Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-26

riety OF other insects: naturally wanted
to know what offense was charged with.
out blows with the butts of rifles were my
Only answer My imposing documents from
the Cali offfclals We're treated with scorn,
which was hardly surprising, seeing that
nobody could read tnerl.
Like most Coiombians, my captors. hated
foreigners, and they were delighted to have
one at their mercy. e5They refused to give
me ANY food, or evenuto let my men give
me any u was famisiied; for had eaten
nothing since morning. and they had stop
ped my dinner.
But that was not the worst of it. The
insects swarmed all over me. When 1
stood up they ran uu my legs: when sat
down. they ran up my back-so there was
nothing for 1t but ito walk around and
around the cell all night. The soldiers on
guard kept beating on the door with their
rifles and telling me that was going to be
shot in the morning. 1t was not a cheerful
night.
Brought an Apology.
Next morning the commandante of the
garrison entered the cell full of apologies.
and told me that was Free There had
been mistake in a telegram, and he trust
ed the illustrious senior had suffered no in
convenience from the brief hospitality he
had been constrained to afford him.
did not wantsany more mistakes of that
kind, so rode back to Cali and saw the
governor. That polite gentleman over
Whelmed me with regrets and apologies,
and begged me to pardon the soldiers ex-
cess of zeal. He wound up by giving me
beautiful letter, which charged all and
sundry officials to place the resources of
the government at my disposition and not
to interfere in any way with my men, my
goods or my mules.
1t might be supposed that such a letter
would smooth the weary travellers path.
AS a matter of fact, it rendered It more
difficult. Every two-cent alcalde In the
villages through which ! passed regarded
the missive with the greatest suspicion.
These alcaldes could not read, but they
knew the appearance of a passport even If
upside down when they inspected 1t. This
document wasn't a passport, and they
thought seriously of throwing it's owner
into jail. However. judicious brides re-
moved their scruples, and eventually
reached the towns in the Toima depart
ment, sold my goods at decent profit, and
bought rubber with the proceeds.
More Trouble for Him.
But when 1 started to return home 1 was
faced with new imposition.
You need a passport to leave the depart
ment with your mules and rubber said
the Tolima officials, land you will have to
pay us for it,"
the governor of the Cauca," 1 protested.
See what he says"
Ihat Is no good here" they replied
we don't even know who the governor of
the Sauca Is You can't leave without our
passport"
What will it cost?'
They figured it out, and told me it would
De so'loO, paper money, charging 800 per
mule, $500 per load of rubber and sundry
other items. OF course there was nothing
to do but to pay, and the sum just about
swallowed up all the profit of the trip
ned from this nest of brigands and
wv nd NIT nt. rol,
ture until l got to a village called La
Plata There was advised to halt as the
government troops were annexing all the
mules they could catch in the Parimo ma IS
through which 1 had to journey, and would
certainly seize mine. But having the let
ter of the governor of the Cauca forbid
ding anybody to interfere with me, 1
thought 1t was safe to go on.
Needed His Mules.
At the village Of Inza was held I'D by n
band Of a hundred and fifty government
soldiers. They had been numbering and
pillaging the Indians for miles around, and
needed mules to carry their loot The Off
GERS had boxes full of silver coins, ingots,
nuggets and other ivaluables which they
mad Forced the Indians, by torture, to dis
gorge.
Il need your mules" said lieutenant.
You can't have them. / want them," I
replied.
Il am an American citizen. If you inter-
fere with me"
II need your mules"
Here is passport
Il need your mules.
And here is a letter from the governor
of the Cauca forbidding you or anybody
else"
Il need your mules
He took them. While the argument was
proceeding the mules had gone on down
hill, so the officer sent four soldiers after
them to dump the cargoes and bring the
mules back. These soldiers never returned,
wherein hangs a story.
In Hard Place
I sat down in the village store and cursed
the government roundly. had lost alf-rny
profits by the taxes of the sharks in Tolima,
and now 1 had lost my mules and rubber,
and would have to pay up the bond Of
$24,O 900 when / returned to Cali, for failing
to bring the mules back.
AS ! gloomily reviewed the situation, a
dirty, ragged Indian, who was lounging in
the store, came up to me and whispered:
DO not despond Senior Americana. The
liberals are coming in tonight. Say nothing
keep quiet and tomorrow you shall have
your mules back. / promise it,
l slept that night on the floor of an adobe
hut. At four in the morning was awaken
ed by pandemonum of shrieks, yells and
rifle shots. strong band of Indians, in
the service of liberal revolutionists. had
burst into the town and taken the govern
ment troops by surprise.
The bullets whistled through the thin
walls of the hut, which seemed to be right
in the line of fire. l lay fiat my
stomach on the floor, and covered my head
with pillow, expecting every moment that
bullet would search out some vital part.
Presently the firing ceased. l argued
that if the Indians burst into the hut and
found me there they would think l was
hiding from them, and would speedily hack
me to- pieces with their machetes. So /
put bold face on the matter, wound red
handkerch;ef-the liberal emblem-around
my head, and walked out into their midst.
Found Comrade.
They hailed me as a comrade "All for
eigners are our friends they declared
They had won an easy victory over the gov
eminent soldiers, most of whom had been
killed, while the rest had fed to the woods.
My Indian friend of the night before SEEM
ed to be in command, and he kept his word.
He had a lot of mules led up and paraded
before me- told me to pick out mine and
advised me to get away before the govern
ment troops came back In force.
felt 1t was "up to me" to make him
some return for his kindness, SO l opened
the village store-the owner was govern