The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-03-02

a sea going tug fitted out to carry arms
and munitions of war to the reVOlu-
tionary army of Salsada, which you II
find on the may of the east coast OF
South America if you look good and
hard. Tie government we We're HSAt'
ing against had or a-i!-ed a stiI book
ade along the coast, ard had fast gum
boats and torpedo craft looking Ter
US, and they wanted us bad.
We revolutionists had plenty of men
but we were shy of rifles, cartridges
and field pieces, and ii we could lara
this cargo, | speak of, il meant putting
1000 we'll armed men and two batteries
in the field.
$50 here we were, wal!oEing along
In heavy weather, the crazy cid tub
loaded down plumb near to her
patches, and fifty patriots OF Sal
gada spraddled all over her decks.
Our boilers were leaky, and our
coal was poor We bad been out a
week, and still had three hundred
miles to run where We were to make
a landin' by night, if we didn't get
blown out Of water this side Of it.
There were no cabins or shelter for
my party and our decks were fair
awash, and every sad-eyed patriot was
leasick all the time. Coal was strew-
I'd in sacks all over the decks. and
washin' to and fro among the. COIL
and rusty rifles and machetes and mil
aewed saddle-bags was this band of
soldiers of Salgada.
Well. I'm rambling some, but
wanted to give you a notion of what
the proposition was before | fetched
in my pal and shipmete, Perez Nor
ales. He was a lieutenant and my
tight hand man, a slim, laughing.
olack-eyed lad of nineteen or twenty
hat never dropped his nerve or cared
whocp what was coming next.
Ho was the son Of rich coffee
PLANTER back in the Salgada mountains,
md he'd been going to school for two
Years at a military college up here in
Ohio. He was quick as cat and hard
Is nails. with drillin' and playin' foot
call and such warlike diversions.
After shutdown on this day l speak
II, l E.nted up young Morales, my
hde-partner.
My son." says I, 1T looks as If
'ur fellow patriots was showing signs
# life, though they're not exactly ami
mated. Let US mount couple of 12-
,ound field pieces, fore and aft, and
ry and break in gun crews for EN-.
We can't put up what you'd call
pirited action, but If we do get over
iauled at sea, let's be ready to give
little back talk.
Morales jumped at the notion, as hap
~ as It he'd received a bunch Of let
ers from home. He had done his time
y cadet artilleryman, and had med
VS. for marksmanship-and I'd pulled
lanyard or two myself.
So we hoisted two guns from the
.old. One 12-pounder We mounted up
n the bow, and the other we dashed
1T on the overhang. It was a tough
OBJ, but Morales kept us going strong.
sorking like q little cyclone, singing
he battle hymns of Salgada, and ham
nering action into the patriots who
we're still shaky in their legs.
After we finished Morales came aft
With me to pile of coalsacks on the
werhang. which was my palatial state
DOM and we smoked cigarettes and
alked a while for the moon was full
md the air soft as velvet.
On deck forwards q revivin' patriot
sas picking at q guitar, and a couple
{ his shipmates were singing Spanish
owe songs in high, quiverin' tenor
uices.
As for my young comrade Morales,
. just had to let out his heart to me
hat night. OF course there was a girl,
he was in the town OF Rio de Contas,
hirty miles from the little bay where
70 were hoping to land. This town
vas held by 2QQQ. government troops,
ut this cut no ~ with Perez Morales.
We were going to march our fifty
Grave patriots against Rio de Con-
q, ''pronto." quick, right away, cut
ur way through the enemy and carry
q the beautiful senorita.
was less than ten years older than
tm, but / felt as If it was a boy
elking to his daddy. There was none |
% good for this Perez Morales, who |
vas all alive and boiling with patriot |
sm and love and romance and hot /
lood.
About midnight the weather got
dirty again and soon it began to blow.
Ne squirt at the needle told me that