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In Pursuit of Gold Chinese American Miners and
Merchants in the American West 1st Edition Edition Sue
Fawn Chung Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Sue Fawn Chung
ISBN(s): 9780252036286, 025203628X
Edition: 1st Edition
File Details: PDF, 4.65 MB
Year: 2011
Language: english
 In Pursuit of

GOLD
Chinese American
Miners and Merchants
in the American West

SUE FAWN CHUNG

 In Pursuit of Gold

i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 1 6/24/11 8:35 AM

 The Asian American Experience
Series Editor
Roger Daniels

A list of books in the series appears

at the end of this book.

i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 2 6/24/11 8:35 AM

 in pursuit
of gold
Chinese American
Miners and Merchants
in the American West

Sue Fawn Chung

university of illinois press

urbana, chicago, and springfield

i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 3 6/24/11 8:35 AM

 © 2011 by the Board of Trustees
of the University of Illinois
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
c 5 4 3 2 1
∞ This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chung, Sue Fawn
In pursuit of gold : Chinese American miners and
merchants in the American West / Sue Fawn Chung.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-252-03628-6 (acid-free paper)
1. Chinese Americans—Nevada—Elko County—History—
19th century. 2. Gold miners—Nevada—Elko County—
History—19th century. 3. Merchants—Nevada—Elko County—
History—19th century. 4. Mining camps—Nevada—
Elko County—History—19th century. 5. Community life—
Nevada—Elko County—History—19th century. 6. Intercultural
communication—Nevada—Elko County—History—19th century.
7. Elko County (Nev.)—Ethnic relations—History—19th century.
8. Chinese Americans—Oregon—History—19th century.
9. Oregon—Ethnic relations—History—19th century.
10. Chinese Americans—West (U.S.)—History—19th century.
I. Title.
F847.E4C47   2011
979.3'1602—dc22   2010051965

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 This book is dedicated to
Alan, Walter, and Alexander,
and my parents, who have
encouraged my pursuit
of knowledge

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i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 6 6/24/11 8:35 AM
 Contents

foreword ix
Roger Daniels

Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xv
Note on Tr ansliter ation
of Names xxix

1. The Coming and Early Challenges 1

2. Onward to Eastern Oregon 46
3. Eastward to Northeastern Nevada:
Tuscarora 82
4. Farther East: Island Mountain
and Gold Creek 122

Conclusion 171
Notes 185
Bibliogr aphy 215
Index 243

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i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 8 6/24/11 8:35 AM
 Foreword
Roger Da niel s

Not so many years ago historians wrote as if whatever economic contribu-

tion Chinese workers might have made to the development of the American
West ended with the completion of the transcontinental railroads. That myth
was demolished by the 1986 publication of Sucheng Chan’s This Bittersweet
Soil: The Chinese in California Agriculture, 1860–1910, which transformed the
nature of Chinese American history by showing that, in addition to being
exploited toilers, Chinese had made important entrepreneurial contributions.
The great virtues of Sue Fawn Chung’s fine study of a handful of small
mining towns in Eastern Oregon and Nevada are that she shows that here,
too, the Chinese economic presence was important and enduring, and the
way in which she meticulously depicts small multiethnic communities with
a very high level of mutual dependence at a time when Chinese were being
persecuted severely in most areas of the American West in which they lived.
Sue Fawn, a former student whose varied contributions to Asian American
history and culture I have long admired, is superbly equipped to create this
study. In addition to the standard tools of the historian, she has a good com-
mand of the Chinese language and has participated in archeological digs and
worked with anthropologists and historic preservationists. She is able to use
the evidence developed in those disciplines as well as the traditional written
and printed sources of the historian to craft detailed histories of vanished
and largely ignored communities.
The fact that she has tramped over the relatively isolated and rugged ter-
rain in several of the communities she writes about adds a dimension to her
narrative. Her purpose is not antiquarian but historical: she provides a new
dimension to the traditional picture of the Chinese in the exclusion era and
makes meaningful comparisons between the experiences of the folks that she
writes about and the more general experience of other Chinese Americans.
Her closing summary puts it well: “In general during this early period [the
Chinese of these towns] were not driven out [and] in all of the towns, at least
one Chinese resident remained there long after mining declined and could
not be considered a sojourner.”

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i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 10 6/24/11 8:35 AM
 Acknowledgments

This project would not have been possible without the assistance of
many people and organizations. Only some are mentioned below.
My interest in Chinese American history began with the planning and
execution of my senior honors thesis under Roger Daniels, who introduced
me to the leading scholarship in the field at that time and the methodol-
ogy and approach that I have used. My Chinese history background under
David Farquhar, John King Fairbank, Benjamin Schwartz, John Pelzel, and
Ezra Vogel was furthered by Joseph Levenson and Frederic E. Wakeman Jr.
James Cahill enhanced my knowledge of Chinese art history and helped me
develop an interest in photography and the arts.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Humboldt–Toiyabe
National Forest, especially Fred P. Frampton, archaeologist, and Dale Hom, a
forest supervisor in the Olympia National Forest, did the initial investigations
and sought the funding for the archaeological excavations at Island Mountain
that inspired this study. The “Passport in Time” summer volunteer program
from 1999 to 2001 provided the workers, including volunteers from the Wing
Luke Museum, Seattle, Washington, who were supervised by graduate stu-
dents working under Donald Hardesty, professor of anthropology, University
of Nevada–Reno. Patricia Hunt-Jones, who worked all three summers on the
dig, wrote her master’s thesis on China Lem’s store. Melissa Farnscomb served
one summer as the graduate director of the dig and interviewed Della Baker
Johns, whose family was close to China Lem. The Johns family kindly sent me
photographs of Island Mountain and Gold Creek. Fred Frampton provided
me with copies of the Hilda Matthey 1903 photographs. The late Mary and
Elmer Rusco of the University of Nevada–Reno, worked on the dig and Mary
introduced me to Chinese American historical archaeology. Priscilla Wegars
of the University of Idaho–Moscow also served as a consultant on the dig
and provided many insights for this project. William Fawcett of the Bureau
of Land Management in Elko provided me with Eric Dillingham’s report on
Tuscarora. Guy Rocha, former Nevada state archivist, and his staff found nu-
merous items on the Chinese in Nevada and solved problems like the records
of the payment of poll taxes. The Nevada State Museum staff in Carson City

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 made the artifacts from Tuscarora and Carson City’s Zhigongtang available
to me. The staff of the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko opened their
archives to me, and Della John’s granddaughter assisted in obtaining informa-
tion and photographs. David Valentine, an archaeologist formerly with the
Bureau of Land Management in Winnemucca, Nevada, assisted in numerous
ways and read the first rough draft. Maxine Chan of Seattle, Washington, who
lectured on Chinese medicine, foods, and customs, provided insights into the
daily lives of the late nineteenth-century Chinese. John Fulton, Judge Lem
Tuai, and other people too numerous to mention were extremely helpful, and
for this I am very grateful.
Neil Thomsen, former head archivist at the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), San Bruno, California, helped me locate immigra-
tion files, and William Greene and Dan Nealand continued his work for me.
Vincent Chin shared his compilations of Chinese partnership records from
NARA and Joseph Ellis worked with me at NARA, Washington, D.C., for
several years. Roger Daniels introduced me to Marian Smith of the Immi-
gration and Naturalization Service, as it was formerly called. Staff members
at NARA in Laguna Nigel, California, and Seattle, Washington, also opened
their Chinese immigration files for me.
The staff members of the University of California–Berkeley Bancroft Li-
brary and Ethnic Studies Library, and the University of California–San Diego
Special Collections that houses the papers from Professor and Mrs. Richard
Lingenfelter on mining, were very helpful. Staff members of the recorder’s
offices in Storey County, Elko County, Washoe County, and Douglas County
(all in Nevada) opened their records for me. I also want to thank the staffs at
the Family History and Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Idaho
State Library in Boise for their help.
For my research on Oregon, Leslie Hara Shick, who took me to John Day
for several days, the Friends of Kam Wah Chung and Company, the Oregon
Historical Society, and staff and directors of the Baker and Grant County
Libraries, especially Gary Dielman and Perry Stokes, Oregon State Parks, R.
Gregory Nokes, Barbara Sidway, and Oregon’s First Lady, Mary Oberst, were
invaluable in their enthusiasm and guidance. The University of Nevada–Las
Vegas, National Forest Service, Nevada Humanities, Elko County Commis-
sioners, and American Council of Learned Societies provided grants that made
the research on the American West and nineteenth-century China possible.
University of Illinois Press editors Laurie Matheson and Tad Ringo were
very helpful in editing the manuscript.

xii Acknowledgments

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 I also wish to thank my family, especially my husband Alan, and my sons
Walter and Alexander, for their support. Alan drove or accompanied me
to many remote locations and participated, like Alexander, in the the ar-
chaeological excavations at Island Mountain. Walter furnished much needed
encouragement at critical times. I am grateful to them.

