University of California Berkeley 
 Gift of 
 
 MRS. GOODWIN J. KNIGHT 
 
 ^ 
 
GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 BY GOOD KNIGHT 
 
 1910 
 
 PRESS OF FRYE & SMITH 
 San Diego, California 
 
TO MY FATHER 
 
 At whose request it was written, and to please whom 
 I decided to plan a longer story than self-confidence 
 alone would have prompted me to undertake, I ded- 
 icate this little book, hoping that the result of my 
 efforts will give satisfaction to him, and encourage- 
 ment to other boys, in proportion to the benefit and 
 pleasure I have derived. 
 
 GOOD KNIGHT. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 After writing the two short stories, "Bob" and 
 "The Prize Fighter", which appear at the back of 
 this book, the young author, Goodwin J. Knight, was 
 encouraged to undertake the writing of a longer story 
 about the Adventures of an American Boy in 
 the Orient, as the study of these foreign coun- 
 tries in connection with his school work and home 
 reading, had aroused especial interest in them at that 
 time. The characters are fictitious and the story 
 imaginary. It was written during the year 1909, and 
 was finished on December 9th, the author's thirteenth 
 birthday. 
 
ADVENTURES OF AN 
 
 AMERICAN BOY 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Ned Winter lived in the village of Coleville, Idaho. 
 He had three sisters and one brother. He was six- 
 teen years old and in second year of High School, 
 and had always longed to travel. His father, who 
 was a hard-working man, and often found it difficult 
 to make ends meet, worked in a large woolen mill in 
 a neighboring town, not much larger than Coleville. 
 Their home was not yet paid for. George Drake, the 
 village lawyer, who, though rich, was grasping and 
 mercenary, held a mortgage on it for seven hundred 
 dollars, and Mr. Winter had difficulty in meeting 
 the monthly payments. This made Ned anxious to 
 quit school and go to work to help his father. 
 
 A few years before this Mr. Winter had invested 
 $2000 in the Alaskan Gold and Silver Mining Com- 
 pany, of which Mr. Drake was president. The 
 stock had slowly gone down to five cents a share 
 and then was taken off the stock exchange. 
 
10 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 Finally, one day after having been refused leave 
 to quit school and go to work, Ned asked his father 
 if he might not take a long trip perhaps around the 
 world. He was laughed at at first, but finally he 
 said seriously, "I think I could pay my own way for 
 the whole trip. It sounds big, I know, but you 
 remember what Mr. Clovis said about the boy who 
 never had a chance to see the world." Mr. Clovis 
 was the editor of the " Boise Times" and an old 
 friend of Mr. Winter's. He had once told Mr. Win- 
 ter that the boy who was always tied at home would 
 not make much of a man. 
 
 For a whole week nothing was said of the proposed 
 trip, but Mr. Winter knew that Ned would not give 
 up trying to go ; so he and Ned 's mother had many 
 long talks on the subject. Finally, it was decided 
 that, if Mr. Clovis approved of it and thought the 
 plan a sensible one, he might go. 
 
 So next morning Ned boarded the train for Boise 
 to see Mr. Clovis. He made his way up to the Times 
 office, got into one of the huge elevators and was 
 whizzed up to the fifth floor. He had to wait some 
 time to see Mr. Clovis, but finally he was ushered 
 into his private office. After the familiar greetings, 
 Ned explained his errand. " It is a very large under- 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 11 
 
 taking for a boy of sixteen years," said Mr. Clovis, 
 dubiously. ' * I think I could do it, ' ' said Ned, stoutly, 
 "and it would reduce my father's expenses, also." 
 "Yes, I know;" said Mr. Clovis, stroking his chin 
 thoughtfully, "but it is risky. What do your father 
 and mother think?" "They think that I might do 
 it if you approve." 
 
 "By Jove, Ned, I tell you what I'll do. I think 
 you can do it, and if you come back with $500 of 
 your own earnings, I will give you a position on this 
 paper. And," he went on, "you might send me 
 stories of your trip and I'll print them and pay you 
 well for them." "Thank you, sir, I will do my best. 
 I think I will start right away to Seattle and get a 
 job on a boat bound for Asia, or some island port." 
 "Why do you like the water so well, Ned?" asked 
 Mr. Clovis. "I don't know exactly I always im- 
 agined I would like the water." "A sailor's life is 
 a hard one," replied Ned's friend. "I don't expect 
 to be on the sea all the time, because I want to see 
 all I can of Asia and the Pacific Islands." "If you 
 need any money while on this trip, just write to me 
 and I will forward it at once. Good-bye, Ned," said 
 Mr. Clovis, extending his hand cordially, "and good 
 luck to you." "Good-bye, sir," said Ned, as he left 
 
12 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 the office, not wishing to take more of Mr. Clovis' 
 valuable time. As Ned walked out of the building 
 he felt as if he was walking on air. 
 
 The next day Ned went to the bank and drew out 
 all of his money, something like $80. At school the 
 next day it became rumored around that Ned Win- 
 ter was going away. "Oh, he thinks because he is a 
 good athlete he owns the school," scoffed George 
 Drake, Jr. "He is stuck up because he ow r ns the 
 baseball game. He wears patches in his pants and 
 is a poor, low-down upstart." "I disagree with 
 you there," said Harry Craton, a warm friend of 
 Ned's. "Who are you?" asked George, disdain- 
 fully, "you make me tired. Come on, Bob, let's go," 
 he called to another boy, who went with George, not 
 because he liked him, but because he had money. 
 "Those fellows make me tired," said Bob Liton, the 
 toady; "they'll be janitors, probably, when you are 
 in congress." "That's about right," said George, 
 loftily. 
 
 Ned drove a grocery wagon after school, and he 
 had to take some groceries out to Mr. Drake's house. 
 He saw George and Bob ahead of him and they also 
 saw him. As soon as they saw him they dodged be- 
 hind a bank. "I wonder what they did that for," 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 13 
 
 thought Ned, but he soon dismissed it from his mind. 
 Suddenly from the same place where he afterwards 
 remembered he had seen George and Bob disappear, 
 a stone whizzed through the air and hit the horse, 
 who, not liking the pain, stopped quickly and kicked 
 the wheel two or three times. ' ' Whoa ! Billy, whoa ! ' ' 
 said Ned, pulling on the reins, and as he looked 
 around he heard a suppressed snicker, which he 
 thought came from a bank on the side of the road. 
 Getting down he threw the weight out to hold the 
 horse and advanced toward the bank. Arriving at 
 the top he saw George and Bob lying flat. "Well, 
 that was funny, you cowards!" said Ned, trying to 
 keep his temper. 
 
 "Who's a coward?" blustered Bob. "You are, if 
 you threw that rock." "I didn't throw it, but I'll 
 make you eat those words." "Come ahead." Bob, 
 who prided himself on being quite a fighter, flew at 
 Ned, swinging his arms right and left. Ned guarded 
 the blows till he got what he thought a favorable 
 opening; then he began swinging at Bob, who was 
 quite tired. He finally hit Bob a hard blow in the 
 chest and Bob fell backward to the ground. 
 
 George all this time had looked on, preferring to 
 see how Bob fared before venturing an encounter. 
 
14 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 Upon falling Bob had struck a rock and hurt his 
 back, but not as badly as he intimated. "Oh, my 
 back! You've killed me, Ned Winter. Ill have 
 you arrested. Oh!" 
 
 "I guess not/' smiled Ned. "Do you want to take 
 a chance, George ? You are two of the biggest cow- 
 ards I ever saw." 
 
 "Never mind, Mr. Bragg, I'll get even with you 
 yet." "What have I done to you?" " You Ve hurt 
 
 my chum, you ! ' ' George stopped because Ned 
 
 had put his hand over his mouth and the rest of the 
 sentence was lost in looks and muffled sounds. 
 
 "Now, if you want to fight, say so. If not, keep 
 your threats to yourself." Ned did not want to 
 fight, but he had long endured the taunts and jeers 
 of George and his "chum" and thought he might as 
 well put a stop to it, so with that he ran down the 
 bank and drove off. 
 
 "My, how I'd like to punch his face," said George. 
 "Why didn't you?" said Bob, who was kind of sore 
 because of the treatment he had received. "Oh, 
 that's all right. I didn't want to hurt him," as- 
 sumed George, now that Ned could be seen a safe 
 distance away. 
 
 The two walked along in silence for a while, when 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 15 
 
 George suddenly said, "His dad owes the old man 
 some money on a mortgage or something like that. 
 I '11 try and get him to foreclose, and then my young 
 fighter won't be so spry." "That'll be fine," as- 
 sented Bob, "but will your dad do it?" "I guess 
 so. Dad's awful tight sometimes, though." 
 
 That evening at the supper table, George sud- 
 denly broke off the subject of conversation and turn- 
 ing to his father, asked, "Father, Mr. Winter owes 
 you some money, doesn't he?" "Yes, my son, why 
 
 do you ask?" "Well, er (George found it 
 
 harder to begin than he at first thought) is it near 
 time to collect?" 
 
 ' * No, why ? " " Well, you know Ned is very insult- 
 ing to me and even dared to call me a coward. 
 Couldn't you make him pay right away?" "No. I 
 can, but I do not wish to, so that is settled." 
 
 George Drake was extremely disappointed and the 
 next day he asked his father to send him to a board- 
 ing-school. He got a prompt refusal and this in- 
 creased his hatred for Ned all the more. 
 
 The next day after school Ned was playing ball 
 with some other boys. George was standing aloof 
 from the others, smoking a cigarette, when a 
 boy at the bat said, "Hey, dudey ! I bet I can knock 
 
16 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 the cigarette out of your mouth." ''Oh, don't hit 
 him; he might evaporate," called Ned. Angered by 
 the shouts of the other boys, George picked up a 
 large stone and threw it at Ned, who ducked so that 
 it flew over his head. "Be careful there, little one, 
 or you'll get hurt," said Ned, warningly. "Oh, is 
 that so. We '11 see, ' ' and he picked up another stone 
 and threw it at Ned, but missed him this time, also. 
 Ned ran up to George and proceeded to give him a 
 good drubbing, but he received a purple eye in re- 
 turn. 
 
 After Ned had made George say that he had had 
 enough, he got on the wagon and went on. As he 
 drove along he began to think how nice it would be 
 if he could earn a larger salary and help his father. 
 He told himself there was nothing to do in Coleville, 
 but why couldn't he leave Coleville, go away and be 
 a sailor (Ned had always hoped he might be a sailor) 
 and maybe get to be the captain of the boat? It was 
 not that Ned wanted to leave home, but because he 
 knew that his father's salary was small and his fam- 
 ily rather large, and he decided that if he went he 
 certainly would try a hand at the sea. 
 
 Ned 's day dreams were interrupted by finding that 
 he had driven two blocks past the house he was going 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 17 
 
 to. That evening he again asked his father if he 
 could go, and his father simply said, "Yes, if you 
 think you can succeed, all right, and may God pro- 
 tect you." Ned hardly stopped to thank his father, 
 but rushed out of the house and told his friends. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Ned Leaves. 
 
 "Now, Ned, take care and don't get in trouble, 
 be honest, and if you run out of money, write us." 
 For Ned had shaken hands with all his chums and 
 friends and was now saying good-bye to his father, 
 mother, little brother Tad and his sisters. 
 
 "Good-bye, Edward," his mother nearly sobbed, 
 * * and may God bless you. Write to us often and take 
 care of yourself." "Bring me loth of orangeth," 
 lisped Tad. "All aboard," yelled the conductor, 
 loudly, ' ' All aboard ! " " Good-bye, ' ' said Ned, as he 
 kissed his mother. "I'll write often. Good-bye, 
 father; don't work too hard. I'll bring you some 
 oranges, Tad ; and Mary, you a trunk full of cocoa- 
 nuts, and Katy lots of bananas." 
 
 With a creak and a groan the train began to move 
 like a huge serpent. Ned grabbed his suit-cases and 
 
18 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 hopped aboard, but he stood on the rear platform and 
 waved while his schoolmates cheered him, and then 
 
 the school, and then the serpent swept around 
 
 a curve and the station was out of sight. Ned turned 
 and went back into his car. He was glad he could 
 help his father, but it was very hard to leave. A 
 large lump arose in his throat and he looked out of 
 the window a long time. When he looked around 
 he found that he had a seat-mate. 
 
 "Fine day," remarked the man placidly. 
 
 "Very," acquiesced Ned. 
 
 "Going far?" 
 
 "To Boise." 
 
 "Traveled much?" 
 
 "A little." 
 
 Ned looked at the man closely. He had heard of 
 pickpockets, and to have his pockets picked when 
 not twenty miles from Coleville would be awful. 
 
 He looked at the stranger again and observed 
 that the man was of stocky build. His face a trifle 
 hard, with a firm mouth, large nose and weak gray 
 eyes, would be the character critic's first decision, 
 but on looking again he would see kindliness in those 
 gray eyes and that often a smile dispelled the hard 
 lines of the mouth. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 19 
 
 "I am going to Seattle and from there to Aus- 
 tralia. Don't suppose you've ever been there ?" 
 
 "No, sir, but I am going er, I mean I am going 
 
 after awhile." "I see," said the man, blinking 
 through his glasses. "Beautiful country here, isn't 
 it? Where do you live?" "In Coleville, quite a way 
 back." 
 
 The stranger blinked again. "I got on at Streaton 
 been to visit a friend. Let me introduce myself. 
 I am Dr. Phil. Emery of Melbourne, New South 
 Wales, Australia. If you come to Melbourne if you 
 come to Australia at all, do come and see us. I have 
 a boy about your age, also a daughter and a wife. 
 We'll be delighted to see you. If you'll excuse me 
 a few moments I will go in the smoker, ' ' and the odd 
 little man walked nervously away. 
 
 Ned looked at the card that had been thrust into 
 his hands and on it he read the doctor's address in 
 Melbourne. Opening his suit-case he carefully put 
 the card away, because he told himself it might come 
 in handy some day. 
 
 In another hour the train reached Boise. Ned ate 
 a bite of lunch and then caught his train for Seattle. 
 The train sped merrily along for an hour or so, 
 when it stopped at a small town to make a slight 
 
20 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 repair. Ned got out and walked up and down to 
 stretch his legs. As he neared the last car he thought 
 he saw a man's form lying on the brake beam. 
 Stooping down, he looked under, and was surprised 
 to find himself staring squarely into the eyes of a boy 
 of about his own age. 
 
 4 ' Hello!" said the occupant of the brake beam, 
 "Guess I'll stretch my legs a bit, too." The boy 
 cautiously got out from under the car and faced 
 Ned. "Wouldn't lend me a quarter, would you?" 
 he asked suddenly. Ned handed out the required 
 amount. "Goin' to Seattle?" asked the other. 
 ' ' Yes, ' ' answered Ned, " ar e y ou ? " " Yes, if I don 't 
 get kicked off between here and there." "I hope 
 that you get there," said Ned, as the train began to 
 move. 
 
 After five hours of almost uninterrupted travel 
 the wheezing train reached Seattle. Upon landing 
 on the platform, Ned ran plump into his friend, the 
 rider of the brake beam. As Ned walked up the 
 main street, his new-found friend kept pace at his 
 side. Finally, the latter broke the silence with, "Are 
 you looking for a job?" "Yes, I want to get one 
 as soon as I can." "So do I. Would you mind 
 lending me a couple of dollars ? I '11 pay you back as 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 21 
 
 soon as I get work." "I believe you will," said 
 Ned, giving his impromptu friend the money. "We 
 can look together. For my part, I want to get a job 
 on the ocean." "I would, too. My name's Billy 
 Page. What's yours?" "Ned Winter. Do you know 
 of a good rooming-house here?" "Nope let's look 
 farther down the street." Soon a fairly suitable 
 looking place was found, and Ned engaged a room 
 for two days. The room contained two single beds, 
 and after a small supper at a lunch counter, both 
 boys tumbled into bed. In the morning they ate 
 a lunch-counter breakfast, and then began looking 
 for work, both going to the wharves. 
 
 My readers may wonder why Ned did what he 
 did for just a chance acquaintance. The reason was 
 this on leaving home Ned had resolved not to get 
 homesick, but as he made no other acquaintance than 
 the doctor, a feeling of homesickness stole over him 
 unconsciously. 
 
 All the morning both boys looked industriously for 
 a position on a ship, but with scant success. They 
 met at the boarding-house at noon, ate a light lunch 
 and hurried out to look for work again. Ned was 
 beginning to like Billy and Billy was beginning to 
 like Ned. Ned was also getting over his homesick- 
 
22 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 ness, he was so busy looking at the large ships and 
 strange scenes, which were all new to the boy born 
 and reared in the country. 
 
 The following day was the same, and at night Ned 
 put in an hour writing home. The next day at noon 
 Billy came into the little lunch-room where Ned was 
 waiting for him, very much excited. "I've got a 
 job, Ned! I've got a job!" " What doing ? Where V 
 "In a big down-town department store. It's only 
 nine dollars a week, but that's better than nothing." 
 "You bet! Maybe I'll get one tomorrow." "I 
 hope you do." 
 
 But Ned was doomed to disappointment. There 
 seemed to be no work at all, and that night he came 
 home tired and discouraged. After supper he was 
 aware that he had a splitting headache and he left 
 the house, thinking that the night air would help 
 him. He walked on toward the wharves, little think- 
 ing in what direction he was going. Finally he 
 emerged from his abstraction, finding himself down 
 by the wharves and warehouses. What was that he 
 heard! A bell? There must be a fire somewhere. 
 He ran in the direction of the sound, turned a cor- 
 ner and saw a heavy fire engine dashing headlong 
 down the street, ringing the bell every step. Led 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 23 
 
 by the common instinct of a boy, he followed the 
 fire engine. Straight ahead he saw a red glow out- 
 lined sharply against the starless sky. He arrived 
 at the fire nearly breathless. In his hard exertions 
 from running his headache had disappeared. A 
 large crowd had gathered in the street, and inter- 
 mingled in the crowd Ned noticed half-dressed men, 
 women and crying children refugees who had 
 rushed out of the stricken building, glad to escape 
 with their lives. 
 
