ntatives of an older generation of patriots whose example we are
happy to have before us for our guidance."

This, Sam's first speech, was received with great applause, and then
Josh Thatcher proposed three cheers for Captain Jinks, which were
given with a will. The only perverse spirit was that of the commercial
traveler, who had sat in the corner reading an old copy of the
Slowburgh _Herald_, and now on hearing the cheers, took a candle and
went upstairs to bed.

"That man's no good," said Reddy with a shake of his head. While the
whole company were expressing their concurrence with this sentiment,
Sam bade them good-night and took his leave.

CHAPTER VI

Off for the Cubapines

[Illustration]

By the next morning's mail Sam's commission arrived, and with it orders
to report at once at the city of St. Kisco, whence a transport was
about to sail on a date which gave Sam hardly time to catch it. He must
hurry at once to town and get his new uniforms for which he had been
fitted the week before, and then proceed by the fastest trains on the
long journey to the distant port without even paying his parents a
farewell visit. He found Cleary busily engaged in making his final
arrangements, and persuaded him to cut them short and travel with him.
Sam had hardly time to take breath from the moment of his departure
from Slowburgh to the evening on which he and Cleary at last sat down
in their sleeping-car. His friend heaved a deep sigh.

"Well, here we are actually off and I haven't got anything to do for a
change. This is what I call comfort."

"Yes," said Sam, "but I wish we were in the Cubapines. This inaction is
terrible while so much is at stake. It's a consolation to know that I
am going to help to save the country, but it is tantalizing to wait so
long. Then in your own way you're going to help the country too," he
added, thinking that he might seem to Cleary to be monopolizing the
honors.

"I'll help it by helping you," laughed Cleary. "I've got another
contract for you. You see the magazines are worth working. They handle
the news after the newspapers are through with it, and they don't
interfere with each other. So I got permission to tackle them from
_The Lyre_, and I saw the editor of _Scribblers' Magazine_ yesterday
and it's a go, if things come out as I expect."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"Why, you are to write articles for them, a regular series,