Acknowledgments xiii

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i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 14 6/24/11 8:35 AM
 Introduction

Tens of thousands of Chinese came to the United States in pursuit of

gold in the late nineteenth century. A popular late nineteenth-century Can-
tonese song described how “the Spirit of Money” graced a miner’s home so
that “in one blink” he had become a rich young man with gold and silver, no
longer facing a desperate financial situation.1 Few Chinese gold seekers were
that fortunate however, and most faced many adversities. By examining the
miners and merchants living in three small, relatively isolated, predominantly
Chinese mining towns and other contemporary mining camps scattered
throughout the American West, some insights into their lives has been pos-
sible: what their experiences were and how they compared to other Chinese
mining communities, what Chinese traditions and practices they preserved, if
and how they were financially successful, and what contributions they made
to the development of the American West. Despite discriminatory laws and
anti-Chinese movements, some merchants and miners flourished, bought
and sold land, businesses, and mining claims, and remained in the United
States for many decades.
The miners and merchants in the three towns of John Day, Oregon; Tus-
carora, Nevada; and Island Mountain, Nevada, were selected for this study
because the Chinese were among the early miners there; during the formative
years in the history of the towns, they constituted the majority of the town’s
residents. The towns were established after the initial gold rush, so some
of the Chinese miners and merchants had lived in other American mining
towns and were probably familiar with some American ways. The three towns
were in relatively isolated, mountainous areas having inhospitable weather:
snow and cold in the winter, and heat in the summer. The climate and terrain
were very different from the tropical, humid, and hilly southeastern China
and adjustments to the environment had to be made quickly. The difficulty
in reaching these mountainous places by wagon or foot meant that all of the
residents became interdependent upon one another and were not caught up
in the whirlwind of anti-Chinese rhetoric that was characteristic of larger
EuroAmerican dominated mining towns. The influence of “outsiders” often
was limited.

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 The Chinese helped build the towns and irrigation ditches and made the
area productive—at first for mining, and later for agricultural production.
They paid taxes and other fees that contributed to the funds of local and state
governments. They purchased food products and other items from the local
community members, especially EuroAmerican store owners and farmers,
and supported the freighters who transported goods to and from the min-
ing towns. In general during this early period between 1850 and 1900 they
were not driven out of these three towns and they did not have their homes
burned, common occurrences elsewhere.
The leaders of the communities, both EuroAmerican and Chinese, were
not hostile toward each other and laid a foundation for a more harmonious
atmosphere that was not found in most other mining towns during a time of
virulent anti-Chinese sentiment. The limited size of the Chinese population
permitted a closer examination of these communities over time through
census data, archaeological finds, government records, oral interviews, and
newspapers. These Chinese taught the other ethnic groups in the community
about Chinese culture, foods, and beliefs, and had the opportunity to learn
more about America than some of their fellow countrymen. In at least one
town, their relationship with Native Americans involved recreational activities
and even some marriages. In all of the towns, at least one Chinese resident
remained there long after mining declined and could not be considered a
“sojourner.” In some ways the merchants and miners in these towns were
similar to other gold miners and merchants in the Chinese diaspora but in
many cases, as discussed in the conclusion, there were differences—so many
previously held generalizations are not valid.
When the California gold fields began to be depleted in the mid-1850s,
miners searched for new deposits. The two closest, uncharted territories were
Oregon to the north and Nevada to the east. Like the EuroAmerican miners,
the Chinese explored these areas and in the mid-1850s a substantial number
of them began mining outside of California.
The mining communities in California have been studied and have not
been considered in depth in this work because in all of the famous towns,
the Chinese represented a minority of the population.2 At the same time it is
important to note that California’s mining laws and anti-Chinese movements
influenced most of the mining communities in the American West.3 With the
mid-1850s gold decline and completion of the first transcontinental railroad
in 1869, the California miners, both Chinese and EuroAmerican, moved to
Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, Montana, and else-
where in search of new sites. EuroAmericans brought with them the prejudice

xvi Introduction

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 and racism against the Chinese that had developed in California and that
contributed to the violence that the Chinese immigrants often encountered.4
The Chinese were not unlike other immigrants in their dreams of instant
wealth, new opportunities, and a better life. Until the late nineteenth cen-
tury when gold mining was primarily taken over by large corporations with
expensive machinery, the Chinese were involved in ephemeral placer min-
ing, sometimes with the use of hydraulic equipment, throughout the Ameri-
can West, and sometimes into more capital-intensive quartz mining. A few
brought with them some prior knowledge of mining techniques. The Chinese
immigrants had a reputation of working hard as individuals or in groups,
or for mine owners as wage laborers. Their success at making a profit from
abandoned claims became legendary in the gold fields. But few have found
answers as to how this was possible.
They faced enormous challenges from hostile miners who wrote anti-Chi-
nese regulations to govern their districts and influenced state and federal
legislation. When economic depression and high unemployment affected
the EuroAmerican miners, they targeted the Chinese as a major cause of
their plight because of the low wages paid them. In the 1870s Chinese miners
earned $1.30 to $2 per day, with skilled miners earning $3 per day and fore-
men getting $4 to $10 dollars per day.5 Ditch diggers, working ten to twelve
hours per day, were paid $2.25 to $3 per day. EuroAmerican miners gener-
ally earned twice as much, but to compete with the Chinese they sometimes
received only $2.75 without board. The low wages gave the Chinese an image
of “cheap” workers, but a closer study of payroll records of the period may
indicate otherwise when wages were not averaged but viewed in terms of
work classification.
The Chinese presence coincided with a growing “color” consciousness
that developed prior to and after the Civil War and the founding of labor
unions whose leaders found a common enemy of the working man—the
Chinese—that expanded union membership, united the new members, and
helped them gain the support of aspiring politicians and many newspaper
men. In this period of social Darwinism, a belief in the superiority of the white
man, the influx of “different looking” new immigrants from eastern Europe,
the growing nonmainstream religious groups such as Jews and Mormons,
and the development of nativism and racism led to the Chinese becoming a
scapegoat in anti-Chinese campaigns that were part of a larger phenomenon.
The miners’ relationship to Chinese merchants played an important role in
their lives. Sometimes these merchants left fragmentary records in these or
other locations that provide information about what probably occurred. The

Introduction xvii

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 merchants, who usually were literate in Chinese (e.g., could read and write)
and who knew some English, often were the leaders of the community and in-
terfaced with the EuroAmerican community leaders. They frequently acted as
labor brokers, dealt with the “boss headman” of teams of miners who worked
for Chinese owners/investors or EuroAmerican mine owners, and provided
goods for both independent and company miners. Most also had non-Chinese
customers. The merchant’s main profits came from the goods sold to the
miners and the monthly credit extended at the general store as was done in
China. They ordered goods from China and, as in the case of Lem Hong Ng of
Island Mountain, sent items used by the Cantonese to China in a continuing
trans-Pacific trade. The cost of transporting goods from China to the Pacific
Coast towns and cities was very reasonable because the ships carrying heavy
loads like lumber to China did not want to return to the United States empty
or with light loads, so items like altars and deities for temples and association
headquarters, clothing, foodstuffs, dishware, and wooden rocker boxes used
by miners were inexpensively shipped to Chinese American stores. Often
goods were sold on credit, which had to be paid in full by Chinese New Year,
in keeping with Chinese tradition. Many merchants had some rudimentary
knowledge of American laws so they could advise the miners and contact the
Chinese associations or EuroAmerican lawyers if there was trouble that had
to be solved on the larger scale. They also might pay the taxes and other fees
on behalf of the miners, an amount deducted from the miners’ wages. They
updated the miners on changes in the American laws. Some also participated
in mining. They played a critical role in the pursuit of gold.
Because the miners themselves left few written records, a variety of sources
and approaches, especially historical, archaeological, and sociological, on the
topic have been used. Immigration and business records; census manuscripts
(also called population schedules); archaeological site reports; newspaper
articles; memoirs; oral histories; local, state, and federal records; laws; and
summaries of legal judgments provided the foundation for this study. More
often than not, examples of the experiences of the Chinese miners and mer-
chants were selected from documents describing the situation in other loca-
tions that were probably similar. Although generalizations can be made, the
importance of the individual and his accomplishments has been recognized.
The Bureau of the Census provided basic information. Census summaries
and census manuscripts were not always accurate but gave an indication of
the number of Chinese in any given location. The number of Chinese miners
fluctuated between 1860 and 1880. In 1860 California’s Chinese population
was 34,933 out of a state total of 379,994; some 24,282 of the Chinese were

