The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-05-17
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII
Before night three more telegraph
boys found Yates and three more tele-
grams in sections helped to carpet the
floor of the forest. The usually high
spirits of the newspaper man went
down and down under the repeated
visitations. At last he did not even
swear, which, in the case of Yates, al
ways indicated extreme depression.
AS night drew on, he feebly remarked
to the professor that he was more tired
than he had ever been in going through
an election campaign. He went to his
tent-bunk early, in a state of such ut
ter detection that Remark felt sorry
for him and tried Intellectually to cheer
him up.
''If they would all come togeth err"
said Yates, bitterly, 80 that one COM
prehensive effort of malediction would
include the lot and have it over, it
wouldn't be so bad; but this constant
dribbling in of messengers would wear
out the patience of a saint
AS he sat in his shirt sleeves on the
edge of his bunk, Remark said that
things would look brighter in the morn.
ing. which was safe remark to make,
for the night was dark.
Yates sat silently with his head in
his hands for some moments. At last
he said. slowly: There is no one so OBJ
tuse as the thoroughly good man. 1t is
not the messenger am afraid of, after
all He is but the outward symptom
Of the inward trouble. What You are
seeing is an example of the workings
Of conscience, where you thought con-
science was absent. The trouble with
me is that know the newspaper de-
ponds on me, and that it will be the
first time have failed. 1t is the news
paper mans instinct to be in the CEN
ter of the fray. He yearns to scoop
the opposition press. I will get
nights sleep if can, and tomorrow I
know | shall capitulate. I will hunt
out Gen. O'Neill and interview him on
the field of slaughter will telegraph
columns. will refurbish my military
vocabulary and speak of deploying and
massing and throwing out advance
guards and that sort Of thing. I will
move columns and advance brigades
and invent strategy. We will have
desperate fighting in the columns of
the Argus, whatever there is on the
fields of Canada. But to a man who
has seen real war this opera bouffe
masquerade of fghting-I don't want
to say anything harsh, but to me it is
offensive
He looked up with wan smile at his
partner sitting on the bottom of an ups
turned pail as he said this Then he
reached for his hip-pocket and drew
out revolver. which he handed butt
end forward to the professor, who, not
knowing his friend carried such an in
strument. instinctively shrank from it.
Here, Kenny. take this weapon of
devasta ton and soak it with the pota-
toes If another messenger comes in
on me tonight I know shall riddle
him if I have this handy. My better
judgment tells me he is innocent, and
| don't want to shed the only blood
that will be spilled during this awful
campaign"
How long they had been asleep they
did not know, as the ghost stories have
it, but both were suddenly awakened
by commotion outside. It was in
tenselv dark inside the tent, but as the
two sat up they noticed faint moving
blur Of light which made itself just
visible through the canvas.
Its another of those fendish mes
sengers." whispered Yates. Gimme
that revolver.;'
Hush" said the other below his
breath. ''Ihere's about dozen men
out there. Judging by the footballs. ]
heard them coming"
LETS fire into the tent and be done
with it" said voice outside.
"No. no." cried another; mo mar
shoot. 1t makes too much noise, anc
there must be others about. Have w
all got yer bayonets fxed?"