Edward Sylvester Ellis

“ With ill grace, the Dictator stepped carefully down and seated himself at the bow of the smaller boat.
“And now myself,” was the good natured remark of the American, as he lightly followed. It was a trying moment, for he half expected a shot in the back, even though it would have meant the death of General Yozarro and the destruction of the tugboat. Captain Ortega must have feared something of the kind, for he stepped to the edge of the upper deck, leaned forward with his revolver grasped and kept a keen watch upon every man. It is not impossible that his vigilance averted a tragedy. ”

“ His huge mustache twitched, and his little black eyes shone upon the placid countenance of Captain Guzman, lolling in his chair at the farther end and languidly smoking a cigarette. The Captain calmly met the flickering glare and the General shifted it to Major Starland on his right, who was looking through the open window on the other side of the apartment, as if the blue sky, with its fleecy clouds, framed by the opening, was all that interested him. ”

“ General Yozarro tried to hide his repulse by turning to Major Starland:
“I have come aboard this vessel at your command; what do you desire of me?”
“Your sword.”
The Dictator meekly drew the blade from its scabbard and extended the hilt toward the American, who recoiled.
“I refuse it; keep it; and take with you the remembrance that the most dangerous thing mortal man can fool with is an American.”
“Are you through?”
“I am, and I hope never to look upon your face again.”
“Mal rayo te parta! Your wish is reciprocated; I will return to my boat.” ”

“ General Bambos is just as much infatuated with your loveliness as General Yozarro.”
“But he has a wife and family!” was the horrified exclamation of Miss Starland.
“That makes not the slightest difference to him.”
An expression of unutterable scorn darkened the face of the American.
“Impossible as it seems, Manuela, I must believe you. How can you live here?” she asked with impulsive disgust; “you cannot trust any man in this country.”
“Ah, my dear Warrenia, they are not all alike; I certainly know one who is different from the two we have been talking about.” ”

“ General Bambos lifted himself to his feet and swung across the cabin several times, finally crashing back to his former seat on the vexed lounge.
“You have heard of General Simon Bolivar?” was his unexpected question.
“Who has not? He was the great Liberator, born in Venezuela in 1783, who freed Peru, which then became Bolivia, and was rejected by Colombia, because she did not know how to appreciate his greatness. His was the finest character ever produced by South America.” ”

“ He was afraid of nothing on earth and revelled in a battle which would allow him to display his tremendous prowess, power and wrath.
Seeing that the boat paid no heed to his thunderous challenge, the bull galloped sideways and backward to shore, and trotted along its bank, looking at the craft, thrusting out his snout and calling for it to come ashore and have it out with him. Major Starland picked up his Krag-Jorgensen from where it leaned beside his feet and sighted at the bull, into whose bellowing there seemed to intrude a regretful note over the ignoring of his challenge. ”

“ The American seated himself at the stern, where he controlled the tiller, while the native lounged on the front seat smoking his eternal cigarette. Behind them the pretty little capital, with its five thousand inhabitants, distributed mostly in adobe huts, shabby and of small dimensions, gradually sank out of sight, and finally vanished behind a bend in the river. To the right, stretched the immense undulating plain of exuberant forest, with its tropical luxuriance, its smothering climate and its overwhelming animal life. ”

“ More than that, I shall take the first opportunity to impress upon General Yozarro the hopelessness of any love he may feel toward you.”
“That is just like your true self!” exclaimed the American, returning the ardent caresses of her friend; “my stay with you is to be too brief to allow any such cloud to come between us. Much as I hate to cause you distress, Manuela, I shall not stay another day if he persists in forcing his attentions upon me.”
“Have no fear of that. He is too good, too considerate, too honorable to bring pain to any one. ”

“ Looking across the mile of rugged country to where the northern stream wound its way, they saw a small sailboat speeding to the eastward, the moderate breeze causing it to careen far to one side. Its prow cut the curling water and the foam spread out like a fan in its wake.
“If we had a glass we might study it closely,” said Miss Starland regretfully, as she scrutinized the craft.
“I don’t think there is anything of the kind in the Castle, but it can make little difference. The boat is a strange one to us, and whoever is guiding it is no concern of ours.” ”

“ Both laughed over the insignificant incident, and Miss Starland took care as they descended that her own merriment continued. General Yozarro, thus warned, finished his imprecations, and met them with his usual smiles and graciousness. In his snowy suit, sombrero in hand, he was the acme of cool politeness and courtesy. Had not Miss Starland identified his voice unmistakably, she could not have believed what her ears had told her. ”

“ Just as the meal was finished, all were startled by the hoarse, tremulous whistle overhead. Two long blasts sounded, and the clink of the little brass lever was heard as it dropped back to its resting place against the sounding tube.
“What does that mean?” asked Major Starland, who the next moment bounded to his feet and hurried to the Captain, with Guzman at his heels.
“Captain, what is the cause of that signal; have you so soon forgotten your neutrality?”
“It is a salutation to the steamer just coming round the bend. Listen!” ”

