New-York tribune., 1907-10-06
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER Nv.
A BREATH of summer swept over the land CIV
N ing promise of wealth of bloom and prodigaI-
ity of harvest; but the plOw stood idle and rusted
in the waiting fields, the meadows went unshorn,
and the crops in which lay the riches OF peace,
planted. Everywhere the growing din of
arChV and the stern ClangOr Of y people who
had never tamely bowed a head beneath yoke
rebeled at just ruling, found themselves distraught
in the whirlIng current of unreasonable tides when
carried them out TO they knew not what.
y tame Welding of territory over which theI
flag had once flown, equally passive surrender 1T
islands which had come 70 them OF their own No--
ton seeking in the spread of the eagles wings the
shadows of security, and, last OF all, as GROWING
climax of folly, the sending Of warshps TO neutri
ports From east to west, the oceans run, from
the border line OF the North to that OF the South,
there swept the great waiting nation call t1
arms. No dam built by mortal man could have
Stemmed that rising tide OF Indignation save tIe
one that was erected by the administration IN the
hours Of its stress. News OF II came unheraded As
had al the ominous stories preceding It,
Even at the moment when an overthrow OF the
governing power at Washington seemed imminent,
there flashed across the wires from Governor -
Governor the quick and Inslstent demand for nSht-
ing men. In every armory was heard the reSour'-
ING clash Of rifles \ hundred thousand men,
drilled for the emergencies OF country need,
sprang To their weapons Ike tenSelv strung warriors
of old awaiting the Pretor's command % charge x
country, which through days OF defeat had SEEM
ingv slept, Sprang INTO the harness ot STRIFE as II
electrified by the God OF Battles SlmultaneoJ~.F
with the ordering out OF all National CTudTt>IIrH
and a further call for volunteers, which received
instant response every railway traverSng the coun-
try was REQ Questioned by the War Department
Yet in all this turmoil the destination OF this sud-
denly modified and splendldly powerful army re-
manned a secret. In VdIn the press o1 the country
and It's most influential citizens demanded Nno"l-
edge, but not till the day when from all directions
syarrs of armed men sailed forth was this Inforu-
ton given And If blaCkened by sCourSe 4
locuSts the CdnadaS awakened one morning -
find that along three thousand miles OF border land
were spread line OF soldiers, the most sngul.tr
line Of repulSe stretched between nations Is
was one Of communication
Not even the commanding officers as they took
their stations knew the why's or WherctoreS OF this
most remarkable move. although their ;nStruct-5.s
were Of the simplest and were that under no tr-
cumstances there 10 be acts Of unrlen tllress
nor, even under proNOCdtlon, movements OF aSSIes-
SION They were stand as a InSuTUOuntabe bay
rier between the United States and the Dominion,
pro mbtng trathc, passage, and conuunIcat, ID,
and wires which DAYS OF peace carried from one
country 70 another the news OF the day were Cut
and torn from their poles as II no further word
might ever be transmitted through them.
Nor was this all. Wherever cable touched en
all the edges of this great land might he found
soldiers charge Wireless telegraph stations
abruptly closed. prohibiting the even Cf the
itself. PrCClamatorS issued that INSTRUCTIONS
had been given for the pertoratlun ot any aIr~hlS
attempting outside communication. and the penalty
of instant death was threatened any atronaut who
dlsohcyed tins command.
From every seaport vessels Of all nations friendly
or unirierdly. were suulnarllV excluded Pr tests
from Captains and from companies We're ignored
The United States was suddenly bock"ding net
only its means Of communicative but seal,~T
ITS ports as well Ne message might he carried IN
out, and. II fearing also for rs southern border
line, the soldiers Of the regular army placed
there. The vessels of the navy which were the
home waters of the Atlantic were put ON patrol
duty, StedmIng up and down the eastern coast with
the regularity OF policemen their beats To the
world at large the United States Of America might
never have been. The tabled Atlantis of old could
have disappeared more completely nor been ,1t
tll\ ro+