Captain Astley was tender-hearted, as are all brave men; and,noting our young traveller's genuine distress, he impulsively steppedforward to inquire into its cause. As he saw tears on the lad's cheeks,he knew it must be serious, for Rob did not look like a fellow fromwhose eyes tears could easily be extracted.
"Yes, sir," replied poor Rob, who, longing for sympathy in this momentof distress, was moved by the kindly face of the stranger to unburdenhis heart of its load of trouble. "It is about as bad as it can be, formy father is dying in China, and my only chance of seeing him alive layin catching the _Oriental_, which sails from Tacoma to-morrow evening.Now I have lost her, and there won't be another steamer of that line fornearly a month. Besides, my baggage is on the train just gone; and mypocket-book, with my tickets and all my money, has gone with it, lockedup in my suit-case."
"That does seem a rather serious situation," said Captain Astley,gravely, "but perhaps it won't prove irremediable, after all. I'venoticed that things looking the darkest at first view often brightenupon closer inspection. Suppose we sit down for a minute and see whatlight can be thrown into this darkness."
When Rob had accepted this friendly invitation, and the two had seatedthemselves on a near-by baggage-truck, the elder man continued: "Tobegin with, let us know each other. I am John Astley, Captain ofArtillery, U.S.A., and stationed at Vancouver Barracks, to which placeI must proceed by to-morrow morning's train. I wanted to go on to-day,but, unexpectedly, was detained at the last moment, and came to thestation to hold over my luggage. I must confess that I was much annoyedat this detention, but if it affords me an opportunity of helping youout of your trouble I shall not regret it."
"Thank you, sir," replied the lad. "My name is Rob Hinckley. I am theson of a medical missionary, stationed at Wu Hsing, on the Si Kiang, inChina, where I was born; but I have lived for the past fourteen years,and gone to school, in New England. I have passed my preliminaries forYale, and should have entered next fall if the news of my father'sserious illness, and his great desire to see me before he died, had notaltered all my plans. Now, by my own carelessness in walking too far,while the train waited here, I not only have lost it, but probably havelost my only chance of ever seeing him again."
"Isn't there a steamer of some other line--the _Empress_ fromVancouver, the _Yusen Kaisha_ from Seattle, or the Pacific Mail fromSan Francisco--that you can take within a few days?" suggested CaptainAstley.
"There is one from San Francisco in about a week, but, you see, myfare is paid through to Nagasaki by the Tacoma line, and I'm afraidI haven't money enough to buy another ticket. Besides, I should havefare from Tacoma to San Francisco to pay, and hotel bills. Then, too,my pocket-book, with money, tickets, and everything, has gone off onthat train. I thought I'd be extra careful, and so locked it up in mysuit-case before starting out to walk."
"I hope you still have the key," said Captain Astley, seriously, butwith a twinkle in his gray eyes.
"Yes, sir; I've got that. I don't see, though, how it is going to dome much good, seeing that I haven't money enough to take me even toTacoma. There's another thing I've just thought of. My trunk is checkedthrough to Nagasaki by the _Oriental_; and as my suit-case has the samename on it, probably some one will be kind enough to put it on board thesteamer. So there isn't much chance that I shall ever see it again."
"Oh, I guess there is, provided the telegraph still is in order, and Iknow it was working a few minutes ago."
"I haven't even money enough to pay for a telegram," objected Rob.
"So it is doubly fortunate that I happen to have a few pennies left overfrom my last month's pay," laughed the captain.
"But I am a stranger to you, sir, and you don't know that I am honestenough to repay you, even if I ever get my money back," objected Rob,flushing with the embarrassment that money troubles always cause thosenot used to them.
"Haven't you just told me all about yourself?" suggested the captain,gravely; "and can't I read 'honesty' written on every feature of yourface? Besides, one must always be willing to risk somethink in aninvestment from which he hopes to gain rich returns in the form ofself-satisfaction. So it's all right, every way you look at it, and Ithink we'll buy the use of a west-bound wire for the next half-hour orso."
Thus saying, Captain Astley led the way to the telegraph-office, intowhich Rob doubtfully followed him. There the former first persuaded thestation-agent to wire the conductor of the train that had brought ouryoung traveller thus far, an inquiry concerning him and his ticket. Thenhe wired the Pullman conductor to look after Rob's suit-case and deliverit to the station-agent at Tacoma, to be kept by him until called for byCaptain Astley.
"I put it that way," explained the latter, "because the Tacoma agentknows me, while he doesn't know Robert Hinckley; and, as we are going ontogether to-morrow, it won't make any difference which of us receivesthe bag."
