snoop and
explore those woods until you find one or more of these Adonises; and
then get the story to us by chain-lightning, if," he added indifferently,
"it breaks both your silly necks to do it."

They passed out with calm dignity, saying "Good-bye, sir," in haughtily
modulated voices.

As they closed the door they heard him grunt a parting injury.

"What an animal!" observed Sayre. "If it wasn't for the glory of being on
the _N. Y. Star_----"

"Sure," said Langdon, "it's a great paper; besides, we've got to--if we
want to remain next to Uncle Augustus."

It _was_ a great newspaper; for ethical authority its editorials might
be compared only to the _Herald's_; for disinterested principle the _Sun_
alone could compare with it; it had all the lively enterprise and virile,
restless energy of the _Tribune_; all the gay, inconsequent, and frothy
sparkle of the _Evening Post_; all the risky popularity of the _Outlook_.
It was a very, very great New York daily. What on earth has become of it!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

II

LANGDON, very greasy with fly ointment, very sleepy from a mosquitoful
night, squatted cross-legged by the camp fire, nodding drowsily. Sayre
fought off mosquitoes with one grimy hand; with the other he turned
flapjacks on the blade of his hunting-knife. All around them lay the
desolate Adirondack wilderness. The wire fence of a game preserve
obstructed their advance. It was almost three-quarters of a mile to the
nearest hotel. Here and there in the forest immense boulders reared
their prehistoric bulk. Many bore the inscription: "Votes for Women!"

"I tell you I _did_ see her," repeated Sayre, setting the coffee-pot on
the ashes and inspecting the frying pork.

"The chances are," yawned Langdon, rousing himself and feebly sucking at
his empty pipe, "that you fell asleep waiting for a bite--as I did just
now. Now I've got my bite and I'm awake. It was a horse-fly. Aren't those
flapjacks ready?"

"If you're so hungry, help yourself to a ream of fish-wafer," snapped
Sayre. "I'm not a Hindoo god, so I can't cook everything at once."

Langdon waked up still more.

"I want to tell you," he said fiercely, "that I'd rather gnaw circles in
a daisy field than eat any more of your accursed fish-wafer. Do you
realise that I've already consumed six entire pads, one ledger, and two
note-books?"

Sayre struck frantically at a mosquito.

"I wonder," he said, "whether it might help matte