xviii Introduction

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 miners.6 Miners in Oregon and Nevada were not a significant number until
the 1870 census. In 1870 California’s Chinese population rose to 49,277 (of
which 9,087 were miners) out of a state total of 560,247. Based on tabula-
tions from the census manuscript for 1870 (as opposed to the summaries),
economist Ping Chiu counted 14,415 Chinese miners and historian Sucheng
Chan tallied a higher figure of 16,000 for California.7 The count probably
did not include the 75 to 150 Chinese who lived and worked in the isolated,
mountainous, rich mining community of present-day Hite’s Cove, Mariposa
County, not far from Yosemite.8 They were too far away and isolated for the
census taker to count. In 1870 Oregon’s Chinese population was 3,330 out of
a state total of 90,923, of which 1,516 of the Chinese, or 45.5 percent, were
miners, mostly concentrated in mountainous eastern Oregon. Oregon’s total
number of miners was 2,476 so the Chinese represented a large percentage
and played a major role in the development of Oregon’s early mining history.
In 1870 Nevada’s Chinese population was 3,123, or 7.3 percent of the total state’s
population of 42,491, with only 228 Chinese listed as miners. In the 1870s
mining was a major occupation for both Oregon and Nevada and continued
to be so in the 1880s.
The profile of the overall population changed in between 1880 and 1890,
the height of the Chinese population in the American West. California was
still the primary place of residence for the Chinese. In 1880 California saw its
largest Chinese population growth, an increase from 25,855 (1870) to 75,132.9
Economic historian Ping Chiu counted 15,055 Chinese as miners.10 Nevada
had a total of 8,241 miners but only 343 Chinese miners (out of a total Chinese
population of 5,416 [8.7 percent] of the state’s total population of 62,266).11 The
census takers in Nevada were careful about who deserved the coveted title of
“miner”: a person who worked in a mine, did placer mining, or worked for
a mining company full time. Moreover, only one occupation could be listed,
so if an individual was only a half-time miner, he was not labeled a miner.
If the newspapers and other literature were even somewhat accurate, then
these Nevada census figures were far below the actual number of Chinese
miners. Just as the Chinese were very visible in Nevada, in 1880 the Chinese
population in Oregon grew to 9,510 with 3,965 Chinese miners who worked
primarily in eastern Oregon. In comparison, although Idaho had a large
Chinese population of 4,274 in 1870, anti-Chinese movements and mining
declines saw a substantial drop in the Chinese population from 3,379 to 2,007
between 1880 and 1890. By 1880 the character of the mining industry changed
as the majority of miners either worked for EuroAmerican or Chinese mining
companies, leaving few of the independent miners of the 1860s and 1870s.

Introduction xix

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 Table 1. Population of Chinese in the United States and the states of California,
Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho, 1860–1920*
United States California Oregon Nevada Idaho
1860 35,565 34,933 425 23 —
1870 63,199 49,277 3,330 3,162 4,274
1880 105,463 75,132 9,510 5,416 3,379
1890 107,488 72,472 9,540 2,833 2,007
1900 89,863 45,753 10,397 1,352 1,467
1910 71,531 36,248 7,363 927 859
1920 61,639 28,812 3,090 689 585

*United States, Bureau of the Census, Characteristics of the Population (title varies), 1870–
1890, Washington, D.C. (dates vary).

This study utilized the United States Bureau of the census manuscripts for
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 that have been microfilmed by
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Service and the
Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) online database of indi-
viduals living in Nevada prior to 1930. The critical 1890 census manuscript
for the West was accidentally destroyed in a fire, creating an important gap in
information. All scholars have agreed that the census manuscripts provided
an inaccurate snapshot of the Chinese individuals in their communities and
yet they have been the only indicators of the residents of communities. Census
figures differed greatly from the estimates published in the local newspapers
and from statistical analyses done by scholars like Sucheng Chan.12 The 1860
census of Chinese in eastern Washington counted 420 Chinese east of the
Cascades while the Oregonian (Portland) estimated 1,000 to 1,200 Chinese
miners in Oregon, the same general region, in 1857.13 This kind of difference
in figures existed in most locations throughout the American West because it
was so difficult to count the Chinese, in part owing to the difficulty in spelling
their names or obtaining the other information required for the census. If the
census taker could not obtain the data from a Chinese “headman,” he often
opted not to count the Chinese at all. During the decades before 1880 (and
even afterwards in some cases), it was easier to not count them or simply list
them as “Chinese” or “Chinaman” with no additional information, as was
done, for example, in the case of Nez Perce County, Idaho, in 1870 and the
1875 Nevada state census for Elko County.
The Chinese also were guilty of intentionally avoiding the census taker,
who, from their experience in China, was closely allied with or was the same
as the tax collector or other government representative. The Chinese had a
history of bad experience with poll tax collectors because they could not

xx Introduction

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 always determine who was a legitimate poll tax collector and because of
the well-known story of how some tax collectors in California had killed
resistant Chinese taxpayers. The county assessor’s office sent the poll tax
collector around and the tax varied between $3 and $4, depending upon
the year. In 1872 approximately three hundred Chinese workers in Washoe
County who were working on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad paid $1,200
in poll taxes.14 The Nevada State Journal (May 1, 1884) pointed out that the
Chinese passed the poll tax receipt around to avoid paying the tax. This was
a common practice used throughout the American West. Since all Chinese
looked alike according to most EuroAmericans, the Chinese who paid the
tax could sell the receipt for half the price to another who would then show
the collector that he had already paid and the tax collector was never the
wiser. But, as Randall E. Rohe concluded, “The Chinese paid their share of
taxes—miner’s taxes, property taxes, poll taxes, and other assessments—and
they received none of the service their tax money provided.”15 Because the
Chinese sometimes avoided both the tax collectors and the census takers,
tracing individual male Chinese has been difficult. Once the poll and other
taxes were ruled illegal, many of the records of earlier tax collections were
not preserved.
Often the Chinese community leader provided the information to the
census taker since many Chinese could not speak English, but he might not
be concerned about accuracy. The census revealed other invaluable facts,
however: occupation, gender, marital status, wealth of individuals in 1870,
the ability to read and/or write, and the households, some of which were
integrated. The 1880 census manuscript in Oregon and Idaho even identified
the miners with their mining companies. The Chinese population dropped
as a result of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, the 1892 Geary Act extending
the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, and subsequent anti-Chinese immigration
acts, culminating in the 1924 Immigration Act that essentially closed the door
to Chinese immigrants.
One of the few records that provided the “voice” of Chinese miners and
merchants was found in the NARA in San Bruno and Laguna Nigel, Cali-
fornia; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, D.C. Records from the Immi-
gration and Naturalization Service (INS) have been deposited in these and
other NARA locations. San Bruno has Chinese business partnership records,
admission and readmission immigration records, duplicate certificates of
residence and/or identity, and court records. Laguna Nigel is the depository
for Nevada records and has many regional deportation cases. Seattle has files
on Chinese individuals in both Oregon and Washington state. Washington,

