Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-20

4, O''lu MCUTegOr
they were allowed to jump asbor
II l hear of any informing ri l,no
who has done it, an I'll have nv r.
venge, You'll learn what it is to ge
Joe McGregor down on your
The boys hurried over the field IF
ward the village.
w ell, we're in luck, said Georg
Hardie, the larger boy. Il expecte,
slcGregor to drown us, after catch
ing us listening in that way. He1
equal to anythingr
Phil Dugro, a slender lad of Il
was trembling violently He hat
had chilling bath in the river anf
besides he was greatly excited. "a
wish we hadn't been forced to prom
lse! he exclaimed. "McGregor's
smuggling ought to be stopped.
"Oh, | don't worry about that,
Ihe government can stand it. This
Is not a case where patriotism comes
in' If necessary, I'd fight for my
country-quick as any one. But this
IS different It'sno business of ours. '
We'll, however that is, said Phil
we've promised to keep quiet about
1t, so now there's nothing that we
can do"
But after they had parted in the
outskirts of the village, Phil contin-
ued to feel uncomfortable. 1t seemed
as if he were almost traitor to his
country.
Phil Dugro was the son of a lieu.
tenant Of cavalry, who upon leaving
West Point had married in his ma
tive village on the st. Lawrence.
When he Tas ordered to join regi-
ment i'll the west, his young wife
went with him. Finally, after having
had two years Of almost constant In
dian fighting, Lieutenant Dugro was
shot and killed in one of the skir-
mishes. His widow came back to
her eastern home, bringing with her
the baby who had grown into this
of Is.
Her pension made Mrs. Dugro in
and she chose to live
alone with her son and the memory
of her husband. To her, Lieutenant
Dugro had been hero equal to the
chief with the yellow hair" himself;
only his untimely DEATH she thought,
had prevented his gaining the fame
If a General Custer. She hoped that
he son might in some degree be
worthy of his soldier father.
Phil's imagination had been stirred
" his mothers stories of Indian
vars-stories in which her husband
vas always the central figure, and
II that boyish enthusiasm which in
lost lads finds an outlet through the
of knighthood was concen-
rated in devotion to the country in
he service of which his father had
led. He shared in his mothers de-
ire that he should go to West Point,
,ut at that time political influence
vas necessary, and Mrs. Dugro feared
hat the appointment could not be
brought about.
On the night of the meeting with |
Phil slept uneasily, being
;roubled with many dreams-fghts
With smugglers on the river, with
Indians on the plains.
The next day he was restless. In
he afternoon he saw George Hardie,
Who assured him that it was best to
forget all about the night before.
After supper he and his mother were
IN the piazza.
did my father ever have anything
% do with smugglers9" suddenly /
lsked Phil. He was thinking it was
almost time for McGregor to bestart'
ng out across the river.
Mrs. Dugro thought not.
"Would he have considered 1t as !
necessary to fight smugglers as hos
tile Indians or invading soldiersf" he
went on.
Perhaps not, Still one ought al
ways to try to prevent lawbreaklng' |
The government looks out for us In :
many ways, and we should defend its
rights whenever we have the oppor-
tnnity. Your father believed IN
this principle very strongly. hope,
Phil, YOU will never forget it. In
this country the governments inter,
ests are our interests, and we should
always be careful to protect them
in small matters as well as in great.
A few minutes later Phil was hur-
rving down to the rivers bank. de
took a boat and rowed out to the
middle of the stream, opposite the
nIace where he and George had en-,
countered the smugglers. he toated
there holding the boat up against
the current. 1t had grown SO DARK
that he could scarcely make out the
line of the low shore. He sat there
vao1,elv waiting. His mothers words
made him ashamed of having gwen
tbot promise to McGregor, A prom
ice was not to be broken-stlll' one
course 90 was open. He would DO ms
hest silent. single handed. In his
So+orr,ination ~ he felt ready for dan
:, ..,;co tboI1Oh sealing his