 "What kind of a building is it?" asked Ned of a 
 man near him. "Hotel and apartment house, I 
 believe." 
 
 As Ned looked at the horrible spectacle he shud- 
 dered, not because of the night air, but because he 
 stood there watching a super-human monster engulf- 
 ing the hard-earned savings of people probably all 
 they have, and tomorrow these people must start 
 life anew, begin all over again. "And why?" Ned 
 asked himself. Here were men hundreds of them, 
 standing grave and awed by this monster fire. 
 These men were powerless to interfere, and as Ned 
 looked again he felt sick all over and faint. 
 
 Suddenly his musings were interrupted by a cry 
 coming from the burning building. Again he in- 
 
24 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 stinctively ran towards it. As he did he saw for 
 just a moment through a thick volume of smoke a 
 man, pale dishevelled-looking, standing at a window 
 on the third floor. 
 
 The man vanished again quickly as the flames 
 receded, but another huge tongue of flame sprang up, 
 illuminating the scene. 
 
 "Here, boy," said a fireman, hoarsely, "you're 
 light; won't you climb the ladder and bring that man 
 down?" The voice seemed to be pleading. "Won't 
 you?" it said again, "time's precious hurry. The 
 top ladder's half burned hurry! It won't hold two 
 men. Here's a wet cloth. Put it around your nose 
 and mouth. Hurry!" 
 
 Ned sprang up the ladder nimbly. As he did so he 
 wondered why the firemen themselves had not gone. 
 As if in answer to his question, he quickly realized 
 that it was his instinct to help his fellow-man that 
 had prompted him to climb the ladder. As he 
 reached the middle of the third ladder he felt the hot 
 breath of the flames as they leaped and danced above 
 and below him. The smoke was thick and heavy and 
 he coughed violently. For a moment he hesitated; 
 then as he heard the cries of the firemen below him 
 he sprang up to the third ladder. Here the flames 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 25 
 
 were even hotter and the smoke more stifling. His 
 hands and face were scorched and he wondered 
 vaguely if he would reach the third story alive. All 
 things must have an end, and so did Ned's climb. 
 
 "Here I am," said a weak voice. What Ned saw 
 was a medium-sized man hanging out of the window, 
 with his eyes closed, looking more dead than alive. 
 "He's fainted," thought Ned, "I must get him down 
 quickly." So saying, he picked the man up bodily 
 and began to retrace his steps. The people were 
 cheering now, but to Ned it sounded faint and far 
 away, and he felt sick and dizzy as he staggered 
 under the heavy load. 
 
 Suddenly there was a crack and the ladder gave 
 way. Ned let go of the man. He felt as though he 
 was going down never to stop. The cheering died 
 away suddenly and Ned knew no more. When he 
 awoke he was in a strange room and a strange bed. 
 "Shall I wake him? It is time for the medicine," 
 he heard a voice say. "Yes." Here Ned thought 
 the voice sounded masculine. Presently his head 
 was raised and he was given some medicine, which 
 he quickly gulped down and in five minutes he was 
 asleep. 
 
26 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 When he awoke again it was broad daylight. He 
 raised himself on his elbow, but found his hand hurt 
 him badly. Finally he propped himself on a pillow 
 and looked around. Next to him, not three feet 
 away, another man was sleeping. "The man of the 
 fire last night, " he thought, "wonder if he was hurt 
 much." The room he was in was not much like his 
 boarding-place, and for a moment he did not under- 
 stand; then he recollected it all the fire, the man, 
 the broken ladder. Presently a man entered carry- 
 ing a small suit-case, which he sat down and then 
 walked over to Ned's bed. "Ah, ha! awake how 
 are you feeling?" said the man in a big, hearty 
 voice. 
 
 "All right. You're the doctor, aren't you?" 
 ' ' Yes. " " How long have I slept ? " " About twenty- 
 five hours. That was a plucky thing to do, my boy, 
 and you had good presence of mind, too. That's 
 what counts," said the doctor in the same hearty 
 tone. "Where is the man?" "He's right there next 
 to you." Ned looked and saw the man next to him 
 with his hands and face all bandaged up. "Did he 
 fall in the net?" Ned again asked. "Yes, and I'll 
 tell you, the man you saved was about gone when 
 you got up to the window." "When will I be able 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 27 
 
 to get up?" " Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day. 
 You were not badly hurt, just burned a little." 
 
 The next day Ned learned that the man he had 
 saved was a coaster captain by the name of 
 McLayne, who because of the accident would have 
 to stay in port while his vessel made a trip. A week 
 after the fire Ned was called to the telephone by the 
 man he had saved. "I'd like to see ye, me bye. 
 Won't ye come down and see me?" came over the 
 telephone in an unmistakable Irish brogue. "All 
 right," answered Ned, and ran and took a car for 
 the man's boarding-place. On arriving Ned went 
 up to room sixteen and knocked. "Come in," said 
 a voice. Ned obeyed and found himself in a neatly 
 furnished room in which a man was seated near the 
 window, through which the sun was streaming in 
 delightfully. 
 
 "Oh, you're here, are you? Well, come and sit 
 down, me bye and a brave bye ye are, too." "How 
 are you feeling now?" asked Ned, shaking hands 
 with Mr. McLayne. "I am well now, me bye. I'd 
 like to reward you a little, ye know." "It was 
 nothing. I'd rather you wouldn't," said Ned. 
 "Come, that was a daring thing to do." Ned per- 
 sisted that he had done nothing, but the strong 
 
28 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 willed Irishman in the end made him keep a $20 
 bill. "And if I ever get a chanst to help ye, me bye, 
 I will," said Mr. McLayne, as Ned rose to go. "Come 
 again tomorrow. It's awful lonesome up here." 
 "I will; good-bye ". 
 
 Ned Gets a Job. 
 
 The next day Ned went to see Mr. McLayne and 
 during the conversation told him of the trip he 
 wanted to take and that he wanted to get a job 
 on a boat. 
 
 "I'll tell you what you do. Go see my first officer, 
 Doyle. I'll give you a note to him and he'll put 
 you on as cabin boy." "Thank you ever so much." 
 "Don't mention it, me bye, don't mention it. Give 
 me a piece of paper and pencil and that'll fix ye up." 
 
 Armed with the note Ned went to pier No. 6, 
 but no boat was tied there. He felt a strange sink- 
 ing of his heart at the thought of being without a 
 job. Going up to a sailor, he said, "Could you tell 
 me where the * Rocket' is?" "Over at pier 8 
 just went over. That's her on the left with the 
 blue and red flag." "Thank you," and Ned hurried 
 away. Quickly he ran over to pier No. 8 and there 
 he saw the Eocket just about to land. "Make fast, 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 29 
 
 there," called a deckhand, throwing Ned a rope. 
 This Ned made fast to the dock pile and then stood 
 watching the skillful quartermaster make a landing. 
 
 As soon as the ship was tied securely, Ned jumped 
 aboard. "Are you Captain Doyle?" he asked of a 
 large man with an immense amount of gold braid 
 on his cap. "That's me what do you want?" "Mr. 
 McLayne said I could get a job." "So you're the 
 boy who saved him? Yes, I've got a job for you. 
 Get your traps aboard we sail tomorrow. Do what 
 the cook tells you, and wait on the officers' mess." 
 So saying, Acting-Captain Doyle turned his back on 
 Ned and resumed his duties. 
 
 As Ned went back to his boarding-place, he told 
 himself his job was not very much but it was better 
 than nothing, so he grimly climbed the rickety stairs 
 for the last time, packed his suit-cases, paid his bill 
 and made his way down to pier 8. 
 
 The cook, who was a comical Irishman, showed 
 Ned his bunk, and then gave him what he thought 
 was a gigantic pan of potatoes to peel. All day 
 he helped the cook, and when at last he was told 
 he could go to bed he didn't tarry long before 
 going to sleep. Next morning he was stiff, but went 
 to work without a grumble. At seven o'clock the 
 
30 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 Captain mounted the bridge, gave two long blasts 
 on the whistle and ordered the engineer to get up 
 steam. Half an hour later Ned was beginning his 
 first sea voyage. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The first day out Ned felt no signs of seasickness 
 and felt quite elated as he went about his work. 
 Next morning, however, just, after he had dressed, 
 he felt a slight headache and as he started for the 
 galley, he suddenly became dizzy and made a rush 
 for the rail, where he leaned over the side and felt 
 as though the earth had suddenly turned upside 
 down. All day Ned lay in his bunk, so sick he could 
 scarcely move. The following morning he felt better, 
 and about noon resumed his duties. Two days later 
 they passed the Cliff House at San Francisco, where 
 they stayed till next morning. 
 
 Ned stayed with the " Rocket " through five trips, 
 then decided that as he had nearly a hundred dollars, 
 he'd like to go to the Hawaiian Islands. So, when 
 the "Rocket" reached San Francisco, Ned told the 
 captain of his intentions. He was paid for his work, 
 and before leaving he shook hands with the officers 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 31 
 
 and crew, all of whom had learned to like him. 
 
 Ned left the wharves and went straight to a 
 boarding-house, where he secured board and lodging 
 for a week. He now decided to ship on a boat, as 
 he was not as green on nautical affairs and terms 
 as he had been before he shipped on the " Rocket ". 
 For a week he searched in vain for a position on a 
 west-bound boat. He then decided to get a job in 
 the city and watch for a boat on which he could 
 get a positii. 
 
 One day when he was down town he saw a circus 
 parade. With boyish enthusiasm he followed it to 
 the circus grounds, where he spent a good hour 
 watching the animals and circus men. Suddenly 
 he asked himself, "Why not get a job with the 
 circus ?" He waited another hour before he got a 
 chance to speak to the manager. "Are you Mr. 
 Donivan?" asked our hero timidly. "That's me, 
 answered a big, red-faced man, who wore a large 
 checked vest, heavy watch fob and large derby 
 the type of man who knows little and talks much. 
 "That's me," he said, "What can I do for you?" 
 "I thought maybe you needed some help." "H-m! 
 yes, I'll give you a job tendin' ponies. See that tall 
 man with big boots on? He's your boss. You'll get 
 
32 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 $7.00 a week," and the man walked away, bellowing 
 orders loudly. 
 
 Ned sought the tall man and was given his orders 
 briefly. "These yar ponies," he said, indicating 
 four Shetlands quietly munching hay. "You are to 
 take keer of, go in the parade with, and feed, water 
 and look arter in general; and that's your wagon 
 with the large letters on. Now ye '11 have some time 
 to loaf, but don't ye neglect them there ponies." 
 From a boy about his age Ned learn A ^ where the 
 food for the ponies was kept, where the men ate, 
 and that they were bound for Honolulu. This state- 
 ment Ned hailed with delight. He hurried down 
 town, where he got his clothes, paid his bill and 
 departed for the show grounds. He carefully brushed 
 his ponies for the evening performance, and smoothed 
 down his own uniform, which had been presented 
 to him by "Jake", the tall boss. 
 
 Ned saw half of the performance the first evening 
 and began to think circus life all a bed of roses. 
 He changed his mind, however, the next morning, 
 when he was routed out of his cot before daylight 
 to do his work. After dinner he went down town, 
 where he wrote his father and Mr. Clovis each a 
 good, long letter. In Mr. Clovis' letter he sent the 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 33 
 
 first paragraph of his travels. After he had posted 
 the letters, as he had plenty of time, he wandered 
 down toward the wharves, where he stayed until it 
 was time to return to the show grounds to give his 
 ponies the finishing touches before they entered the 
 ring. Having nothing to do after he had eaten his 
 supper, he sought the boy who had been friendly 
 the day before. He told Ned his name was Ray 
 Bronson, and Ned told him his name and why he 
 was takingJthe trip. "I only wish I had a father 
 to help," Ray said, ''my parents died when I was 
 just a youngster." Ned instantly felt sorry for the 
 orphan boy and thought he would like him. 
 
 Ray proposed a walk down by the cages. Ned 
 readily consented, and they strolled down past the 
 cages of the cat family and tried to catch the eye 
 of the tawny lion, but were unsuccessful, as a lion 
 will rarely ever look a human being directly in the 
 eye. They wandered on, Ray telling Ned the names 
 and peculiarities of the different animals. 
 
 "That's the Prince of India," said Ray, pointing 
 to a large Bengal tiger, who looked at them in digni- 
 fied silence. "He got out once and nearly killed 
 his keeper before he was caught just after I joined 
 the show." Here, as Ned looked at the huge 
 
34 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 teeth and jaws of the jungle monarch, he ex- 
 perienced a slight momentary nervousness. 
 
 "This elephant is Samoii, the most costly animal, 
 I guess, in the show. He's awfully ill-natured; he 
 broke loose once and killed two or three horses and 
 wrecked fences, wagons and anything that stood 
 in his way. Abdo, that little man with the Soudan 
 cap, got on a horse and caught Samoii, merely by 
 will power *so the men say," said Ray "I should 
 think he'd have to have will power to keep that 
 monster in check, ' ' said Ned, as he measured Samoii 
 and then Abdo. 
 
 Abdo was talking with a large, red-headed man, 
 who appeared at the point of giving the little tamer 
 a licking. Ned and Ray stopped instinctively and 
 watched. The big man walked off, swearing loudly 
 at the elephant keeper that he'd "get even", while 
 the keeper resumed his seat by the elephant. 
 
 After Ray and Ned had studied the animals 
 awhile, they went to put on their ponies' tassels and 
 spangles. 
 
 Now let us return to Coleville. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 35 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 One morning Mr. Blake received a telegram from 
 the Alaskan Mining Company, telling him that the 
 mines were doing extra well. Mr. Blake had been 
 trying to buy Mr. Winter's stock, but the latter 
 had refused to sell, and Mr. Blake knew that as long 
 as Ned could send his father money enough to pay 
 the quarterly interest on the mortgage Mr. Blake 
 held on the Winter home, he would never get the 
 stock. To get the stock would mean thousands of 
 dollars in Mr. Blake's pocket and he resolved to 
 play his highest trump, which was knavery. He 
 made a trip to Boise and got the service of a thug, 
 robber and all round "bad man", instructing him to 
 follow Ned, get him and confine him till he, Mr. 
 Blake, got the stock. He knew that as soon as Ned 
 stopped sending money for the interest, Mr. Winter 
 would sell part of the stock and probably all of it. 
 
 It was a bold trick, and the passing thought would 
 be that it was an impractical one, but worse tricks 
 have been performed to secure even less money. 
 Securing information from Mr. Winter as to Ned's 
 whereabouts, on the "Rocket", Mr. Blake quickly 
 sent the "bad man" to San Francisco. Gaines for 
 f his was his name after arriving in San Francisco 
 
36 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 spent nearly all of his money before he located Ned. 
 He then decided to follow the circus and, if possible, 
 join it. So he became acquainted with Abdo and 
 treated him well and then asked Abdo to get him a 
 position. Abdo refused and Gaines saw that if he 
 did not get a position with the circus soon, Ned 
 would slip through his fingers, together with the 
 $500 he was promised on the success of his mission. 
 All unconscious of who Abdo's angry friend was, 
 Ned went about his work. Ned's ponies performed 
 about the middle of the show. As Ned and another 
 attendant led the ponies into the ring, Ned noticed 
 that Samoii and Abdo were acting. As he delivered 
 his ponies to the ringmaster, Ned noticed a man 
 looking for a seat, who had apparently just entered 
 the show. Ned walked slowly, as he knew it was 
 the same man who had become angry at Abdo that 
 afternoon. Abdo was all unconscious of the man, 
 who now edged nearer the ring. The audience saw 
 just a man looking at the elephant, but Ned knew 
 he was not there to enjoy the show. Suddenly in 
 two leaps the man reached the ringside and drawing 
 something from his pocket, he threw two handfuls 
 of it into the elephant's eyes. Then turning, he ran 
 at top speed in the direction of the dressing tents. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 37 
 
 The audience now woke up. Cries of, " What's 
 the matter?" "Police!" "Stop that man!" were 
 heard on all sides. Samoii, blinded by the tobacco 
 (for it was tobacco the man had thrown), gave a 
 terrifying roar, fell back awkwardly and then 
 charged straight for the seats, where fully a thousand 
 people sat stupefied. But suddenly the elephant 
 changed his course and ran straight for the seats 
 near the dressing exit. Abdo, running after the 
 huge elephant, who was moving at the speed of a 
 runaway train, screamed unintelligible things at the 
 charging monster. Ned had watched the scene, 
 stupefied, as had the audience. When he saw the 
 lumbering elephant coming straight toward him, 
 eyes staring, trunk waving, and bellowing and roar- 
 ing, he felt that the time for either action or death 
 had come. One can do extraordinary things when 
 occasion requires. Looking about him, Ned saw 
 three buckets of water used for emergency in case 
 of fire. Seizing one, he threw the contents at the 
 elephant. Samoii stopped a moment and Ned reached 
 another bucket, which struck the elephant full in 
 the face. 
 
