tf. - . > * A CMtfMNl Stiry. By HALL CAINC. i CHAPTER V. ( Continued. ) But Jason did not move a feature. "Old man , " he said , looking up with -his eyes as steadfastly as tue sun into .Jorgensen's face , and pointing towards .Sunlocks , "if you touch one hair of this head , these hands will tear you to .pieces. " Then one of the men who had stood near , a rough fellow with a big tear- drop rolling down his tanned cheeks , .stepped up to Jason's side , and with out speaking a word offered him his musket ; but Jason calmly pushed it back. There was dead silence once more. Jorgen Jorgensen's uplifted hand fell to his side , and he was -speechless. "Speak now , " said the Judge. "Why have you brought Michael Sunlocks .here ? " Jason stood silent for a moment as -if to brace himself up , and then he .said , "I have laid my soul bare to .your gaze already , and you know what I am and where I came from. " A low moan seemed to echo him. "But I , too , am an Icelander , and .this is our ancient Mount of Laws , the sacred ground of our fathers and our'fathers' fathers for a thousand .years. " A deep murmur rose from the vast company. "And I have heard that if any one i Jis wronged and oppressed and unjust- 3y punished , let him but find his way to this place , and though he be the meanest slave that wipes his forehead , yet he will be a man among you all. " There were loud cries of assent. "I have also heard that this Mount , on this day , is as the gate of the city Jn old time , when the judges sat to Judge the people ; and that he who is permitted to set foot on it , and cross it , though he were guilty as the out laws that hide in the desert , is in nocent and free forever after. An swer me is it true ? Yes or no ? " "Yes ! yes ! " came from a thousand throats. "Then , judges of Iceland , fellow- men and brothers , do you ask ine why I have brought this man to this place ? Look at his bleeding hand. " He lift ed the right hand of Sunlocks. "It has been pierced with a nail. " A deep groan came from the people. He let the hand fall back. "Look at these poor eyes. They are blind. , Do you know what that means ? It means hellish barbarity and damned tyran ny. " His voice swelled until It seemed to shake the very ground on which he stood. "What this man's crime may be I do not know , and * I do not care. Let it be what it will , let the man be what he may a felon like myself , a malefactor , a miscreant , a monster yet what crime and what condition deserves punishment that Is worse than death and hell ? " "None , none , " shouted a thousand voices. "Then , judges of Iceland ; fellow- men and brothers , I call on you to save this man from that doom. Save him for his sake save him for his you own , for He that dwells above is looking down on you. " He paused a moment and then cried , "Listen ! " There was a low rumble as of thun der. It came not from the clouds , but from the bowels of the earth. The people turned pallid with dismay , but Jason's face was lit up with a wild frenzy. "Do you hear it ? It is the voice that was heard when these old hills were formed , and the valleys ran like fire. It is the voice of the Almighty God calling on you. " The word was not a war cry. The people answered it with a shout. Anri still Jason's voice pealed over their heads. "Vengeance is God's , but mercy be longs to man. " He stooped to Michael Sunlocks , where Greeba held him at her bosom , picked him up in his arms as if he had been a child , turned his face to wards the Mount and cried , "Let me pass. " Then at one impulse , at one instant , the Judge and the Bishop parted and made a way , and Jason , carrying Sun- locks , strode up the causeway and swept through. There was but one voice then in that great assembly , and it was a mighty shout that seemed to rend the dome of the heavy sky. "Free ! Free ! Free ! " V. But the end was not yet. More , and more terrible , is to follow , though the spirit is not fain to tell of it , and th'e hand that sets it down is trembling. Let him who thinks that this world is founded in justice , wait long and watch patiently , for up to the eleventh hour he may see the good man sit in misery , and the evil man carried in honor. And let him who thinks that Nature is sweet and benignant and that "she is all things to all men and nothing to any man. Now when Jason had crossed the Mount of Laws with Sunlpcks , think ing by virtue of old custom he had thereby set him free of tyranny , Jor gen Jorgensen did what a man of shal low soul must always do when he sees the outward signs of the holy things that move the deeper souls of other men. He smiled with bitterness and laughed with