Introduction xxi

i-xxxiv_1-246_Chun.indd 21 6/24/11 8:35 AM

Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
enterprise. In a helpless, uncertain way, Robert imagined that Blunt
had some hold over Stonewell, and even this was hard to believe.
"But how else can I account for it?" he asked himself. "I never would
have believed anybody, or any number of people had they told me
they had seen Stone do this—but it was Stone—in his uniform with
his five stripes on his sleeve."
Had Robert known of a conversation between the two intruders after
they had dashed out of the building, he would have been still more
amazed. "It's too bad, Stonewell," said the one; "you did it all for me
—no man ever did so much for me as you have. But I'm afraid you
were recognized; I wish you hadn't had on that uniform and had
some disguise. I'm awfully sorry I got you into this."
"Don't feel that way, Harry; I suggested it," replied the other. "I hope
I was not recognized. But if I were, I will have to stand for it. Did
you see anybody in the room?"
"No," answered Harry; "my one hope is that whoever it was didn't
see you; nobody would have known me. Good-night; I'll be around
to Conduit Street to-morrow afternoon and will tell you of any talk I
may hear."
Now that old Grice's mind was easy in regard to himself he was
much concerned about Robert.
"Doan yo' feel bad, Mistah Drake. The commerdan' will think yo' is a
smart young gemman when yo' report this; he won' think yo' had
nuffin' to do with it yo'self. I'ze gwine ter tell him I couldn't hev
detected the gemmen ef it hadn't been fer yo', an' he'll give yo'
Mistah Stonewell's five stripes, suah as yo' is bawn, he will, suh."
Grice rolled his eyes in ecstasy. He imagined he too would receive
praise and reward for what he had done, and now he was quite
happy.
"Shut up," cried Robert, annoyed beyond endurance at his rambling.
And without another word, or so much as a glance at Grice, he
slowly walked away and returned to his room. He feared yet hoped
he might find Stonewell there. "If I could only see Stone," he
thought, "I'd surely learn some excuse for him. But why did he do
this? Why did he pretend to go to Washington? Why should he
engage in such an affair with Harry Blunt?" Countless other
questions crowded themselves into Robert's mind, but to not one
could he find a suitable answer.
He found his room empty, nor was there any evidence that
Stonewell had been there. Robert paced restlessly up and down the
room in troubled thought, and as the minutes dragged on he grew
more and more hopeless.
"Well, I'm done for, as well as Stone and Harry Blunt. I suppose
Grice will report this matter, and I'll be called up; I'll have to give my
evidence against Stone and Blunt or else be bilged myself. Well, I'll
bilge. I can't help what Stone has done; I could never be happy if
my evidence were to dismiss him. As for that Blunt, who got him
into this—well, he's the son of Captain Blunt, and Helen's brother. I
never could convince them I was not an ungrateful cur. No, Stone
and I will both bilge together; but I wonder if Stone isn't now in
Blunt's room——" and Robert stopped short.
It was now after midnight, and all the midshipmen were back from
having escorted their partners to their homes. Robert looked out in
the corridor and saw that the midshipman in charge of the floor had
left his desk.
"The men on duty are turned in; I'll go to Blunt's room and see if
Stone is there."
Robert darted through the corridor. Turning a corner near where
Harry Blunt's room was he saw that young man just entering it.
Robert jumped in after him.
"Where is Stonewell?" he savagely demanded.
When Blunt saw who his midnight visitor was he was visibly startled.
"Why—why—how should I know?" he stammered.
"You hound, you——" cried Robert. "Tell me where Stonewell is! Do
you hear me? Tell me where Stonewell is!" And Robert seized him by
both arms.
"I—I don't know—I haven't seen him for some time," faltered Harry
Blunt, with a white face, in which fear was but too plainly depicted.
From the overhead transom light from a corridor lamp streamed in,
and on the table in the room were three burning candles.
Robert looked suspiciously at Harry. In the latter's arms was a
bundle of clothing. Robert suddenly grabbed this and opened it up.
It was composed of a dark sack coat, out of which two articles fell to
the floor. Robert picked them up and instantly recognized them. One
was a brown slouch hat and the other a false beard. In an agony of
bitterness and hate Robert completely lost control of himself. He
grabbed Harry and shook him violently and then dashed him against
the wall.
"You contemptible cur," he cried. "For the last time, will you tell me
where Stonewell is?"
"I don't know," sullenly replied Harry.
"Do you expect to see him again to-night?"
"I do not."
Robert looked at him utterly without belief.
"Drake," implored Harry, "if you report me for this you will bilge me;
you know how that will affect my people; I suppose it is your duty to
report me, but if you do only one thing can happen to me. I will be
dismissed; you know that as well as I do."
Robert looked at him with contempt, and left the room.
The long night passed slowly, but it brought no sleep or rest to the
overwrought nerves of Robert. He went to bed and tossed about in
an agony.
"Oh, that Stonewell would only come," was Robert's thought,
repeated countless times. But Stonewell did not come. The
moonlight faded away; the silence was broken only by the striking of
bells and the monotonous call of sentries. The first gleam of dawn
found Robert still wide awake, hopeless and dejected. Mechanically
he prepared his room and himself for Sunday inspection. Finally
reveille was sounded, the gun thundered and Bancroft Hall burst into
life. Later came breakfast formation and Robert, against his
inclination, had to mix with the other midshipmen.
"What's the matter, Bob?" inquired Peters, with friendly concern;
"you're not looking well."
"Oh, I'm all right," impatiently answered Robert. Then came
breakfast, which seemed interminable. Robert sat at his table's head
longing for the order "rise." Food would have choked him; he gulped
down a cup of coffee, and sat idly drumming the table.
After breakfast Glassfell came up to him. "Look here, Bob, what's
bothering you?" he asked with real solicitude. "You're not yourself
this morning, old chap. What's the trouble?"
"Have you seen Stonewell?" abruptly asked Robert.
"By jingo!" exclaimed Glassfell. "Last night I could have sworn I saw
Stonewell pass me. I was on Main Street, and a midshipman with
some stripes, and I thought a good many, passed me in a great
hurry and turned into Conduit Street. It was dark and yet at the time
I had no thought but that it was Stonewell. 'Hello, Stone!' I called
out; 'I thought you were in Washington;' but the fellow paid no
attention to me. He seemed to be in a hurry, almost running. Then I
concluded I must have been mistaken, because I knew Stone was in
Washington, and it was pretty dark. The thing bothered me a bit for
the time, but I must have been mistaken. I had taken my partner
home from the Armory and was on my way back. It was about half-
past eleven, I think. But why do you ask me about Stone? He won't
be back from Washington until ten this morning."
"If you see him tell him I'm looking for him," and Robert turned
away. He now wanted to be by himself. He went in one of the wing
corridors and looked out of the window, hardly replying to different
salutations of midshipmen who passed him. Outside it was raining,
one of those tenacious rains that seem determined to last
throughout the day. Overhead were spread heavy dark forbidding
clouds; the day was gloomy and hopeless, but not nearly so much so
as felt this midshipman.
After a while one stroke of the bell told Robert it was half-past eight,
and soon he saw the commandant's tall form, wrapped up in a great
rubber coat, come down the walk. Some time later he saw two
figures emerge from the trees that line the main walk; one he
recognized as that of Commander Beckwith, the head of the
Department of Mathematics, the other, of low figure and shambling
walk, he instantly recognized as that of old Grice. With throbbing
heart, Robert watched them until they disappeared into the
commandant's office; then the cadet lieutenant went to his room.
It was evident to him that Grice had told his story to Commander
Beckwith and the latter was now talking with the commandant about
it. Robert waited for the summons he knew was coming, to appear
before the commandant. Thoughts came surging through his brain.
Sooner than testify against Stonewell he would accept dismissal. And
likewise, in spite of his bitter dislike toward Harry Blunt, before he
would bring disgrace upon the dear friends who had done so much
for him, he would accept dismissal. Robert, with a steady mind,
without hesitation, determined on this stand. He now knew his last
moment of inaction had arrived. Not that he had any hope or
expectation of saving either Stonewell or Blunt, but that he should
be the means of their disgrace and dismissal was an unbearable
thought. It were far better to bilge.
Steps were heard in the corridor and Farnum appeared at his door.
"Hello, Bob," he said, "the commandant wants to see you right away.
He's in his office."
"All right, Farnum, I'll start in a moment." And then taking a sheet of
official paper, and hurriedly heading it, he wrote:
"I hereby tender my resignation as a midshipman in the naval
service."
This he signed, and with it in his hand he walked down the corridor,
and was soon standing before the commandant.
 CHAPTER XXIV
IT WAS STONEWELL
"Good-morning, Mr. Drake," said the commandant, pleasantly
enough. "I'm surprised that you haven't been to me with a report