“ All this seemed incredible and yet a little reflection convinced Major Starland that the sagacious native was right. The American had two treacherous enemies to meet in the Dictators who professed to be his friends.
“I will go back to Atlamalco; I will call the dog to account; what will he dare say for himself?”
“I am sure,” observed the soft-voiced Captain, “that Major Starland will not be so unwise as that.”
“Why will it be unwise?”
“General Yozarro will not see you when you return.”
“He dare not refuse! I will bring up my yacht and lay his confounded town under tribute.” ”

“ Running across the gangplank, with a firearm in each hand, Major Starland bounded up the few steps leading to the upper deck. The Captain of the boat was seated in the pilot house, calmly smoking a cigarette while he waited. His gaze being turned dreamily toward the river, he saw nothing of the intruder, or, if he heard his footsteps, he was not disturbed. His awakening came, when the athletic American strode forward and thrust a revolver through the window of the pilot house. ”

“ Had General Yozarro changed his mind and hastened to his capital, with the decision to offer defence there? She could not believe it. It seemed more probable that he had hurried down the river toward Zalapata to meet his antagonist, who may have turned and fled to his own town. Even this looked unlikely, but it was the only explanation that presented itself. She would have liked to converse with her friend, but the circumstances were unfavorable. The continual shifting of conditions compelled her to keep a firm seat and rein and to watch every step of her horse. ”

“ The Señorita locked the door and the two faced each other.
“What do you make of it, Manuela?”
“Only one thing can be made of it; it is as I said; General Yozarro is determined you shall remain here for some time to come and he gives no more thought to the foolhardiness of his action than if he were a child too young to walk.”
“What of the story of a war between the republics?”
“I do not believe a word of it.”
“Meantime, what are we to do?”
“Sit down, fold our hands and be good; but,” she added with a flash of her eyes, “that is the last thing to do; I long to meet my uncle face to face. ”

“ While he paused, facing the group of Americans, a man on the outer fringe succeeded in catching his eye and made the most taunting grimace conceivable. He repeated it several times, the last being accompanied by a flirt of the forefinger across the throat to signify that that was the way he would like to serve the murderous tyrant. The man who thus grossly insulted him was Martella, the deserter, who chuckled with delight when he heard the stinging answer given to General Yozarro by Miss Starland. ”

“ I do not understand your question, Major.”
“I wait for you to explain your meaning: what is your ambition?”
“It is to form a grand confederation of South American states; as you know, our continent is divided into no end of petty republics. Why should they not unite into one powerful, resistless whole?”
“The only obstacle is themselves; each country is so jealous of every other that it prefers to fight rather than to fuse. ”

“ Captain Ortega seemed to think the subject entertaining, for he lit another cigarette—first offering the box to the American—crossed his legs, leaned back at his leisure, looked smilingly up in the American’s face, and said in an even voice:
“It may be treason, Major, but General Yozarro is a coward! He spoiled everything by refusing to attack, when nearly every man in his boat was eager for it. When I was on the point of calling to him that the gun was empty, he tumbled back in the boat at your threat. ”

“ It was pure chance or providence, for even Martella knew nothing of the path, which was one of many that wound down to the river. It was his intention to plunge into the jungle with no other thought than that of immediately finding a hiding place for his friends and himself, when he happened upon the path. Yielding to impulse, he called out the fact and told the others to follow, as he hurried up the slight incline. ”

“ He is one of the kindest-hearted of men, is wealthy and would always be your slave.”
“You name the very quality I cannot tolerate in the one whom I love; I care nothing for wealth, for I do not need it; I want no man to be my slave, and I shall never marry any one who is not an American like myself.” ”

“ Only a few minutes were given the fugitives in which to decide what to do. A straight away race was hopeless, for the pursuer, now no more than an eighth of a mile distant, was sure to overhaul them in a very brief time.
“I am inclined to let General Yozarro come up with us,” said the Major; “I have no fear of his molesting me or Miss Starland, and I am rather curious to hear what he has to say for himself. We are in our own boat, or at least not in his, and we have committed no crime against the Atlamalcan Republic, whatever that name means.” ”

“ If the yacht Warrenia and its crew and passengers had been called upon to pass through a series of stirring incidents while in tropical America, a rare and most gratifying experience now came to them. The weather remained calm and the run to the southern [Pg 302] extremity of the continent was as smooth and tranquil as it had been across the Caribbean Sea. When the neighborhood of Cape Horn was reached, Major Starland, in order to keep his pledge with his father, took the wheel. Captain Winton lit his pipe, sat down in the pilot house and grimly waited until his services were necessary. ”

“ At the same time, I concede that there can be no such thing as forced arbitration. Every employer or capitalist has the right to run his own business to suit himself, just as any man, or set of men, have the right to quit work and to try to persuade their friends to quit with them; but, your pardon, General; we are wandering from the question.”
“A suggestion I was about to make. When you reflect that a respectful demand has been made upon President Yozarro for the payment [Pg 42] of a just claim, and that he brutally refuses, what would you advise, most wise and honored Sir?” ”