contempt. "A pretty thing , truly , " he sneered , "out of some forgotten age of musty laws and old barbarians. But there is something else that is forgotten. It Is forgotten that between these two men , Jason and Michael Sunlocks , there is this difference , that the one is"a prisoner of Iceland , and the other of Denmark. Jason is a prisoner of W Iceland , a felon of Iceland , therefore Iceland may pardon him , and if this -brave mummy has made him free , then so be it , and God pity you ! But Michael Sunlocks is a prisoner of Den mark , a traitor against the crown of Denmark , therefore Denmark alone may pardon him and he is still un- I pardoned. " 'The clamorous crowd that had gathered about Michael Sunlocks look ed up in silence and bewilderment at this fresh blow. And Jorgen Jorgen 6 sen saw his advantage and went on. "Ask your Lagmann and let him answer you. Is it as I say or is it not ? Ask him. " The people looked from face to face of the men on the Mount , from Jor- sen , and he laughed. "Look at him. " the Judge to the Bishop. "Is this true ? " shouted a voice from the crowd. But the Judge made no answer , and the Bishop said , "Why all this wrang ling over the body of a dying man ? " "Dying indeed ! " said Jorgen Jor- sen , and he laugher. "Look at him. " Michael Sunlocks , again lying in the arms of Greeba , was showing signs of life. "He will recover fast enough when all is over. " "Is it true ? " shouted the same voice from the crowd. "Yes , " said the Judge. Then the look of bewilderment in the faces of the people deepened to consternation. At that moment Michael Sunlocks was raised to his feet. And Jorgen Jorgensen standing like an old snuffy tiger on the watch , laughed again , and turning to Jason he pointed at Sunlocks and said , "What did I say ? A pretty farce truly , this pretense at unconsciousness. Small good it has done him. And he has little to thank you for. You have brought him here to his death. " down from the Kotlugia yakul , hurl ing ice-blocks before it , and sweeping farms , churches , cattle , horses , and men , women and children into the sea. Then this man also put his heels to his horse and broke away , like one pursued by death itself. What answer Jason would have made him , no man may say , for at that moment the same terrestrial thunder that had been heard before was heard again , and the earth became violently agitated as with a deep pulsation. The people looked into each other's faces with dismay , and scarce ly had they realized the horror that waited to pour Itself out on the world , when a man came galloping from the south and crying , "The mountains are coming down at Skaptar. Fly ! fly ! " They stopped the man and ques tioned him , and he answered , with terror in his eyes , that'-the ice-moun tain itself was sweeping down into the plain. Then he put his heels to his horse and broke away. Hardly had the people heard this dread word when another man came galloping from the southwest , and crying , "The sea is throwing up new islands at Reykianess , and all the nv- ero are dry. " They sotpped this man also , and questioned him , and he answered that the sky at the coast was raining red- hot stones , so that the sea hissed with them , and all the land was afire. Then he , too , put his heels to his horse and broke away. Scarcely had he gone when a third man came galloping from the south east , and crying , "The land around Hekla is washed away , and not a green place is left on the face of the earth. " This man also they stopped and questioned , and he answered that a torrent of boiling water was rolling down from the Kotlugia yakul , hurling ice blocks before it , and sweeping farms , churches , cattle , horses , and. men , women and children into the sea. Then this man also put his heels to his horse and broke away , like one pur sued by death itself. For some moments thereafter the people stood where the men had left them , silent , helpless , unable to think or feel. Then there rose from them all. as from one man , such a shrielc of mor tal agony as never before .came from human breasts. "In their terror they ran hither and thither , without : thought or intention. They took to their tents , they took to their ponies , they galloped north , they galloped east , they galloped west , and then came scurrying back to the Muont from which they had started. A great dan ger was about .to burst upon them , but they could not tell from what direction it would come. Some remembered their homes and wives and children they had left there. Others thought only of themselves and of the fire and water that were dealing out death. In two minutes the Mount