The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-12

far-aWay corner of the earth An i'm
nortant little man in gold trimmings
finally appeared and showed me doc
ument containing my name. The war
rant, he explained, was, however. of
such a peculiar nature that he could
not understand it. Another commits
sonaire who shortly arrived was equally
puzzled. The two seemed on the point
of coming to blows over the warrant,
when the one wearing the most tinsel
grabbed the parchment and tore it in
small pieces.
Thinking that + might throw some
light on the matter, I ventured to rise
and walk forward, whereupon both Off
GERS gazed at me with pity, which inn
| mediately turned to frenzy and, shak-
ing their fists, screamed some orders.
Three policemen rushed me to a corner,
looked at me very fiercely and then
stood by with drawn swords until an
other order brought out platoon of
gendarmes. BY them I was conducted
once more down through the main
street of Bera.
We brought up at a big square cor
rugated iron building bearing on it the
legged, Armagem Alfandagado,' which
| took to be the proprietor's name. 1t
turned out to mean government bonded
warehouse and inside of it presided a
short, fat Portuguese German who rep
consular agent in Beira. Above his desk
in bas-relief on the consular coat of
arms lurched forward a much battered
American eagle, which seemed to ex-
tend friendly claw.
Doan ged SO fresh at vonce, young
man. said this individual, when I
| made somewhat hostile demonstration,
| or l will hat you sent pack to Jail we're
you will stay some time, yes!'
He then explained that my arrest had
| been procured as a courtesy to the con-
| sui general, with whom I had had some
| difficulty. I was a total stranger in
Beira, and it was beginning to look
ominous for me, when a movement at
| the door caused a dozen clerks, who
had been called in from the counting
| house, to tumble over one another in
| frightened haste, and in walked two of
| the most powerfully built men I have
| ever seen.
"One was tall and smooth-faced, with
keen gray eyes, rather angular in finish,
but hardy looking. He wore a white
duck suit and moved about lightly on
| his feet like trained athlete.
hear there's an American arrested
here he said, walking up very close to
the consular agent and taking no pains
to conceal his clenched fist gnarled like
a hickory knot. Well, you know I'm an
American, and I just want to see fair
| play. Are we going to see it, captain
| turning to his companion.
1.-THE latter stood about six feet three
inches in height and was superb ami
NAL. A loose flannel shirt open at the
| breast disclosed a pair of pectoral mus
| Giles that seemed ready to burst and
| his shoulders shut off a considera BILE
slice of landscape. A tawny mustache
dropped at either corner of his mouth,
| fair curly hair covered his head and a
pair of very blue eyes showed alternate
| mirth and sternness. He was one
| whom a man would envy, an enemy
| fear and a woman love.
| ITO the others question he simply
| folded his arms. drew himself up an
| inch or so and locking around with a
| light sarcastic smile said with an I'M
mistakable English drawl I fancy
| that will not be a difficult job
I don't know enough about law
| said the American, addressing me, to
| understand your case, but Captain For
| aker will just step across the way and
get Senior Figueira to join this in
| daaba'
1.-THE senior was the only lawyer in
Beira and after a short drill in Calls
themes he convinced the commissaire,
| the police and the audience that I had
been Illegally arrested, declared it an
outrage and insisted on bringing suit
for damages against some one.
MY newly made friends led the way
| back to the Beach hotel, where the
American introduced himself as Billy
Reeder, the manager, formerly of
Butte, Mont. state champion throw
er of the hammer and middleweight
boxer.
This is Captain Foraker. he said,
introducing the other giant, late of her
majesty's heavy dragons, soldier and
sailor, niger chief lumber expert and
the best fighter in Beira. Gentlemen,
| step to the bar and have a sensation
| Half a dozen men in khaki suits who
were draped over Madeira chairs on
| the veranda woke UP hastily at this
and answered the invitation, all drink
| ing to my release.
You must not mind being arrested
| said the superintendent of the Beira
| railway, who was Swallowed at all
| times by a huge darby called Promised
Land, utilized for Tagging trains when
| by any mischance one happened to
| keep on the track long enough to reach
Beira.
Nearly every one gets arrested here
| sooner or later. You see it's this way:
Portugal is practically mortgaged to
| England and we're going to have this
country some time. We must get Del
| agoa bay and Beira. We need them in
our business. Well, the colonial office
wants to soft soap the Portuguese and
| make the deal in a gentle way so it
does not come down on them when an
Englishman is outraged here, with the
| consequence that white man cannot
| look sidewise at one of these puppet
| policemen without being stuck like
pig. The British consul says his hands
are tied and it's a shame how were
treated.
I'm addition to the iron shanties there
are light weather board houses, shipped
out in pieces from Norway and Swe-
den. and on the Point. where life is
| more endurable, the well-to-do citizens
have erected decent little villas. The
life of the town is centered in two ho-
tells, one at either end, and every one
takes a personal interest in the rivalry
between them. The Beach is situated
| near the boat landing on the bay and
is owned by Roland Creech, ex-sheriff
of Butte, Mont. The other rejoices in
the name of Royal and has for it's pro-
prietor a ferret-faced Frenchman who
knows the game of faro.
"As a stranded American with good