A third despatch was sent to the Tacoma agent of the steamship company,notifying him that unforeseen circumstances prevented Mr. RobertHinckley from sailing on the _Oriental_, requesting him to hold over atrunk marked Hinckley and bearing Nagasaki check 907, and asking him tomeet the following day's Coast Limited at the Tacoma station, with moneyto refund the price of the forfeited ticket.
"I don't know whether or not he will do that," said Captain Astley;"but perhaps he will, seeing that he is pretty well acquainted with me.At any rate, it is worth trying for. You may send the replies to thesemessages up to the X Hotel," he added, turning to the operator.
"But I am not staying at the X Hotel," objected Rob, remembering howvery elegant and expensive that establishment had looked when he passedit a half-hour before. "I can't afford it."
"Not as my guest?" asked the army man.
"I don't see how you can think of doing so much for me," blurted outRob. "I never heard of any one being so kind to a perfect stranger."
"My dear lad, I once was a boy myself, and continually getting intoscrapes, from which kind people, as often as not entire strangers,helped me out. So you see I now am only repaying a small portion ofthe debt I owe to those who were good to me. Besides, I am fond ofboys, especially of boys who behave themselves as gentlemen, and amdelighted at the prospect of having one as a travelling companion,even for a short time. So don't you fret any more over the incurringof obligations; also, never hesitate to accept whatever good thing isoffered you in this life, for the bad you'll have to accept, whether orno."
"All right, sir," replied Rob, smiling happily, as he now could wellafford to do. "I will gratefully accept all the kindness you offer, andpass it along to some other fellow, whenever I find one in a trouble outof which I can help him."
"Good!" laughed the captain. "And now that we understand each other,let's go up to the hotel for breakfast."
Owing to the efforts of this Heaven-sent friend, Rob's troubles, thathad seemed so overwhelming, melted away like frost before the warmbreath of a cloudless sun. While they were at breakfast, a message wasreceived from the train conductor that Robert Hinckley, accidentallyleft behind at Helena, had paid full first-class fare through to Tacoma,and on the strength of this the Helena agent provided our lad with aticket to that point. The Pullman man wired from Spokane that Rob'sbaggage was in his keeping, and would be handed over at Tacoma accordingto instructions. They did not hear from the steamship agent; but onthe followi
ng day, when our travellers reached Tacoma, after crossingthe coast range by aid of the superb Stampede Tunnel, and having beenwhirled down the western slope, through the magnificent fir forests ofWashington, they found that gentleman awaiting them at the station.Here, also, they found Rob's trunk and his suit-case.
The steamship agent explained that, while he could exchange an unusedticket for one good by the next ship of the same line, he was notallowed to refund money already paid for passage. "However," he added,turning to Rob with a smile at the latter's clouding face, "owing tothe fact that I was notified in time, I was able to sell your room toa gentleman who, finding all first-class accommodation engaged, hadtaken second-class passage rather than wait for another steamer. He, ofcourse, was glad to pay the difference in price, and so I am able torefund half the cost of your ticket, if you feel that you cannot waitfor our next ship."
Rob hesitated, while he made a rapid mental calculation.
"Take it," advised Captain Astley, "and come with me to VancouverBarracks. There, at least, we can save you a hotel bill while you arewaiting for another steamer."
So our lad accepted the money, surrendered his steamship-ticket,purchased another to Portland, Oregon, rechecked his trunk to the samepoint, and a few minutes later found himself, still in company withhis army friend, speeding to the southward on the same train that hadbrought them to the coast.
His first act, after they were again under way, was to refund the moneyexpended in his behalf for telegrams and hotel expenses in Helena. Muchto his relief, Captain Astley accepted this without demur, it being oneof that officer's pet theories that no gentleman will place anotherunder a pecuniary obligation against his wish, even to the extent of afive-cent car-fare.
In the mean time the latter had learned all that was worth knowing ofRob's history, of course including his recent experiences in connectionwith Chinese Jo. When he discovered that his young companion could talkChinese, he said:
"I wish we were to be together long enough for you to teach me, as Ibelieve the time is not far distant when a knowledge of that languagewill prove a most valuable addition to an army officer's mentalequipment."
Finally they reached Portland, where, before the train had stopped, anorderly was in the car saluting and handing his captain an officialenvelope.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the latter, as he tore it open and glanced rapidlyover its contents; "here's a hot shot from a masked battery, andperhaps it may mean that you and I can--But never mind now. We'll talkit over in quarters this evening. Orderly, get these traps out; lookafter Mr. Hinckley's trunk, and see that it is sent over to the barrackswith the rest of the luggage. You wait in the ambulance, Hinckley, whileI get the men started, and I'll rejoin you within a few minutes. GreatScott! but this, surely, is great news!"