amer for
Hong-Kong before the end of the week, five days away.

It would have sounded silly to dispatch another message, telling of lack
of steamers. I had supposed a steamer sailed every day or two, and my
temper was ruffled at my mistake and the prospect of fretting away a week
in the heat of Manila.

A little item in the _Times_ gave me hope. It told of the steamer
_Kut Sang_ coming out of dry dock to sail for Hong-Kong that very
afternoon with general cargo. There was a bare chance that I might get
passage in her, for the paper referred to her as a former passenger boat,
and I was sure I could cajole the company into selling me a berth, or
bribe the captain into signing me as a member of the crew, with no duties
to perform, a common practice.

"This is Mr. Trenholm of the Amalgamated Press," I told the clerk in the
steamship office over the hotel's desk-telephone. "Simply must get to
Hong-Kong as soon as possible, and would like to go in the _Kut Sang_
this afternoon. May I buy passage in her?"

It was hard to make him understand, for he was a Filipino who insisted
on speaking English, although I had a working knowledge of Spanish. He
first mistook me for a stevedore, then for the manager, and next for the
Hong-Kong-Shanghai Bank. I stormed at him, irritated that I should have
to shout my business for the benefit of the loafers in the hotel office.

"Correspondent!" I yelled in answer to his questions. "Newspaper
correspondent working on the war. I want to go to Hong-Kong in the
_Kut Sang_!"

"I am very sorry," he said, without explaining his sorrow.

"May I go in the _Kut Sang_?" I insisted, and he told me I could, and
after he had talked in a low tone with somebody in his office, said that
I couldn't, which was exasperating. I decided to go to the steamship
office and plead with the officials. Hanging up the receiver, I signalled
to the boy to call a carriage.

"You want to go in the _Kut Sang_, my dear sir?" came a purring voice at
my shoulder. I looked up, and the Rev. Luther Meeker smiled at me.

I growled something at him to the effect that I wondered if I was ever to
lose sight of him. He bowed again and grinned.

"Sorry that you object to me," he murmured, with lifted eyebrows. "But
we'll let all that pass. I might inform you that it is impossible to go
in the steamer _Kut Sang_. You will pardon me, I am sure, but I heard
what you said at the telephone, and I am willing to annoy you to save you
t