The daily Alaskan., 1916-10-06
e0Oo00So00o0SO09VSSVUVVV .FerguSon's
 Stratagem It Was Intended to Cap- ture a Post of WO-
 men Soldiers.
By OSCAR COX

B close, and Jim Hathaway concluded to have one more cruise before putting the Eveline out of commission for the winter. He collected such of his men friends as were able to getaway-some of them took their vacations late-and the plrty set sail well equipped for breezy time.
 They had been out several days when they came in sight of an island on the summit of which foated a United States flag. Passing man in boat fishing, they asked him if the flag mark ed a government military post. They were informed that 1t did not A num- Der of young women who believed in preparedness had leased the island for women's barracks and drill ground. They had formed company and were drilling regularly.
 This information interested the young men greatly. After leaving the inform ant Hathaway said:
 Boys, can't think of any better way to train these girls in the art Of self defense than to attack the island. The way to learn how to do thing Is to do it. If they are obliged to defend themselves against us they will know how to take care of themselves when called upon to confront Q real enemy"
 What are you going to fight 'em 1 with?" asked Bob Elliot.
 ! hN We might fire stones over their heads with it." replied Hathaway.
 "That wouldn't scare them," said FL Hot. "One of the principal parts In war Is strategy. Suppose we try 1t on"
 Tt Is my opinion" said Luke Medge, the homeliest man of the party, that any fellow who tries strategy with woman will get beaten"
 By this time they were within a few hundred yards of the island and were met by q rowboat containing four girls in uniform, with a coIswain, who told them that only men in company with women were allowed on the island ex- cept officers of the United States army who were sent there to give instruc- tion. Hathaway replied that their party had no intention whatever of in- truding upon the post and commended the ladies highly for their patriotism. 1 Elliot, who had had marked success with girls and always carried such munitions of war as he considered especially effective in his conquests, I VFrtth a tTrn pound box of candy. The eyes of the oarsmen gHstened at sight of it, but the c0kswain, who was in command of the crew, cast 0 contemptuous glance at Bob and ordered them to give way.
 This produced a laugh on Bob, who had proposed strategy, but he bore the ridicule with equanlmity.
 There were five girls In the boat he said, land four of them were ready to sell out for the sweets. The cox swain had e temporary advantage, but there were four to one to be tempted. We'll see who shall laugh last"
 "How would 1t do" suggested Billy Charnley, "for one of us to personate a United States officer sent to drill the company"
 That would involve one man effect ing an entrance" said Hathaway, "and he would have to be unknown as belonging to our party. If he got into the barracks he might connive at the rest of us following him. Is there a man among us who knows anything about military matters?'
 A poll was taken, with the result that not a man had ever handled a musket Ferguson had been a mem Der of a crack cavalry troop, but had always shirked drill Besides, 1t was not likely there were any horses on the island. From all appearances the school was devoted to infantry training.
 However, 1t was decided to sail for the mainland, where Ferguson, who was to personate an army officer, pro cured in a secondhand store a cap ornamented with brass buttons. Hir. ing single sticker without a jib, 1t was manned by two of the crew of the Eveline. who had not left their berths when the patrol boat was met, and consequently they had not been seen by the girls. These fellows pur- chased canvas suits. the shirts having blue collars. and when rigged out in them would very well pass for navy tars. Then the Nautilus-that was the single sticker's name-salled for the is- land, followed by the Eveline.
 On nearing the island the Eveline dropped farther astern, while the Nautilus sailed on straight for the dock, flying the stars and stripes from the masthead, indicatlng-so 1t was hoped-that a government officer was aboard. A sentry was walking past on the dock, girl with light hair and blue eyes, little of the hair being visl- Ule, since it was tucked away under a military felt hat with large brim. Ferguson sprang out of the boat and. walking as if stiffened in his spine by a ramrod, he triangulated to the sentry and asked where he would find the com r,op6or of thu DOcB Tho centrv called