▁The ▁next ▁morning , ▁the ▁players ▁were ▁told ▁that ▁the ▁team ▁had ▁arranged ▁a ▁fish ing ▁trip ▁for ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁players ▁board ed ▁the ▁steam ship ▁An net te ▁and ▁enjoyed ▁the ▁first ▁day ▁and ▁night ▁of ▁successful ▁fish ing . ▁After ▁three ▁days , ▁the ▁players ▁became ▁susp icious , ▁but ▁the ▁ship ▁captain ▁laughed ▁when ▁asked ▁when ▁they ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁Detroit . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁players ▁became ▁mut in ous ▁on ▁the ▁sixth ▁day , ▁the ▁captain ▁admitted ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁ordered ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁" out ▁at ▁sea " ▁for ▁ 1 0 ▁days . ▁ ▁In ▁another ▁account , ▁Thompson ▁described ▁his ▁ 1 0 ▁days ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁An net te ▁as ▁follows : ▁" We ▁were ▁prisoners , ▁but ▁well ▁c ared - for ▁prisoners . ▁An yth ing ▁in ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁creature ▁comfort s ▁you ▁could ▁find ▁pack ed ▁away ▁on ▁ice . ▁ ▁We ▁lived ▁on ▁the ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁market , ▁and ▁spent ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁in ▁fish ing ▁and ▁playing ▁pok er , ▁ch ips ▁having ▁very ▁thought fully ▁been ▁provided . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁t enth ▁day , ▁at ▁mid night , ▁we ▁were ▁all ▁taken ▁ash ore ▁where ▁Wat kins ▁met ▁us ▁and ▁signed ▁us ▁to ▁our ▁contract s ." ▁The ▁players ▁were ▁only ▁later ▁presented ▁with ▁their ▁accum ulated ▁mail ▁which ▁included ▁scores ▁of ▁offers ▁from ▁other ▁clubs . ▁ ▁A ▁writer ▁in ▁the ▁Detroit ▁Free ▁Press ▁later ▁noted : ▁"