Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-03-26

"Whot are you for?n said ToTpenhoa0.
doned redoubt about the size Of hat
box, sketching clump of shell torn
bodies on the gravel plain.
what are you forY' said Torpenhow.
The formula of the correspondent is
that of the commercial traveller on the
road.
"My own hand" said the young man
without looking up. "Have you any
tobacco?"
Torpenhow waited till the sketch
was finished, and when he had looked
at it said, whats your business here?"
Nothing. There was a row, SO /
came. I'm supposed to be doing some
thing down at the painting slips among
the boats, or else I'm in charge of the
condenser OIL one of the water ships.
I've forgotten which,
you've cheek enough to build re-
doubt WITH" said Torpenhow, and took
stock of the new acquaintance. "Do
you always draw like that?"
The young man produced more sketch
es. "Row on a Chinese pigboat," said
he sententiously, showing them one
after another. "Chief mate dirked by
comprador; junk ashore off Hako-
date; Somali muleteer being fogged;
star shell bursting over camp at Ber-
bera; slave dhow being chivied round
Tajurrah bay; soldier lying dead in the
moonlight outside Suakim; throat cut
by Fuzzies'
"H'mw said Torpenhow. Cant say
care for Verestchagin and water my
self, but there is no accounting for
tastes. Doing anything now, are your
"No; amusing myself here"
Torpenhow looked at the aching des-
olation of the place. "Faith, you've
queer notions of amusement. Got any
money!"
Enough to go on with. Look here,
do you want me to do war work?"
81 don't. My syndicate may, though.
You can draw more than little, and
don't suppose you care much what you
get, do you"
mot this time. 1 want my chance
first"
Torpenhow looked at the sketches
again and nodded. eyes, you're right
to take your first chance when you can
get it."
He rode away swiftly through the
Gate of the Two Warships, ratified
across the causeway into the town and
wired to his syndicate:
"Got man here, picture work. Good
and cheap. Shall 1 arrange? Will do
letterpress with sketches"
The man on the redoubt sat swing
ing his legs and murmuring: "I knew
the chance would come sooner or later.
By heaven, they'll have to sweat for it
if 1 come through this business alive!"
In the evening Torpenhow was able
10 announce to his friend that the Cen
sral Southern agency was willing to
take him on trial, paying expenses for
three months. "And, by the way,
what's your name?' said Torpenhow.
"Heldar. Do they give me a FREQ
hand?"
They've taken you on chance. You
must justify the choice. You'd better
stick to me. I'm going up country with
column, and I'll do what l can for
you. Give me some of your sketches
taken here, and I'll send 'em along"
To himself he said, "That's the best
bargain the Central Southern has ever
made, and they got me cheaply
enough"
So it came to pass that after some
purchase of horsefesh and arrange
ments financial and political Dick was
made free of the New and Honorable
Fraternity of War Correspondents,
who all possess the inalienable right of
| doing as much work as they can and
getting as much for it as Providence
and their owners snail please. To
these things are added in time, if the
brother be worthy, the power of glib
speech that neither man nor woman
can resist when meal or a bed is in
question, the eye Of horse copper, the
skill Of a cook, the constitution of a
bullock. the digestion of an ostrich
and an infinite adaptability to all cir
cumstances. But many die before they
attain to this degree, and the past mas
ters in the craft appear for the most
part in dress clothes when they are in
England, and thus is their glory hid
den from the multitude.
Dick followed Torpenhow wherever
the latters fancy chose to lead him,