before now—that is, unless Grice has made some great mistake. He
has told me that you and he caught two midshipmen last night
attempting to steal an examination—he says he knows who they are,
but seems afraid to give their names. Who are they, Mr. Drake?"
Commander Dalton was grave and impassive. He spoke to Robert as
one officer might to another on an official matter; his manner
betokened an expectation on his part of receiving an absolutely
frank report from the cadet lieutenant.
Instead of making any reply Robert approached the desk at which
the commandant was sitting and handed him a folded sheet of
paper.
"Who were the midshipmen, Mr. Drake? Or did you fail to recognize
them?" And then after a pause, with a trace of annoyance in his
voice due to Robert's backwardness in answering his questions, "Or
is Grice's report incorrect?"
He looked at Robert with surprise as the latter made no effort
whatever to reply. He then opened the paper and cried out in
amazement: "You tender your resignation as a midshipman? What
does this mean, sir? I have asked you certain questions which you
do not answer, and then you resign. Come, Mr. Drake, explain
yourself, sir! First tell me if Grice's statement is correct. Do you
refuse to answer, sir?"
Still Robert was silent; he looked at the commandant with gloomy,
troubled eyes.
"Mr. Drake, are you aware of what you are doing? Don't you know
that persistence in this course will cause your summary dismissal?"
"Don't dismiss him, capting," cried out old Grice, now in great
trouble about Robert. "He's a fine young gemman, 'deed he is, suh.
I'll tell yo' who dese young gemmen wuz; he doan' want to tell yo',
but I'll tell yo', capting, suh; dey wuz Mistah Stonewell and Mistah
Harry Blunt, suh. I seed 'em, suh, and Mistah Drake seed 'em, and
Mistah Drake doan' want ter tole yo', suh, becase——"
The commandant jumped from his chair as if he had been shot.
"What are you talking about? You're demented!" he roughly cried.
"Do you know who you are talking about? Do you know that Mr.
Stonewell is cadet commander? Grice, you must be crazy!"
"Yes, suh, capting, suh; beggin' yo' pardin, suh, dat's why I didn't
tole yo' befoah, suh. I knowed you'd say ole Grice wuz surely crazy;
but de fax am, capting, that Mistah Stonewell, in his unerform—I
counted de five gold stripes on his sleeve, suh, at de time—and
Mistah Harry Blunt, the son of de ole commerdan', at 'bout 'leven
'clock las' night tried to steal a zamnation. I seed dem try, and
Mistah Drake, he seen 'em try ter steal it. An' ef yo' doan' believe
me, capting, yo' ask Mistah Drake; he knows Mistah Stonewell tried
to steal the zamnation 'kase he seen him. Yo' ask Mistah Drake,
capting."
"Mr. Drake," cried Commander Dalton, "you have heard this
monstrous charge; I'm waiting for your indignant denial! Why are
you silent? Are you mute, when you hear the character of the first
midshipman of his time so shamefully assailed? You shall answer
me! Do you understand that this negro says that you and he
together saw Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Blunt attempt to steal an
examination last night? Do you hear that, and are you silent, sir?"
Commander Dalton's manner was vehement and intimidating. "What
have you to say, sir?" he thundered, slamming a clinched fist with a
bang on his desk.
With parched lips and in trembling accents Robert commenced to
speak. Four years of the strictest training urged him to yield to the
commandant's order; but Robert had expected this and had tried to
prepare himself for it.
"As I have handed in my resignation, sir," he faltered, "I respectfully
request that I be not asked any questions. This is all I can say, sir."
The commandant dropped into his chair; he looked sorrowfully at
Robert, and then in an altered tone said:
"Mr. Drake, you and Mr. Stonewell are close friends, are you not?"
"He has been more to me than a brother could have been, sir,"
replied Robert, in a broken voice. And then in an effort to control his
feelings he turned his back on the commandant and with blinding
tears in his eyes looked through the window in front of him at the
mournful, steady rain without.
Captain Dalton picked up a telephone and said, "Central, give me
number twenty-seven. Hello, is this Captain Blunt?"
"Yes, the commandant of midshipmen."
"Blunt, can you come to my office immediately? A most serious
charge has been made against your son."
Then he rang for his orderly and said: "Tell the officer-in-charge I
won't inspect this morning, and tell him to send Midshipman Blunt to
my office immediately."
When Harry Blunt walked in the office, instead of his usual debonair
manner, there was a look of worry and anxiety on his face.
"Wait a few minutes, Mr. Blunt. Beckwith, excuse me while I write
something."
Harry Blunt glanced at Robert and at the others; several times he
looked as if he were about to say something, but he did not.
It was not long before Captain Blunt appeared; he jumped out of an
automobile that had stopped before the Academy steps, and fairly
ran up them and into the commandant's office. Commander Dalton
rose to greet him with a worried expression.
"Captain Blunt," he began, "a week ago Mr. Drake reported to me
that Grice informed him two midshipmen were planning to steal an
examination in mathematics; I told Mr. Drake to ascertain who these
midshipmen were if he could. This morning Grice reported to his
department head, Beckwith, that he and Mr. Drake had caught two
midshipmen in the act of stealing this examination. Grice was afraid
to tell who they were; he said Mr. Drake could. I sent for Mr. Drake
and asked him who they were, and if Grice's statement was true.
Instead of replying Mr. Drake hands me this paper. Read it. Then
Grice made the most astounding statement I have ever heard. He
says the midshipmen were Mr. Stonewell and Mr. Harry Blunt."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Captain Blunt.
"And when Grice made this statement Mr. Drake remained silent, and
he still remains so."
"Impossible!" again exclaimed Captain Blunt, in an agony of spirit.
"Harry, my boy, say it is false."
"He cain't, Capting Blunt, he cain't, becase I seed him; an' Mistah
Drake, he seed him too, suh," broke in old Grice, feeling that he had
to substantiate his charge. "Mr. Stonewell was in unerform, suh. Mr.
Harry Blunt wuz in citerzens' close; he had on an ole brown hat and
he wore whiskers, but I knowed him; I done seen Mr. Harry afore in
dem same close."
"When and where?" demanded Commander Dalton.
"In Capting Blunt's kitchen, suh; I wuz er passin' by the house at
night when all midshipmen is supposed to be studyin', and I seed a
man in the kitchen. I seed him take off dem whiskers and de hat an'
I seed it wuz Mr. Harry Blunt. Yo' ask him, suh. An' I seed him
'nother time, suh. Capting, yo' 'member that time at de theatre,
heah, when a man stood up in a box an' says, 'Three groans for de
superintendent an' commandan''? Dat wuz Mistah Harry Blunt too,
suh; I wuz dar. I didn't know it at de time, but when I seen Mistah
Harry in Capting Blunt's kitchen I knowed it then, 'cose he had on de
same hat an' coat an' whiskers. Ef yo' doan' believe me yo' ask him,
suh; an' las' night Mistah Stonewell calls him Harry. I heard him an'
Mistah Drake heard him. An' ef yo' looks in Mistah Harry Blunt's
room I spect yo'll find them whiskers an' coat."
Beads of perspiration burst out on Captain Blunt's forehead. He tried
to speak, but his voice choked in his throat. That this disgrace was
to come upon him after a lifetime of honorable service in the navy
was hard, but that the pride and hope of his life, his son Harry, could
be guilty of so vile an act, was an unbearable thought; he looked at
Harry. Frightened and appealing, the latter cried: "Father, I deny that
——"
"Keep still; don't say a word," called out Captain Blunt; then turning
to the commandant he said: "My son is in a terrible position, Dalton;
he might be tempted to falsehood. I want to save him from that, at
least. Before we go any further I want to ask you to have his room
searched—I would like to be present when it is."
The commandant sent for the officer-in-charge, and directed him to
take a cadet officer and search Harry Blunt's room. Captain Blunt left
with the officer-in-charge. It was not long before they returned, and
the cadet officer carried with him a bundle composed of a citizen's
coat, hat and trousers, and a false beard.
"Put them on," ordered Captain Blunt, harshly, to his son. The latter
did so mechanically.
"Will you please send for some midshipman who was at the theatre
that night?"
"All of the first class were there, and most of the officers. I'll send
for Mr. Farnum and Mr. Blair."
When these two midshipmen came in, Captain Blunt said: "Take a
look at this man; have you ever seen him before?"
Blair and Farnum recognized him immediately. The heavy dark
pointed beard and moustache once seen were not likely to be
forgotten, particularly when seen under such startling circumstances
as they first had been at the theatre on the night Penfield played
Richard the Third.
"He's the man who gave three groans for the superintendent and
commandant," cried Farnum, excitedly.
"He's the man, sir; there is no doubt of it," said Blair.
"That will do, gentlemen," returned the commandant; "you will not
speak of this to any one."
Captain Blunt sat up straight and rigid in his chair; his face had
turned an ashen gray. The greatest sorrow of his life was upon him.
"Mr. Drake," he said after a moment, "have you ever seen my son in
this disguise? Did you detect him trying to steal an examination? I
wish a direct answer." His voice sounded strange and harsh.
"I have resigned, sir; I request to be excused from answering any
questions," was Robert's reply.