 Abdo now reached the elephant's side and struck 
 him sharply with a sharp steel weapon which he 
 
38 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 always carried. But even this had but little effect 
 upon the brute. With a great sweep of his trunk 
 he caught Ned around the waist and tossed him this 
 way and that, without loosening his hold. Just as 
 the elephant swung Ned toward the ground, Abdo, 
 with a light spring, landed on Samoii 's trunk. With 
 another spring equally as quick the little man from 
 Soudan landed on the elephant 's head. All the while 
 Samoii continued his bellowing and roaring. The 
 tent was nearly empty, but here and there breathless 
 groups watched the awful spectacle. As soon as 
 Abdo had reached the elephant's head, he pulled 
 his handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping 
 the elephant's eyes, prodding him the while with 
 the short, sharp javelin. The elephant, not yet 
 quieted, though under the powerful will of the Son 
 of the Nile, now began to run at furious speed around 
 the tent. The little trainer crouched low, hanging 
 on to the large ears of Samoii, who ran around about 
 ten times, then lessened his pace and stopped, cov- 
 ered with blood and sweat and breathing in long 
 gasps. At Abdo's sharp command, he released Ned, 
 who was carried unconscious into the dressing tent. 
 Abdo stayed with Samoii all night, bathing his 
 wounds and eyes. A vigilant search was kept up 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 39 
 
 for the man who threw the tobacco. Although Abdo 
 had his suspicions, he accused no one, and the affair 
 was passed over, but Ned never went near Samoii 
 again. 
 
 The next day the circus left on the steamship 
 "Orient" for Honolulu. The day had been spent 
 in loading the animals and supplies and when, at 
 the last minute, a man with a sack swung over his 
 shoulder jumped aboard, no one noticed him and he 
 would readily have been taken for an afore-the-mast 
 hand hastening aboard at the last minute. 
 
 As our readers may guess, this man was none 
 other than Gaines, who had that day received a letter 
 from Mr. Blake, telling him not to lose Ned, and 
 that if he could get possession of him and keep him 
 for three weeks or a month, he would receive $500 
 more than he had been promised. As this offer was 
 altogether tempting to Gaines, he decided to take 
 a little risk in securing it. Accordingly he jumped 
 aboard the "Orient" at the last minute and hid him- 
 self in a lifeboat. 
 
40 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Stowaway. 
 
 The "Orient" was a good fast boat, and the circus 
 hands thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and when the 
 boat anchored in Honolulu Ned and Ray were sorry 
 to leave her. 
 
 After playing two weeks in Hawaii, Mr. Donovan 
 chartered the steamship ''Princess'' to take the show 
 to the Philippine Islands. Gaines had kept his eye 
 on Ned all the time, but saw no chance to get 
 possession of him. One day he met an old friend, 
 a German by the name of Klein. Thinking Klein 
 might be of some help to him, Gaines paid his 
 passage to Manila. Their boat left the day before 
 the ' ' Princess ' ', but as it was slow it would not reach 
 Manila till after the arrival of the "Princess". 
 
 One morning, when the islands of Hawaii appeared 
 like blots upon the otherwise sea of nothingness, 
 and the white caps rolled and tossed in merry glee 
 at being warmed by the golden sun as it peeped its 
 head above the eastern horizon, Ned and Ray were 
 walking on deck and remarked on the beautiful 
 quietness that surrounded them on all sides. 
 
 "Don't you think it will be awful monotonous on 
 this old ship in about a week, Ned?" asked Ray. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 41 
 
 "Yes, I suppose it will be, but we'll have to make 
 the best of it. For my part, I think I'll enjoy every 
 minute of it," answered Ned, as they turned and 
 walked toward the pilot-house, where they stopped 
 and watched the brawny seaman hold the wheel. 
 
 True to Ray's prediction, the majority of the circus 
 hands were sick of the monotonous journey in less 
 than a week. The mess-table at which Ned and Ray 
 were seated was not overloaded with dainties, the 
 chief fare being salted pork, potatoes, bread, baked 
 beans and once in a while a pudding. 
 
 "Oh! I'd give all my wages for a nice, dainty 
 angel cake, right now," said Ray one hot afternoon, 
 as he and Ned lay under an awning on the deck. 
 "So would I," said Ned. Then they fell to talking 
 of what they'd like to have to eat. Soon they heard 
 someone singing in French. Ray arose and whis- 
 pered to Ned, "The captain's chef's kitchen is right 
 under us. I have an idea. Wait here I'll go see 
 if the coast is clear." So saying, he trotted down 
 the scorching deck and soon returned with about 
 twenty feet of stout rope. He leaned down and 
 whispered his plan to Ned, who readily agreed. Just 
 then a couple of sailors began singing and playing 
 on harmonicas on the stern deck. Soon the quarter 
 
42 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 deck was cleared till no one but Ned and Ray 
 remained. With deft hands Ray tied the rope to 
 the deckrail, then tightly and securely to his feet, 
 and carefully let himself down head first over the 
 side of the deck. 
 
 "Now keep watch and if I give one tug pull me 
 up quickly; if I give two tugs pull me up slowly 
 that means I 've got something ; if I give three tugs, 
 let me drop and then yell, 'Man overboard!' Now 
 don't get those signals mixed all right, let 'er go!" 
 So saying, he disappeared over the side. Ned saw 
 him get his footing and carefully open the porthole 
 of the captain's kitchen. After that he attended 
 strictly to his business and when, after about five 
 minutes waiting, the rope gave two tugs, he began 
 pulling Ray up. It was no easy job and was not 
 accomplished till Ned had two blisters on his hands. 
 Ray untied the rope and hid it while Ned picked 
 up the booty, which consisted of an apple pie, a 
 mince pie and about two pounds of macaroons. They 
 quickly sought a secluded spot and in less than an 
 hour had devoured the spoils. Some of my readers 
 may think this a crime, but I am sure the boys 
 meant no harm and would gladly have paid for the 
 pastry had they been called on to do so. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 43 
 
 For two more days Ned and Ray ate pork and 
 beans and ship biscuit and dreamed of fruit cakes 
 and pies. On the third day they made another raid 
 on the French chef's larder and came off victorious, 
 with two pies, a pound of macaroons and a cake. 
 But this could not last forever. One night the chef 
 complained, and the boys decided it would be unsafe 
 to try the delicacies any more. 
 
 The voyage became more dreary as time wore on, 
 but one morning land was sighted and the next day 
 the "Princess" steamed into the broad bay of 
 Manila. They had to wait till the marine surgeon 
 came on board and examined the ship. "I'll have to 
 examine your lifeboats." "All right, go ahead," 
 said the captain. After these formalities, the real 
 work of getting ashore began. , 
 
 The sun shone brightly that morning and the many 
 small crafts dotting the bay added brilliance and 
 movement to the scene. But the boys had no time 
 to gaze on the beauties of Manila Bay, for the 
 circus must be on dry land by the next morning. 
 They soon had their ponies ashore, but they had to 
 help put wagons together and unload hay, grain 
 and some of the many fixtures belonging to a circus. 
 That night the whole circus force roomed at one 
 
44 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 hotel. The next morning the tent was put up and 
 the show settled down to stay in Manila for a week. 
 
 For three days the two boys visited the interesting 
 parts of Manila and ended up by taking a canoe ride 
 on the Pasig River, when a bit of adventure was 
 experienced by Ned overturning the canoe and 
 giving them both a good ducking. 
 
 "Tell you what, Ray," Ned proposed the next 
 morning, "let's get up a picnic among some of the 
 men all that can get off Saturday, and go over to 
 Iloilo. We can charter a launch and have a great 
 time/' "All right that would be fine. But do 
 you think the manager would let us off ?" "I don 't 
 know ; but you make out the list we want, tell every 
 one he must subscribe toward the launch and lunch, 
 and I'll see the manager." "All right," acquiesced 
 Ray, and he began going over his list of acquaint- 
 ances and writing the desirable names down, while 
 Ned went off to see the manager. After some arguing, 
 Ned received consent to take twenty men and boys. 
 The date was laid for Saturday, and the launch was 
 chartered. Friday morning the picnickers were noti- 
 fied and gave to Ned the required amount. That 
 evening Ned and Ray went down town and bought 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 45 
 
 fruit, cheese, canned meat, bread, cookies and some 
 pies and melons. 
 
 Saturday morning dawned bright and clear an 
 ideal day for a picnic. The circus hands gathered 
 at the wharf, where a wagon was waiting to empty 
 its appetizing contents into the puffing gasoline 
 launch which was coming down the bay to take 
 the party to Iloilo Island. The men jumped aboard 
 the launch, which was soon puffing off down the bay. 
 Half an hour later the party was landed and the 
 boatmen pushed off, with instructions to be back 
 at five o'clock. 
 
 Ned now made the men a little speech, saying 
 that they had come for rest and pleasure and that 
 swimming and running races were to be held, and 
 that the men who caught the largest number of fish 
 would be given a prize. The crowd scattered some 
 to the beach for bathing, and others shouldered rod 
 and reel and with a comfortable pipe started for the 
 fishing shoals. Ned and Ray went in swimming, 
 but soon dressed and with the help of two men they 
 prepared the lunch. At one o'clock the jolly circus 
 men returned, and under the shade of some palms 
 and the historic ruins of the Moro palace heartily 
 ate their lunch. 
 
46 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 While this party gaily feasted, a scene altogether 
 different was transpiring at the other end of the 
 Island. Two men in a small boat were trying des- 
 perately to land safely. After trying repeatedly 
 they succeeded and stepped ashore, pulling the boat 
 upon the sandy beach. "Old Drake '11 pay for this," 
 muttered the taller of the two. "Vot?" asked his 
 companion, a ruddy, florid faced German. "Nothing, 
 Klein, nothing." The men walked swiftly up the 
 beach and disappeared in the forest. They walked 
 hurriedly and soon came in sight of the palace. 
 
 "Well get him this time and that friend of his, 
 too/' said Gaines. "Have you got the dope, Klein?" 
 "Yep." "Well, here's the plan. If that boy with 
 the brown cap sets any food or water down, see if 
 you can't manage to slip the dope in it. In his 
 friend's, too." "All right. Yen shall I start?" 
 "Not now wait a bit watch them, it's too risky 
 among that crowd." 
 
 Ned and Eay slowly moved with their lunch to the 
 shade of two large eucalyptus trees fifty yards or 
 more from the castle where the crowd were eating. 
 They had come to the soda and melons. They set 
 the bottles down while they cut the melons, and 
 as they did so, Klein stealthily approached and 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 47 
 
 poured a little white fluid into each bottle, then 
 disappeared into the rank undergrowth. 
 
 1 'Did you do it?" asked Gaines, when Klein 
 returned. "Yep, it vas easy." The men walked 
 rapidly to the beach, boarded their boat and pushed 
 off toward Manila. Klein had retreated just in time, 
 for the boys began to drink their soda again. 
 
 After the lunch was eaten the men lay around 
 under the trees, smoked and told stories. "I feel a 
 little bit sleepy, Ned," said Ray, "let's go into the 
 Palace and take a nap." "All right, I'm sleepy, too ; 
 I wonder what makes us so sleepy?" "I can't 
 imagine." So the two boys climbed up some old 
 stairs and lay down on some eucalyptus leaves and 
 were soon journeying into slumber land. 
 
 Gaines and Klein did not go to Manila, however, 
 but returned and secreted themselves in a tiny cove, 
 where they tied up their boat and indulged in a quiet 
 bottle and "Dick Dare's Strange Adventures; or 
 The Mystic Man." Suddenly Gaines looked at his 
 watch; "five o'clock, Klein; we'd better be moving." 
 
 The launch grounded ashore promptly at five 
 o'clock, but Ned and Ray did not appear and a gen- 
 eral search was started, but as it soon gets dark in 
 the tropics the search had to be abandoned. The 
 
48 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 men would have liked to stay and hunt longer but 
 they were already late for the show, so just as the 
 golden sun began disappearing over the purple-hued 
 mountains, the launch steamed down the bay, and 
 two men steathily climbed the stairs of the old 
 palace. "Take this one first, Klein," said Gaines, 
 pointing to Ned. 
 
 They picked Ned up and carried him down the 
 stairs into a room which had evidently been used as 
 a dungeon in the days of the Moro kings. Next 
 Kay was brought down and placed beside Ned. 
 "Now, get the stuff, Klein," said Gaines. Klein 
 withdrew and returned with a large cask of water; 
 then he brought in bread, some canned meat and 
 vegetables; then the two withdrew, firmly locking 
 the door. 
 
 It was morning when Ned awoke. For some 
 moments he could not collect his thoughts. Then 
 he waked Ray and they made an inspection of the 
 dungeon. Two small iron-barred windows let in 
 the light and air. The door was of heavy oak, 
 studded with spikes. "We're caught, Ned, that's 
 sure, but by whom? It's my opinion we were 
 drugged." 
 
 Ray knit his brows in deep thought, but could not 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 49 
 
 think of anyone likely to do such a trick, and con- 
 cluded it must be someone from the circus. As he 
 could arrive at no definite suspicion, he said nothing. 
 "I'll tell you one thing though, Ned. We've got to 
 get out and that pretty quick. We've missed the 
 parade, and durn them lobsters, I'd like to have 'em 
 like that!" and Ray took hold of Ned's collar and 
 shook his fist in his face. "Don't get excited, Ray. 
 Let's see I've tried the doors and bars, and of 
 course they're locked." 
 
 They kicked the door, pounded it with their fists, 
 and threw large stones at it, but it refused to budge 
 from its solid hinges. They next tried to loosen the 
 bars of the windows, but all to no purpose. "It's four 
 o'clock we must hurry and get out, someway!" 
 "Couldn't we dig under the walls?" "It would 
 take all night to do it and we must get out tonight, 
 but if we don't succeed some other way, we'll go 
 to digging. Meanwhile, I'm going to take this old 
 board and try to knock a bar loose." This also 
 proved useless, and the boys sat down in despair. 
 But Ned soon got up, saying, "The door is our 
 only hope and we must knock it down." So saying, 
 he got a large boulder and threw it with all the 
 force he could muster, and after repeated charges 
 
50 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 the boys managed to make the door give a little. 
 "We're getting her, Ned!" "Yep," was all Ned 
 said. They kept right at it, pausing now and then 
 to rest. First Ned picked up a large boulder and 
 threw it at the door, while Ray was getting one, 
 and thus in turn they kept up a steady fire. It was 
 hard work and the boys wiped many a drop of sweat 
 from face and forehead. 
 
 "It seems to me, Ray, if we could fix some kind 
 of a battering ram, it would be better." "But we 
 can't we ain't got no battering ram, so the best 
 thing to do is to smash the lock, and then if she 
 don't give we'll keep right on." Ned looked at his 
 watch and found it to be twenty minutes after five. 
 Just as the sun went down the lock gave way and 
 the door swung open. 
 
 They ran down to the beach but the launch had 
 gone, so they built a large fire and fell asleep. When 
 they awoke it was light. The boys looked in vain 
 for a boat and it was not until noon that the launch 
 appeared and they were conveyed back to Manila. 
 They went at once and told their story to the boss. 
 "As your reputations are pretty good, I'll let you 
 off this time, boys," he said, and they thanked him 
 and went about their duties. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 51 
 
 The next day was their last in Manila, so Ned and 
 Ray made the most of it in fun and sight-seeing. 
 While hurrying down a side street late in the after- 
 noon, on their way back to the ship, Ned noticed a 
 forlorn-looking dog, a small terrier, following close 
 to his heels. He stopped to pet it and then, with 
 a stamp of his foot, ordered it to "Go back home, 
 now." The dog reluctantly turned back, but when 
 the boys reached the dock Ned heard a pleading 
 whine and looked down into a pair of expressive 
 brown eyes, which were asking as plainly as ever 
 words could, "Won't you take me with you?" Ned 
 examined the dog's collar and found it engraved 
 with the name, "Toby", but nothing by which he 
 could identify the owner, so he concluded that the 
 dog was lost and that he would be justified in taking 
 him. He obtained permission from the captain to 
 take Toby aboard, and the little dog soon became a 
 great favorite with all on board and a great comfort 
 to Ned, when moments of homesickness would steal 
 upon him. The next morning Ned went to the post- 
 office and received a letter from his father, in which 
 he said that a man named Warner had offered to 
 buy his mining stock. Ned thought a long while 
 and then sat down and wrote to his father to hang 
 
52 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 on to it for dear life, as he had his reasons. He had 
 always believed that George Drake meant to cheat 
 his father, though he pretended to be Mr. Winter's 
 friend in his efforts to get a home of his own, and 
 gain through his mining speculations. The attempt 
 of some mysterious persons to imprison Ned, followed 
 by the offer for the mining stock, now appeared to 
 Ned to have some possible connection and set him 
 to thinking. He came to no definite conclusion, how- 
 ever, and dismissed the subject from his mind for 
 the time after mailing his letter. 
 
 The show packed up that day and embarked on 
 the steamer "Dolphin". "Do you know where we 
 are bound for, Ray?" asked Ned that evening, after 
 their work was done. "No, I don't; let's go ask the 
 captain." The two boys hunted up the captain, asked 
 him, and found that they were bound for Hong 
 Kong, China. "Now, why in the name of Mike is 
 Berry goin' there?" ejaculated Ray. "Well, didn't 
 he make money in Manila? And as his is the first 
 show out, Borough said, 'Go ahead', and I think 
 Berry '11 make it pay." 
 
 Ray and Ned sat up till midnight. It was one of 
 those hot, tropical nights and there was a full moon. 
 Ned started to sing, "Under the Tropical Moon- 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 53 
 
 light". Ray joined in and when they had finished 
 there was a loud clapping in the rear. The boys 
 turned and found quite a crowd of circus hands 
 mixed with the sailors. "Give us some more, kids. 
 That's fine!" came the calls of encouragement. The 
 two boys turned in surprise, but seeing no way out 
 of it, sang "Mandy Lane" and "Somewhere", then 
 "Under the Tropical Moonlight" again. 
 
 For six days the boat plied her big steel nose into 
 the waters of the Pacific. On the morning of the 
 sixth day land was sighted, and about five o'clock 
 the quarantine officers of Hong Kong came on board, 
 found everything all right and let the Dolphin land 
 her freight and passengers. It took two whole days 
 to land and set up the tent. 
 
