The Washington times., 1906-05-06

gether a pitiful semblance of a mil
itary uniform-a pair of red trous-
ers, dingy blue jacket embroidered
with yellow braid, and an old fatigue
cap abandoned by one of the British
soldiers in Belize. In the latter he
had fastened the gaudy feathers of
a parrots tail. Buckled around his
waist was an ancient ships cutlass
contributed by Pedro LATTE. the
barber, who, proudly asserted its in
heritance from his ancestor. the IL
lustrious buccaneer.
At the admiraTs heels tagged his
newly shipped crew-tnree grinning.
glossy black Caribs, bare 20 the
waist; the sand in the streets spuTt-
ing in a shower from the spring Of
their naked feet.
With becoming dignity. Felipe de-
manded his vessel of the collector.
The collectors wife. a thin, little,
yellow woman who read novels IN a
hammock all day. had found, in an
old book, an engraving OF a flag
purpOrting to be the naval flag of
the republic. Perhaps it had been
so designed by the founders of the
nation; but, as no navy had ever
been established, oblivion had claim
ed its flag. With her own tawny
hands she had made a flag after this
pattern-a red cross upon a blue and
white ground. Having a little Of
the romance that abounded in her
novels. she presented It to Felipe
with the words: Brave sailor. This
flag is Of your country. II you will
defend with the life. Go with God"
For the next month or two the
navy had its troubles. Even the adj
miral was peTplexed to know what
to do without orders, but none came.
Neither did any salaries. The sloOp
was rechristened El Nacional, re-
painted and swung idly at anchor.
When Felipe's little store Of money
was exhausted, he went to the col
lector and raised the question of f.
nances.
Salaries" exclaimed the collec-
tor with his hands raised Que sal
aries! Not one centavo have l re-
ce.yed of my own for seven months.
The pay of an admiral, do you ask? =?
Quien sabe? Should it be less than
three thousand pesos? Miral You
Will see a revolution IN this cOun-
try very soon. A good sign Of it is
when they call for pesos, pesos, pc
SOS; and pay none out"
Felipe left the collector with a
look almost of content in his somber
race. A revolution would mean fight
ing. and then the government would
need his services. 1t was rather hu-
initiating to be an admiral without
anything 10 do, and have hungry
crew begging for reales to buy plan
tains and bread to eat
When he returned 20 where the
good-natured Caribs were hopefully
waiting. they sprang up and saluted.
as he had taught them.
Come, muchachos,' said the ad-
miraL The government is poor. It
has no money at present. We will
earn what we need to live upon
SOon"-his heavy eyes almost light
ed up-"Our help may be gladly
sought for"
Thereafter FL Nac.Onal turned out
with the other coast craft ar1
freighted bananas and oranges ont
TO the fruit steamers who could not
come nearer than a mile of shore,
there being no harbOr at Solitas.
Surely, a self-supporting navy de-
serves red letters in the budget Of
any nationl
There was a little telegraph Of
fee in Solitas whence a little tele-
graph line ran over the big noun
tains 10 the capital After earning
enough at freighting to keep his
crew in provisions and pay for a
week or two Felipe would infest
this Office looking like the chorus
of an insolvent comic opera troupe
besieging the managers den
Sprawled in a favorite corner, .uoon
the floor. in his fast decaying uni
form. with his prodigious saber dL,-
tributed between his red legs, he
awaited, day after day, and week
after week, the long delayed orders
from his government Each day he
would inquire, gravely and expect
antly, for dispatches. The operator
would pretend to make a search.
and reply:
Not yet, it seems. Senor el Al
mirante-PocO tiempO,"
At the answer the admiral would
plump himself down, with a rattle,
in his corner TO await the iHfre-
Quent click of the little Instrument
on the table, Outside, "a the shade
of the lime trees in the calle. the
crew chewed sugar cane, or slum-
vr-oH - e,,---, - ,xs..-.