Commander Dalton looked sorrowfully at his brother officer, but
made no comment, while Harry Blunt regarded Robert with intense
surprise, stupefaction, fear and amazement.
Robert, inert and dull, gazing idly out of the window, suddenly gave
a start and looked up with interest and expectancy as the office door
was opened, and a midshipman entered.
 "THAT WILL DO, GENTLEMEN"
"Good-morning, sir," said the newcomer; "I have to report my return
from two days' leave."
The midshipman was Stonewell.
 CHAPTER XXV
JOHN 15:13
With Stonewell's entrance came a silence that was positively painful.
The commandant looked at him with undisguised loathing. In
Captain Blunt's face woe unutterable was clearly depicted. Harry
Blunt, pale and uneasy, regarded him with frightened glance. Robert
Drake looked at Stonewell with fascinated gaze; he felt that now the
end of all things at the Naval Academy was to happen.
Stonewell, clear-eyed and calm as usual, looked at Robert, and then
slowly his eyes traveled and rested upon each person in the room.
Never had Stonewell appeared better. In his dignified bearing there
was not a single trace of fear or worry. No response was made to his
salutation or report. Again he glanced about the room, and getting
no response inquired, "What is the matter? Am I intruding?"
"What's the matter?" cried the commandant. "Have you the
effrontery to ask what the matter is?"
"I beg to be so informed," replied Stonewell coolly, after a moment's
hesitation.
"Read this paper, sir. Do you not know why Mr. Drake has offered his
resignation?"
Stonewell read the paper; then looked keenly at Robert, then at
Captain Blunt and Harry; things seemed to explain themselves and
he merely said, "Ah," as if it were in response to some unspoken
thought of his own.
"Where were you last night at eleven o'clock, Mr. Stonewell?"
"In Washington, sir; I spent the day in Princeton, New Jersey, and
returned to Washington at seven o'clock."
An angry exclamation left the commandant's lips. Again his closed
fist banged the desk.
"Mr. Stonewell!"
"Sir?"
"Last night, shortly after eleven o'clock, Mr. Drake and this man
Grice caught two midshipmen in the act of stealing an examination.
Mr. Drake knows who these midshipmen are, but resigns rather than
give their names. But we know them. One of these midshipmen was
disguised. Mr. Blunt, put on your false beard and your hat."
Harry Blunt did so, shamefacedly enough.
"Look at this man; have you ever seen him before?" thundered the
commandant, in scornful tones, leaning over his desk.
Stonewell looked at Harry, then at Robert, and then at Captain Blunt.
Again Stonewell said "Ah," and further remarked, "Now I
understand."
"Answer my question, sir," fairly shouted Commander Dalton. "Did
you ever before see a person who looked as Mr. Blunt does now?"
"Yes, sir. The man who gave three groans for the superintendent and
commandant that night in the Colonial Theatre was evidently Mr.
Blunt in disguise. I didn't know it at the time, but evidently my
roommate did. This accounts for his past inveterate hostility to Mr.
Blunt. He never told me about it, and I have been puzzled at his
strong dislike for Mr. Blunt. From what you have said I imagine that
Mr. Blunt was one of the two midshipmen caught by Mr. Drake. I
now see what the trouble is. Mr. Drake will not tell because of his
gratitude to Captain Blunt."
"Mr. Stonewell," burst out the commandant, "have you descended to
the bottom of the pit of hypocrisy and infamy? Do you add lying to
your other crimes, sir?"
"Do I add lying to my other crimes?" repeated Stonewell. "These are
strange questions, Captain Dalton; will you please tell me in what
way I have been infamous and a hypocrite? What are those other
crimes, and in what respect have I lied?" Indignation with ringing
force was in Stonewell's voice as he looked steadily and unflinchingly
at the commandant.
"Grice," said Captain Dalton, turning to the negro, "did you and Mr.
Drake see Mr. Blunt trying to steal an examination last night?"
"Yes, sir," eagerly replied Grice; "we done catched him, suh, an'
Mistah Stonewell was with him, suh; Mistah Drake wasn't six feet
from Mistah Stonewell when I turned on de 'lectric light, suh; dere
ain't no mistake, capting. Mistah Harry Blunt was dere disguised, but
I knowed 'im. An' Mistah Stonewell was dere; he wuz in his
unerform, gold stripes an' all."
"Mr. Drake," said the commandant turning to Robert, "I will once
more order you either to deny that Mr. Stonewell was there last
night or to admit it."
Robert looked at his beloved friend. Never had Stonewell appeared
more manly, more forceful. Character and greatness of soul seemed
to radiate from him, and it almost seemed that midshipman though
he was, the others present were dwarfed into insignificance.
With unmoved expression and with a clear, straightforward gaze
Stonewell returned Robert's look, and smiled; smiled as though to
assure him that all was well; Robert felt pity mingle with his deep
affection for his erring friend, and confused as he was and knowing
that Stonewell was guilty, there was yet something so noble, so
fearless in Stonewell's bearing that a hope leaped up in him that his
friend was not without some justification for his act, impossible as it
was to imagine what it could be.
"Do you deny that you detected Mr. Stonewell last night trying to
steal an examination?"
"As I have resigned I respectfully request to be excused from
answering questions," replied Robert in a breaking voice.
"Mr. Stonewell, I shall recommend your immediate dismissal for
scandalous conduct, and you too, Mr. Blunt. Mr. Drake will be
dismissed for disobedience of orders. Mr. Stonewell, your crimes
have found you out. You, the most esteemed midshipman of your
time, have turned out to be but a sorry hypocrite, an impostor. You,
a shameful, dishonorable man to wear a naval uniform, to represent
your country? Never! Oh, that I had never come to this place! What
is to be hoped for our navy when the midshipman we are most
proud of turns out to be a hypocrite and a cheat?"
The commandant spoke with, warm, intense feeling. He paused for a
moment, and then contemptuously said: "You are as brazen as you
are false. Your position was so high that I cannot imagine what
could have induced you, even though you are devoid of honor, to
have so acted. And now that you are found out I cannot help but
wonder—I would like to know what excuse, what explanation you
can offer, and what your thoughts are at this moment."
While the commandant spoke, Stonewell stood proudly erect before
him. He neither cringed nor for a moment took his eyes from the
commandant's face. Over at one side stood Robert, now utterly
collapsed.
Stonewell fearlessly looked the commandant through and through,
and then he looked at Robert. There was almost a break in his voice
when in tones showing not a trace of resentment for the
commandant's scathing, contemptuous words, but instead full of
unutterable affection, he said softly to the commandant, but looking
at Robert: "I cannot tell you what my thoughts at this moment are,
sir, but I will tell Drake later."
 CHAPTER XXVI
COMMANDER DALTON BECOMES ANGRY
"This matter isn't settled yet, sir," continued Stonewell. "A man
accused has a right to offer a defense: I insist on that right. First, I
am not guilty. I shall have no trouble in proving my innocence. I
shall leave your office for a few minutes and will return with the
proof of that innocence. And as I have been charged with
scandalous acts in the presence of everybody here in your office, I
have to request that they all remain until I return and that no further
action be taken until I am back."
"Just a moment, Mr. Stonewell," called out the commandant, but the
former, paying no attention to this order, hurriedly left the office.
Commander Dalton looked undecided. "I don't understand this at all.
Mr. Stonewell should not have left at this time."
"I think you had better let him go, Dalton; he is entitled to present a
defense if he has one," observed Captain Blunt.
"Of course, but he had the opportunity right here; Blunt, do you
wish to question your son?"
"After Mr. Stonewell returns I would like a chance to talk privately
with Harry and with Mr. Drake."
"Father," started Harry Blunt, appealingly, "I will admit that——"
"Keep quiet, will you?" interrupted his father fiercely. "Dalton, I don't
want my boy to say a word. Look at him; he is entirely unstrung,
and in his condition I fear he may be tempted to untruth. Bad as
things are, I must save him from that if I can."
"Father," pleaded Harry, imploringly, "let me speak—I deny that——"
"Harry, don't say a word. There is no hurry about this; Dalton, have
you any objection to my having a private talk now with my son?"
"None at all, Captain Blunt. Take him into this rear office."
When the captain passed Robert on his way to the rear office, he
said to him sadly: "Mr. Drake, don't hesitate to tell the facts; you
have proved you will not tell an untruth, that you will resign sooner
than do so. But don't spoil your whole career by trying to defend one
so unworthy as my son has proved to be. And if you have any
notion, as implied by Mr. Stonewell's words, that you are under
obligations to me, I assure you there is no such debt; and even if
you feel that there is one, I freely absolve you from it. Come, Mr.
Drake, have you seen Harry in that disguise? Was he the one guilty
of that shameful insult to the superintendent and commandant? Did
you detect a person in that disguise in the act of stealing an
examination last night? These are now my questions, Mr. Drake, not
the commandant's; I beg of you to answer them frankly."
"Thank you, Captain Blunt," replied Robert, huskily; "but I have
resigned, and I request to be excused from answering questions."
