“Yah, do dot py all means,” added Carl Stummer, and Gilbert promised to keep the whole matter in mind.
After Casey and Stummer had departed the young American thought over the matter for a good hour. He had spent many years of life in army service, but in the past this had been only under Old Glory. It would be a new experience to march under the Mikado’s flag. Yet a great many Americans were doing it.
“If I join the Japanese army, I’d be a regular soldier of fortune and no mistake,” he mused. “Well, I might do worse. After all, army service is largely a matter of business—when it isn’t the army of one’s own country. I don’t know but that I could fight just as hard for the Mikado as I have for Uncle Sam.” And there, for the time being, he dropped the matter. He would not have considered taking up arms against the Russians had he not been so badly treated at Port Arthur.
The very next day after the meeting just recorded a vessel arrived at Chemulpo carrying large quantities of army stores for the Japanese soldiers. The vessel was from Nagasaki, and Gilbert lost no time in visiting the ship and asking for the latest shipping news from that port.
“You may look over the papers,” said the purser, and handed him copies of the Mainichi, which means Daily, and of several sheets devoted largely to Japanese shipping interests.
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t got to reading Japanese yet,” said Gilbert, and was then handed a copy of the Japan Mail, and also a copy of the Japan Times, both published in English.
Sitting down, the young American looked the two sheets over with interest. At first he could find nothing of what he wanted, but at last caught a paragraph which instantly commanded his attention. The paragraph stated that the Columbia, Captain Ponsberry, had arrived at Nagasaki, with a mixed cargo consigned to various ports. She had expected to sail for ports in Korea and Manchuria, but owing to the war, the captain was awaiting further orders from the owners.
“I hope she stays at Nagasaki until I can get there,” said Gilbert to himself. “If she’ll do that, perhaps we can make something out of what’s on board. The Japanese are paying big prices for stores of all kinds just now. I wish I could sail for Nagasaki at once.”
The opportunity to sail for the Japanese seaport named came sooner than expected. That very afternoon a steamer came in from an upper port. She was bound for Nagasaki direct, and Gilbert had but little difficulty in procuring passage, although he had to pay just twice the regular fare. But in war times this was to be expected.
“And if a Russian warship sinks us, you must not complain,” said the captain of the steamer, after the bargain had been made.