 The show was to stay at Hong Kong three days, 
 the same length of tune at Canton and the same at 
 Peking, the capital. 
 
 Some of the more educated Chinese came to the 
 show the first night and there was a fair-sized audi- 
 ence. All the next day Ned enjoyed a visit to the 
 British-Chinese port, and that evening received two 
 months' pay $48 in all, which he sent to his father, 
 advising him to buy more mining stock if he could. 
 He said he believed the Alaskan to be a valuable 
 
54 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 mine and that the price of shares was double what 
 they were reported in Coleville. 
 
 While Ned is having adventures and pleasures 
 in foreign lands, let us return to Coleville. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Doings In Coleville. 
 
 Upon receiving Ned's letter and money, Mr. Win- 
 ter decided to follow his son's advice, after con- 
 ferring with Mrs. Winter. So he casually walked 
 up to Mr. Drake's house on Maple Street. He was 
 shown into Mr. Drake's private office. "Ah! Mr. 
 Winter, how are you?" Mr. Drake said in an affable 
 manner. "Good morning. You still have some of 
 the stock left?" "What stock?" answered Mr. 
 Drake in an offhand way. "The Alaska Mining 
 Stock." "Oh, yes, yes; just a moment." He re- 
 turned from another room with the stock in his hand. 
 "How much do you want?" "Fifty dollars' worth." 
 "Indeed ! All right, that gives you just 200 shares." 
 1 i My, it has gone up ! " " Yes let me see, you had 
 4000 shares; that makes your present holding 4200 
 shares. ' ' 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 55 
 
 Mr. Drake took Mr. Winter's money and was about 
 to put the stock in a drawer, when Mr. Winter said, 
 ' ' I think I '11 keep it myself, Drake. " " Ah er, just 
 as you say ; but oh, Winter, don 't you think you had 
 better pay a little er on the house, instead of 
 buying stock?" "That's my business, and as long 
 as I pay you every month and the interest, you've 
 no kick coming," and Mr. Winter picked up his hat 
 and strode out of the room. 
 
 "By jinks, why does he want that stuff? I'd for- 
 gotten all about how much he had. I do hope Pete 
 and Jim bag the youngster. He knows all about the 
 mine, I think. Anyhow, he mustn't testify against 
 me for the Insurance Company." 
 
 When Ned was about twelve years old and his 
 youngest sister was very ill, his mother had told 
 him to get the doctor. After calling on the doctor, 
 who said he would come as soon as he could, Ned 
 started to walk home alone. On his way home he 
 had to pass an old house not worth the insurance, 
 and as he approached it he saw a man walk hurriedly 
 across the street. As he did so something shiny fell 
 out of his pocket, but he did not notice it as he 
 walked right on. Ned withdrew some distance and 
 watched him go up to a small pile of shavings and 
 
56 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 then fumble around in his pocket. " Where is that 
 matchsaf e ? ' ' he muttered. He finally found a match 
 in his pocket, but without waiting to watch any 
 longer Ned picked up the matchsafe and ran home. 
 In about ten minutes the fire-bells rang. Ned did not 
 go to the fire, and the next day gave the matchsafe 
 to his mother. It was a common nickle safe, full of 
 matches. Mrs. Winter laid it away and forgot all 
 about it, as had Ned. 
 
 George Drake, for it was he who had set on fire 
 this old house which belonged to him, kept the news 
 of his difficulties with the Insurance Company to 
 himself. He had insured the building heavily and 
 wanted full insurance, which they refused to give, 
 though they had paid him part of it. The matter 
 had been dropped for a year and was now being 
 renewed by the Insurance Company. 
 
 One day soon after the fire the boys planned to go 
 for a row on the lake, to end with a picnic. They 
 always took matches along, and Ned's mother had 
 given him the matchsafe to use. A man down at the 
 lake asked for a match, and Ned took out his match- 
 safe and gave him a couple. George Drake, who 
 was standing near, saw the matchsafe and recognized 
 it as the one he had lost that day. Mr. Winter had 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 57 
 
 told him about Ned seeing a man at the house before 
 the fire, but had said nothing about the matchsafe. 
 This was one reason why Mr. Drake had tried to get 
 rid of Ned, and besides, Ned was always trying to 
 influence his father in downing Mr. Drake. 
 
 That night Mr. Drake sat in his fine parlor con- 
 gratulating himself as the treasurer of the Globe 
 Mills, when the door-bell rang and a messenger boy 
 was ushered in by a servant. "A telegram, sir." 
 "Ah, yes/' Mr. Drake tore the envelope open and 
 as he read the message his jaw dropped and he sat 
 down weakly in a chair, paid the messenger and 
 began thinking. If the mosquito, which had alighted 
 on the paper in his hand, had had human intelligence 
 and eyes, he would have read these words : 
 
 "Dawson City, July 18th, , 
 
 "George Drake, Esq., 
 
 "Keep stock large vein found buy. 
 
 STETSON." 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Ned Has Some Adventures in China and Leaves the 
 Circus. 
 
 The show finished its engagement in Hong Kong, 
 packed up and left for Canton. During his leisure 
 
58 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 time Ned enjoyed exploring the different parts of 
 the quaint Chinese City. He liked to study the 
 Chinese, their customs and ways of living, and as 
 he wandered about the streets, he bought trinket 
 after trinket until he had a large box of Chinese orna- 
 ments, pictures and pieces of bric-a-brac, the most 
 of which he sent home. Sometimes he took Toby, 
 the dog, with him and once he found an American 
 photographer and had a picture of himself and Toby 
 taken to send home. 
 
 Ned had noticed a young Chinaman constantly 
 hanging around the show grounds. Finally, on the 
 last day of the show's stay in Canton, he came up to 
 Ned and said, "You get me job," "I don't know 
 I am not the boss," replied Ned. "You see boss. 
 Me strong. Me been in Amerka two months." "I'll 
 try," and Ned walked away. "You good Melkan 
 Quong Lee not forget," the Chinaman called after 
 him. That afternoon Ned asked Mr. Berry. "He 
 seems earnest and can talk pretty good English," 
 he said. "Oh, I guess he can come on, if Jake and 
 the boys don't mind. I'll get Jake to give you four 
 more ponies and let the 'chink' learn." "All right, 
 thank you, sir," and Ned went away to find Jake, 
 who was agreeable, if the boys were. Quite a dis- 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 59 
 
 cussion went on among the men in regard to allow- 
 ing the " chink" to come in. Finally one said, "If 
 he'll doff his 'chink' clothes and mind his business, 
 we are agreeable." 
 
 Ned told Quong Lee, who was overjoyed, but 
 pulled a long face when Ned mentioned American 
 clothes. "Me not got a cash." "I'll lend you some 
 cash. Meet me here in half an hour and well get 
 the suit of clothes and hat. ' ' Ned finished work and 
 then went with Lee to a second-hand dealer in clothes 
 and fitted him out with underwear, gray suit, felt 
 hat, shoes, stockings, shirt and ties. "How much?" 
 asked Lee. "Ten dollars," answered Ned, "and 
 here's some cash to spend." He handed the celes- 
 tial ten long strings, on which were twenty pieces of 
 brass money, each with a hole in the middle. This 
 is commonly called "cash", twenty of these pieces 
 making an American cent. They are put on strings, 
 so that they may be carried more easily. A war cor- 
 respondent came over into Manchuria for the first 
 time and expected to find the money similar to that 
 of any other country, so told one of his escorts to 
 change two dollars-and-a-half into Chinese money, 
 then used in the disputed country. His escort took 
 the money, hurried away and presently returned 
 
60 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 drawing a large handcart full of money. The corre- 
 spondent was astonished. He took some of the 
 money, leaving the rest where it had been dumped, 
 and departed for the interior. When he returned it 
 was gone. 
 
 That night Lee went on duty, and worked hard at 
 everything he was given to do. The next morning 
 they started for Peking, playing at some of the 
 towns on the way. They arrived at Peking in two 
 weeks, where they were billed to play for five days. 
 Nothing of importance happened at Peking, and soon 
 the circus packed up again and began a tour of the 
 small villages, using the wagons as a means of trans- 
 portation. 
 
 At Kaku, quite a large town, Ned decided to leave 
 the show. He had been with it nearly four months, 
 and was very tired of circus life. He saw no chance 
 for promotion of any kind, either in wages or posi- 
 tion. He told Lee, who pulled a long face. He was 
 enjoying the circus life of three square meals a day, 
 a good bed and some time to himself. "I'm not 
 going for a while, but I am awfully sick of this daily 
 routine/' said Ned. "When you think you go?" 
 1 'In about a week." "I go with you. Don't want 
 to stay with show. You go, I go." "All right; 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 61 
 
 you see, Quong, the show leaves for India next week. 
 I don't want to go to India not yet; so I'm going 
 to quit." 
 
 So the next week Ned and Quong told their friends 
 good-bye, and departed for Yuen Sing, quite a town 
 on the Hoang Ho. Ned disliked the slow, rickety 
 Chinese train, while Quong thought it a luxury, as 
 he did not often have enough cash to ride on a train. 
 At Chung Kia they changed to a slow river boat, 
 propelled by men with long poles. 
 
 On all sides of them were the Chinese junks with 
 their matting sails and awkward hulls. Regular 
 houses were built on some of the boats and children 
 were playing on them. There are so many people in 
 China that they can't all live on the land, so some 
 live on the water. 
 
 Ned still had Toby. He was not hard to carry 
 along, and the Chinese looked in wonder at the 
 American boy who paid so much attention to his 
 dog. Some of the Chinese mothers pay little more 
 attention to their children. They have a barrel tied 
 around them so that if they fall in they will float till 
 some one pulls them out. They live mostly on fish 
 and rudely cooked rice cakes. The land Chinese 
 have small gardens, which they call farms, and they 
 
62 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 live mostly from them. Workmen in China receive 
 on an average ten cents a day. 
 
 "Tell me something about yourself, Quong," said 
 Ned, after they had finished their supper of rice 
 cakes and fish, eaten from home-made Chinese pot- 
 tery. " Well/' said Quong, finally, "I will. The Lee 
 family was once considered high in Lang Feng Wo. 
 My father rich and held the title of Colonel in the 
 army. One day Lem Wong Si, another rich man, 
 come and say my father take money he held for the 
 town. They put up false evidence and my father 
 was hanged. This happened when I was eighteen 
 years old. When I was sixteen my father had sent 
 me to America to study. That's where I learn the 
 language. When I been there two months he wrote 
 me to come home. Just after I get home they hang 
 my father. My mother die. The family scatter. 
 Lem Wong Si take our house, furnishings, every- 
 thing. He take land, stock, all and we swear ven- 
 geance my brothers. Lem Wong Si live in Lang 
 Teng Wo now. He got small chair that got paper 
 tell where his cash is." "Yes, I see; this paper tells 
 where your father hid his money," said Ned, con- 
 siderably interested. "Yes, yes, that's it. Now we 
 meet Wang Ling Lee in Lang Teng Wo and we get 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 63 
 
 chair, dig money and go away." This was tempting 
 to the youth, so he finally said, "Yes, I'll do it, 
 Quong. I hear they kill Americans in Lang Teng 
 Wo." "Yes, you dress Chinese; play deaf -dumb; 
 they no know." "All right, I'll go. I am going to 
 bed good-night." 
 
 The next morning Ned got up early because he 
 wanted to see as much of the river and boats as pos- 
 sible. After awhile he and Lee got to talking over 
 their plans when to try and get the chair, where 
 the money might be, their chances of success, etc., 
 when suddenly Ned said, "What can I do with 
 Toby?" "Oh," said Lee, with a look of anxiety on 
 his face, "I don't know don't know anyone there 
 any more," pointing to Lang Teng Wo. They sat 
 for awhile thinking, when Ned said, "Couldn't we 
 leave him with some American merchant?" "We 
 can try." "You see, Lee, I don't want to lose Toby. 
 I like him very much." "Uh-huh! I see." Quong 
 Lee thought very little of dogs, thinking them good 
 for nothing but to feed which is true in some cases. 
 
 The next morning they reached the Chinese town 
 and at once went to a barber's, for both needed a 
 hair-cut. Then they went and found Lee's brother 
 Wang. Ned was introduced, and, to his surprise, 
 
64 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 saw Wang vigorously shaking hands with himself. 
 Soon the brothers began talking Chinese, and Ned 
 knew that they were discussing whether he could be 
 trusted or not. Finally it was decided, and Ned 
 knew that they considered him all right by the looks 
 on their faces. 
 
 As they walked along the narrow Chinese street, 
 Ned asked Quong in English why his people always 
 shook hands with themselves when they met a person. 
 Quong explained that it was an old custom which 
 prevailed throughout the land from north to south. 
 
 Presently the two celestials began talking Chinese 
 again, when suddenly from up the street there came 
 a shout. Some men were running with whips in 
 their hands whipping the people out for a roadway. 
 Following in the wake of the whipsters, over the road 
 they had made through the mass of humanity, came 
 a carriage drawn by twelve Chinamen. Everyone 
 bowed, including the Chinese friends of Ned. Ned 
 stood upright and the face of a Chinaman was poked 
 out of one of the little side windows of the vehicle. 
 Ned said afterwards that he had never seen such an 
 ugly face before in his life. It was brutal and pig- 
 pish a peculiar shaped head, large nose and the 
 most piggish eyes he had ever seen in a human being. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 65 
 
 On his cheeks and forehead were blotches of red 
 and purple caused by over-eating. Ned saw all this 
 in an instant. Soon the procession passed and every- 
 one arose again. "That's him, the fiend," said Quong 
 to Ned, as soon as the crowd had thinned again. 
 Ned said nothing, but thought that two humble 
 Chinamen and one young American would have a 
 hard time to get anything from so powerful a man 
 as Lem Wong Si appeared to be. 
 
 "Pretty big bug, Lee?" "Yes, big I show you 
 house." Ned did not excite much attention on the 
 street, there being quite a few foreigners in Lang 
 Teng Wo. After a walk of a few more blocks they 
 came in sight of Lem Wong Si's mansion. It was a 
 large house with stables in the rear. Ned took in the 
 situation as best he could before they left for Wang 's 
 house. 
 
 Quong 's brother lived in a house made of adobe 
 bricks, plastered rudely together with mud. The 
 roof was made of branches of trees willows and 
 other shrubbery. The house consisted of one large 
 room. In the center near the wall was a hole in the 
 ground, banked up by the adobe bricks. This was 
 where they cooked. There were no windows, but 
 some light came in through the hole in the top, made 
 
66 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 to let the smoke out, and through the open doorway. 
 They had no door, but piled some logs up against the 
 doorway at night. 
 
 Ned was introduced to Wang's wife in the quaint 
 Chinese way, and she bashfully shook hands with 
 herself. Ned did the same and Wang seemed over- 
 joyed at seeing him adopt their custom. They had 
 supper in homemade dishes. The children were 
 forced to wait; though the brothers were poor they 
 could not forget their early training. The supper 
 consisted of fish, rice, rice cakes and some figs. 
 After the supper, Ned took all of Wang's children 
 down town and bought them nuts and playthings. 
 The children were profuse in their thanks, which 
 were sincere. 
 
 The next day the three conspirators drew up some 
 plans. Quong was to go to Lem Si's house as ser- 
 vant, find out where the chair was, get it if he could 
 and escape, Ned and Wang waiting at the appointed 
 time in the grounds to get the chair and run. It was 
 a bold plan, especially for Quong, who insisted that 
 he should be the one to get the chair. This settled 
 the next thing to do was to set the time. It was 
 arranged that when Quong should show himself at 
 a certain window, the others were to know that was 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 67 
 
 the night he would attempt to escape with the chair. 
 They were to take turns watching, as Quong could 
 not know when he would find the chair. He ex- 
 plained this first to Ned in English and then to Wang 
 in Chinese. "You know the chair, don't you?" 
 asked Ned. "Yes, little black chair with ivory tips 
 on arms and legs." After talking a little longer Ned 
 coaxed Quong to tell him a Chinese story, while 
 Wang smoked the new pipe Quong had brought with 
 him. Thus the day passed away in the crowded 
 Chinese hut. 
 
 Wang had a garden at his "farm" and Ned gave 
 him some American ideas on the production of sugar- 
 cane, a subject with which he was familiar. The next 
 day he went to see something of the town, while 
 Quong applied for a position as servant in Lem Si's 
 mansion. A large Chinaman, evidently the boss of 
 the servants, came to the door and asked him much 
 he would work for. Five hundred cash a week, sir," 
 said the humble Quong Lee, in Chinese. This seemed 
 to please the boss, so Ije hired Quong, who began 
 work immediately. 
 
 Ned wandered aimlessly about the old city and 
 finally espied an automobile driven by an American. 
 This made him feel at home again for awhile. He 
 
68 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 then went out to an old Chinese fort, probably used 
 against revolutionists. When he got back to Wang's 
 house he was very tired. "Has Quong got back 
 yet ?" he asked of Wang, gesticulating with his hands 
 to show what he meant. ' * No, ' ' Wang finally replied, 
 "he say no come back get place." "Yes, I see. 
 All right, we'd better watch now," replied Ned, 
 using his hands again in gesture. 
 
 So, accordingly, the next day Ned, arrayed in 
 Chinese costume, hair shaved, false pig-tail, etc., 
 made his way through the crowded streets to the 
 vicinity of Lena Si's mansion. He hung around all 
 day but no sign appeared. Once a Chinaman, who 
 wanted to be congenial said, "Good morning" 
 (though Ned did not understand what he said). 
 Ned's heart almost stopped beating, but he made 
 signs that he was deaf and dumb, and the congenial 
 Chinaman passed on with a sympathetic look. Ned 
 told himself that this was a "close call", so he did 
 not look into anyone's face again. Nothing hap- 
 pened all day, and when Wang came home that night 
 he reported the same thing. Of course, they hardly 
 looked for a sign from Quong so soon, and so the 
 days dragged on. Ned was making no money, so 
 he told Quong one night that he'd better hurry up. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 69 
 
 Quong said he would try that night, so Ned went 
 down to an American store and bought a revolver, 
 and now for the first time he realized how foolish 
 he had been to get into a Chinese family feud, but 
 he consoled himself by saying, "111 not back down 
 now, just at the last moment." 
 