Captain Blunt passed out of the room with his son. Commander
Beckwith now excused himself for a few minutes, and there
remained in the room only Robert, Grice and the commandant. The
latter busied himself writing, with never a glance at Robert. Old
Grice rolled his eyes, fearfully apprehending some disaster to
himself.
All the midshipmen were out of the building, and absolute stillness,
save for the mournful tick-tock of the clock, reigned in Bancroft Hall.
Outside the rain came down steadily, and Robert Drake felt
burdened with a hopeless sadness. He now fully realized that his
silence would in no way help or save Stonewell or Harry Blunt; that
its only result would be his own dismissal; and yet there was not in
his mind any tinge of regret that he had refused to disclose what he
knew. Better to go out and commence over again than to stay in by
taking part in the disgrace of Stonewell and Captain Blunt's son. In
regard to Stonewell, Robert's mind was in a state of disordered
confusion. Stonewell's manner and bearing were at utter variance
with the idea of guilt; as much so as had been his previous
character. And it was inconceivable that anything imaginable could
have induced him to steal an examination. And so the long minutes
passed with Robert's mind going through a bewildered maze.
Commander Beckwith was the first to return, saying as he came in
the door: "I have been with the officer-in-charge; but I see Mr.
Stonewell is returning; he'll be here in a moment."
"Come in the office, please," called out the commandant, to Captain
Blunt, and when the latter returned accompanied by Harry, he
looked about as bewildered and perplexed as he did before he left.
When Stonewell left the commandant's office it was at a dead run.
Outside of Bancroft Hall he gave no heed to the "Keep-off-the-grass"
signs; he plunged over the lawn toward Maryland Avenue gate at
more than football speed. Just outside the gate was a public
automobile. He jumped into it crying: "Conduit Street. Rush for your
life; I'll double your fare."
When Stonewell returned to the commandant's office, he was
followed by another young man in midshipman's uniform. And
strange to say the young man's coat had five golden stripes on his
sleeve—strange because there is but one cadet commander at a
time at the Naval Academy.
"Captain, this is my brother, Frank Stonewell," said Stonewell simply.
"Your brother, Frank Stonewell!" ejaculated Commander Dalton, in
tones of stupefied amazement, "Your brother, Frank Stonewell!" he
repeated in the same manner. He looked at Stonewell and then at
his brother Frank and was speechless.
"Oh, Stone!" cried Robert Drake, with joy radiating his face. "Oh,
Stone, how could I have doubted you?"
"Mr. Drake, I don't blame you for mistaking Mr. Frank Stonewell for
his brother; if that is what you did," finally said the commandant; for
the likeness of the two brothers was marvelous, and the
resemblance even extended to the tones of their voices. They were
of the same height and build. Frank Stonewell had the same
expression, the same features as had his brother. Seeing them
together one could detect a difference, but apart one would certainly
be taken for the other.
"I was in Washington last night, sir. I spent the night at the house of
my congressman, Mr. Blake. We were talking together between ten
and eleven o'clock. You will have no trouble in ascertaining whether
or not this statement is correct. My brother was in Annapolis at that
time. He has been here for some weeks, living in Conduit Street. I
have not told him why he was wanted here nor have we talked
about what may have happened last night. Perhaps he may imagine.
Whatever he may have done, I believe you may accept his
statement as truthful."
"Will you please tell me, sir, what you are doing in that uniform?"
demanded the commandant in a stern tone.
"I was sitting in my room when my brother John bolted in and pulled
me out in a rush. He gave me no time to change."
"Where did you get that uniform?"
"Oh, it's John's. He has come out frequently to see me and brought
it over one day. It's much more comfortable to sit about in than that
bobtailed stiff jacket midshipmen wear."
"Humph! Two midshipmen were seen stealing an examination last
night. One was recognized to be your brother. What have you to say
to that, sir?"
"Do you believe that, sir?"
"I believe it to such an extent that I told him he would be dismissed
from the Naval Academy for scandalous crimes. I accused him also
of lying and of being a shameless hypocrite."
"I think you have an apology to make, captain, if that is your title,"
remarked Frank Stonewell, in great good nature. "John was in
Washington last night. And John isn't that kind of a fellow; evidently
you don't know him."
"Well, if your brother didn't do it, then you did."
"You may find some trouble in proving that."
"Mr. Drake, was this the man you saw last night?" shouted the
commandant angrily to Robert.
Before he had finished his question, Stonewell said quickly to his
brother, in a low imperative tone: "Acknowledge it, Frank. Don't
force Drake either to refuse to answer or to tell on you."
"I was the man, I acknowledge it," quickly interposed Frank
Stonewell.
"You are a brother to be proud of, aren't you?" announced the
commandant scornfully. "In your brother's absence, donning his
uniform, you committed a despicable act, trusting if caught that his
uniform and the marked resemblance you bear to him would throw
the blame and shame on him."
"Not at all, captain," replied Frank Stonewell, in an easy manner as
one talking socially with a friend; and it was a sharp contrast to the
deference and crisp military replies of the others. "Not at all; you
mistake the purpose of my wearing his uniform. It was to permit me
to be about the grounds and buildings at night; as a civilian the
watchmen would have fired me out; but rigged up in this way I
would never be questioned. And as for throwing blame or shame on
him; before he came for me this morning I knew I might have been
seen and mistaken for him. No blame could come to him because I
have been ready to acknowledge the facts."
"You are brazen, sir; you have done a shameful deed, you have
disgraced your brother. But I am glad to know that the shame I
thought was his belongs to you. I am indeed relieved to know he is
guiltless. I pity him for the burden of disgrace in having such a
brother."
"Pardon me, captain. This is something of an academic question.
What may be shameful for John or any other midshipman is not
necessarily so to a civilian owing no allegiance to your Naval
Academy. I have never lied or cheated, I have never broken a
promise—I have never done a dishonorable act. I admit having
engaged in some quiet larks at college, and other places—this is one
of them, that's all."
"You are a burglar; you could be sent to prison."
"Oh, I think not, captain; I think you'd have hard work to convince
any jury of that."
The commandant was furious; Frank Stonewell was cool and entirely
self-possessed and not at all intimidated. None of the others present
attempted to say a word. Robert Drake listened with absorbing
interest. A great load had been lifted from him, and in spite of his
own unfortunate position great happiness had suddenly come to him
in the knowledge that John Stonewell's character was as clean and
true as he had always believed it to be.
"If you have cleared your brother, Mr. Frank Stonewell, there is one
person you cannot clear, and that is the contemptible midshipman
who was with you," vehemently exclaimed the commandant.
Frank Stonewell was silent.
"Do you deny, sir, that a midshipman accompanied you last night?"
"I will answer only such questions as concern myself," replied Frank
decidedly.
"I know your companion, sir, and I'll show him to you." And turning
abruptly toward Harry Blunt he exclaimed, "Come over here, and let
Mr. Frank Stonewell look at you."
As Frank looked up into Harry Blunt's face, he said coolly enough,
"Who are you?"
"Who is he?" almost shouted Commander Dalton. "Do you mean to
say you don't know who he is?"
"I never saw him before in my life. What has he to do with this
matter?"
"He's Harry, the Harry you spoke to last night."
"Harry? Harry who? I never spoke to him in my life."
"He's the Harry of the false beard, the Harry who proposed three
groans for the superintendent and commandant, the Harry who
accompanied you last night, for whom you tried to steal an
examination."
"Oh, I think not. I don't know who this chap is; he was not with me
last night; I never saw him before. Look here, captain, I hope you
navigate better than you investigate," rejoined Frank Stonewell, in a
disgusted tone; "if you don't I fear you will bump into every rock
that is hanging about loose."
"Mr. Stonewell," said Commander Dalton to the cadet commander,
"you told me your brother would speak the truth. Now, Mr. Frank
Stonewell," he continued, "your companion was a midshipman
disguised in this beard and with this coat and hat on. He was
recognized by this colored man who had seen Mr. Harry Blunt at one
time remove this disguise. There is every reason to believe that Mr.
Drake had previously seen Mr. Blunt in this disguise. Mr. Drake
evidently believed he saw your brother last night, and also Mr. Blunt,
but he has refused to answer about either, for which he will be
dismissed. I will add that this disguise was found in Mr. Blunt's room.
Now, what have you to say about this matter?"
Frank, with all the appearance of keen interest, listened to the
commandant. "I would say that Drake is a bully good chap," he
burst out enthusiastically, "a fellow to tie to; this must be a queer
place if you fire such a fellow for standing by a chum. John has told
me that Drake was the very best fellow who ever lived," he ran on.
