The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-26

jungle, turned again and scrutinized the har-
Dor, amply protected by its line Of reef, and,
apparently satisfied with this brief examina-
ton, ordered his men to the boat. 4!
Lands watched them 90, his wrath burning
in his bosom. He walked on the flag, p'he
said once aloud.
The cruiser got under way at, once and
steamed out Of the harbor. Lands wisely
waited till the last trace Of her had vanished
over the sea rim; then he hauled down the
standard Of that young and eager Empire and
trampled it under foot with righteous satis-
faction, and the sun descendingfell upon the
battered, torn, and trampled but triumphant
ensign which Lucy had constructed, once
more floating from the top Of the staff. As
for the other flag, they tore it into ribbons
and Lucy decorated the tubby stomach Of
William, Jr, with its remains.
So much for the first act. The second
opens with the arrival week later Of the
schooner Horace B. Her captain having had
some clash over trading facilities with the au-
thorites had deemed it wiser not to tarry at
the larger islands Of the group, and had there
fore stopped here 10 take on water for the run
to Frisco 1t was fortunate combination of
circumstances.
Lands with a seaman's eve read the
schooner's lines at glance and pronounced
her American. Accordingly he welcomed
her captain with an enthusiasm which took
that gentleman somewhat by surprise, coming
as i did from half-naked, copper-colored
wild man on what he supposed to be an unin-
habitcd island But when the circumstances
were explained to him he rose handsomely to
the occasion and at once offered Lands some
clothes.
If it's the same to you, sir, said Landis
I'd rather it was tobacco"
The captain, whose name was Peters, dined
ashore, and in the course of the meal Lands
recounted the history Of his annexation of the
island and Of the subsequent visit of the
cruiser. Captain Peters listened attentively,
swore at the trampling on the flag, and at the
end glanced up at the flagstaff
Where is it now?" he asked. "Ther
flag, mean
Landis pointed to his son and heir, and
Peters, after a moments staring perplexity,
discerned the connection between the young
sters novel adonments and the vanished en-
sign, and fairly fell over backward with laugh
ter. Suddenly he sobered
WAS he tall man with yellow whiskers
and lightish-colored eye2" he demanded.
Yes, " said Lands.
Something glowed like spark in Peters's
own eye.
T'"'rrod on the flag, did hep Trampled it
under his dirty feetI Wasn't worth his con
sideration2 Why, say He drove me out of
Tapeete last week with his little two-for-a-
nickel tin gunboat. Now, here's where we get
hunkykee' He'll have all hell Dustin round
his head before long and don't you forget it."
Between them they constructed a letter,
Lands supplying the facts and Peters the
form. Ii was couched in terms Of righteous
Indignation and exalted patriotism 1t re-
counted the whole damning series OF events,
dealt heavily upon The insult to the flag, and
called bitterly for redress and protection.
lands succeeded in signing bis name after
some practice, and the document was scaled
and addressed to the Secretary Of State at
Washington, y. {.
Whit Peters sailed away. the glow OF GER
tain vengeance in lis eyc. In the course Of
time he passed the Golden Gatcand anchored
in San Francisco Bay Alnos imrsa::s:el-
there were developments Thelctter duly in
trusted TO the post, Peters proceeded or
round OF the newspaper Offices AT esch he
left lurid recital of outrageous affront to
the national ensign. 1t happened to be an
off day for sensations and the people OF San
Francisco awoke next morning 10 the startling
intelligence, conveyed in four-in type, that
certain young and eager Empire had offered
gratuitous insult to their country and their
country's flag. Next morning the news was
being read in Boston, Minneapolis, and New
Orleans, and within twenty-four hours the
Secretary OF State had been compelled by
public camor TO cable instructions 10 the
American ambassador al the capital Of the
Empire to demand immediate explanation.
By the time the original document with
Landis'S crampcd and illegible signature had
reached the seat OF government, and the facts
as stated by the newspapers been thus in a
manner authenticated, the affair was entirely
out Of hand Some eighty million people,
more or less, had risen up and demanded re-
dress, instant and unqualified
Nothing mattcrcd, save the fact that insult
had been offered, and the indignation there
by aroused must be appeased Wanting that,
t,..l- yp,mel ineviiubla Tho administration
AZ Washington discerncd this speedily The
ambassador of The upstau Empire gasped
the fact almost as quickly The cables
burned with cipher messages
Then the Young and eager Empire sud-
denly saw 4 great light and its ambassador
called At the State Department 10 disNow on
the part OF his government the anwarfanted
a.tof the cap.ain Of The seeord-olass c7uis,r