 About five o'clock in the afternoon it began to 
 rain, and there were so few people on the street 
 that Ned knew it would be easier to escape from 
 the palace grounds. He took his post, as he had 
 on other nights, and waited. He saw a few twink- 
 ling lights in the large house, and rightly guessed 
 that the Mandarin was retiring. Ned walked slowly 
 up and down the dismal Chinese street, listening 
 to the steady patter of the raindrops on the leaves 
 of the trees overhead, now and then returning to 
 his hiding place behind the grounds of the mansion. 
 While Ned is impatiently doing this, let us wit- 
 ness some of the scenes inside the mansion. 
 
 Quong did not stay at the mansion all the time. 
 He had a bed in the barn and slept there part of 
 the time. The majority of Chinese servants are lazy 
 and shiftless. Quong took advantage of this and 
 did his work well, so instead of being a common 
 servant, he became one of his Excellency's pages 
 
70 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 or body servants. So since his promotion he had 
 had many chances to look wistfully at the stool, for 
 it was not a chair but quite a large footstool. He 
 lifted it ^ once to the Mandarin and found it to be 
 quite heavy. Quong was busy straightening up the 
 room, for his Excellency was to have company a 
 neighboring Mandarin. About twelve o'clock Quong 
 retired, or pretended to, but he really hid under the 
 Mandarin's bed. All the body-servants retired and 
 Quong went with them to the door, where he stepped 
 behind the door curtain. The sentry or guard came 
 and put out the lights, and as he went out Quong 
 slipped in. The sentry always came back at one 
 o'clock and again at two, and then retired for the 
 night. Quong knew this, and so between one and 
 two o'clock he crept out and picked up the stool, 
 opened a window on to a balcony, where he gave 
 an imitation of an owl hooting. This he repeated 
 twice, when it was answered from the wood. Ned 
 crept up to the balcony, gave a signal and Quong 
 dropped the stool and climbed down after it. Ned 
 caught it deftly and helped Quong down. Then 
 they crept stealthily toward the wood and were al- 
 most out when they were challenged in Chinese. 
 "We came the wrong way", whispered Quong. Then 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 71 
 
 he answered the challenge, "Friends don't shoot, " 
 he added quickly, as he heard the click of a gun. 
 It was so dark you could not see your hand before 
 you, and as they were near a tree, Ned put the 
 stool up into it and swung himself after it just 
 as the sentry came up to Quong. "Who are you 
 and what are you doing here?" asked the sentry 
 in Chinese. "I am Pik Tu and I am deserting," 
 answered Quong. He had changed his name when 
 he went into a servant's office. "Come with me," 
 said the sentry, and Ned was left alone. 
 
 As soon as Quong had gone, Ned climbed down 
 and made his way to Wang's house. He reported 
 the evening's adventure to Wang and they immedi- 
 ately buried the stool in the garden to wait till 
 Quong came home, when they planned to dig it up 
 and examine the chart. Having buried the stool 
 they noiselessly entered the house, where they fell 
 upon their mats and were soon asleep. 
 
 Poor Quong had a very different time. Upon leav- 
 ing the tree where Ned was hiding the sentry took 
 Quong to the barn, where he was locked in. The 
 next morning he was taken before Lem Wong Si, 
 the Mandarin. "Why did you want to leave, dog?" 
 asked Lem Si, sleepily. "Because an American said 
 
72 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 he give me good job; so I leave late at night." "Oh, 
 these foreigners! Could I but crush them!" said 
 Lem Si to himself, and to Quong, "What kind of a 
 job, traitor?" "On a ship at Pekin." All this 
 conversation was carried on in Chinese and Quong 
 was next asked, "You get good pay you want to 
 
 desert " and to the guards, "Take him to the 
 
 stocks." 
 
 Quong was led away and a large wooden collar 
 was put on his neck. It weighed about twenty-five 
 pounds and kept its occupant in pain and misery 
 continually, whether sitting, standing or lying down. 
 He was next taken with his wooden collar still on 
 to a small place under some trees just off the street, 
 where every passer-by could see him and the other 
 victims in the stocks. He was taken there every 
 morning and back to the barn at night. On his 
 fourth day Ned, now dressed in his own American 
 clothes, saw Quong, and a moment later Quong saw 
 him. Conversation was not allowed by the guards, 
 who, four in number, had large clubs and each a 
 long bolo hanging at his side. Ned knew, as did 
 Quong, that these guards knew their business, and 
 that open escape would be impossible. They ex- 
 changed glances and Ned passed on. By his look 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 73 
 
 Quong had asked Ned if the stool was safe, and 
 Ned had replied, "Yes." Ned went home and told 
 Wang, and they both decided that some stratagem 
 must be used. At two o'clock two of the guards 
 went for the prisoners' dinner, while two remained. 
 This was the hottest part of the day, and as it gets 
 very warm, few people venture out on the streets, 
 and Ned noticed that the two remaining guards 
 became very lazy and sometimes even went to sleep 
 before the others returned. So he and Wang de- 
 cided that at this time only must they attempt to 
 rescue Quong. Accordingly, the next day, as the 
 two remaining guards were arguing, Ned threw a 
 note saying, ''Escape at one o'clock any day. Will 
 whistle for signal." This was written in Chinese 
 by Wang, and was not signed. Quong nodded and 
 Ned moved away. He did not want to appear too 
 often at the same hour, because he might arouse the 
 suspicions of the guards, who, like all their race, are 
 suspicious of white people, whom they believe to be 
 very cunning, dishonest and artful. 
 
 Next day Ned timed how long the two guards 
 were gone. The following morning he passed again 
 and gave a long whistle. He noticed that this sur- 
 prised the passersby and the guards considerably, 
 
74 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 so quickly recovering himself he began to whistle a 
 tune, and everybody concluded that he was just a 
 crazy American whistling, and let it pass unnoticed 
 all but one person, Quong, who knew it was now 
 or never. He decided to run quickly as he could to 
 the river, find a boat, if possible, and escape among 
 the crowd of Chinese junks, punts and scows. 
 Wang was to unloosen Quong 's collars while Ned 
 engaged the two guards in conversation. Wang 
 had on two pairs of bloomers or trousers and two 
 caps, so that Quong might change after he was 
 freed and run less chance of being noticed. 
 
 The time for the escape was cleverly planned, 
 when two of the guards were away, but even though 
 plans are laid to perfection they sometimes fail. 
 Ned and his friends were not altogether successful, 
 as you will see. Wang released Quong, and while 
 Ned still kept the guards in conversation, Quong 
 changed his clothes and vanished down the street. 
 He was running full speed towards the wood when 
 when smash! bing! "yeow!" In turning a cor- 
 ner Quong had run into the guards who were re- 
 turning with the bowls of rice. The hot rice was in 
 a large kettle, and when Quong crashed into the 
 guards they spilled it all over themselves. The last 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 75 
 
 sound was from the two guards. Quong picked up 
 a large bowl, and hitting one of the Chinamen on 
 the head he started off again. The noise attracted 
 the other guards, who sprang up and ran to the 
 assistance of their companions and helped them to 
 their feet. They were somewhat stunned, and when 
 they at last started in pursuit, Quong had reached 
 the wood. Ned and Wang had vanished. The four 
 guards ran in hot pursuit, arousing other guards 
 and servants on the way. 
 
 After hitting the Chinaman, Quong darted off in 
 the direction of the wood and ran as he had never 
 run before, straining every muscle. After entering 
 the wood he decided to climb a tree. He chose a 
 large tree with many limbs and as soon as he had 
 reached the first crotch he looked up, then slipped 
 and fell down. It was all black about him and he 
 realized that he was in a hollow tree and thought 
 how lucky he was; but he had hurt his wrist and 
 hand and they pained him fearfully for awhile. He 
 soon heard the hunting-mad Chinese guards. More 
 had joined their number, and they went about 
 searching through the bushes and looking up into 
 the trees. However, they soon went away and he 
 was left alone. 
 
76 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 He tried to climb out, but could not, as he had 
 fallen further than he at first thought, and soon 
 abandoned hope in that direction and began to look 
 and feel about him as best he could. Finally, he 
 sounded the bark and drew out his jack-knife and 
 began cutting his way out. It was slow and ted- 
 ious work, especially in the dark, cramped hollow 
 of the tree. He cut his hands and often had to stop 
 and rest. He thought he would have to give it up, 
 but at last succeeded in making an opening large 
 enough to force his body through. Night had fallen 
 long before he succeeded in getting out, which was 
 fortunate, for it enabled him to slip away in the 
 darkness without being noticed. He made his way 
 silently through the narrow, quiet streets to Wang's 
 house. Wang and Ned quickly let him in, and they 
 immediately went to bed, because a light might 
 arouse the suspicions of the neighbors. 
 
 Next morning Quong told his story in detail, after 
 which they went to the garden and dug up the stool. 
 They took it apart carefully, and upon examining 
 the legs, which were hollow, instead of finding 
 papers or a chart, a little bag fell from each one. 
 They were eagerly picked up and opened and found 
 to contain chunks of gold and silver. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 77 
 
 "Well, I'll be busted !" ejaculated Ned, while 
 Quong and Wang looked on in silent amazement. 
 After they had recovered from their astonishment 
 they examined the money. "It is not coin of any 
 country," said Wang, in a somewhat disappointed 
 tone, "just gold and silver". He had expected to 
 get a chart that would lead to where some large 
 treasure was. The coin was weighed and then di- 
 vided into thirds each of the three receiving an 
 equal share. 
 
 "We must lie low, now, because that Mandarin 
 will try to recover the prisoner and will stop at no 
 expense in doing it," said Ned. "Tomorrow," he 
 continued, "I'll go down to a goldsmith's is there 
 one?" he asked of Quong, and, as Quong nodded his 
 head, Ned went on, "and get the coin changed to 
 real money. Till then we'd better hide it." The 
 coin was put back into the bags and taken into the 
 house, and two adobe bricks were removed from 
 each end and sidewall in the room and the bags hid- 
 den behind them. After seeing that the bags were 
 safe all three breathed more freely. 
 
 In the afternoon Ned wrote to his parents and to 
 Mr. Clovis, telling in each letter the story of the 
 Chinese feud and the taking of the chair. This took 
 
78 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 him all the afternoon, and when he went to mail the 
 letter he found one from Mr. Clovis, and when he 
 opened it a check for twenty-five dollars fell out. 
 He pocketed the check and read the letter. Mr. 
 Clovis gave him some advice about being careful, 
 and ended by reminding him that a rolling stone 
 gathers no moss. He laughed, and returned to 
 Wang's house. That night, after the usual Chinese 
 fare, they retired early, so as to be ready to be up 
 and get the bags out before any of their farmer 
 neighbors, who rise with the sun, might drop in for 
 a few minutes' conversation or to borrow something. 
 Ned was ready to start for the goldsmith's at an 
 early hour, but stopped to consult with the brothers 
 about changing the coin into money. "Now, you 
 fellows don't want this money in cash, do you?" 
 asked Ned. "Why not, eh?" asked Quong. "Be- 
 cause," answered Ned, "it would take a cart to get 
 it up here and that might excite suspicion, as they 
 know you were working as servant for Lem Wong 
 Si." Quong told his brother, who could not under- 
 stand all that Ned said, and they both agreed that it 
 would be best to follow Ned's plan and asked him 
 just how he would manage. He said, "I will bring 
 it in American pieces and you can take a piece at a 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 79 
 
 time to American stores and get your cash.'* "All 
 right; good luck," they replied, and Ned disap- 
 peared around the corner. 
 
 He dickered with the smith and finally got just 
 $1368. This he took to the brothers, who were 
 eagerly awaiting his appearance. It was equally 
 divided among the three, giving each one $456. 
 
 Ned played with the children and with Toby, who 
 was now with him, that afternoon, and in the even- 
 ing after supper he told Wang that he was going 
 to leave next day. Wang and Quong both tried to 
 persuade him to stay, but he told them he must be 
 moving. The real reason why Ned wished to leave 
 so soon was because he had had enough of Chinese 
 feuds. He believed the brothers to be in the right, 
 because he had never detected anything about either 
 of them which seemed dishonest or tricky, but Quong 
 had had such a narrow escape that he thought it 
 would be wise for him to leave without further delay. 
 So next morning he bade his true and good Chinese 
 friends good-bye, much to their regret, and taking 
 Toby with him, departed. He got on the river boat 
 and was rowed clear to its mouth in two days the 
 most monotonous two days Ned had ever spent. If 
 it had not been for Toby Ned would have been very 
 lonesome, indeed. 
 
80 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 He grew tired of the Chinese fare on board, and 
 when they touched at quite a large town and Ned 
 saw a few American people here and there, he went 
 ashore, after several minutes of motioning and ges- 
 ticulating with the captain as to how long the boat 
 would remain at the town. After learning that 
 they would stop about half an hour, he went ashore, 
 found an American store, and bought some crackers 
 and cheese, and finished with a drink of sweet cider. 
 He took some of the cheese and crackers back with 
 him, and made his meals of them during the remain- 
 der of the journey. 
 
 While he had so much time to himself he began 
 to plan on what he would do next. He finally de- 
 cided to go to "The Land of the Rising Sun", which 
 is Japan. He had day-dreams, as he lay on the 
 deck or in a chair, idly wishing he might take enough 
 money home so his father would not have to work 
 so hard, and then he would arouse himself and try 
 to find a cool spot out of reach of the sun. The 
 river's mouth was at a town of some importance, 
 being a fair-sized seaport. 
 
 Upon landing Ned wandered the streets aimlessly, 
 taking in the sights. Finally his eye espied the sign, 
 "S. S. Princess sails September 1st." He walked 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 81 
 
 on, looking for the Steamship Company's office, but 
 not finding it, soon returned and marked down the 
 date in a small memorandum book. He found a 
 cheap lodging-house and paid for two days' board, 
 and then began to wonder what he would do next. 
 He counted his money and found he had just $520 
 in American coin, and some two or three dollars in 
 Chinese. He bought a money belt to wear around 
 his waist, and as most of the money was in green- 
 backs, he was not hampered by its weight. 
 
 Next day he went down to the wharves, and after 
 wandering around for awhile he came to a large 
 steamship indeed, very large, too large, in fact, 
 he thought, for the amount of work going on about 
 her. He asked a sailor where she was bound for. 
 44 Ye ain't goin' to ship, be ye?" asked the old salt. 
 "I might, but I thought you could tell me where she 
 is to sail." "Oh, yes, I'll tell ye," the old sailor 
 said hastily, "we're bound for Indy, Singapore and 
 Italy." "Thank you," answered Ned, "you sail 
 on the first, don't you?" "Yep; say, youngster, 
 did ye ever sail on a ship?" "Oh, on a coaster for 
 awhile, then I was with a circus in the Hawaiian 
 Islands and China." "Uh-huh! but coasters is easy 
 'side a real oceaner.' " Ned sat down at this point 
 
82 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 in the conversation, and the old sailor went on, 
 "Yes, the Princess is a fine ship and I been with her 
 and her Cap'n goin' on a year now, and I been pro- 
 moted onct, too." "What is your position?" asked 
 Ned. "I am the second assistant bosun; I was be- 
 fore the mast, but the old man liked me, I guess, 
 cuz anyways, I eat in a cabin now." "Well, you're 
 in luck. 'Spose you could get me a position?" At 
 first the bosun's assistant laughed, but when Ned 
 told him he would really like to get a position, he 
 took it seriously and said he'd go aboard and see, 
 "No time like the present," he added, smiling. 
 
 While he was gone Ned began to wonder what 
 he would do with Toby in case he got a chance to 
 ship, and finally, just as Barney Clune, the bosun's 
 assistant, came down the gang plank, all smiles, 
 he decided that he would have time to take Toby 
 back and give him to Wang, who he knew would 
 be good to him. 
 
 "Well, I got ye a berth, youngster, as Capt'n's 
 boy. You can bring your luggage aboard tomorrer 
 lessee, this is Wednesday; we sail next Thurday, 
 a little morn'n a week from today," said Barney. 
 "Thank you", answered Ned, "What's the pay?" 
 "Twenty dollars a month; come on deck and he'll 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 83 
 
 tell ye what ye got to do and don't mind if he 
 looks a hole clean through ye at first. He's got a 
 good heart, so come on. One thing he's dippy about, 
 and that's punctuality." 
 
 Barney led Ned up the gang plank on to a large, 
 clean, well kept deck. Everything was fresh and 
 bright, showing an orderly, well disciplined crew. 
 "Mr. Dorn, this is the boy," said Barney, touching 
 his cap. The captain gave Ned a keen, long look, 
 then with, "Follow me!" in a business like tone, 
 he lead the way to a cabin, on the door of which 
 was a name plate bearing the inscription, "Captain." 
 
 "Now," said Captain Barney, "your name is 
 Edward Winter. All right, Ned I suspect you are 
 called Ned." Ned nodded "Your business is to do 
 anything I require act as porter, make my bed in 
 the morning, dust the chairs and furniture and keep 
 the cabin in order, bring my meals, set my table 
 and run errands about the ship. When you hear 
 this bell ring (he pointed to a gong on the wall), 
 come here. If I am not on the bridge I will be here. 
 "And", continued the captain, "you need not report 
 for duty until Monday or Tuesday and your pay will 
 begin from that date. You will bunk here," he 
 said, showing Ned a small cabin near the captain's. 
 
