Poe puts the _dénouement_ first, the situation second, and the climax last, which is a common and effective method in tales of horror and mystery. The newspaper method is to put the climax first, the _dénouement_ second, and the situation last. This arrangement, which is as old as Homer's _Odyssey_, is thus alluded to by Byron: "Most epic poets plunge in _medias res_, (Horace makes this the heroic turnpike road), And then your hero tells, whene'er you please, What went before--by way of episode." For newspaper purposes this method is desirable because it makes a good lead. That is, the first paragraph, and if possible the first sentence, tells the biggest fact about the case. Readers' attention being thus caught and economized, they get the habit of buying papers. VII. Assignments 1. Write headlines for the models in this chapter. 2. Rewrite the Models in Section II on the plan of that in Section V. 3. Rewrite on the same plan one of Poe's other detective stories, one of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tales, Stevenson's _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ or _The Wrecker_, one of Cooper's novels, or any other thrilling story. VIII. Cautions 1. Be sure that you have your three situations in the right order. 2. Be exceedingly particular about the Four W's. Make them stand out vividly in each situation. 3. Use the shortest words that will convey your meaning. 4. Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. How many does the model contain? IX. Suggested Reading Jules Verne's _Mysterious Island_; Robert Browning's _Hervé Riel_; Tennyson's _Revenge_; Whittier's _Barbara Frietchie_; Samuel Rogers's _Ginevra_. X. Memorize THE WAR-SONG OF DINAS VAWR The mountain sheep are sweeter, But the valley sheep are fatter; We therefore deemed it meeter To carry off the latter. We made an expedition; We met an host and quelled it; We forced a strong position, And killed the men who held it. On Dyfed's richest valley, Where herds of kine were browsing, We made a mighty sally, To furnish our carousing. Fierce warriors rushed to meet us; We met them, and o'erthrew them: They struggled hard to beat us, But we conquered them, and slew them. As we drove our prize at leisure, The king marched forth to catch us: His rage surpassed all measure, But his people could not match us. He fled to his hall-pillars; And, ere our force we led off, Some sacked his house and cellars, While others cut his head off. We there, in strife bewildering, Spilt blood enough to swim in: We orphaned many children, And widowed many women. The eagles and the ravens We glutted with our foemen; The heroes and the cravens, The spearmen and the bowmen.