“Good idea,” said Mr. Newton. “I’ll have a bunch of copy ready in about an hour.”
He hurried through the meal and went over to a table, where he began writing at a rapid rate.
“How you going to get your stuff off?” asked some of the other reporters.
“That’s a secret,” replied Mr. Newton good-naturedly as he went on describing in vigorous language the scenes in the flooded district, for much more of the town was under water than had been expected would be covered.
All about were men plying here and there in boats, saving household goods, carrying people hither and yon, and taking provisions from the centers where food had been collected to the different places where the people were congregated. There were one or two naphtha launches, and any number of rowboats.
Altogether it made a lively and unusual story. Fortunately there was no loss of life, though there were many narrow escapes. Many head of stock, and hundreds of horses and pigs in the country section had been drowned.
The breaking of the dam Mr. Newton described more fully than in his first hasty dispatch, and putting in many exciting incidents he had a story that he felt sure would be read with interest when it was printed in the Leader.
“Now to get it on the wire ahead of the other fellows,” he remarked to himself, as he folded up the copy and gave it to Larry.
“Now don’t let any of the others find out where you are going,” cautioned Mr. Newton to the boy. “Try and fool them. Have the man row you in a different direction, and then circle about and get to the telegraph tent. Do you think you can do it?”
“I guess so,” replied Larry. “I don’t believe the other reporters know where the tent is. You can’t see it from the hotel, and they haven’t gone out very far.”