84 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 "I think that is all I suppose you know that I am 
 to be addressed as 'sir' ". "Yes, sir, I know," 
 answered Ned, as he moved off, examining the ship 
 on his way to the gang plank, where he told Barney 
 that he would see him again Monday or Tuesday. 
 
 The next day he took the quaint Chinese train to 
 where he had to connect with the boat, taking Toby 
 with him. He was very sorry to part with his little 
 pet, but was tired of China with its ancient, back- 
 ward ways. Wang gladly took Toby, as he had been 
 a favorite with the children. Toby licked Ned's 
 hand sadly when they parted at Wang's gate. 
 "Good-bye, Toby, old fellow, good-bye," and he 
 hurried away to suppress a tear, because Toby had 
 been much company to Ned. 
 
 Ned dreaded the long, slow journey to the sea- 
 coast, but wisely bought a book to read to help the 
 time pass more pleasantly. At length he landed and 
 immediately went to his boarding place, got his lug- 
 gage and went down to the wharf where the big 
 "Princess" was lying. He put his baggage under his 
 berth and then reported to the captain, and as the 
 other boy had left that day he went to work at once. 
 The captain said nothing, so he thought he could 
 not have made many mistakes. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 85 
 
 Next morning he was up bright and early, and 
 went about his duties, which he had finished by 
 nine o'clock. Then he began walking about the 
 ship admiring this point and comparing others with 
 ships he had seen. The engines interested him 
 mostly. He was closely examining some of the 
 parts when a cheery voice at his elbow said, " Inter- 
 ested?" Ned turned around to see a kind-looking 
 man in Assistant Chief Engineer's uniform looking 
 at him. ''Yes, I am very much interested/' an- 
 swered Ned. "I was just comparing those piston 
 rods with the ones in a coaster I once sailed on. "In 
 the States ? " " Yes, on the Pacific Coast. " " Would 
 you like to go into the engine room?" "Yes, sir, 
 very much indeed, ' ' answered Ned, politely. ' ' Come 
 on this way," and the Assistant led the way down 
 the steep iron ladder into the engine room. Ned 
 spent quite a while in the engine-room, then went 
 on deck. He spent all the afternoon getting ac- 
 quainted with the crew and examining the ship. 
 
 The "Princess" was a steamer of about 9,000 
 tons, one of four ships of the Asiatic Steamship 
 Company's liners, running from China and Japan 
 to most ports in Southern Asia and the cities of the 
 Mediterranean. The next morning the passengers 
 
86 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 came on board about one hundred in all, among 
 them a few Chinamen, whom Barney called 
 "bloomin' Chinesers". 
 
 About ten o'clock the captain called from the 
 bridge, "Let go your lines !" This was echoed down 
 to officers, who passed it on to the sailors. The big 
 ship swung gracefully into the bay and the propel- 
 lers churned rhythmically with the throbs of the 
 engine. Ned leaned over the rail and watched the 
 Chinese city fade from view. All at once the cap- 
 tain's bell rang and Ned ran up to the bridge. 
 "Take this note to the chief engineer." Ned took 
 the note, in which he would have read had he 
 opened it, "Can you show speed? Want a flying 
 trip. Captain Dora." "Tell him, 'yes/ " said Chief 
 Engineer Howell to Ned. Running on such errands 
 as this was about all Ned had to do, besides his cabin 
 duties. He had long talks with Barney, who told 
 him many sailors' yarns and taught him the names 
 of the various parts of the ship. 
 
 "Say, did I ever tell you the story of Mike 
 O'Donnel?" asked Barney one moonlight evening, 
 as they were sitting on a large pile of rope in the 
 bow of the ship. "No, I don't believe you ever did; 
 why?" asked Ned, looking up, for he had been 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 87 
 
 watching the phosphorus in the water. "Well, its 
 an almighty true story, and Mike was from me own 
 blessed Emerald Isle, too. He was a good man, was 
 Mike, but he had an orful temper, and he laid out 
 two captains. He had just come in port from a voy- 
 age around the Horn and had landed in New York 
 with eight months ' pay in 'is pocket. This he spends 
 in two weeks and is out of a job. As he begins get- 
 tin ' in pretty bad straits he ships on a cattleman 
 bound for ould London. The boss, Hogan, was the 
 meanest, orneriest critter ye ever seed so Mike 
 said. Well, the ship was called the "Vincent", and 
 one cold mornin' she steamed past the Goddess of 
 Liberty and into the ocean. Well," chuckled Bar- 
 ney, "Mike found his match in Hogan, who was not 
 only mean but bigger 'n Mike, and as Mike had quite 
 a reputation, most of the cattlers looked for a scrap. 
 Mike's job was to water and feed so many steers 
 each mornin' and evenin'. Well, Mike had a whole 
 pile o' spirit, I tell ye, and it made his blood boil to 
 have Hogan order him around like he was a dog. 
 One mornin' the ship gave a big lurch and Mike, 
 who was carryin' two pails of water, slipped and 
 spilled the water all over him. Hogan, who was 
 standin' near, talkin' with a bunch of cattlers who 
 
GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 wanted to curry favor, guffawed loudly and his 
 companions joined in. Hogan made some nasty re- 
 mark about seein' a kid who could carry two pails 
 the whole length of the ship and not take a bath. 
 Mike got up and walked over to Hogan and said, 
 'Ye blitherin spalpeen, take thot and thot!' and hit 
 him square in the jaw. This was something Hogan 
 had not looked for. He had expected Mike to say 
 something back and that was all. For a moment he 
 was dazed, but soon recovered himself and ran at 
 Mike like a wild bull, yelling curses and striKing 
 out wildly with his arms. Mike had expected this 
 attack and 'e (Barney when excited fell into his 
 brogue) just jumped aside, thin cracked Hogan in 
 the face so hard he knocked 'im down, and afther 
 thot Hogan niver had anything to say to Mike. In 
 fact, Mike about did as he pleased the whole voy- 
 age. Now, that's the story of Mike O'Donnell, and 
 I tell ye now, Mike's got a job as second mate on a 
 good whaler goin' from New York to the North 
 Pacific and back, and he got his job all by spirit and 
 you've got to get up early." 
 
 Ned went down the deck and tumbled in, think- 
 ing of Barney's description of Hogan and compar- 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 89 
 
 ing his nature with that of George Drake, the village 
 lawyer, of whom it reminded him. Ned could not 
 figure how George Drake had a good feature, being 
 covetous, mean, unforgiving and of a cowardly 
 spirit. However, he did not dwell long on Mr. 
 Drake's character, but was soon in the Land of Nod. 
 The next morning was cloudy and cold, and after 
 cleaning up the cabin and serving the captain's 
 breakfast, he went forward where Barney was busy 
 coiling up a huge pile of rope. Barney always tried 
 to impress Ned as being an extra good sailor, and 
 after Ned came in sight he began to coil the rope 
 deftly and quickly, never making a miss, till the 
 rope was all coiled up. Barney looked up then as 
 though he had not seen Ned before, and Ned made 
 no sign to show that he had noticed Barney look up 
 some minutes before. "Mornin', young 'un, how ye 
 feelin'? Now to see how good a sailor ye are, tell 
 me what kind of weather we'll have next twenty- 
 four hours?" Barney always liked to give Ned 
 nautical questions to answer, and to please the old 
 sailor Ned tried to answer them correctly. "Well," 
 answered Ned, slowly, "I should say it might rain 
 a little. It will not be warm all day, which is usual 
 in this part of the world, isn't it, Barney?" "Yes, 
 
90 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 'twill 'twill, and I am glad to see ye pick up so; 
 I'll make a sailor of ye yet." "I don't want to be 
 a sailor, Barney. I'll tell you why tonight, if it's 
 your watch; is it?" "Yes, it's mine," said Barney, 
 as he turned to his work, and just at that moment 
 the captain's bell rang and Ned had to go. 
 
 He was busy all the afternoon and had no time to 
 spare, but that evening after supper he met Barney 
 going to his watch, which was on the bow. Ned 
 seated himself on a coil of rope, while Barney sat at 
 the extreme bow. "Well, let's have it, young 'un," 
 said Barney. Whereupon Ned told of the mortgage 
 Mr. Drake held on his father's house, and about the 
 stock they held, 2,000 shares. While he was telling 
 about this and mentioned the name of the mining 
 company, a stranger passed, smoking a cigar. He 
 turned quickly, walked back and said, addressing 
 Ned, "I beg your pardon, but did you speak of the 
 Alaskan Gold & Silver Mining Company?" "I did, 
 sir; why?" said Ned, wonderingly. "Why, you 
 spoke of it as though it was not worth much. Do 
 you know it is worth $10 or more a share ? " " Why, 
 no, sir; is it really?" asked the perplexed but joyful 
 Ned. "Thank you ever so much." "Would you 
 care to sell any?" asked the stranger, shrewdly. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 91 
 
 11 Why, I'll see ; it isn't mine but my father's. What 
 figure would you pay?" "The prevailing stock ex- 
 change price." "Well, my father lives in Idaho and 
 -but where do you land, sir?" asked Ned, suddenly, 
 not finishing his sentence. "I get off at Genoa; that 
 is my home. The boat stops there for a few days; 
 then I am going back to Alaska via the United States 
 and I can go into Idaho, see your father and trans- 
 act the business." The man gave his name as L. 
 Stomio, and said he was an Italian banker at Genoa. 
 Ned talked awhile longer with Mr. Stomio and then 
 turned in. 
 
 It was decided that he would cable from Colombo, 
 Ceylon, to his father to hold the stock, because in 
 the last letter he had received from home, his father 
 had told him that George Drake was bargaining for 
 his stock. Ned said afterwards that it was the 
 longest three days he had ever spent. But all things 
 come to an end, and so did these days of waiting. 
 As soon as he could get leave after the boat reached 
 the dock he went ashore and telegraphed as follows : 
 "Meet man at Boise October 20th about stock. 
 Ned." This having been done Ned felt more than 
 satisfied during the rest of their stay in Colombo. 
 
92 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Wily Mr. Drake. 
 
 While Ned was dickering at sea with the man 
 who wanted Mr. Winter's stock, Mr. Drake, of Cole- 
 ville, Idaho was not idle. One morning while Mr. 
 Drake was eating his breakfast a telegram came 
 from a certain party in Alaska. Hastily tearing it 
 open he read, " Drake: Get stock Rose to $9.50. 
 Burnett." He clapped his hands gleefully and then 
 buried himself in deep thought. That afternoon Mr. 
 Winter came over to pay the . quarterly interest on 
 the mortgage. Mr. Drake received him affably, 
 talking all the time of Ned's pluck, while inwardly 
 wishing that young gentleman would be drowned 
 at sea or would in some way meet with an accident 
 that would cause his death, for personal reasons 
 already known to the reader. 
 
 After Mr. Winter had finished with the mortgage 
 matter, he rose to go, but Mr. Drake said, with a 
 bland smile, "Ah, er you have some mining stock, 
 I believe, in the Alaskan Gold & Silver Mining Com- 
 pany?" "Why, yes," answered Mr. Winter. "Well 
 I thought probably you would like to sell, consid- 
 ering the price of the stock, and," he continued, 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 93 
 
 in the same purring tone, "I have a party who 
 would like to buy just two thousand shares." What 
 is the price of the stock now?" asked Mr. Winter, 
 cautiously. Between fifteen and twenty cents a 
 share," lied Mr. Drake, evenly. "I'll see, Drake. 
 What does this party offer?" "He offered $500; 
 said he would pay no more. It would be a good 
 thing for you," went on Mr. Drake, "you could pay 
 off most of the mortgage. " " I '11 see you again about 
 it, George, answered Mr. Winter, thoughtfully. That 
 evening he sat up late, discussing it with Mrs. Win- 
 ter. Finally they decided to take the stock and go 
 over next morning and close the deal. Mr. Winter 
 wanted to confer with Mr. Clovis, but as it would 
 take money and time, he decided not to. 
 
 The following morning he ate his breakfast in 
 nervous haste and started to walk over to Mr. 
 Drake's house. He had hardly got out of the yard, 
 when he was hailed by a shout. Turning, he saw 
 'Denny' Elder, the village telegraph messenger, 
 coming toward him. "Want me, Denny?" he called. 
 "Yep." Slowly Denny swaggered up and handed 
 Mr. Winter a telegram. Mr. Winter paid Denny, 
 read the telegram and slowly retraced his steps to 
 the house. He went into the house feeling very 
 
94 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 much puzzled and handed the telegram it was 
 Ned's, to his wife. "Mary," he said, after she had 
 read it, "what had we better do about it?" She 
 was evidently puzzled, also, for she said, "Don't 
 sell it, anyway; Ned evidently means something 
 and it won't pay to be rash. He would not telegraph 
 clear from Ceylon for nothing, so let us wait." "But 
 about going to Boise. I've already lost a morning 
 and each morning counts, you know," he replied 
 soberly. "Yes, I know, but I believe I'd go to Boise 
 and see Mr. Clovis and ask his advice, but as Ned 
 did not name or describe the man, how would you 
 find him?" "I expect he will write; anyhow, what 
 made him telegraph?" "Well, you know, I men- 
 tioned in the last letter that we'd like to sell it and 
 he took the chance that if I sold it I could get it 
 again. ' ' 
 
 So Mr. Winter went to see Mr. Drake and told 
 him that he did not care to sell quite yet. "Why 
 not?" asked Mr. Drake, crossly. "I decline to 
 say." "But you said you would," "I did not 
 promise." "So you won't sell?" asked Mr. Drake, 
 finally. "No sir, not now, anyway." Mr. Drake 
 saw that Mr. Winter was determined, so pleaded no 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 95 
 
 further, and Mr Winter departed leaving an angry 
 and puzzled man behind him. 
 
 Mr. Winter waited patiently for a letter from Ned 
 and finally one morning Kate brought one on which 
 he recognized Ned's handwriting. Hastily tearing 
 it open he read it eagerly. "He says, Mary, to meet 
 Mr. L. Stomio at the Empire Hotel at Boise on the 
 20th and that the stock is worth about $10.00 a 
 share. Think of it! And to think I came near 
 selling it this morning. I wonder if Drake knows 
 of the price of the stock." All of the family read 
 Ned's letter over and over again, wondering if this 
 good fortune would really come to them. 
 
 The days passed slowly by. Mr. Winter had taken 
 a day off to see Mr. Clovis, who decided that he 
 would be at the Hotel Empire on the 20th to help 
 Mr. Winter dispose of his stock. Finally the day 
 came, and Mr. Winter, dressed in his best, boarded 
 the train for Boise. Arriving there he met Mr. 
 Clovis and the two began to watch for Mr. Stomio. 
 Soon they noticed a dark-complexioned man walking 
 among the crowd with a quick, nervous step, ap- 
 parently looking for someone. Finally he came up 
 to Mr. Winter and said, "I beg pardon, but are you 
 Mistar Wintar?" "Yes, sir, and are you Senor L. 
 
96 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 Stomio?" "I am; let us get to beesness soon, Senor." 
 " First let me introduce you to my friend, Mr. Clovis, 
 a local newspaper editor." The introduction was 
 made, with much bowing on the part of Senor 
 Stomio. They adjourned to a private room, a local 
 broker was called on the telephone to find the price 
 of A. G. and S. Mining Co. by telegraph. Soon the 
 returns came. It was quoted at $10.00 a share, so 
 Stomio gave Mr. Winter a check for $20,000, and 
 would not take the stock until he had gone to the 
 bank with Mr. Winter to have the money trans- 
 ferred to Mr. Clovis ' bank. 
 
 "By jove, Winter, you're in luck. I tell you, you 
 have reason to be proud of that son of yours," said 
 Mr. Clovis, as they were standing on the platform 
 waiting for the train. "And say, Bob," he called, 
 as the train began to move, ' ' get in a cab at Coleville 
 to show our friend Drake that you have to depend 
 on him no more." 
 
 Mr. Winter entered the car and sat down with a 
 deep sigh of relief. On the whole, he thought, this 
 was certainly the best piece of business he had ever 
 accomplished. 
 
 One of the passengers who stepped off the six 
 o'clock train at Coleville that evening was Mr. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 97 
 
 Robert Winter. Upon alighting from the cab after 
 reaching his house, he saw Mr. George Drake com- 
 ing down the street. Mr. Drake hailed him with, 
 "Say, Winter, I'll raise my bid to $700 for that 
 stock." "It is sold," Mr. Winter could not help 
 saying. ' ' Sold ! ' ' echoed Mr. Drake. ' ' To whom ? ' ' 
 "A man in Boise, and if you'll step into the house 
 a moment, I'll settle the mortgage," said Mr. Win- 
 ter, a trifle coldly. Mr. Drake looked surprised, but 
 said nothing and followed Mr. Winter into the house. 
 The transaction was made and Mr. Drake left the 
 house, chagrined and puzzled. 
 
 Mrs. Winter was overjoyed at their good fortune. 
 "After all, Eobert, it was not so foolhardy an act 
 as you supposed." "No, it certainly was not, and 
 I tell you, we have something to be thankful for 
 this coming Thanksgiving and I do wish Ned could 
 be with us." 
 
 "It never rains but it pours," is an old saying, and 
 this oft-times happens. Two days later Mr. Clovis 
 came down to take dinner with the Winters, and dur- 
 ing the meal he offered Mr. Winter a position as re- 
 porter on his paper, provided he could pass the ex- 
 amination. Mr. Winter promptly accepted and ar- 
 
98 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 ranged to leave his work at the mill and begin to 
 study for the examination at once. 
 
 Let us now return to Ned in the far-off land of 
 Ceylon. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Ned's Last Voyage. 
 
