Forward, March | Page 5

not seek further to
restrain you. It is your mother who prays."
"All right, mother dear, I will wait a few days to please you, though I

cannot see what difference it will make."
So the young man waited as patiently as might be a week longer, and
before it was ended the whole country was ringing with the wonderful
news of Admiral George Dewey's swift descent upon the Philippine
Islands with the American Asiatic squadron. With exulting heart every
American listened to the thrilling story of how this modern Farragut
stood on the bridge of the Olympia, and, with a fine contempt for the
Spanish mines known to be thickly planted in the channel, led his ships
into Manila Bay. Almost before the startled Spaniards knew of his
coming he had safely passed their outer line of defences, and was
advancing upon their anchored fleet of iron-clad cruisers. An hour later
he had completely destroyed it, silenced the shore batteries, and held
the proud city of Manila at his mercy. All this he had done without the
loss of a man or material damage to his ships, an exploit so incredible
that at first the world refused to believe it.
To Ridge Norris, who had spent a week in the Philippines less than a
year before, the whole affair was of intense interest, and he bitterly
regretted not having remained in the Far East that he might have
participated in that glorious fight.
"I would gladly have shipped as a sailor on the Olympia if I had only
known what was in store for her!" he exclaimed; "but a chance like that,
once thrown away, never seems to be offered again."
"But, my boy, it is better now," said Mrs. Norris, with a triumphant
smile. "Then you would have been only a common seaman; one week
ago you would have enlisted as a common soldier. Now you may go as
an officer--what you will call a lieutenant--with the chance soon to
become a captain, and perhaps a general. Who can tell?"
"Whatever do you mean, mother?"
"What I say, and it is even so; for have I not the promise of the
Governor himself? But your father will tell you better, for he knows
what has been done."

So Ridge went to his father, who confirmed what he had just heard,
saying:
"Yes, son; your mother has exerted her influence in your behalf, and
procured for you the promise of a second-lieutenant's commission,
provided I am willing to pay for the honor."
"How, father?"
"By using my influence to send Herman Dodley to the Legislature as
soon as he comes back from the war."
"Is Dodley going into the army?"
"Yes. He is to be a major."
"And would you help to send such a man to the Legislature?"
"If you wanted to be a lieutenant badly enough to have me do so, I
would."
"Father, you know I wouldn't have you do such a thing even to make
me President of the United States!"
"Yes, son, I know it."
And the two, gazing into each other's eyes, understood each other
perfectly.
"I would rather go as a private, father."
"I would rather have you, son; though it would be a great
disappointment to your mother."
"She need not know, for I will go to some distant camp before enlisting.
I wouldn't serve in the same regiment with Herman Dodley, anyhow."
"Of course not, son."

"I suppose his appointment is political--as well as the one intended for
me?"
"Yes; and so it is with every other officer in the regiment."
"That settles it. I would sooner join the Cubans than fight under the
leadership of mere politicians. So, when I do enlist, it will be in some
regiment where the word politics is unknown, even if I have to go into
the regular army."
"Son, I am prouder of you than I ever was before. What will you want
in the way of an outfit?"
"One hundred dollars, if you can spare so much."
"You shall have it, with my blessing."
So it happened that, a few days later, Ridge Norris started for the war,
though without an idea of where he should find it or in what capacity
he should serve his country.


CHAPTER III
ROLLO THE TERROR
On the evening when Ridge decided to take his departure for the seat of
war he was driven into the city by his father, who set him down near
the armory of the regiment in which he had been offered a lieutenant's
commission--for a consideration.
"I don't want you to tell me where you are going, son," said Mr. Norris,
"for I would rather be able to say, with a clear conscience, that I left
you at headquarters, and beyond that