"I guess he's all right," and Frank looked over at Robert and gave
him a friendly nod.
The commandant looked the rage he felt and no doubt would have
liked to inflict the punishment of double irons upon this insolent,
effervescent trifler. He darted an extinguishing glance upon him and
turned toward Captain Blunt and said:
"Captain Blunt, I can get nothing from this man. Do you wish to ask
him any questions?"
"I do indeed, Dalton. Mr. Stonewell, Mr. Blunt is my son. He stands
accused of having attempted, while in your company, and while in
this disguise, to steal an examination. My son admits that the
disguise is his property, and has been for months; but he most
solemnly assures me he was not with you last night, that he was not
out of this building after seven o'clock. For this offense, of which you
say he is guiltless, he stands recommended to be dismissed. Now I
call upon you to state who was the man that was with you."
"Your son was not with me; I shall make no further statement than
that."
"Do you mean that you would allow an innocent person to be
punished?"
"I mean I will tell the truth. I never saw your son to my knowledge
till I entered this office. If after my statement the authorities dismiss
him the fault is theirs, not mine. I should regret to see this done, but
I shall not try to find somebody to take his place."
"But how do you account for my son being recognized as the person
with you?"
Frank Stonewell seized the hat and beard and quickly hooked the
latter over his ears. He then suddenly assumed a bent-over position
and leaning over toward Grice said: "Did you ever see me before?"
"Fer goodness' sake, suh, I does berlieve yo' wuz de young gemman
in dose whiskers."
Tossing the hat and beard to one side Frank Stonewell laughed and
said: "It was the beard and hat that were recognized, not your son,
sir." Hardly had he spoken when the door of the commandant's
office opened, and a midshipman entered unannounced.
"What is it, sir? Why do you enter my office without permission?"
inquired the commandant.
"I think I'm needed in this investigation, sir," replied the
midshipman, a tall, broad-shouldered young man, athletic of build,
of rather pleasant features, and with stern resolution written in his
face.
"I am Midshipman Bligh of the fourth class."
 CHAPTER XXVII
ROBERT FINALLY ANSWERS
"What is it, sir?" demanded the commandant, sternly, of Midshipman
Bligh.
The latter hesitated for a moment, as if uncertain how best to
express himself.
"I—I—have heard that some—that some civilian clothing and a false
beard were found in Mr. Blunt's room this morning—I learned Mr.
Blunt was in your office—and a little while ago I saw Mr. Frank
Stonewell come into the building with his brother. I have thought
that perhaps Mr. Blunt is charged with having used that disguise last
night; is that so, sir?"
"It is; what do you know about the affair, sir?" returned the
commandant, looking fixedly at Bligh, while Frank Stonewell
regarded him with friendly approval in his expressive face.
"Mr. Blunt is not guilty, sir. I was in possession last night of the
things found this morning in his room."
"And did you accompany Mr. Frank Stonewell in an attempt to steal
the examination last night, sir?"
"I am guilty of having made that attempt, sir."
"Mr. Blunt is also charged with being the person who proposed the
three groans for the superintendent and commandant. Were you
guilty of that, too, sir?"
"I was, sir."
When Bligh said this Captain Blunt was undoubtedly the happiest
person in the room; he seemed to relax from the strain and tension
he had been on for the past hour; and it is likely that a more
crestfallen young man than Robert Drake would have been hard to
find. Relieved as the latter was, he felt abjectly foolish. He had made
a most needless sacrifice; he had jumped to conclusions and had
been entirely wrong.
The commandant was silent for a few moments, apparently lost in
thought. He finally remarked: "Mr. Bligh, do you know that this
confession of yours will cause your dismissal from the Naval
Academy?"
"Yes, sir," replied Bligh, simply.
"I suppose that you do this to save Mr. Blunt; was this your reason?"
"That was only an incidental cause, sir; the real reason was I wanted
to do one decent thing at the Naval Academy. I have done so many
things that I am not proud of; and I want to justify Frank Stonewell's
belief that there is some good in me. I have had a hard time here,
sir. I commenced wrong, and I have been punished severely—for
months not one single midshipman at the Academy has spoken a
friendly word to me. Then some weeks ago I met Frank Stonewell,
and somehow I opened up my heart to him—I was in a bad way at
that time; but he made me feel I was not hopelessly bad; it is hard
lines, sir, to be made an outcast, a pariah, by one's classmates."
"I see," remarked the commandant, a bit unbelieving and skeptical;
"apparently Mr. Frank Stonewell stirred up the good that was in you
and the direct stirring up resulted in your shameful act of last night.
I sincerely hope Mr. Frank Stonewell will not try to stir up any more
good at the Naval Academy. But, Mr. Bligh, you at least seem
disposed to tell the truth. I wish to get to the bottom of this whole
affair. Tell me how you got hold of Mr. Blunt's disguise. Did he know
of it?"
"No, sir. My room is next to the divisional officer's office, on the
ground floor. Late one night, months ago, while I was getting a glass
of water, I observed Mr. Blunt enter that office. Two hours later I
saw Mr. Blunt, in disguise, come over the terrace and soon I saw him
leave the office. I didn't understand it at first, but suddenly it flashed
over me that Mr. Blunt kept civilian clothes somewhere in his
divisional officer's office. Then I knew it was Mr. Blunt in disguise,
and not a civilian, who had left and entered that office by the
window. So later I took a wax impression and had a key made for
the door of that office; I went in one night and found on top of the
wardrobe (it is a regular midshipman's wardrobe) the coat, hat and
false beard,—well, that's about all, sir. I used them several times
besides the twice you know of."
"That's enough, quite enough to dismiss you from the Naval
Academy. I am glad indeed finally to have arrived at the facts. The
one thing I cannot understand is that after these shameful acts you
should talk such twaddle about wanting to prove there is some good
in you. Faugh! There's no good in a cheat, and your attempt to steal
that examination was caused by a desire to cheat. You can't
convince me there's anything particularly good in you by what you
have done in the last twenty-four hours."
"I have no hope of convincing you of anything, sir, except that I and
not Midshipman Blunt am guilty of the offenses charged to him. If I
have done that, sir, I am entirely satisfied. I admit that my intention
was to cheat, but the purpose was to pass the examination, not to
pass higher than some rival. It was pretty bad, but not so bad as for
a midshipman who is satisfactory to cheat for the purpose of getting
higher rank. Now as for my purpose in coming before you—I don't
know of any way you could have proved, without my own voluntary
confession, that I and not Mr. Blunt was guilty. Cadet Commander
Stonewell has spurned me. Mr. Blunt has repeatedly treated me with
contempt. This resulted from my own unfortunate start here; I don't
say it wasn't my fault, but I do say that I have been given no chance
to retrieve myself. Every one here seemed to be against me—this
was a new experience to me, sir. Every day was full of bitterness and
unhappiness. I could not feel I was so entirely worthless! The groans
I proposed were a bubbling over of this bitterness; it was not
personal to either the superintendent or yourself. At a time when I
was ready to do anything vile Mr. Frank Stonewell got hold of me
and he has made a different man of me, at least in my own feelings.
I have a self-respect now that I had been without for months. In
spite of last night's act, I submit, sir, that this voluntary statement
should show you I am not entirely bad; and what is more important
to me, I believe it will prove to Mr. Frank Stonewell that I am on the
square."
"What is your purpose in telling me all of this stuff, Mr. Bligh?"
"Sir, I want to get a fresh grip on myself; I hope to live a self-
respecting life, to make an honorable place for myself in civil life.
Can't you see, sir, that I don't want the stigma, the disgrace of
dishonorable expulsion from here just as I commence civil life? Sir, I
request to be allowed to resign instead of being dismissed. I want a
chance, sir; I've done mean things here, but even if it is the last
moment, I've repented; I've done what I could to clear Mr. Blunt."
"There's something in what you say, Mr. Bligh. I deprecate your
wrong actions, but I acknowledge you have shown the proper spirit
this morning. Now write out a statement of just what your actions
have been, and append to it your resignation. I will endorse this,
giving you credit for your proper act of this morning. Whether you
will be allowed to resign or be dismissed will be decided by the
superintendent. I regret you have had such a hard time here; I
should be pleased to learn that from now on you will live a good life.
That will do, sir."
Bligh left the room.
"Not altogether bad, is he, captain?" remarked Frank Stonewell,
nodding approvingly at the captain. "I knew he would come up like a
man when the time came."
"I'll have nothing to say to you, sir; I consider your ideas of right
and wrong have but a shadowy boundary between them. I'll not
detain you in my office any longer," snapped Commander Dalton.
"Good-day, sir," and with an easy, friendly smile for all Frank
Stonewell left.
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