Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-06-30

| had expected, from all had heard
to find besotted swine, and find &,
man. I'm willing to charge the past
up to the system which puts too much
temptation in one mans way, If you
are willing to prove your manhood by
seeing this scrap out"
Vandraken's face lighted up with
the joy Of battle.
SLAP Dash. he said, 'if you will
put me in the way of a real good
rough-and-tumble fight-not cannon at
two miles-I'll be your debtor for life;
but we won't shake hands till the work
is DONE"
CAS- you like" mutte.ed Dashmore
'Sit down and have drink; and
tell me all about it and about your
self How do you happen to be in
that fancy dress ?"
Not much time to talk, Vandraken.
We've got to get busy. Pm a deserter
from the Chasseurs d'Afrique. Knock
ed my captain down for conduct un-
becoming an officer and a gentleman
that on general principles, more
particularly for reflections on my ma
tionality. Awful swine, he was! l
joined the rough-riders after my lit
tie difference with the faculty. Of
course, the faculty were right. l had
no business to thrash that professor
though he was a swine, too We
learnt the art of war in Cuba. Came
back to Baltimore a hero, got taken
once more into the bosom of my fam
lily, and grub-staked all over again;
came over to Paris to celebrate and
maybe study art. Got into the devils
own row with some off1cial-pulled
some chains of office off him. Can't
remember now whether 1t was Mon
sieur lie Marie or Monsieur lie Presi-
dent At any rate, he was big gun,
and it was a correspondingly big row.
Stoney broke, too; so enlisted in the
Chasseurs d'Afrique, at Marseilles;
learnt more of the art of war and the
ways of these heather countries
their language, too. Might have risen
to be f1eld-marshal IL my captain
had behaved himself. Say! What
do you think he said? Why, that
Teddy Roosevelt was no soldier! That
was the last straw. That's why | did
him dirt. If they catch me, they
won't do a thing to me, will they?"
"They mustn't catch you, Slap Dash
You must stay on this yacht You'll
be all right
I'm going ashore in few min
utes-as soon as ever this campaign
is planned. After the ladies are res
cued we will talk about my affairs.
AS matter of fact, they wouldn't
dream of connecting runaway troop
err with the conquerors of Muley
Zidan, and mind, lick Muley,. or Mu-
ley gets my scalp. It's a la mort
to finish. How many men have you
got that would be any good in this
sort of a fight?"
Twenty-Five, anyway, and you
know, Slap Dash, moneys no object,
and we ought to be able to pick up
some useful ruffians in the town; and
for arms, revolvers and knives, sup
pose"
''They are all right as far as they
go, my boy; but 1 once figured out,
during a scrimmage, that If l had a
good sound axe slung round my waist,
could make war to beat the band at
close quarters. I may be reactionary,
Vandraken, but believe in the battle
axe. Now, how are you fixed for bat
tle-axes?'
There's the fire company's axes"
answered Vandraken, excitedly. Gee,
but that's a great idea, Slap Dash!
Whoop Just think of lamming into
them at close quarters Say!
wouldn't miss this fight for twenty
millions! Who are the captured wom-
en?"
(To be Continued.)