was a bar ren waste , the fissures on its sides were empty , and the seats on the crags were bare. The Thing-men and the clergy were rushing to and fro in the throng , and the old bishop and the judge were seeking their horses. Greeba stood with fear on her face , by the side of Michael Sunlocks , who , blind and maimed , unable to see what was going on about him , not knowing yet where he was and what new evil threatened him , looked like a man who might have beendead and was awaken ing to consciousness in a world of the damned. ' Two men , and two only , of all that vast multitude kept their heads and were cool through this mad panic. One of these was Jorgen Jorgensen ; the other wasRed Jasen. They watched each other constantly , the one with the eyes of the lynx , the other with the eyes of a lion. A troop of men came riding through the throng from the direction of the Chasm of Ravens. Twenty of them were the bodyguard of the Governor , and they pushed their way to the feet of Jorgen Jorgensen. "Your excellency , " said one of them , "we had news of you that you would want us , so we made boldto come. " "You have come in time , " said Jor gen Jorgensen , and his cruel eyes flash ed with the light of triumph. "There has been a great eruption of Skaptar , " said the man , "and the peo- pie ofthe south are flocking into Reyk javik. " "Leave old Skaptar to take care of itself , " said Jorgen Jorgensen , "and do you take charge of that man there , and the woman beside him. " So saying , he pointed towards Mich ael Sunlocks , who , amid the whirl of the crowd around , had stood still in his helpless blindness. Jason saw and heard all , and he shouted to the people to come to his help , for he was one man against twenty. But the people paid no heed to his calling , for every man was think ing of himself. Then Jason fell on the guards with his bare hands only. And his mighty muscles would have made havoc of many of them , but that Jor gen Jorgensen drew his pistol again and fired at him , and wounded him. Jason knew nothing of his injury until his right arm fell to his side , bleeding and useless. After that he was seize ] from behind and from before and held to the ground while Michael Sunlockn and Greeba were hurried away. Then the air began to be filled with smoke , a wind that was like a solid wall of black sand swept up from the south , and the sudden darkness cover ed everything. "It Is the lava ! " shouted one. "It's the fiery flood ! " shouted an other. "It's the end of the world ! ! shoutei a third. And at one impulse the people rush ed hither , thither , north , south , east , west-rsome weeping , some shrieking , some swearing , some laughing like de mons all wild with frenzy and mad with terror. ' Jorgen Jorgensen found his little pie bald pony where he had left it , for the docile beast , with the reins over its head , was munching the grass at the foot of the causeway. He mounted and rode past Jason as the men were loos ening their hold of him , and peering Into his face he said with a sneer , "If this is the end of the world , as they say , make the best of what is left of It and fly. " ( To Be Continued. ) Over Mountain to Dnntb. While descending from Camp McKin- ney to Jolly Creek , B. C. , the horse hauling Hoff's mail stage bolted , and could not be controlled by Andrew Kirkland , the driver. Finally the horses left the road and dashed over the bank dragging the stage down the steep in cline. Passengers , horses and coach rolled over and over and into the creek below. Kirkland was instantly killed , his neck being broken. Of the passen gers , one , a woman , had her collar bone broken and besides was badly bruised. Harry Nicholson was seriously injured , and another male passenger was also hurt. The horses were killed. Earn Money Rescelnff Hat * . A new Industry , which is proving a source of considerable revenue to small boys who live near the suburban pleasure parks , Is that of "hat rescu ing. " The youngsters station them selves around the scenic railways and toboggans and when the headgear of some unlucky passenger is blown off during the rapid ride an accident which occurs at almost every trip of the flying cars one of them seizes it and hastens to the stopping place. Very few persons have nerve enough to send the polite rescuer off without rewarding him. Philadelphia Times. The Advent of Coffee About the year 1600 coffee began to be talked of in Christendom as a rare and precious medicine. In 1615 it was brought to Venice , and in 1621 Burton spoke of it in his "Anatomy of "Melan choly" as a valuable article which he had heard of but not seen. In 1652 Sir NicholasCrlspe , a Levant merchant opened in London the first coffee house known in England , the beverage being prepared by a Greek girl brought over for the work. Other coffee houses In abundance were soon opened. Flying Fish in Tropics. Flying fish , called by naturalists " 'Exocaetus , " is a common sight to all voyagers in tropical and sub-tropi cal seas. Their usual length Is from ten to twelve inches , though one eight een inches long has recently been de scribed. They are enabled to execute flying leaps by means of the great development of their forward or pec toral fins. During the flight the fins are kept quietly distended , without any motion. Their flight is rapid , greatly exceeding that of a ship going ten miles an hour. Suez Canal's Immense Bunlnew. The total number of vessels passing through the Suez canal in 1900 was 3,441 , of which 1,935 were British , 462 German , 285 French , 232 Dutch , 126 Austrian , 100 Russian , 82 Italian , 63 Japanese , 34 Spanish , 28 Turkish , 30 Norwegian , 27 Danish , 22 American , 7 Belgian , 3 Portuguese , 2 Swedish , 2 Greek and 1 Argentine. The passen gers numbered 282,000 , this being the highest number on record , except that of 1896. Improving the Potato. A new method of Improving the po tato is credited to M. Michalet , as a result off experiments made In the De partment Vaucluse ; France. He ad vises that the potato plant should bo stripped of Its blossoms and the crop tubers will be improved In quantity and be richer in starch' . The flower is not at all necessary to the well- being of the plant , which In the pro cess of blossoming consumes starch and other vegetable substances. Old Presidents Not Many. In connection with Senator Allison's declaration that he is too old to run for President , he being now 72 , it may be mentioned that so far no man once three score and ten has ever been elect ed chief magistrate of the nation. Only five over 60 have been so honored. These were John Adams , 62 ; Andrew Jackson , 62 ; William Henry Harrison , 68 ; Zachary Taylor , 65 , and Jamei Buchanan , 66. A Remarkable Thimble. The Queen of Slain has a remarkable thimble , which was given to her by her husband. It is made of gold , in the form of a lotus bud , and is thickly studded with diamonds , which are ar ranged to form her name and the date of her marriage. The form of the gift was particularly appropriate , since the lotus Is the royal flower. x H x : : H"X : - : i 'ii ' - -i : I ! * Commoner Comment * Extracts from W. J. Bryan's Paper. . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . „ . - - . - . . Different Klnda of Dollars. George E. Eoberts , director of the mint , in an interview recently , referred to the proposition that a mint be es tablished 'at Manila. Mr. Eoberts said : "I have heard nothing about the matter since the adjournment of con gress , but I know that it is receiving the attention of the war department , which is obtaining all the informa tion possible on the subject. Army of ficers seem to favor the establishment of a mint at Manila , and an effort to substitute American coinage for the Mexican now in general use. There is considerable opposition to this propo sition , however , as it is certain that any attempt to push the American dol lar and redeem it in gold would pre cipitate commercial disturbances that might result in disaster. Secretary Gage is opposed to it , and I am in clined to think that this plan will not be adopted. "Two plans have been proposed. The first of these is t establish a free mint at Manila for the making of a Philip pine dollar interchangeable with the Mexican dollar and redeemable at a fixed price in gold. Under this plan producers of silver would sell their product to establishments having trade relations with the east , which would have it coined at the Manila mint and put in circulation. This is the plan adopted by the British government , which coins an Indian dollar which is circultated from the Straits settle ment and has so far been successful in competing with the Mexican dollar and the rupee. "The second plan is to coin a 'token dollar' about the size of the Mexican dollar with enough less silver to pre vent it from going to the melting pot or out of the country , interchangeable with the Mexican dollar , and redeema ble in gold equally with Mexican coin. " It is rather strange to hear that the war department is considering the es tablishment of a mint. Surely we are undergoing many changes. Heretofore the treasury department has been charged with affairs relating to our finances ; but under the new policy that has sprung up in our "land of the free and the home of the brave" the war