Gilpin observer., 1917-03-29
II Story of 1me,zcu
First" Unm0skixg
Ame,7cus Secret E0es
Mopehzed From Me 1ofos Pcau,y
Serial of tile Same Name
ReIka5ed BY Pafae
esvtA NM %c~ y Aos-s

| possible angle. A group of scribes
practically camped on the Dare premi-
ses seeking interviews and pleading for
photographs Of everybody in the house
hold or associated with 1t. The fact
that the Dares were constantly In the
public eye nowadays lent a special in
terest to this adventure which over
Swallowed all others and kept the news
paper men in expectation Of more to
come.
| The activity of these news gatherers
was turned to good account by the gov
ernment officials.
"a newspaper man lets nothing get
by, whether he understands 1t or not"
judiciously. remarked the president
when Colonel Dare came to him COM
planning of the nuisance and pleading
against this intrusion into his privacy.
''These fellows may become the right
arm of the nation in smoking the ST.
lent Menace out. Give them free reign,
colonel, keeping your counsel, of
course"
Then the presidents countenance
changed. Colonel DareT His voice
was vibrant with deeply stirred emo
tions. "Without attaching any blame
on you or your associates, we must ad-
init that the Foreign Alliance has sue
ceeded In it's initial attempts. What
ever may be behind it ALL the secret
| Canal defense plans and the chemicals
necessary to interpret these plans are
| in their possession. Some hostile for
eign agency now knows something we
ourselves do not know-the one weak
spot in our fortification of the canal.
If the canal is wrenched from our con-
| troll the position of America as the
arbiter in world affairs will alter-from
| an aggressive nation, which we now
are, we will be forced to a humiliating
defensive. Our military forces on the
| isthmus have been brought to the high
est standard of efficiency; as many of
our battleships as can be spared from
the northern coasts will sail today un-
| der full steam in both oceans to guard
| each entrance to the canal. From this
day on we can do nothing more than
await developments there and-pre-
pare for any emergency here. 1t Is my
| wish that you cooperate unreservedly
| with the secretary of war and the chief
of the army staff in mobilizing mil
lion volunteers for army service. My
call of which you have been informed
will be issued today"
Colonel Dare, overwhelmed by the
unabated confidence of the chief mag
istrate of the country, solemnly pledged
his word.
| After dinner that night, Colonel
Dare called all the visiting newspaper
| men into his study and informed them
| that at any moment. he expected the
| secretary of war, the chief of the army
staff and one or two of his junior Off
GERS, including Major Brent, to arrive;
that the purpose of their visit was to
| discuss informally the question of rails
ing million volunteers; how to handle
the movement of troops how to dis
pose of them strategically and equip
and train the recruits properly and
quickly; that eventually written
statement would be Forthcoming. He
asked them to favor him personally by
| quitting the premises so that the men,
bers Of his family would not be SUBJ
|
answering door bells and telephone
calls and the conference proceed undis-
| turbed.
The reporters smilingly obliged the
| colonel by quartering themselves in the
| summer house in the Dare gardens.
When he was told of this arrangement
he laughed, in spite of the seriousness
of everything, at the subtle and deter
mined methods of the American pro-
| fessional collector and purveyor of
news.
They've got u n-notion, colonel"
Adams informed him, that you're goin'
over l-lot of National Guard figures
tonight what'll show u-up Jest how
the country's fixed to dig up million
rockies. They w-want to get at them
figures which they t-thlnk you amt
goin' to give o-out."
"Huhw exclaimed the colonel guard
edly.
"Then there's that t-there Silent
Menace" insinuated. Adams. "These
writer-chaps g-got Il bet up that he's
goin' to be on the job and beat t-them
to 1t on this figger business"
"The Silent Menacei' echoed the
colonel, sharply. REPORT that, sir, to
Major Brent at once. He's"
81 heard 1t. colonel! I" called voice
from an adjoining room and the major
now Joined them, laughing lightly. mo
outsider will enter this house tonight.
1t Is guarded inside and out by picked
men from the garrison"
In view of the distinguished charac-
ter of the nights visitors, both the
major and the orderly dressed with
more care than usual. Particularly
Adams, who was notoriously indiffer-
ent to his apparel. Some Of the men
In the mess rallied him most unmerci.
fully ut times, clubbing him the "mess