 The " Princess' stayed in Colombo a day and a 
 night. The morning of the second day, at four 
 o'clock, ten new men came on, and at five the " Prin- 
 cess ' ' pointed her prow due southwest, bound for the 
 Suez Canal and the Mediterranean ports. Two days 
 later they came in sight of the canal and waited till 
 morning to enter. The next day Ned had very little 
 to do, so he and Barney leaned over the rail and 
 watched the bleak, barren desert. They passed a few 
 ships, one a U. S. gunboat at anchor. The rail was 
 lined with sailors eager to catch a glimpse of Old 
 Glory again. The men from Ceylon and China looked 
 on in dumb contempt, but dared not say a word, for 
 they would have received a good mauling and a cold 
 bath in the waters of the Suez Canal. That night 
 they anchored again, but resumed their cruise next 
 morning, and at noon sailed into the beautiful Med- 
 iterranean. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 99 
 
 The captain now rang four bells, which meant full 
 speed ahead, as he was a day behind time. They 
 made the run across the sea in a day and a night, 
 and at eight o'clock next morning Ned took the cap- 
 tain's reports to the agent of the Steamship Com- 
 pany at Venice. Ned had little time to look around 
 and got only an hour off. This he promptly put in 
 sightseeing. 
 
 Just as the sun sank the loafers on the wharf let 
 go of the "Princess' " cables and she backed into 
 the bay. She made the trip to Genoa in twenty-four 
 hours, where Senor Stomio left them. 
 
 "Oh, pshaw!" ejaculated Barney, "there's the 
 'Trinidad'. She should 'a 'gone day before yester- 
 day. Now, I '11 bet a sack o ' terbaccy she 's busted and 
 we 'got to take another long cruise." "Don't you 
 want to take another long cruise ? ' ' asked Ned. ' * No, 
 siree," answered Barney, forcibly, "I am dead sick 
 on 'em. That there 'Trinidad', after we're gone '11 
 just cruise around here and stay in port half the 
 time, while we fight gales and the like. " " Oh, well, ' ' 
 replied Ned, in a sympathetic tone, though he se- 
 cretly wished they might start on another long cruise, 
 "maybe they'll have her fixed by the time we've un- 
 loaded the cargo." His surmise, however, was in- 
 
100 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 correct, for when the "Princess" had unloaded her 
 cargo, the "Trinidad's" engines still refused to 
 work. "I'll bet that captain just fixed her up," 
 grumbled Barney, "so's he could stick aroun' here." 
 
 The next morning the order came to get in a 
 cargo of macaroni and dried fruits for the States. 
 L. Stomio had left for England, from there he would 
 go to New York and thence to Boise. It was a 
 long trip, but L. Stomio evidently wanted the stock 
 badly. It took three days to load-in the cargo, 
 and on the first day the supercargo fell overboard 
 and struck a piece of planking. He was saved, but 
 sustained bad bruises and it was impossible for him 
 to go on with his work. As he was a resident of 
 Genoa he was removed to his home and the doctor 
 who was summoned said that he would better not 
 make the cruise. 
 
 The captain immediately began to search for 'an- 
 other supercargo. Finding none who suited him in 
 the city, he did the rest of the work himself. As 
 he was so busy all day he did not have time to 
 attend to all of his regular duties, and after supper 
 he called Ned into the cabin and asked him to show 
 him a copy of his handwriting. Ned complied. 
 "That's pretty fair; now will you copy these sheets 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 101 
 
 for me?" Ned answered in the affirmative and be- 
 gan to write. When he was nearly through Captain 
 Dora suddenly said, "Do you think you could do the 
 supercargo's work? All you would have to do is 
 to keep an account of everything that is loaded on 
 this ship or unloaded." "Yes, sir, I do." "You 
 do, eh? All right, we'll try you tomorrow, and if 
 you don't make good, I don't know what I'll do." 
 
 After finishing the sheets Ned left the cabin to 
 find Barney and tell him of his good luck. It is 
 a trait of human nature to want to tell someone else 
 at once if you have a piece of good fortune. "Good 
 fer you, youngster," said Barney warmly, and then 
 proceeded to give Ned some instructions regarding 
 the supercargo's duties. 
 
 Next morning Ned, with book and pencil, was 
 on the wharf checking the cargo as it was swung 
 over the ship's side in a huge net, drawn by means 
 of booms and pulleys with a gas engine. All day 
 he sat checking the goods, and toward evening his 
 hand became so tired that he longed for five o'clock 
 to come. That evening he sat up late with Captain 
 Dora, comparing his book with that of the man 
 who had delivered the cargo. It checked correctly, 
 for Ned had worked hard and conscientiously all 
 
102 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 day. "Youngster, you have made good; go to- 
 morrow and get you a supercargo's cap and hunt 
 up another cabin boy." Ned could scarcely conceal 
 his joy, and Barney was almost as glad as though 
 the good fortune had been his own. The next day 
 Ned worked even harder, and the third day was 
 easier, but he worked with a will, for he knew that 
 the captain might keep him as supercargo for the 
 rest of the voyage. 
 
 As soon as the last bit of cargo was on board 
 and all passengers likewise, the " Princess " slowly 
 steamed out to sea. As soon as they had left the 
 Suez behind, Captain Dorn rang four bells and the 
 speed was increased. After the Philippines had been 
 passed they proceeded at full speed. On the eleventh 
 day out Ned came on deck as usual. After seeing 
 that the cargo was all right he thought he would 
 find Barney, as it was past mess time. As he neared 
 the bow he heard voices engaged in discussion and 
 soon came in sight of Captain Dorn and three of 
 the men that had shipped at Ceylon. "You let 
 heem loose/' cried one angrily. "I'll do nothing 
 of the sort and any more out of you and I'll clap 
 you into the brig." The man evidently saw that 
 the captain meant what he said for he moved off, 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 103 
 
 followed by his companions. An hour later Ned 
 saw them in a group with the others who had 
 shipped at Ceylon. He counted nine, and surmised 
 that the other one was in the brig. He waited awhile 
 and then decided to go to the captain. "Well, what 
 is it?" asked Captain Dorn. "Well, sir, I don't 
 like to seem to meddle, but those men who shipped 
 at Ceylon are planning mischief." "Why do you 
 think so?" "Just a few moments ago I saw them 
 all talking together in low tones." "Well, Winter, 
 I may as well tell you I had trouble with them this 
 morning. One of them thought he was too fresh 
 and I clapped him into the brig, and we'll keep our 
 eyes peeled for 'em." You will notice that the cap- 
 tain treated Ned with more respect, now that he was 
 supercargo. 
 
 Next morning Ned was up earlier than usual, 
 fearing danger from the mutinous sailors. He had 
 not been on deck twenty minutes when he heard 
 loud voices and a pistol shot. Like a flash it came 
 through his mind that the prisoner was in the mid- 
 ship cabin. Hastily running through the passage- 
 way he came upon a scene that made his heart stand 
 still. The captain was standing before the cabin 
 door with the first mate. It was still dark, but in 
 
104 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 the faint moonlight Ned recognized the mutineers. 
 It was evident that the captain and mate were hedged 
 in, and threatened with death if an alarm was raised 
 again the captain had already fired the shot Ned 
 had heard. Their plan at first had simply been to get 
 the prisoner out, but now they wanted command of 
 the ship. The prisoner was evidently their leader. 
 His followers wanted to help him, but dared not risk 
 the captain 's pistol and the mate's belaying pin. 
 "Men," the captain's voice rang high above the 
 shouts of the mutineers and the oaths of the prisoner 
 inside, "disperse at once; if you do not it will go 
 hard with you. I will give you a fair chance and if 
 you don't take it you will take the consequences." 
 There were low mutterings and growls, which signi- 
 fied that the men did not wish to give up the chance 
 to seize the ship. The leader inside then broke forth 
 again, and Ned quickly decided that if this man got 
 out he would incite the others to more desperate 
 action than they would venture alone, so he hurried 
 around to the back of the cabin, revolving a plan in 
 his mind as he ran. As he rushed down the deck he 
 spied a piece of half -inch rope. "Just the thing!" 
 he muttered to himself. "It's a chance, but I'll try 
 it." He ran back behind the cabin, relieved to hear 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 105 
 
 the captain still remonstrating. "Lucky there are 
 no ports on the starboard," he thought. 
 
 Carefully and quietly he opened a porthole, and 
 saw the prisoner looking through the keyhole of the 
 much battered door. His head was in a fine position 
 to lasso and Ned took careful aim and let fly the 
 rope. It struck the man on the head and settled 
 down over his shoulders. Ned gave a quick jerk to 
 the rope to pull it taut and then dragged the now 
 helpless man to the side of the cabin, wound the 
 rope quickly around his arms and tied it to a couple 
 of belaying pins. He then ran down the deck in quest 
 of the loyal sailors. Meanwhile the prisoner was 
 yelling to his mates to release him. For a full minute 
 they did not comprehend the new turn of affairs, 
 and this gave Ned time to rout out the sailors. "Fol- 
 low me, quickly; the captain's in danger," he 
 shouted. The dozen loyal sailors ran after Ned, 
 picking up belaying pins and other weapons on the 
 way. They arrived just in time, for the mutineers 
 had broken into the cabin and were untying their 
 leader. When the captain caught sight of Ned and 
 the sailors he shouted the order, "Seize every one of 
 them, quickly!" This was no easy task, but they 
 immediately attacked the largest bunch. The captain 
 
106 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 retired and gagged the leader and then began on the 
 rest. In ten minutes it was over, and the leader and 
 his nine companions were under the forward hatches 
 in irons. 
 
 "By jove, Winter, I am indeed grateful to you; 
 that was very clever/' said Captain Dorn. "Oh, it 
 was nothing, sir; anyone could have done it," said 
 Ned modestly. "Don't you think it, boy. My, but 
 it makes me mad to think of the dirty swabs trying to 
 steal my ship," answered the captain, angered again 
 at thought of the mutineers. The men were all loud 
 in their praises of Ned, who protested against it, but 
 they did not stop talking about it till the end of the 
 voyage. 
 
 There was very little for a time to break the daily 
 monotony of ship life. Once in awhile Ned would 
 go to the hold and spend half a day looking after his 
 cargo. He always went down once a day to look 
 it over. One morning, just as he was starting back 
 up to the deck he heard a muffled groan. Turning 
 around he saw a boy about his age lying between two 
 barrels. "What's the matter here?" asked Ned 
 somewhat sharply. The boy turned a pained face 
 toward Ned. "I am starving to de^th," he said 
 weakly, "get me something to eat, won't you, 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 107 
 
 please ? " ' * 1 11 have to take you to the captain. Can 
 you walk?" "Yes, I think so." The boy arose but 
 before he had taken ten steps fell fainting, overcome 
 by hunger, thirst and exposure. Ned called a sailor 
 and together they carried him to the cabin ; then Ned 
 went to report the matter to the captain. "Well, 
 make him work his way soon as he is well enough." 
 Ned took his leave and then went to the galley to get 
 the boy some broth and water. When Ned returned 
 to the cabin the boy had regained consciousness under 
 the care of the sailor. "How do you feel now?" 
 asked Ned kindly. "I feel better, thank you; what 
 are you going to do with me?" "As soon as you feel 
 better you will have to work." Little by little Ned 
 drew out his story. He learned that he had lived in 
 Portland, Oregon, and had left a good home for a trip 
 to Italy and the Mediterranean. His money gave out 
 and he was compelled to stowaway to keep from 
 starving, as he could not get a job in the crowded 
 city of Genoa. "I had good parents and if you will 
 let me have a little money when we. get ashore tell 
 the captain I will get up tomorrow and do my share. 
 Let me sleep now and thank you ever so much." 
 
 Ned and the sailor left the cabin. "Queer sort 
 that rollin' stone, mostly. I ain't got no use for 
 
108 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 stowaways, but he seems a good sort an' I feel kind 
 o' sorry for him." "I am, too, but he don't seem 
 to worry, so we won't." 
 
 Next day the new boy, who was about Ned's age 
 and boasted the name of Frank Burnam, came on 
 deck and went to work with a will. He had good 
 clothes, and looked and acted as if his parents might 
 be wealthy. As soon as he was through his work 
 he came over to where Ned was standing, talking to 
 Barney. "Traveled much?" he asked abruptly, ad- 
 dressing Ned. "A little," answered Ned. "Fun 
 ain't it? I've been around the world about three 
 times," said Frank, without a trace of boastfulness. 
 
 "Winter," called the captain suddenly from the 
 bridge, "come here a moment, please." Yes, sir," 
 called Ned, as he hastened away. "Here, can you 
 see anything off to the northwest there ? Mr. Stock- 
 bridge, the mate, says he sees sails, and you know 
 part of my cargo is money almost twenty thousand 
 dollars in gold, and a lot of Geneva watches. I am 
 rather nervous because Captain Band told me that 
 in this Ladrone group there are pirates. They have 
 great canoes of the Viking type, travel in hordes 
 and can speak English." Ned took the glasses and 
 trained them on the northwest horizon. "I do see 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 109 
 
 some sails, sir." "We will prepare for them. I 
 know what they are. Arm the men with rifles and 
 get out the gatling gun." 
 
 Ned and the mate hurried away and in an hour 
 were ready for the pirates, for such they proved to 
 be. They had come very close to the ship and were 
 making preparations to board. The captain and his 
 men began firing but the canoes came rapidly and 
 there were soon a great many of the South Sea 
 pirates assembled. "I think we'd better leave four 
 bells, Mr. Stockbridge, " said the captain. The 
 "Princess" shot ahead, leaving behind a large band 
 of disappointed pirates. "Don't they know you can 
 run away from them?" asked Ned. "Yes, but they 
 thought our machinery might be disabled, in which 
 case they would board us and make off with the 
 ship," replied the captain. 
 
 Thus the days passed slowly by. Finally one morn- 
 ing the lookout on the crosstrees yelled, "Land Ho !" 
 It proved to be land and the captain said it was the 
 coast of Southern California. "Oh," cried Ned, 
 "we'll soon be home!" "What," asked the amazed 
 captain, "aren't you going back with us?" "No, 
 sir, I've earned my five hundred dollars. Thank you 
 Captain Dorn, but I'm tired of traveling and I have 
 
110 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 a position waiting for me with a newspaper in Boise ; 
 but we'll always be friends and I want you to visit 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Conclusion. 
 
 Two weeks later, on November 25th, a cab drove 
 up in front of the Winter homestead. It was in the 
 morning and Mrs. Winter and the girls were pre- 
 paring the big Thanksgiving dinner, which Mr. Clovis 
 was to attend. "I hear wheels; it is Mr. Clovis 
 he thinks he has to ride in a cab to come to Robert 
 Winter's house, now." "Oh, how you talk, Mar- 
 garet ; go let him in and tell him papa will be down 
 in a minute." Margaret went to the door and 
 started to open it but another hand was on the knob. 
 She waited and in stepped a tall young man, dressed 
 in new clothes from head to foot. "Ned," she cried, 
 "Ned, is it you? Oh, mamma, Kate, Mary, come 
 quick! It's Ned!" Such rejoicing as there was 
 that day! "You've done well, my boy, and there's 
 a place for a boy or must I say a man, now that 
 you're so large? on my paper and I am proud of 
 you," said Mr. Clovis, warmly. 
 
AN AMERICAN BOY 111 
 
 After dinner and oh, such a dinner it was 
 Ned was made to sit down and tell his story over 
 and over again. Thus we leave them happy and 
 contented, partially due to the efforts of their honest, 
 upright, manly boy. 
 
 Afterword. 
 
 Two years later the Winters moved to Boise. Cap- 
 tain Dorn visited them often, and on one of his 
 trips brought home Toby, who became a great fav- 
 orite with the family. Ned is head reporter and his 
 father the city editor of the Boise Times. Mr. do vis 
 boards with them and next summer he, Ned and 
 Mr. Winter plan to take a trip to China and the 
 Orient. 
 
 George Drake's son was teller in his father's bank, 
 but stole $25,000 and got away with it. He has 
 never been heard from since and his father had to 
 make up the deficiency. All this broke down his 
 health and though he is still rich he is a very un- 
 happy man. 
 
 This is all, dear reader, so good-bye. 
 The End. 
 
BOB 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Bob was a newsboy on the streets of Baltimore, 
 Maryland, and was a fine looking, manly boy. His 
 father and mother were living but he knew not 
 w r here. When he was only a year old he was taken 
 from his parents and had lived in the poorhouse 
 up to a year before the opening of this story. He 
 was now thirteen, strong and healthy and loved 
 athletics, but had little time to devote to it. 
 
 " Here's yer Times-Herald!" he called. He was 
 industrious, and in an hour his fifty papers were 
 gone. 
 
 "Led me a dime, will yer Bob?" asked a ragged 
 little bootblack named Jerry, "Sure; come have 
 breakfast with me." 
 
 The boys went into a nearby lunch stand where 
 they had breakfast. Bob had been selling papers 
 for a year and had made his living. He was always 
 ready to do a favor to Jerry when he could, because 
 when he had come in from the poorhouse Jerry 
 had given him enough money to get a stock of 
 papers. 
 
114 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 While they were eating their breakfast, two men 
 came in and took seats near them. After ordering 
 their meal they began to talk in low tones. One 
 of the men was a large, muscular giant, fully six 
 feet tall and very broad. The other was about five 
 feet eight and of slighter build. The boys noticed 
 that the large man was addressed as Mr. Jose Cap- 
 strano. He was a full blooded Philippine. The other 
 man's name was Billy Melvin. 
 
 "I tell you we need One Hundred Dollars and 
 two reliable boys," Melvin was saying. "Yes, yes/' 
 said Capstrano, "It's all there, but do you believe 
 that we can get the apparatus for One Hundred 
 Dollars?" "I think so," answered Melvin, "and 
 we have everything but the money and the boys." 
 