department appears to be a mighty in stitution , wielding enormous powers , and one whose bounds are controlled by'no pent up Utica. " Mr. Eoberts thinks it likely that ome plan involving the creation of a " dollar" will . "Philippine be adopted. It will be well to look at this sugges tion seriously. The constitution gives congress the right to "coin money , reg ulate the value thereof and of foreign coin , and fix the standard of weights and measures. " No one heretofore would have dared to claim" that con gress had the right to make one dollar i or one section and another dollar for another section. Under the constitu tion no one will seriously claim that such a right exists. It will not be surprising , however , if the proposition to create a "Philippine dollar" or a 'token dollar" prevails. Authority for this will be found , not in the con stitution , but in the decision of the su preme court in the Porto Eican cases. Un'der that decision congress , the crea ture of the constitution , has , with re spect to our new possessions , whatever authority it may see fit to execrcise en tirely regardless of the fundamental law. law.When When the war department , by and with the consent of the presfdent and Secretary GtJge and a few other execu tive heads , sets out to adopt a financial policy for the Philippine Islands , the American people will begin to obtain a hint of the far-reaching character of the Porto Eican decision. There are no restraints upon con gressional authority in Porto Eico. There are no restraints upon the war power in the Philippine Islands. If political interests require , the time may yet come when we will have one kind of dollar for the Philippines , another kind of dollar for Porto Eico , an altogether different dollar for Cuba , a new-fangled dollar for Arizona , and a patent-applied-for dollar for New Mexico , while within the states , which are the masters of these territories , a wholly different dollar will be "current money with the merchant ; " and this will be a ' 'sound financial system" one in which ' 'every dollar is as good as every other dollar" one inwhich the ' 'faith" and the "honor" of the na tion are preserved , and the "business interests" of the country are subserved. In response to an invitation from Tammany to submit < a _ sentiment to be read on the 4th of July , Mr. Bryan sug gested the following : "Liberty is hot safe without a writ ten constitution , and a constitution to be of value must be strong enough to control every public servant and broad enough to include within its protection every person who acknowledges al legiance to the flag. " "When a Chinese bank fails the bank officials are beheaded. When an Amer ican bank fails the bank officials are interviewed and express great surprise at the failure. Bank failures are ex tremely rare in China. Mr. Hanna told the Ohio republican convention that "this is no time to ex periment with the tariff. " Certainly not. Not the time for the republican party to experiment with it. The trusts are satisfied and Mr. Hanna knows right where he can get a rich yield of fat when he starts out with' the frying pan in the congressional campaign of 1902 and the presidential campaign of 1904. The chief argument in support of the ship subsidy is that ike promoters want the money. ' WWV "Hampers" In the Constitution The American Review of Reviews gives an interesting editorial approv ing of the supreme court decision as delivered by Justice Brown. In this the Review says : "The primary ob ject of the American constitution was to arrange an effective and permanent scheme of partnership and union for a group of associated states which were not suitably organized under the old articles of confederation. " The Re view adds that the constitution "was never intended to hamper posterity" and concludes "the main thing that has been decided thus far is that the constitution of the United States is not a doctument that is going to interfere with the people of the United States in their proposal to do the very best thing that they can from time to time in pro viding for the government , develop ment and true progress of the territor ies that they have acquired by recent annexation. " The preamble of the constitution tells the object of that document , and even the Review of Eeviews cannot im prove jupon the statement. The ob ject , according to this preamble , was to "form a more perfect union , estab lish justice , insure domestic tranqnili- ty , provide for the common defense , promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. " It is very evident that even some of "our posterity" were deliberately 'hamperetl" by