The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-06

"Whew!" cried Mortimer. hopping
his forehead, you'd pay 8 shillings
Tor this at the hummums."
Precisely" said Scott. But you
are not asked to ride twenty miles in
u Turkish bath with field-glass and a
revolver and a water-bottle and a
whole Christmas-treeful OF things
dangling from you. The hot-house at
Kew Is excellent as conservatory,
but not adapted for exhibitions upon
the horizontal bar. vote for camp
In the palm grove and halt until
evening"
Its palm trees or nothing said
Scott.
I grudge every hour until we catch the
force up. What would our editors
say II We were late for the action?"
My dear chap, an old bird like
you doesn't need to be told that no
sane modern general would ever at
tack until the Jress Is up
You don't mean that" said Amer
ley. Il thought we were looked upon
as an unmitigated nuisance
newspaper correspondents and
travelling gentlemen, and all that tribe
of useless drones, being an extract
etbook, :" cried Scott. I'VE know all
about that, Anerley," and he winked
behind his blue spectacles. eff there
was going to be a battle we should
very soon have an escort of cavalry
to hurry us up. I've been In fifteen
and never saw one where they had
not arrange for a reporters table"
That's very WE'LL but the enemy
may be less considerable" said Morti-
mer.
They are not strong enough to
force a battle
"A skirmish, them"
Much more likely to be a raid
upon the rear. In that case, we are
just where we should be-"
$50 we are! What a score over
Reuters man UP with the advance!
Well. We'll out-span and have our
tiffin under the palms"
There were three Of them, and they
stood for three great London dailies.
Reuters was thirty miles ahead; two
evening pennies on camels were twen-
ty miles behind. And among them
they represented the eyes and ears Of
the. public-the great silent millions
and millions who had paid for every
thing and who waited so patiently
to know the result of their outlay.
They were remarkable men, these
body-servants of the Press; two Of
them already veterans in camps, the
other setting out upon his first cam
paign, and full of Difference for his
famous comrades,
This first one, who had just dis
mounted from his bay polo pony, was
Mortimer, of the Intelligence-tall,
straight and hawk-faced, with khaki
tunic and riding breaches. The other
small. quick, mercurial, with blue
black, curling beard and hair, fly
switch forever Ticking in his left hand
was Scott, of the Courier, who had
come thru more dangers and brought
off more brilliant coups than any man
in the profession, save the eminent
Chandler, now no longer in a condi-
ton to take the field.
In spite of their friendship there
was the keenest professional rivalry
between the two men. Either would
have sacrificed himself to help his
companions, but eitherfwould also have
sacrificed his companion to help hts
paper. go" y
The third man was Anerley, of the
Gazette-young, inexperienced and
rather simple-looking. A leaning to-
ward soldering had sent him twice to
autumn maneuvers, and a touch Of
color In his descriptions had induced
the proprietors of the Gazette to give
him trial as a war special. There
was a pleasing difference about his
bearing which recommended him to
his experienced companions, and if
they had a smile sometimes at his
guileless ways, 1t was soothing to
them to have a comrade from whom
nothing was to be feared. From the
day that they left the telegraph wire
behind them at Sarras, the man who
was mounted upon a f1fteen-guinea
thirteen-four Syrian was delivered
over into the hands of the owners of
the two fastest polo ponies that ever
shot down the Ghezireh ground.
Down the winding path which
curved among the rocks the little train
OF baggage camels was daintily pick
two ttr 1y, Prov rn1n ho thrnc
Berberee body-servants upon donkeys
and behind walked the Arab came
boys. They had been travelling fol
nine long hours, ever since the frs
rising of the moon, at the weary
camel-drag of two and half miles ar
hour, but now they frightened, botf
beasts and men, at the sight Of thu
grove and the riderless horses.
Scott was breaking eggs into a par
and rolling out g. love song in his rich
deep voice. Anerley, with his heac
and arms buried in a deal packins
case, was working his way thru strata
Of timed soups. bully beef, pottet
chicken and sardines to reach tn,
jams which lay beneath. The con
scientious Mortimer, with his note
book upon his knee, was jOtting dow
what the railway engineer had toll,
him at the line-end the day before
Suddenly he raised his eyes and say
the man himself on his chustnut pony
dipping and rising over the broker
ground. ... ....t&
"Hullo! here's Merryweatherw
"A pretty lather his pony Is In! He
had her at that hand gallop for hours
by the look of her. Hullo, Merry
weather, hullo''
For Gods sake, drink" h
croaked. MY tongue Is stuck to tn
roof of my mouth
Mortimer ran with the water bot
tie, Scott with the whisky. flask an
Anerley with the tin pannikin. TIL
engineer drank until his breath faile
him.
We'll, must be off," said he, strik
ing the drops from his red mustacht
Amy news?"
"A hitch in the railway construc
ton. / must see the general It's tn
devil not having a telegraph"
4 Anything we can report?" OF
| came three notebooks.
\ eral."
f5 ANY dervishes?"
THE usual shaves. Hud-up, Jimmy
Good-by."
With soft thudding upon the san
and clatter among the stones tn
weary pony was off upon her journe
once more.
Nothing serious, I suppose?" sal
Mortimer, staring after him"
"Deuced serious" cried Scott. 9TH
ham and eggs are burned! Not
"a u