Commerce High School - Commerce Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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tried to convince mother of the fact, but she said that I was trying to play hookey,” and I had to go. I told the teacher, and she laughed at me. Well, along about noon she sent a girl to the garret to get some maps, and while the girl was there she dropped a lighted match amongst some papers, and in no time the building, which was a wooden structure, was in ashes. We all got out safely, but this one girl and she sprained an ankle in jumping from an upstairs window. This incident has no direct connection with this story, except to show what happened after one of my dreams, and so it has been with all. It’s down there. I saw it when you lit that last match,” I said, awakening with a start. What are you talking about?” I heard Tommy’s voice say. Go to sleep, I’m tired.” By that time I was wide awake and pretty much excited. “Gee, that seemed real,’ I said, sitting up straight. Shut up,” said the sleepy voice. I won’t,” I returned. I am going back there just as soon as it begins to get light. What time is it?” I had him awake by this time, and he fumbled in his pocket for the little battered time-piece which he always carried. Half past two,” he answered. “What were you talking about just now?” I was dreaming that we were in that little shanty back there, and that you were standing beside the fireplace. You accidentally kicked an iron rod which was stuck up there for an andiron, and when you did the section of the floor to which it was fastened moved easily. You pulled at the rod and the board came up. Underneath it was a hole. You lit a match and the draft coming through the opening put it out. You lit another and held it high enough so that the draft could not reach it. I got down on my knees and could see the bottom about five feet below. The opening was not large enough to admit a person, but on closer inspection I found that the board next to it had been taken up and nailed down many times. One good jerk brought that up, and you were down in no time. You lit another match and you were shielding it with your hands when I saw a small box about two feet away from you. Just then I woke up. I’m going to start back there now.” Huh,” said Tommy in disgust. You expect to go back there and find things just as you have them fixed, do you?” I said no more, but I had my way, and we soon started. The sky in the east was just beginning to streak in red and gold, and the air at that early hour was invigorating. We walked briskly and were there in a short time. When I pushed the door open there was the same sound that we 81

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 $3fnnpless ” ffpENNYLESS!” Yes, pennyless is exactly the word to describe our X condition on the evening of which I am about to tell. To begin with, three years before this time we had taken it into our heads to travel. We had been in the Philippines together, and as you probably know, the army usually leaves more or less of the “wanderlust” in a man's veins. We had left New York early in the spring for England, and reached there safely. Things were quiet there, so we passed on to France. There we had several small disagreements with certain persons, and because of the weapons we used—our fists—which did not come under their duelling code, we had to leave. Italy struck me favorably as to scenery and climate, but I could not stand the people, so we did not stay long there. We saw about all there was to see in Northern Africa, and I liked that region immensely, but some how or other, it seemed that our presence was not long desired in any one place. Well, to make a long story short, we landed finally—as do most of those of adventurous spirit—in Central America. I do not know what there is that attracts restless souls to that locality unless it is the constant state of revolution that prevails in that climate. At any rate, after working our way down from the northern states, we were finally in Panama. Our luck had been bad, our money had run out, and our clothing made us look like tramps, which I guess we were. We had been living on an average of a meal and a half a day for the past week, so at all times we were pretty hungry, but there was no money, therefore no supper. And so this evening we started out along the canal bed. This was a section of the canal which the United States had not yet reached in its work of reconstruction. The night was dark, and after walking for several hours we discovered that we had run off on another path. It made no special difference to us in what direction we went, so we continued our walk. We walked on a considerable distance, and finally came to a small deserted shanty. We pounced upon it as a resting place for the night. I pushed the door open and the rusty hinges creaked. ‘Snakes,” announced Tommy with an air of decision. He knew that snakes, and especially tropical snakes, were one thing which I had never gotten used to, and for that reason he put great emphasis on the word. “Not for me,” said I, so we passed on. We were pretty tired by this time, so we hunted a hill where the breeze blew rather strongly, (we always did that in tropical climates because in such a location there are fewer mosquitoes), and prepared to spend the night in peace. Now, the strange part of this narrative is what happens hereafter. I seldom dream, but when I do there is something sure to happen. Once when a small boy, I had dreamed that the school house would burn, and I 80

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had heard the night before, and half a dozen mice darted into their holes. I laughed at Tommy’s mistake. I made a rush for the fireplace, which was just as I had seen it in my dream; jerked the iron rod and up came the board. I heard a gasp behind me, and looked back to see Tommy holding his head, and looking scared to death. He came to all of a sudden, and soon was down on the floor with me. Together we pulled at the board next to the opening. Up it came, and I was about to jump in when Tommy caught my arm. “Look here,” he cried. “We’re not going to take any chances with this until we have inspected it.” I looked around the room. On the opposite side of the room was a little cupboard built in the wall. There was a padlock on the door and the key hung on a nail beside it. There were two shelves. On the top one was an old lantern and a gallon can about half full of oil. On the lower shelf a small crowbar, an ax, and a long knife. I filled the lantern and got back to the opening as soon as possible. Tommy was still on his knees, peering down into the black hole. I lowered the lantern into the blackness, and sure enough, about five feet down was a floor. I tested the boards and they were sound, so I caught hold of both sides and lowered myself down. Tommy lowered the lantern after me. On the floor was the same small box which I had seen in my dream. I picked it up, handed it out to Tommy, crawled out in a hurry, and together we inspected its contents. The box contained a bundle of papers tied with a heavy brown cord. I expected to find them written either in Spanish or French, but to my surprise they were in English, and in a good hand. There were three plans, two letters and a diary. The letters were written by a New York attorney, and were of little interest, but the plans and diary held our attention. On the first flyleaf of the book was written: “John Reynolds, January 22, 1885.” I began to read: “January 23—Arrived in this water-soaked section of the universe. “January 24—Got a position as foreman over a gang of laborers. Have a small shack that evidently has been used before, but still it is comfortable. “January 24— Nothing but rain down here. “January 25—Found a small box back of the house; contained some plans which I have not been able to make out. “January 26—Had to go to Colon on business today. “February 2—Returned today and resumed the study of the drawings. “February 3 —I’ve discovered their meaning. One is a drawing of the house, another is of the house and the surrounding land, and the last is of a passage under the house. I found it by testing everything in the plan of the house. The board to which the iron rods in front of the fireplace are fastened comes up with a little pressure. There is a passage under it which I will explore tomorrow. 82