With the homeward-bound pennant flying in the breeze, the transport steamed through the “Mona-Chica” into the China Sea headed for Japan. The shrill click, click, of the wireless telegraph, receiving and transmitting messages, continued throughout the voyage. Occasionally excitement was caused by the sight of a whale; “There she blows!” and you see off the port-side a monstrous species of the mammal genus cruising and spouting like a Holland submarine. Schools of porpoises are a daily sight on either side, while millions of flying-fish skirt the billows off every quarter. On the spar-deck of the transport could be heard: “Come on, fellows, give us a bet; loosen up and take a chance; Steve Brodie did; when this war is over we’ll start another; come, soldiers, get on the field; double up; you’re sure to win some time.” About this time a soldier, who has put some “dealer” to the bad, grabs the dice and yells: “How much money have you got? I’ll tap your pile. Ninety dollars! Throw the bones.” As this gamester skilfully manipulates the dice which he rattles in his hand, and blows on for good luck, he affectionately remarks, “Bones! don’t refuse me this time; you’ve been good to me, old pals.” He rolls the dice and throws a ten. “Two to one he don’t ten; I’ve got you covered,” is heard on the side lines; another throw is made, a four this time, and bets are made on the side, that he comes. In the parlance of the soldier, the “bones” are talking friendly; as the dice roll over the green cloth for the third time, a six and four turns up; “Ten she is!” he shouts, as lie tucks away one hundred and eighty simoleons (a soldier’s word for money) and exclaims, “Good old bones.” “Two bits he comes”; this is the tantalizing epithet directed at a fellow whose death-like form hangs over the taffrail a victim of sea-sickness. Games are numerous on an army transport, everything from “keno” to “faro,” and this greatly breaks the monotony of the voyage. Every evening the regimental band discourses music, and dancing is indulged in. There are always plenty of girls who accompany the officers’ families as domestics (all colors, of course); these afford partners for the soldiers, and maybe there isn’t some class to the “rag”; everything goes, from the “barn-dance” to the “Frisco dip.”