Once at Honolulu, Archie’s term of service on board the liner was over, and he was glad, indeed, to get ashore, where he learned that the transport had not yet arrived, but was expected in two or three days’ time.  These two or three days Archie determined to spend in sightseeing, and he spent his time to excellent advantage in visiting every quarter of Honolulu and seeing every side of life in the Hawaiian capital.  He found it a delightful place.  There was much that was interesting to see, the people were pleasant to meet, and the climate was perfect.  He was almost sorry when he learned that the transport had anchored in the bay!

CHAPTER XIV.

THE VOYAGE ON THE TRANSPORT—­ A STORM AT SEA—­ ARRIVAL IN MANILA.

The transport did not remain long at Honolulu, and before leaving Archie had several things which he wanted to do.  In the first place, he felt that he ought to write the story of his experiences so far, and send it to Mr. Van Bunting; so he did sit down and describe in detail his experiences at cleaning vegetables on board the Pacific liner.  He wasn’t sure whether this was anything that Mr. Van Bunting would care to print, but he decided to send it on, anyhow.  He would have been surprised had he observed the enthusiasm with which this letter was read in the Enterprise office a month later.  He would have been no longer in any doubt as to whether it was anything worth printing had he read the Enterprise of the following day, when the letter appeared on the second page as one of the chief features of the paper.

Before leaving, too, Archie sent a long, cheerful letter home, saying nothing of his being seasick on board the liner, or of his having had to work so hard.  He devoted his letter to telling of the many interesting things he had seen, and of his bright prospects for becoming a successful newspaper man.  He wrote a shorter letter to Jack Sullivan, which was intended to be read to all the members of the Hut Club, for Archie felt that it was no more than right that they should know something of his success.  He found it very hard to realise, away off here in Honolulu, that he had ever been a member of the club, and that he had ever lived in tents behind the barn.  He felt very manly now, and his boyhood seemed far away behind him, so far away that he now felt like a man of twenty-five rather than like a boy of eighteen.  He was beginning to realise that age is not always governed by years alone, but that experience does much to make one old.

As soon as the transport had anchored in the bay, Archie went aboard to present his credentials to the commanding officer.  He found the general very pleasant to meet, and a very appreciative listener as he told of his scheme for overtaking the transport.  The officer was surprised, of course, that such a young fellow should be going to the islands as correspondent, but the things he said were very encouraging to Archie,