the fram- ers of the constitution. They new the tendency of strong men to take ad vantage of weaker men , and so they declared as one of the objects of the constitution "to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our poster . " Mark ' ' " and ity. the word 'secure , observe that the fathers intended to "secure" liberity not only for them selves but for posterity. And iu order to make these benefits secure they or dained and established this constitu tion for the United States of America a constitution which has always been recognized as a grant of power and the certificate of any authority which our public servants may rightfully exer cise. It is true that it was not intended that the constitution should interfere with the people of the United States in their proposal to do whatever they sought to do. The people of the Unit ed States are the makers and the cor * rectors of the constitution , and in or der that it should not interfere with them in anything that they might see fit to do in the future a method of amending the constitution was pro vided. They did , however , intend that that document should interfere with any public officials , with any men or coterie of men who saw fit to do things inconsistent with American traditions and American principles , and they es tablished a written constitution in which they said to their public ser vants , so far.as . concerns the authori ties and the powers they might exer cise "thus far and no farther. " Unsiife Banking. The failure of the 7th national bank of New York City calls attention to the fact that many banks are doing business upon an unsafe basis. This particular bank made a report to the clearinghouse on June 21st showing that its capital was only § 576 , 340 while its deposits were over § 5,700,000 ; its loans over § 4,400,000. A shrinkage of ten per cent in the value of its loans would have more than wiped out its capital. According to the report re ferred to the net profits were § 234,000 but even this sum added to the capital would not give sufficient margin to make the business safe. Some ratio snould be fixed between the bank's capital and its deposits for while it may be very profitable to di vide among a few stockholders the profits secured upon large deposits it invites collapse. A banker would not loan to a merchant whose liabilities equalled 60 per cent of his assets. Why should he ask depositors to trust him under the same circumstances ? Was Clemens a Prophet ? Jeremiah Clemens , a United States senator representing the state of Ala bama in ante-bellum days said : 'Commit our people once to unneces sary wars , let victory encourage the military spirit already too prevalent among them , and Eoman history will have no chapter bloody enough to be transmitted to posterity side by side with ours. In a brief period we shall have re-enacted on a grander scale the same scenes that marked her decline. The veteran soldier who has followed a victorious leader from clime to clime will forget his love of country in his love for his commander ; and the bayo net you sent abroad to conquer a king dom will be brought back to destroy the rights of the citizen and prop the throne of an emperor. " Was Clemens a prophet ? China's mistake in offering to pay a larger indemnity than was demanded is calculated to make the "powers" feel sorry that they did not follow the example of Oliver Twist. Mr. Foraker wrote the Ohio platform or is credited with its authorship and in it he takes occasion to praise the "gallant and heroic negroes. " The aegro can always expect plenty of platform sympathy and respect from bhe g. o. p. General Grosvenor wisely declines to hold both bag and candle. Mr. Foraker's keynoting continues bo be sounded in the tariff cleft. Would it not be better to call Phil adelphia "The City of BoodleryLove ? " WESTERN WATER FARMING. WKcoaaia's M r I kM Olra of Great Profit. Scientist * iho make it their buslnwa to look ahead into the far future art now busy telling what will happen after all the land in the United State * has been put under cultivation. When * here are no more quarter section * tip- n which the settler can establish him self , it is predicted that water farm- Ing will become a general occupation. This information Is comforting to resi dents of Wisconsin. No state in the Union has better facilities for water farming than the one famous for the number and beauty of Its lakes. When the 'time comes for men to fence off acre plots on the crystal waters of the inland seas Wisconsin will have a boom worth while waiting for with pa tience. Of course there will be draw backs to water farming , but the In dustry