 All this time the men were so interested in their 
 discussion that they had not noticed the boys. 
 "Hello, boys! Interested?" asked the Philippine, 
 looking up and smiling in a manner that immedi- 
 ately attracted the boys to him. "Well, boys, how 
 would you like to make a nice little pile of money 
 apiece?" he asked. "Fine," said the boys. 
 
 "All right, seeing that you have heard most of 
 our conversation, we will tell you all about it. 
 About thirty miles from here is a long, shallow bay 
 
BOB 115 
 
 at the mouth of the Nanticoke River. About a quar- 
 ter of the way up you come to a small bay or cove. 
 In that cove are innumerable oysters. Jose and 
 myself are oyster fishermen. The other day we 
 ran up this bay and fished for oysters and found 
 one containing a pearl worth a hundred dollars. 
 Now, there are a good many such oysters in that 
 cove. We need a hundred dollars to buy a diving 
 apparatus and you boys to help us go down some- 
 times, and we'll divide the proceeds. Jose and I 
 have the boat and everything else that is needed." 
 "We're agreed," said both boys. "But there are 
 two things to be considered," said Billy. "First, 
 will your parents be willing?" "We ain't got none," 
 they answered. "And," went on Billy, "How much 
 money have you fellows got?" "Broke," said Jerry. 
 "Twenty-five dollars in the bank and a dollar here," 
 said Bob. "H'm came from the Philippino, 
 "What do you boys do?" "Sell papers and black 
 boots." "Well, I have Fifty Dollars and Jose has 
 Twenty that makes Ninety-five. I vote we all try 
 to rake up what we can and meet here tomorrow, 
 which is Saturday. If we have the money, we'll 
 ship Monday." 
 
116 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 What Happened Twelve Years Before. 
 
 "What do you think of the boys?" asked Billy, 
 after Bob and Jerry had gone. "They are all 
 right," replied the Philippine, "but there is one dan- 
 ger we must not overlook, and that is Jake and Pete 
 Harson rthey are villains, all right, but if we let 
 'em alone they won't be likely to bother us. 
 
 However, the Harsons had no intention of leaving 
 our friends alone; they were planning mischief at 
 that moment. "Wonder if we'll ever see Markel 
 again?" said Pete "don't seem likely." "He made 
 a pretty pile out of it, didn't he?" said Jake. 
 "What in the world did he do with that guy?" 
 "Took him out to sea in the Eva that was the last 
 ever seen of him or her. 
 
 "H'm," said Jake, "I see. When the rich uncle 
 died this guy gets the fortune and Markel nothing. 
 Markel don't like that, so he gets the S. S. into 
 play. When the guy and his wife and kid disappear, 
 Markel gets the fortune." "Well, we hadn't orter 
 be kicking. You was the poorhouse guy and orter 
 know what become of the kid ha-ha!" and Pete 
 laughed harshly. 
 
BOB 117 
 
 "Say, when did you see Melvin and the dago?" 
 "Yesterday, in Nanticoke Bay, fishin' in Black Rock 
 Cove. They seemed excited, so I watched them and 
 I heard the dago say, "Oh, a fine one for its size!' 7 
 Then as they were comin' out of the cove, I lit. 
 Must have found a pearl. Now listen, if Markel 
 should show up now, we'll bring a diving apparatus 
 and get something, if there's anything to get. Listen 
 someone at the door." 
 
 The door was opened and in came Dan Markel 
 himself. "Hello, boys," he said. He was a medium 
 sized man and had keen, sharp eyes and a sneaking 
 expression. After exchanging a few words, the 
 Harsons briefly laid their plan before Markel. 
 
 "Suppose it was just a lucky find," said Markel, 
 cautiously he knew the Harson brothers unscrupu- 
 lousness. "I guess we ain't fished ten years and 
 don't know a pearl oyster," said Pete. 
 
 "Well, when do we start?" "Soon as the divin' 
 apparatus is bought," said Pete. "Then we'll start 
 Tuesday morning." 
 
 "Say! No. S. S. in this," exclaimed Pete. "No," 
 answered Markel. "Is the S. S. still alive?" asked 
 Jake. " Sure, " returned Markel. "You did a clever 
 piece of work that time you took care of the kid, 
 
118 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 then turned him loose. Where is he now?" "In 
 the city," said Pete. 
 
 Pete and Jake had given up the poorhouse three 
 months before and now lived in a little two room 
 house on the bluffs over the Eappahannock River. 
 
 "Did you spend the uncle's pile?" asked Jake. 
 "No, sir," replied Markel, "that's in the bank 
 every cent of it. I've made a good living and a little 
 to lay by since that deal twelve years ago. I guess 
 the old man and woman hailed a ship and got 
 ashore, but they'll never cross my path again." 
 
 Markel, when about twenty-two years of age, had 
 asked Miss Martha Holton for her hand. She re- 
 fused him and married R. E. Darrington a month 
 after. Mr. Darrington 's only relative was a rich 
 uncle, who died, leaving the property to his nephew. 
 One night on their way home from the theater the 
 S. S., meaning the Secret Six, had captured the 
 whole family the father, mother and their year 
 old boy. The father and mother had been taken 
 to a desolate island, about four hundred miles from 
 the coast, given a good supply of ammunition, some 
 provisions and other necessities and the boat 
 sailed away, leaving them alone. The island had 
 an abundance of wild game and fruit. Nothing had 
 
BOB 119 
 
 been heard from them since. The boy, Robert, had 
 been taken to the Baltimore Poorhouse, which the 
 Harson Brothers, of the Secret Six, superintended. 
 When the Harson Brothers resigned he was turned 
 out. Let us now return to our hero and his friends. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Storm. 
 
 Saturday morning at ten o'clock our four friends 
 met at the small restaurant. They had just One 
 Hundred and Twenty-two Dollars among them. 
 Each of the boys had put in Ten Dollars and Jose 
 and Billy had sold an extra lantern and anchor 
 from their sloop, Pearl. 
 
 Monday dawned cloudy and Jose said he thought 
 he smelled a storm brewing. As soon as they were 
 under way they got out the diving apparatus and 
 Billy said he would go down first. The boat made 
 good headway down the bay and by seven o'clock 
 all was ready. Billy put on the diver's suit, ar- 
 ranged the pumps and went down. Up again and 
 down again he went. All the time the sky was get- 
 ting black. They had secured about a tub full of 
 oysters when a boat appeared around the point; 
 in it were Dan Markel and the Harson Borthers. 
 
120 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 Just then the storm broke, blowing each boat south- 
 ward rapidly. Suddenly the two boats crashed 
 together and stove a hole in the Harson boat, the 
 lighter of the two. 
 
 "You get out of this what are you trying to 
 do?" roared Dan Markel, drawing a pistol out of 
 his hip pocket and aiming it at Jose, who was 
 steering. Quick as a tiger Jose made a magnificent 
 leap into the other boat before Markel could fire, 
 and wrenching the pistol from his hand, gave him a 
 crushing blow which knocked him over. He then 
 calmly climbed into his own boat as Billy steered 
 it alongside. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 A Great Find. 
 
 The storm raged for two days. The first day out 
 the oysters were examined and one pearl was found 
 an inferior one worth, perhaps, Fifteen Dollars. 
 All the next day they were out in the storm. It 
 had changed its course and was coming from the 
 west driving the Pearl due eastward. About five 
 o'clock in the evening Bob shouted, "Land!" Off 
 to the eastward was an island about ninety miles 
 wide by one hundred and twenty miles long. On it 
 
BOB 121 
 
 were many trees and much vegetation. The south 
 end was nearly barren and the trees were all stunted. 
 
 "I wonder what caused that?" said Bob. "I don't 
 know, unless it is too rocky down there for vegeta- 
 tion to grow," answered Billy. 
 
 That night the Pearl dropped anchor in a small 
 bay on the west shore. The next morning all were 
 up early and going ashore, divided to search for 
 game or fruit, Billy and Bob going south and west, 
 while Jerry and Jose went north and east. 
 
 Toward noon Bob and his companion ate their 
 lunch, and seeing a stream close by, went down to 
 get a drink. The water proved to be dirty and 
 black. " Tastes like petroleum," said Bob. " Let's 
 follow it and see where its source is." 
 
 Following the stream for about two hundred rods 
 they came upon an oil spring. As they stood looking 
 at the spring, they heard a noise behind them, and 
 turning they saw a man with long beard and long 
 hair, scantily dressed in ragged clothes. 
 
 Now let us return to Jerry and his companion. 
 They had walked about three miles when they came 
 upon a hut built of rude logs. In it was a woman. 
 She looked startled when they spoke to her, and 
 uttered a cry of alarm. 
 
122 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 "Who are you," she cried. "We are oyster fish- 
 ermen and we drifted in a storm to this island. Do 
 you live here alone?" "No, my husband is here 
 with me. About twelve or thirteen years ago some 
 rascals took our only son away from us and put us 
 on this awful island. Oh, please take us back 
 please do!" she wailed. 
 
 "We'll try to," said Jose. As he said this he 
 turned and saw coming up the path three men who 
 had not yet observed them. 
 
 To return to Billy and Bob "Well!" the man 
 finally broke the silence, "Who are you?" "We 
 are oyster fishermen and got caught in a storm and 
 landed here." Billy was standing near the bank 
 and as he said this, his footing gave way and he 
 fell into the stream of oil and water. He tried to 
 swim but it was too thick. 
 
 ' ' Help ! " he shouted, ' ' Help me, Bob ! " " Here, ' ' 
 said Bob, "Mr. Man, I'll get down and lean over 
 and when Billy comes up you take hold of my feet 
 and we'll try and pull him up." 
 
 "All right," responded the man. 
 
 "When Billy came up the second time, he was 
 about two paces from Bob. "Give me your hand, 
 Billy," shouted Bob, for Billy was almost drowned. 
 
BOB 123 
 
 Billy feebly reached up his hands, Bob and the 
 man pulled simultaneously, and drew Billy out of 
 the spring. 
 
 "Come up to my cabin," said the man, "I have 
 a wife there. But what are your names?" "Billy 
 Melvin and Robert he hasn't any other name." 
 "Ah, I used to have a son named Robert, but some 
 men took him from us and put us on this island; 
 but that is another story." 
 
 "Here we are, but what is this row about?" said 
 the man, as he, Billy and Bob came in sight of the 
 cabin in a large clearing in the forest. There stood 
 Markel and the Harson Brothers. The Harsons each 
 had a pistol and Markel a knife, and they had Jose 
 and Jerry covered. They had not yet seen our 
 friends approaching through the forest. Billy and 
 Bob each had a revolver and the man a large, sharp 
 butcher knife. They stole up behind, Billy and 
 Bob covering the Harsons, while the man had his 
 knife within reach of Markel. 
 
 "Ha, you scoundrel; Tell me where my son is 
 or I will kill you!" "He is here before you," 
 answered Markel, turning pale and his voice trem- 
 bling. "I will soon see if you lie which one?" 
 
 Markel pointed to Bob. Going over to him, the 
 
124 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 man unbuttoned his shirt. There in small letters 
 were these words, "B. D., Baltimore, Md." 
 
 There was great rejoicing and the happy parents 
 were soon ready to return with Bob and his friends. 
 The Harsons and Dan Markel were put on board the 
 Pearl and their boat was towed, and thus the whole 
 party returned to Baltimore, and the guilty trio 
 were turned over to the authorities. The trial came 
 off two weeks later and Bob's father, Mr. Dar- 
 rington, got back his fortune. Dan Markel was 
 given ten years in the penitentiary and the Harson 
 Brothers each five. 
 
 Billy and Robert, now Bob Darrington, did not 
 forget Black Rock Cove and the oil spring on Dandy 
 Island. Two weeks later, with Jerry and Jose, they 
 again went fishing in Black Rock Cove. This they 
 continued doing till the oysters got scarce. Then 
 Mr. Darrington put up some money and the four 
 formed an Oil and Pearl Company. 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 If you should go down the main street in Baltimore 
 today, you would see a large sign reading: 
 DARRINGTON & COLE 
 OIL MERCHANTS. 
 
THE PRIZE FIGHTER 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The First Fight. 
 
 The Kid sold papers down by the corner of Fin- 
 negan's saloon. One morning a red-headed newsboy 
 came and told him that Abe Iverstein, the Jew, had 
 made his brother cry by a rap on the ear. "I'll 
 find dat guy and fix him!" he shouted. His backers 
 and Abe's went behind Finnegan's saloon and Fin- 
 negan himself came out. Finnegan had been a third- 
 rate pugilist some years back and he attended all 
 the fights over at the Club. 
 
 All the kids in the neighborhood came to see it 
 the kid and Abe had long been rivals. Finnegan, 
 after much coaxing, finally agreed to referee. They 
 did not shake hands and agreed on a finish fight 
 no rest till one or the other quit. 
 
 For about five minutes they watched each other 
 like cats. Abe was plainly scared. He was a good 
 boxer and Finnegan knew it. That was some help, 
 but as he glanced at his own thin arms and then 
 
126 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 at the Kid's strong ones, he had some misgivings 
 as to the outcome. 
 
 The Kid started and in the language of the 
 street he put both of Abe's lamps out and had the 
 claret coming from his opponent's mouth and nose. 
 He knocked Abe down five times, then Abey quit. 
 Finnegan gave the victory to the Kid. They shook 
 hands and the fight was over. 
 
 The next day it became known that Finnegan was 
 going to train the Kid, who was to challenge the 
 winner of the fight at the club next month. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 His Ring Debut. 
 
 The fight came off. There was a tall, red-headed 
 individual standing in the lighted ring beside the 
 Featherweight of East St. Louis. He meets five 
 picked men of this city. If any one of the five 
 whips him, the winner gets $20 and the champion- 
 ship, provided he fights the remaining men to defend 
 his title. With this he jumped through the ring 
 and was cheered. 
 
 The first man walked into the ring and was put 
 to sleep by one punch. The next man was the Kid. 
 They took him into the dressing room and dressed 
 
THE PRIZE FIGHTER 127 
 
 him in a pair of green tights and an old coat, and 
 Kid Collins walked into the ring. 
 
 "Next victim, Chimmy!" yelled a gallery patron. 
 He stood in the corner of the roped ring and the 
 lights and the crowd dazed him. He walked for- 
 but he knew all the best professionals. He got a 
 job at a vaudeville theater in St. Louis at $50 a week. 
 
 He next got a match with one Billy Ryan, the 
 Champion of the Central States. The fight was for 
 ward, shook hands, and the second fight in the Kid's 
 career had begun. They maneuvered a moment, 
 then something hit him in the nose. He was knocked 
 down and a man was bending over him. He heard 
 him say, " Seven/' he looked at Finnegan who 
 #as saying, * * Get up ! Get up ! " He did get up and 
 now he was mad. "He would fix that red-headed 
 slob ! " He had got on his feet just at nine, and 
 now he was fighting like a tiger. He was covered 
 with blood, but what did he care? Was not his 
 little brother without a hat and shoes and coat? 
 He needed the $20 and he'd have it. He whipped 
 the red-headed Champion and two more; the other 
 one backed out. They lifted the Kid to their 
 shoulders and carried him to the dressing room. 
 
128 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 He Wins All the Way. 
 
 The Kid and his manager, Finnegan, went to Jef- 
 ferson City to get a match with Dan Creedon, the 
 Champion of Missouri. It was arranged and this 
 time the Kid was to get $300, win, lose or draw. 
 He was now a professional Prize Fighter. 
 
 He beat Creedon, then went to St. Louis. He was 
 becoming popular now of course he was still poor, 
 twenty-five rounds. The Kid beat Ryan, and then 
 fought Pat O'Hara. He now had about $1000 in 
 the bank. He sent $5 a week to Mrs. Flannagan, 
 a washerwoman in East St. Louis, who had been 
 kind to him when he was a newsboy, and he began 
 to indulge in wine suppers every night. 
 
 Pat O'Hara was a 'has been', and the Kid just 
 barely won. Finnegan noticed this and spoke to him 
 about it. The Kid only laughed. He sat up late 
 nights and continued to indulge in wine suppers 
 while training for a fight, and after losing a couple 
 of battles, he and his manager went to the moun- 
 tains for a month. When he returned he went to 
 New York and challenged the Champion Bantam- 
 weight of America, one Frankie Sullivan, of 
 Brooklyn. 
 
THE PRIZE FIGHTER 129 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 He Wins and Loses. 
 
 The match was an important one for Kid Collins 
 and he knew it. As Champion Bantamweight of the 
 Central States, he demanded a bonus of 60 by 30 
 of the gate receipts and $2000 guaranteed, and he 
 got it. Sullivan demanded $3000 and got it as 
 Champion of America. The fight was a fierce one 
 from start to finish. It lasted twenty-two rounds, 
 then with a right upper cut to the nose and a clever 
 duck the Kid was victor. He had trained well and 
 won. 
 
 For eight weeks he made $500 a week at a theater, 
 then began to indulge in high living. His muscles 
 grew flabby and he neglected his training. He was 
 challenged by a Western lad. He was to get $20,000, 
 win, lose or draw. He was not in good condition, 
 but as he looked at the well trimmed muscles of his 
 opponent, he sneered. 
 
 There were thousands of dollars put up on this 
 match and the Kid had all he owned except $5 up 
 on it. In the second round he went down and stayed 
 down. The once brilliant career of Kid Collins was 
 at its end. Next time he went to Finnegan's old 
 
130 GOOD'S BUDGET 
 
 saloon and asked for a beer on credit. He was kicked 
 out. Then he went back to New York. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Conclusion, 
 
 Two old bachelor cronies were walking through 
 the graveyard in New York and they came to the 
 Potter's Field. 
 
 " There," said one, "is where the once famous 
 Kid Collins lies." This was the inscription on a 
 rough slab : 
 
 Here lies 
 
 KID COLLINS 
 
 Once Champion Bantamweight of America.