The Weber Literary Journal Jupiter would be famous and go down in history as national heroes. Paul dressed as warmly as he could. Jupiter was saddled, and they started out. Jupiter wished to get home and out of the storm as quickly as possible, but Paul headed him in the opposite direction, straight against the storm. The poor animal was bewildered. Paul convinced him that it was all right, and urged him on on on up the river. The ride surpassed the horrors of even Paul's wildest dreams. In places, Jupiter waded up to his rheumatic knees in mud. On came the storm fiercer and fiercer than ever. The next three hours saw the heroes in the worst struggle of their lives. Both were ready to drop at any minute, still on on they went. As they drew toward the little ranching group of huts known as Pike's Settlement, the rain gradually increased and the wind grew in velocity. At last, the settlement was reached. It was situated in a little pocket, beside the river, within the low, rolling hills of north-eastern Iowa. When Paul entered into Pike's Pocket, as the midget valley is called, he discovered that the hills partly shut out the wind but oh, the rain. According to Paul, the flood was liable to come any minute, and besides being a hero, he might have a chance to become a martyr. It was now way past midnight. The inhabitants of Pike's Settlement were evidently in bed, as no lights gleamed from the windows. No wonder everyone was startled to hear "Git up, everybody the flood's a comin'. Hit for the hills or you'll drown." Paul rode and yelled like a madman. Old Pete Pike, owner of the Pike's sheep settlement took his men, who made up the settlement, to the hills for safety, along with their sheep and belongings, which were better wet than not at all. Paul had been a nobler hero than even he himself had surmised. He had given the warning and slipped away without making known his identity. He didn't need to reveal his identity now, the Associated Press would tend to it besides Paul was in a hurry to get home that flood, you know. The wind was to his back now, on the return journey, which made it easier and quicker than the same twelve miles had been 28 The Weber Literary Journal some few hours before. When our noble hero did arrive home, a "tireder" hero never lived. Twelve o'clock, next day, saw Paul, the hero, just arising. Poor stiffened Paul the national hero. Mrs. Punk informed him that Jupiter was mysteriously ill, and all doubled up with his old rheumatiz complaint. Paul didn't doubt a word of it, if Jupiter felt anything like his master. Paul hurried down to the Trumpet office to get out the February 22nd number. Whom should he run into in front of the office but old man Pike and all his men from the Settlement. "Lo, Punk," hollered Pike; "We're lookin' fer somebody, and by hell we'll linch 'im when we find 'im." "Yeh, what for?" Paul asked, innocently. "Oh, some bright devil scared us outa our shacks las' night an' kidded us inter believin' there was goin' to be a flood, d his soul, anyhow," old Pike raved. "If I could only ketch the dirty, crooked rascal, I'd never hesitate in murderin' him in his own filthy blood. Why, everything we got is ruined. We packed everything we owned to the hills and the rain did the rest. An' here, this morning broke out so clear and pretty there wasn't no sign of a flood. Here our grub an' all is soaked everything. Oh, it was some joke; if I could lay my hands on the devil, I'd be tempted to knife him." Paul shuddered as the desperadoes rode off in their fierceness. He entered his office and shivered as he made a mad attempt at finishing his type-setting job of the night before. They would soon find out who warned them falsely. He shivered again at the punishment they had promised. "Oh that knife," he muttered. But it wasn't all Paul's fault the whole darned business was all a mistake. To make sure, he would call up the-. "Long distance, please! Gimme the Associated Press of Waterloo." After a brief pause, "We have no record of such an address" was the curt reply. Paul could have hit the ceiling. After all, 20