offers great possibilities. Al though it will be difficult to keep one's crop of fish from being mixed with one's neighbors' , there will be no plow ing or harrowing , no wrestling with stumps , and no trouble over irrigation. After the fish are planted each season there will be nothing to do but to wait until harvest time. By a little diplo matic advertising water farmers may persuade city men to spend their va cations on the lakes as assistants dur ing this harvest season. Houseboats on the water farms would be ideal places of residence during the hot months. It Is estimated that the fish eries of the United States produce food of the value of $45,000,000 every year. As soon as the water farming Industry has a good start , Wisconsin will be able to add millions to this amount. If the calamity howler cannot find any thing worse to prophesy about than the water farm , this state can pursue dally its business pursuits without any fore bodings. Milwaukee Sentinel. HOW TO KILL MOSQUITOES. Chinatown Sells a Cheap and Most Ef fective ObllUrator. It Is the experience of the average housekeeper In Philadelphia that no matter how thoroughly the doors and windows of a house are screened , mos quitoes will get inside. Many of them do not understand that a small pool of stagnant water in a cellar or water standing in pitcher plants is a birth place for thousands of mosquitoes. In flower vases on the table , where the water is not frequently changed , mos quito eggs are found In great numbers. Applications of kerosene oil will , stop that. The general question is how to get the small Insect pests out of the house when once they are In. To per sons of careful habits chlorine gas is recommended. Pour Into a plate con taining four teaspoonsfuls of chloride of lime about ten drops of crude sul phuric acid. This liberates the chlorine gas , which is said to kill the mos quitoes. The plan can be used only in rooms not temporarily occupied , or In which the gas vapors can be allowed to remain for several hours. The burn ing of pyrethrum powders In a room will also kill them. The powder should be moistened and then made into lit tle cones , which are dried in the oven. When a cone is lighted at the top it smoulders slowly , emitting an odor which many persons find pleasant. But a good , simple and cheap mosquito iciller may be bought in Chinatown. The Chinese use pine or juniper saw dust , mixed with a small quantity of brimstone and an ounce of arsenic This mixture is put Into little bags In a dry state. Bach bag Is coiled like a snake and tied tightly with a thread. The outer end Js lighted. The colls sell at 10 cents a hundred and two of them are said to be enough to clear any "or dinary room of mosquitoes. Drastic AntIGambling Some little time ago the Belgian chamber of deputies passed a some what drastic anti-gambling law. The bill has reached the upper house , and is being discussed in a somewhat acrimonious tone , and meeting consid erable opposition. Some of the sen ators point out that gambling is in herent to human nature , and that if the law were carried into effect it would tend to foster clandestine gambling-houses on an extensive scale. This argument has been put forward before , but where the shoe really pinches seems to lie in the fact that the fashionable watering place of Os- tend would be the principal sufferer. The casino there ranks with the fam ous gambling hell at Monte Carlo , and many of the senators are said to be financially interested , and hence their opposition. It Is claimed that if the casino were abolished the loss to the town would lie between $2,500,000 and $5,000,000 , and that most of the public works now in progress would have to be abandoned as they were undertaken on the strength of the revenues de rived from the gaming tables. A Remarkable Voyage. The arrival at Manila of the squad ron comprising the gunboat Annapolis and the ocean tugs Frolic , Piscataqua , and Wampatuck , which sailed from Hamp'ton roads early last winter , com pletes a remarkable voyage. This is the longest trip ever accomplished by such tiny naval craft and was prob ably never equaled by similar war ships. The distance covered was near ly two-thirds around the world , cross- Ing CQe ocean , skirting the southern part of Europe , thence through the tornado seas of the Indian ocean , down to the Philippines at a season when typhoons are usual. There have been , trips of small ships across the Atlantic and once an old monitor was sent around to San Francisco by the Horn , but no vessels of such light displace ment have yet covered so much dan gerous water area as the little squad ron of American boats.