TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: —Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. —Bold text has been rendered as =bold text=. [Illustration: ”ANY THING GOING ON TO-NIGHT?” VAN CLEEF ASKED THE POLICE SERGEANT. (_Page 44._)] UNDER ORDERS THE STORY OF A YOUNG REPORTER BY KIRK MUNROE AUTHOR OF “THE FLAMINGO FEATHER,” “DERRICK STERLING,” “DORYMATES,” “CAMPMATES,” ETC., ETC. ILLUSTRATED G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS NEW YORK LONDON 27 WEST TWENTY-THIRD ST. 27 KING WILLIAM ST., STRAND The Knickerbocker Press 1890 COPYRIGHTED, 1890 BY KIRK MUNROE The Knickerbocker Press, New York Electrotyped, Printed, and Bound by G. P. Putnam’s Sons TO JOHN BOGART FOR MANY YEARS CITY EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK “SUN” who, more than any other, helped me to obtain a literary foothold, whose honesty of purpose, strict sense of justice, and unswerving fidelity to duty uplifted him as an example of the ideal city editor, the dedication of this story of newspaper life is offered as a tribute of gratitude and affection by THE AUTHOR CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.—THE CAPTAIN OF THE CREW RESIGNS 1 II.—TRYING TO BECOME A REPORTER 16 III.—THE OLD GENTLEMAN OF THE OXYGEN 32 IV.—BEGINNING A NEW LIFE 49 V.—THE KIND OF A FELLOW BILLINGS WAS 66 VI.—A REPORTER AT HOME 81 VII.—“NO LOAFERS NOR REPORTERS ADMITTED” 96 VIII.—”LORD STEEREM,” THE COXSWAIN 111 IX.—AN ACT OF FOLLY AND A CRUEL DISPATCH 125 X.—MYLES MAKES A STARTLING DISCOVERY 141 XI.—A FIGHT AND A MISTAKE 157 XII.—MYLES FALLS INTO A TRAP 172 XIII.—THE STRIKERS CAPTURE A TRAIN 186 XIV.—A RACE AGAINST TIME 199 XV.—THE 50TH REGIMENT, N. G. S. N. Y. 214 XVI.—RECALLED AND DISMISSED 229 XVII.—THE BEST SISTER IN THE WORLD 243 XVIII.—WHO ROBBED THE SAFE? 260 XIX.—REINSTATED AND ARRESTED 277 XX.—COLLECTING EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENCE 294 XXI.—A DAY OF TRIAL 311