The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-23
fourteenth EPISODE
Border Peril.

hacienda lights burned late into tn
night. Round a great oaken table il
the middle Of the room some ten per
0 Il sat in conference The surface
of the table was strewn with maps anC
paperS-the former large-scale anl
minutely detailed Typographical maps
Of the Claiming properties and the ad
jacent country, both north and south
of the border.
A council of war was in progress
Something after midnight it drew to.
ward it's conclusion. A hush OF
thoughtful silence settled down upOn
the gathering, Patria and Donald Par1
and their aides-thoSe commanding
the several divisions of Patria's little
force Of "watchmen"-menlully re-
viewing what had been sail, recon.
ming point BY point such instructions
as had been ISSUED and the course OF
action which had been agreed upon.
It was vitality important that moth.
ing should be neglected, forgotten, or
overlooked.
This business to which they were
committed was soA desperate, their
hopes for its success so meager and
forlorn, that the little company Of pa
triOtic adventures dared neglect no
least item Of precaution.
According to reliable information a
great army was marching to iEyade
the soil Of the United States-an army
made up Of the allied forces Of Mexi-
and Japan which had for SO long
been encamped in the Businesses Of
the hills Immediately south Of the
border. awaiting Tokio's word to ad-
vance.
Today. apparently, that word had
been spoken; 1t was known that the
allied troops had broken camp and
were In motion toward the border.
And It needed only . most super.
dcial examination Of the maps on the
table to demonstrate that the one
feasible path Of invasion lay through
The Claiming properties.
And the forces which Patria had
Iathefed together to oppose this long
invasion were % pitifully
outnumbsred that their sole hope of
Durviving lay In the thoroughnees Of
lAair prsoazatioos; soly courage hat
Ael4 life . thing Of little moment
Iu1dsd b. eool-Aeadsd intelligsacs Of
~ HIGHEST seder could render a6ec-
i've ~ plans 1sss 1sw had made -
)sspelo& eatw1G end sspsl ths hv.A.
II sAsslliag e ~ tsasphoos IN
1legs1pted ~ alsoea PAR tack -
- nstu0ant spoke beie1y Int q
~ handed 4 70 Pst1aa.
- toaeoSum 6oe yo0," - said ~
xAe O1si Nsesned attsotivUly 70 v1iat
~ co0msn1eassd 70 hee ~ ~ tsa1e
9aph opsrstee q he nearest sailreod
eat3oQ. oo0o twenty miles oway, theo
hanked him and eoolly hung Up.
"washinston." ne said. "scknowl
dSiao my wire warning them Of this
avssioa. There viii b "a invesdea.
ordered Immediately. and II my
1fosmston proves well-foundod |
'O0po win b sent"
Nothing could be fairer than that"
M commented grimly.
+ think" said Patria to the COM |
any we have said all that could be
aid tonight. We al know our duties. !
he Instructions you have received are
OF subject to change except in emer-
england then you must rely upon
our wits to saw yourselves and the
ut Of us. Now let us adjourn, and
We can, get q little Sleep"
There was . general movement Of
hairs being pushed back from the
lble. The men rose, and waited In
tile groups while one after another
ent to say goodnight to Patria. She
took the hand Of each, and Donald
d likewise. There were few words
'oken|but the handclasps were frm
ID significant
These were possibly their last fare.
This unuttered thought In
'rmed. every mind. Dawn would dnd
lch at his post. Where sunset shoulc
ID them, none dared guess.
One By one they went their van
to the night. At length Patria vns
enc With Doaala Pan. He tuene1