n't
any reason why Harry Springley shouldn't go on with those old
train-robbers," he grumbled; "I don't see what they want of me, but I
suppose the stupid fellow doesn't know what to do, as usual."

An hour later, when he entered the editorial rooms of the _New York
Daily Telegraph_, he found his colleagues in a great state of
excitement. Judging by the loud talk going on in the conference room, he
concluded at once that something out of the common must have happened.
The editor-in-chief quickly explained to him that an hour ago the news,
already disseminated through an "extra," had arrived, that not only were
all messages from the Pacific coast, especially from San Francisco, held
up, but the Canadian wire had furnished the news that a foreign strange
squadron had been observed on Sunday at Port Townsend, and that it had
continued its voyage through Puget Sound toward Seattle. In addition the
news came from Walla Walla that since Sunday noon all telegraphic
communication between Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland had been broken off.
Attempts to reach Seattle and Tacoma over the Canadian wire had also
proved vain while, on the other hand, the report came from Ogden that
no trains from the west, from the direction of San Francisco, had
arrived since Sunday noon, and that the noon express had been attacked
this side of Reno by bandits, some of whom had been distinctly
recognized as Japanese.

John Halifax recalled the first message of the evening before, in which
there was a mention of the Japanese. He quickly put the separate news
items together, and, after having glanced hurriedly at the messages in
the extra, turned to the managing editor and in a low voice, which
sounded strange and hard even to himself, said: "I believe this means
war!"

The latter slapped him on the back in his brusque fashion, crying: "John
Halifax, we're not making war on Japan."

"But they're making war on us," answered Halifax.

"Do you mean to imply that the Japanese are surprising us?" asked the
editor, staring at Halifax.

"Exactly, and it makes no difference whether you believe it or not," was
the reply.

"The Japanese fleet is lying off the Pacific coast, there's no doubt
about that," remarked a reporter.

"And, what's more, they're right in our country," said Halifax, looking
up.

"Who? The fleet?" inquired Harry Springley in a lame effort to be funny.

"No, the enemy," answered Halifax coldly; "the so-called bandits," he
added s