Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-09-19


pack wrappings.
With this in hand. she addressed
briefly the nucleus Of her private
forces. Having spoken, she offered the
pole to the officer commanding under
Captain Parr.
Unsheathing the flag, the command
ing officer held it high, its brilliant
cOlors radiant In the autumnal sun
light, before delivering 1t to the color
guard.
A great roar of cheering broke out
in the ranks and was carried clearly
to the ears Of the watchers on the hill
top.
turned and strobe back to his roadster.
'Drive home" he ordered; "follow
the railroad tracks as closely as you
can. / must find some way.
THE TREsTLE.
A mile or so beyond the ridge pole
of the hills walling in the little valley,
the road dipped down into another val
ley, rather more SHALLOW, which the
railroad spanned b. means of a long
high trestle.
Through this valley meandered a
river, broad but not deep, some two
hundred feet below the trestle at this,
its highest point.
Well watered though it was, this val
ley offered little temptation to the ag-
riculturist. Its soil was somewhat
sterile and thiekly sewn with outcrop-
pings of rock. Nevertheless. one farm
er had thought well enough of it to
establish a home near one end of the
trestle.
This optlmist was a Japanese. His
utmost efforts, aided by those of his
family and one or two helpers of his
own race, wrung but the barest liveli-
hood from the soil. Yet he persisted,
year in and year out, patient and I'M
complaining.
1t is a singular fact, to be interpre-
ted at the within of the reader that
any great railroad work in the United
States seldom lacks a japanese neigh
Dor, such as this tolllng little farmer.
1t is not known that these hardy
tillers of the soil have stores of dyna-
mite or other high explosive cached
conveniently; but if they had, they
could readily at an hours notice Grip
pie the transportation facilities of this
country and render efforts TO rush
troops to the western Seaboard futile.
At the dwelling Of the Japanese
farmer in question, Baron Huroki
alighted from his motorcar and en-
gagged his countryman in a conversa-
ton which engrossed both till well past
noon; at which time Patria Chan
ning's special train was observed
crossing the trestle, homeward bound
When it had passed from sight, HUI
roki's course of action was mapped out
to the last detail.
SummOning Kato, he delivered TO
him certain instructions. some by word
of mouth, others written on scraps of
paper in japanese characters, and dis
missed him with an injunction to make
all possible haste upon his various err
rands.
Huroki himself retired TO en- after
noon of inaetion In the house of his
cOmpatriot.
But Kato put in one of the busiest
afternoons in his experience. In per-
son, by telephone and through aides,
he communicated the orders of Baron
Huroki to half hundred industrious
Japanese gentlemen amiably and In
conspicuously engaged in small ways
of business throughout an area bound
ed on the north by Harlem, on the
east by the remOtest businesses of
Brooklyn, on the south and west by
the city of Philadelphia.
He likewise found time to visit a
small but seaworthy private yacht
which lay at anchor OFF Paulus Hook.
1t was dusk when. weary but indom-
liable, he reappeared at the japanese
farm beneath the trestle, delivered his
report to Baron Huroki, and drove
on into the darkness.
By that time nearly a hundred mo-
torcars were conYerging from every
point of the compass upon the little
valley occupied by the Channings'
powder mills.
Each of these cars was occupied by
at least five impassive Japanese, all
reservists of the japanese army, many
Of them veterans of the war with Rus
STA, whose topcoats covered q complete
infantry equipment for light marching.